Hey Gang!

The wife must of thought I was a really good boy this year, because she bought me a Sig Hog Bipe kit for christmas! My question is this, what is the skill level required to fly it? I've gotten pretty descent with the LT40 my son and I built last winter, I've got maybe a dozen flights on it... I also fly a sim, but nothing compares to the real thing... I've got a friend who gave us our initial instruction via a trainer cord, I'd probably ask him to maiden it for us. What are your thoughts? Hog fans pipe up!

Thanks

Get your friend to do the maiden honors and get it trimmed for you.

Then go for the fun.

There;s nothing tricky about a well built hog bipe

Please describe your flying abilities (and your son's) in much greater detail.
The only thing the LT40 and the Hog Bipe have in common is they are both airplanes... the flying characteristics have little in common.
While I agree that the Hog Bipe is not 'tricky' compared to other planes in this class, it is going to do absolutely everything much much quicker than your LT40.
The Hog Bipe is a great first biplane (it is not tricky) but there is a difference between being a great first biplane and being a good second plane.
Without seeing you fly it is hard to recommend the Hog Bipe as a second plane.
Now having said that... if you are flying the pattern inverted and doing rolling circles with the LT40 then the Hog Bipe will be a piece of cake to transition to.
Talk to your instructor and see what he thinks about making this jump.
From afar I would recommend putting at least one more plane between the LT40 and the Hog Bipe, an Astro Hog or a Four Star would be a nice step up.

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

I was just going to suggest moving the landing gear forwar,but you already got that advice. I would listen to it too. I would probably move it even further then 1/4".....like maybe closer to 3/4",but I havent done it yet to mine. But I do plan to because it does nose over under power like Badger said. Makes you tend to yank up on the stick to compensate for it and then you end up taking off too early and chancing a tip stall crash when taking off.

I also wouldnt recommend the hog as your second plane,or even third if you dont have too. The hog flies well,but its alot different then any of my other planes and still gives me the willies when I fly it.....mostly because of the landing gear though. If you have access to an instructor with a buddy cord though......do that and you'll probly be ok.

Jester241, I like your new avistar better that the old one. Happy Neww Year Capt,n

First off, I absolutely love the Hog Bipe. I've had three Sig Pigs, and will build another if I ever crash my current one. As far as bipes go you can't do better than the Hog Bipe. It's extremely well mannered for a biplane and it makes the transition to biplanes very easy. But I do have to agree with the others here, it shouldn't be your second plane. While it is mild mannered for a bipe there are some major differences in the way a biplane is flown. The biggest reason why I recommend that this shouldn't be a second plane is that you need to learn to land before you fly a biplane. I know, I know, you're going to say that you have soloed and you can land the plane. 99% of students are taught an arrival, not a landing. I'm not knocking you or your instructor because I teach my students the same thing. For the most part you are taught to cut the throttle and then control your glide down to the runway, and this is why I call it an arrival. If you do this with a biplane you had better have a bag along with you to bring the plane home in. If you simply cut the power on a biplane and try to glide it in it's a pretty safe bet you are going to stall the plane, and more than likely make an ugly mess on the runway. When landing a biplane you don't as much as land it as fly it down to the ground. You need to learn to slow the plane down but still have enough power to keep it from stalling, and then you simply fly it down to the runway. It's not a hard skill to learn, but it's not something that pilots coming off of their trainers are usually ready for. A good lead up for this is something you can do with your second plane. Do powered touch and goes. Fly your plane down the runway at 1/2 to 3/4 power and then reduce altitude until your wheels are rolling on the runway, keep them on the ground for 2-3 seconds, and then take off again. When you can do this without bouncing back in the sky or breaking a prop then you should be ready for a bipe.

Hope this helps

Ken

Oh and a couple more tips on the hog......The stock landing gear is the cheapest I've ever seen. I'd recommend replacing it immediatly with a flexible dubro gear. And building a custom "fuel tank hatch" is a must for the hog. The instructions just tell you to build the tank into the inside of the fuselage,but if you do,you cant ever get to your tank! I also replaced the tail wheel with a heavier duty sullivan like I do on most of my planes. And a piece of neoprene fuel tubing works nice if you slice it and use canopy glue to put around the cockpit opening. But the fuel tank hatch is almost a must and most guys take the time to make one of some type. I did mine by making the hatch and attaching it with 2 bolts that go through the firewall and bolt into 2 blind nuts on the hatch to hold in on as well as dowels in the back. Took some time,but works and looks great! And thats an O.S. 91 2-stoke on there and it flies the hog great. I had a .91 4-stroke(hogs SHOULD have 4-strokes just because its a hog),but it didnt run right so I just threw the 2-stroke on because I had it handy.

Heres my Hog!!! And notice the hatch....

And thanks Captin'!

Nice color scheme Jester, sure is a beauty [8D] ! How often does it disappear in the sky for you? I find that the outline of the plane, being a bipe, seems to blend together making it somewhat difficult to judge when its out at a distance.

Hey r2champ! You like that color scheme huh? You should....I stole it from you awhile back! Yeah,it does suck to see in the air though. I flew it a few times without the scallops on the top wing and with just a plain light blue bottom. It was VERY hard to see. I put big yellow stars on the bottom and the scallops,so its better,but still not great. Looks cool on the ground though,huh?

lol

We dont have badgers here in NC,, but what I've seen, I would want to run up on one anywhere!!!

