Hi all!! I've been flying since the first of July this year. I trained on a Sig LT-40. I soloed after six separate sessions with an instructor. His name is Jerry, great guy and VERY patient!! I have since purchased an Avistar and an Easy Sport 60. I have put over seven gallons of fuel thru these three planes since I soloed without a major crash. I did land in the corn field a couple of times due to my terrible depth perception.
As you can tell, I have been seduced by this hobby!! It's so addicting!!! Anyway, I really want a biplane. I'm looking at the Global Ultimate Bipe. From my limited experience mentioned above, is it to soon for me to think of this plane to fly this summer? Should I consider another type of plane to enhance my skills before a biplane? I have also been looking at a Sig SE.
Any comments or suggestions would be very much appreciated!

I think the SE or a four* would be a better choice for a second plane, you need to get the feel of aerobatic planes before you jump into a bipe. If you are set on a bipe I would suggest the sig profile ultimate, it is probably the easiest to fly bipe on the market.

Gil

a Bipe is not nessaserily hard to fly BUT it definatly flies different, Not all but many also handle very much different taking off, You will need to roll out and keep it on the ground till you get the speed up, With so much lift bipes want to lift fast but if they don't have speed they lift and snap right back down, I would get the Sig SE, that thing can do some crazy stuff and will get your responce time up for sure.

Best of luck
Dauntae

I'm going to agree with Dauntae and Gil on this. You might be able to handle it, but most bipes are less forgiving of little mistakes, like slowing down in a turn. (Most will tip stall and dive for the ground.)

Something like the Sig SE will help build your reflexes. That should help ensure success with that Ultimate.
Dennis-

Actually, if you have a 60 size engine (I'm assuming you do as you mentioned that you have an Easy Sport 60), and if you are good with the Easy Sport, you COULD try a Sig Hog Bipe. They're pretty forgiving.

That is exactly what I'm getting, a guy at the club let me fly his and was awesome, it definitely handles different but that is the sweet part.

Probable I'm wrong but I think the biplane issue is like the wind issue, people are afraid of flying on demanding conditions, if I can handle the Hog Bipe(my 3rd plane) any one can.

I'm going along with the last 2 posts. The Hog Bipe is a great flyer and forgiving.

Now, for a given engine size, the buipe will be a smaller plane, wingspanwise, and look smaller in the sky. Also, you will not want to try to stretch it out in case of a dead stick. With a bipe in this case, you will put in some down to keep your speed up to avoid a snap.

Overall, the Hog Bipe is a good plane to have in your stable - been flying one about 4 years now - stuck a Magnum .91 4-stroke in the nose and has plenty of power. The newer 4-stroke 70's should do well also, from what I have seen lately at the field.

Take care and I hope that this info is of some help.

I agree that an excellent choice would be a SIG SE, as it will teach you things much quicker than almost any other plane, and is very forgiving.

However, if you do insist on going for a biplane, remember the biggest difference is that it needs good throttle management.

They aren't too difficult to land, but the technique is entirely different from a trainer.

When you chop the throttle, they, um, STOP in the air! There is so much drag in a biplane that you need to keep a few clicks of throttle way past the time in a landing when you would have gone to idle with the engine on a trainer.

Good luck!

-David C.

Thank you all so much for the advice, and sharing tips on how to control a biplane.
I think I will go with the suggestions of the Sig SE for now. Maybe the Bipe will be my winter project.

Anyone want to suggest a good engine and prop combination? Specifically, would the Magnum 52 two stroke be o.k.? If so what prop?

should be ok with 10x8 or 11x6

Gil

hog bipe definately.... but gotta have the 4 stroke ...preferably a 91. have a hog and a hog bipe and the bipe aint no harder to fly than the se . go with what you love and you can learn later. thats what buddy cords are for!!!

essixx the 52 will fly it but you would be better off spending the $20 more and get the Magnum XL 61RFS, A friend had a OS 70 on his and that thing hauled, It is always good to have a little power in reserve in case you need it.

Dauntae

One week after soloing, I was flying a 4* 60 with no problem. One week later a Phaeton bipe. It was more difficult at first but not too much and within a few days it was easy. I would go for the Hog bipe in your place. I haven't flown it but it is longer than my phaeton and should handle better on the ground. I have never heard anyone utter a disparaging word about it.

