I got a Hog Bipe for Christmas too! It is my second Hog Bipe. I crashed the first after 3 years of flying in early November.

I strongly recommend you move the landing gear 1/4" forward. The plane as a habit of wanting to nose over when under power on the runway.

If you have mastered the LT40 (comfortable with inverted, rolls, snap rolls, stall turns and spins) I would think you won't have an issue going to the bipe. Realize that any bipe has a poor glide path, if it dead sticks, make for the runway in any fashion and any direction. I think (and did!) that most second airplanes get destroyed from pilot error due to being over zealous. I know I destroyed my second plane when my aerobatics, speed and height were all beyond my ability to correct. Seen a few pilots go buck wild with their first aerobatic plane and put it into the dirt. So take it slow and you should master the Hog Bipe without incident.

Scott