After my first post, I actually considered looking down stairs to see if my had been rogued! [X(] I actually like your wing design better. I was bored with covering when I got to that, and just threw on a couple of stripes. Yeah, I have since added some visuals to aid in visibility in the air.

Kargo, congrats on your gift. I would take a new one every year if I could choose! You will love this plane if you find some instruction with it! Best of luck!

Thanks for the reply's gang, the tips about the mods sound great! I will definitely move the landing gear forward, beefing up the gear (dubro) and do the dual aileron servos...

I kinda figured the Sig Pig was a little more than what I was ready for, i.e. a third airplane. I could get by with flying with my buddy on a trainer cord, but its really hard to get our schedules to mesh. It stinks, I love the model and want to build it. I think my wife will understand, it also gives me an excuse to go buy another kit

chashint asked for more details on my experience level and my son's. I've been flying the LT40 on my own, but don't get a chance to go to the field every weekend. A young, busy family, getting my carear off the ground kinda thing... I have an aviation background, some some of the basic ideas aren't foriegn to me. I can fly the LT40 around the pattern, land, do touch and go's, fly inverted (its got a OS46AX), stall as much as the kadet will let me (it kinda mushes unless you accelerate the stall some), spin, loop (the somewhat sloppy kind), aileron roll, the very basic airobatics, etc. Its all a little sloppy and not that smooth though. Between not getting out to the field on a regular basis and getting my son as much stick time as I can, I always feel a little rusty. Cody and I will also have a chance to fly our electrified HOB Decathlon and Kadet Senior with ailerons and conventtional gear this summer (hopefully, the senior is still on the building board).

I'll practice what RCKen mentioned. I see what you're saying about the power off approaches. The cub on my Phoenix sim almost seems like it has to be flown that way. I usually do it in incriments, about half power on downwind, a few more clicks on base and final, and then idle on short final (unless I've got myself out over the weeds). Speed control is basically keeping at "kadet approach speed" which really doesn't vary a whole lot. The flare is pretty much running it out of steem, and that sounds like its not a good idea in the Sig Pig. I guess all I have to do now is figure out how much I want to spend on the 4star or equivelent.

Thanks again for the help gaing!

keep forgetting to hit the Notify me via e-mail when someone replies button, thanks again!

I just looked at the map as to where you are located, I would highly recomend trying to come to TCRC annual auction this Feb 7th in Bloomington, I bought a used Tiger there last year for about $55. http://www.tcrconline.com/pages/auction.htm, it is good fun also.

Jon

kargo...

Where do you fly???

I'm not that far from you, I fly out of New Richmond... Though I only went flying once last summer.

I'll echo Minnreefer's advice, the auction next month is recommended... I landed 4 planes last year. (SSE, Sig Ryan STA, Long EZ, and Ultra Sport 60). Next month I'm hoping to find a Hog Bipe, and.. who knows, maybe low-wing bird of some kind.

If you can find a Mid Star, or a 4 star... They'd be excellent second planes... Look to RCKen's sticky/thread. Heck.. print it out and bring it with you!!! I'd be willing to wager (not much, I'm saving to buy airplanes) the planes you'll want should go relatively cheap....

If I remember right, the birds that went high last year were the big scale birds.

Hey kargo, thanks for describing yourself.
I understand not getting to fly as much as you want or as much as you need to, I have been stuck at low to mid level intermediate for quite some time and may be here for the long term.
Very cool that you have jumped in from the beginning building kits [sm=thumbup.gif]
The Decathlon should fly quite a bit differently than the LT 40 and it should be a very nice scale acrobatic plane to hone your skills with.
Since you are a kit man the Four Star goes together fairly quick and easy.
(Just so you know, the Hog Bipe goes together quick and easy too.)
A very popular mod on the Four Star is to shorten the wings by one rib bay to speed up the roll rate and take out the float.

Maybe some of the others will post a few suggestions for a plane to bridge between what you have mentioned and the Hog Bipe.

thanks again gang! i'll be sure to check out the auction minnreefer, it does sound like a lot of fun. vmsguy, i fly out of a park in haistings. grass strip kinda deal. i don't know if i'd be lucky enough (to get away with) buying four planes at the auction, but it does peak my interest. where do you fly in new richmond? always looking for a new place to fly. so far as flying goes, maybe i'll listen to chashint and take the decathlon out to the park this afternoon...

Hey... just tell the wife... "They were on sale!" or "They were so cheap, I couldn't afford NOT to buy them." Isn't that what she says when she comes home with several pairs of shoes.. or whatever she buys...

Just kidding..... The CFO obviously needs to approve. But start greasing the skids today.. Maybe bring home flowers today...

Me.. I'm not married.. so I can buy what I want.

The New Richmond field is privately owned. Grass field. Plus an RC car track, AND a nice pond. One night (Thursday's I think) is float plane night. Only float planes off the pond are allowed.

Lot's of fun. Nice field. Doc is the best pilot there. He flies a big stick, and/or a nice (1/4 scale, I think) Pitts. When he flies.. I just sit down and watch.

We have a small contigent of electric flyers. My LT40 is the largest of the electric birds. My Senior Telemaster will be larger. But there are several electric birds; a small piper cub, an easystar, a couple other powered gliders....

One day, there was actually a combat between Doc's combat plane, and one of the e-powered gliders.. I video taped it..

Tell the wife how much money you saved her