The Hog Bipe is more aerobatic and the longer tail moment makes it a lot easier to get in the air. The Mini is a ground looping queen!

The looks of the Mini are better (At 44"wingspan, it is truly 1/4 scale). It flies like it thinks it is a 110" monster. Very stable in the air (Snap rolls are blindingly fast if set up right) and lands slower than a trainer. I haven't experienced any pitching problems with the Mini. You can build it heavy and it still floats forever!

The Hog Bipe is bigger. It has ailerons on both wings, Easy to get in the air, easy to land. Some people prefer to move the landing gear about 1/2" forward of its current location. I did not have a great deal of trouble with mine in the stock location. I simply used a little up through roll out without any problems with it wanting to pull up too early and stall out (I fly off grass).

My Hog Bipe (as well as my GP Skybolt) Has serious pitching issues however. There is dihedral in the lower wing. I built mine to plans and with a bit of rudder it will roll the bipe like I shoved full aileron into it! Stall turns were impossible. It will simply roll out of the manuver at the very top. This might be corrected by pulling the dihedral out of the wing. I haven't gotten that far yet.

You can modify the tail any way you wish if you don't like the looks of it. I'd keep it stock. No need for anything larger. Use a high torque servo on the rudder. It will hold the knife edge just fine (with correction with aileron).

I like the Hog Bipe because the construction is builder friendly. It goes together easy and you will learn a few GREAT building techniques. The Smith Miniplane is an experienced builders paradise. You build every square inch of that puppy. You have to engineer the incidence as instructed in the plans and manual. The Hog has most of that work done for you. The engine is easier to access being open on the Hog. I personally like this. I like it because it is not a scale bipe, and it has the old school looks with great modern performance. You can modify that easy enough if you wish as well. But I like it.

Both are greath. If this is your 1st bipe or bipe build, I'd STRONGLY recommend buying the Miniplane as your second, or better, your third bipe build.

The Hog Bipe is the best 1st bipe on the market. But then that is just my opinion, biased as it may be.