Who makes the Phaeton bipe and it handels easy or is more like a Pitts?

You have made a wise decision. Most bipes glide like a well trimmed coke machine. In emergency situations, the added stick time you will accumulate and the automatic responses you will develop may save your bipe someday. Hope you are able to join the ranks of bipe drivers in the not too distant future.

the pheaton is made by balsa usa and is a more advanced build .i'd steer more towards the hog bipe . one other thing about the hog i had to deadstick mine a couple of weeks ago and its no 4* but it actually glides quite well.

I also have one and it flys great, if I want a glider I will buy one; and about the coke machine, yeah, the biplanes had a lot of drag so you have to keep that in mind, like a cap, edge, shoestring they all fly their own way, other wise doesn't make any sense to have more than one plane.

Jucava, I'm not raging on bipes. I fly a pitts every week among other thinks like my 1/4 scale extra. I've had a bipe of one kind or another in my possession every day for the last 30 years. Of coarse you don't buy a bipe to glide around. My point was, it's going to have a very different sink rate than a trainer and because of this, in say, a dead stick, someone with low time could find themselves in over there heads rapidly. Hate to see it happen to anyone.

This will be his 4th plane, obviously his looking for some excitement, is good to be prudent with your skills but no too much that you limited your self.

There are many people in this hobby who only fly on perfect conditions and don't explore their own skills. This guy for what he said has master his 3 planes in 2 months, I think he is pushing his skills and see what else he can do.

I never mind to offend you; I just say that every plane has it own flying characteristics.

Also I don't agree with the theory of:
1.- high wing trainer
2.- mid wing trainer
3.- low wing trainer
4.- then sports planes
5.- then aerobatics
6.- then if you make it here you are broke and can not fly that particular plane that you always want to.

Some people develop their skills faster than others, for different reasons and that's great. If this is essixx case good for him, if you feel you can handle, see if some one let you fly his or if he body-cord you, so you can get a feel of that particular plane.

I think we're on the same page. I certainly haven't gotten better over the years without challenging myself as i'm sure you have too. Just seen too many costly disappointments over the years by pilots overestimating their readiness to take it to the next level. I do believe, when safety and lots of money are involved, patience and stick time are key to success. Hope i didn't step on any toes either.

I totally agree with you, you seems to be older and wiser than me, but (always the but) some lessons have to be learned the hard way.

A lot of people told me I did not have enough stick time to get a biplane, and probably because they can not handle it (they been flying more time than I do) doesn't mean I can not handle it either.

I have fly HOG BIPE, Ultimate, Pitts, Stearman, and some are great planes to fly and some keep me in my toes and my legs shaking for a while after landing; but I enjoy them all, biplane freak I guess.

Money is and issue, no doubt, but you should never put in the air something you can not afford to lose. I do a lot of pre-fly checks but accidents happens or you just push it to the wrong side; expensive but all valuable lessons.

jucava, Just turned the big 50 in june. When i'm flying though, i usually feel more like 20. Maybe thats one reason why i love it so much. What pitts do you have. EAA bipe, stearman, liberty sport, weeks special, weeks solution, pitts, skybolt (sig & hostetler), balsa usa sopwith pup, are or have been some of mine.

I have a big space problem at the moment and I'm only allowed(wife) to have 3 planes, I know, I know this probably is against the law but....

The only biplane I have in my hangar in flying conditions at the moment is the Hog Bipe, very easy to fly, very relaxing, and aerobatic enough for me.

A friend let me fly his GP Pitts from time to time, but I really don't like to fly other people planes. I fell the Pitts be the opposite of the Hog, you have to fly it in advance, is a more demanding plane.

I'm in negotiations(wife) to add an other biplane to the hangar, I was thinking in the Dave Patrick's Ultimate 40 or the GP Skybolt; I would like to see more ARFs biplanes, I'm a good pilot but no very good builder.

I feel your pain. The ultimate is a good choice but have you considered the new cermark pitts arf? I have the old one and love it.

Very nice, and is $.50,00 cheaper than the GP one.