RE: What is a good first bipe
The Hog Bipe is a good airplane as is the Tiger Moth. Sig has a new ARF bipe that requires a gas engine. Blasa USA has a bipe called the Phaeton. I'm deep into WWI airplanes and there you have to search for a monoplane instead of vice versa. Look at any of the WWI aircraft either as kits or ARF. GP has a Fokker Tripe. All tripes are difficult on the ground but good in the air. If you go to WWI consider the Fokker D-VII. big advantage is it doesn't require alot of flying wires. I belileve Hangar 9 has an ARF SE-5a and a D-VII also an ARF.