Hey all, looking for suggestions on a first bi-plane. I'm moderately experienced with planes overall and a confidently fly trainer type planes as well as sportier models, but want to try a bi-plane. Preferably an electric ARF but open to others as well.

Great Planes Super Skybolt. I know you are looking for an electric but the Skybolt is a great bipe and a little more forgiving than some of the others.

If you are willing to build a kit rather than an ARF, I recommend the SIG Hog. It is basically the low wing Astro Hog with the lower wing shortened a bit and an upper wing with no dihedral added. Of course it is a taildragger but is well behaved on the ground-tracks straight and shows little or no torque effect when the tailwheel comes up.

It is a gentle yet responsive flyer, and even though all four ailerons are driven by a single servo (get one with ball bearings and good torque) it is also fairly responsive. I have seen some articles billing it as a "trainer biplane" and I agree it is docile enough for my basic skills (only been flying for three years).

The plane has very limited compound curves (really only the wing tips) and so is not too difficult to cover. Any 60 size motor will do just fine for it (I use a Super Tigre)

I also reccomnd the SkyBolt . You can alway,s convert it to EP , but dont under power it.

+1 on the GP Super Skybolt ARF. My son and I just built two (one each) as our first bipes and they are a dream to fly.

My progression was Telemaster, .40 Stik, .60 low wing (Goldberg Chipmunk), to the Skybolt. We use Magnum .91 4-strokes, I don't have experience with electrics.

cant go wrong with a SIG ASTRO HOG BIPE! best freakin biplane on the market next to the skybolt

+2 on Skybolt, a sweet and beautiful biplane.

Skybolt was my first thought but the Ultimate is the better stunt bipe I have ever flown and is an outstanding 3-D plane in the right hands. {{Not Mine!!!}} I have seen a bunch of Ultimates in different sizes for electric power, I just haven't flown any of them. I have flown them from 40 size to 40% and they all seem to fly the same. That can be said for most of the great flying planes, size doesn't seem to mater at all.

I know a lot of people prefer the Skybolt. And it's a great plane..

But would have lean towars a Sig Hog Bipe for a couple reasons.

1. You said "beginner" bipe. The hog is a little slower plane, and a bit more forgiving then the bolt.

2. You said "electric". Neither is available as an electric version. So you'll have to convert it. I looked at the bolt, the Ultimate, and the Hog. And the first two don't lend themselves to conversion as easily as the Hog. In fact, the Hog is an absolute dream to convert. I bought mine (also an ARF) at an auction last February. A little cutting and a little work and I had a wonderful battery hatch. Below is the thread of my work... I'd guess, if you had all the materials, you could do a conversion in an evening (using CA) or two (allowing glue to dry.)

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_8871005/tm.htm


Oh... definitely go with the two-aileron-servo setup.

If the OP just pulls up the tower web site there are several nice electric bipe ARFs to look at. As nice as the Hog is it's a kit and the weight of it makes the price of a motor and battery system a bit costly. I'm just starting on my first electric plane and was sort of in sticker shock when I had to buy the motor and speed control, this is a very small light weight plane I'm building so the motor wasn't very big but still twice the price of the little glow engine that was on sale at the same store. I need a park flyer so it has to be electric.

The hardest thing aout a biplane is it's visuial orientation.

It looks very different in the air, and you should make sure that you can, at a glance know which way is up...

It is helpful in this hobby, to as soon as possible learn to NOT rely upon visual orientation of any plane, in order to control it.

It is very important to learn how to determine which way a plane is oriented by its response to your stick inputs. The planes you save with this, will be your own.


A good tool for this are RC Simulators.

Fly any plane in a sim and take it out so that the plane is merely a dot in the sky.

Throw the sticks around, and then try to regain control and orientation by how the plane moves in response to your stick movements. Repeat until it becomes second nature to you.

You CAN NOT GO WRONG with the GP electric SE5 WW1 plane. it is a baby to fly, and will handle winds into the mid teens. I haven't met a person yet around here that doesn't love it. One friend of mine that is a kit builder has a few arfs..He said that if any of his kits, or arfs went in he wouldn't replace it , EXCEPT the SE5.

It is a great design. You will want a smooth runway for constant touch n gos...its a blast.

Das Bipe Stick, Andrews Aeromaster (oldy but goody, they show up on the FLEABAY once in a while.

I'd say that to be able to rate the best first bipe, a guy has to have flown several of them first. AFAIK, the Goldberg .60 sized Ultimate is very hard to beat for how easy it is to operate and as aerobatic as any in it's size range.
A good "profile" would also be a great choice it seems, though I have none I could personally recommend. Hard to go wrong with the high power / low wing loading combos.