I`m a ways off ( still have much to do with my trainer, a Brightstar ) but I dearly love the looks of a scale or semi-scale Tigermoth ( Pacific, Kyosho maybe? ). How do you more experienced guys feel about one as a first tail dragger? Docile enough both on the ground and in the air? Thanks for any input.

I heard a lot of good stuff about the SIG Hog Biplane

Sorry, I am not sure what you are asking here. Are you asking which model would make a good first bi-plane? I believe that all bi-planes are tail-dragger type.

I think he is asking "Would a bipe be good for my first taildragger?".

If you want to go with a bipe, I would suggest a sig profile ultimate, can be flown docile as a trainer, but set up throws & it can be a wild 3d plane, just my opinion.

Gil

Bama,
You'd probably be better off with a monoplane taildragger first.

Bipes have considerably more drag and tend to be more of a handful to fly than a standard low wing monoplane. But if you get really good with the trainer and can afford to run the risk of losing the bipe, go for it.

A Tiger Moth might be a decent choice because it will likely be capable of slowing more for landings.
Dennis-

appreciate the replies so far. I`ll just reassess after I`m further along in my flying.

Convert your trainer to a tail dragger first. Its a blast!!

i wouldn't reccomend it, no.

Nothing wrong with that approach. You will learn a lot. It will fly great as a tail dragger too.

If you pick the right bipe, you will be ok, if you pick the wrong one, you will hate it.

I convert just about all my planes to tail draggers any more. Don't know why, I just like them better that way.

theo ne thing you will notice about tail draggers is when you throttole up, the plane swerves away from the torque. you have to fight it. you can compensate for that by adding a bit of up elevator right as you throtle up, but not much. if you do a gradual throttle up, jsut compensate for rudder. if you do it suddenly, pull up elevator until it speeds up, then release. you don't want it to lift off the ground prematurely.

I want a Sig Hog Bipe or a Skybolt... it'll probably be the next plane I build (2nd) but the third I fly. I build slow cause i want it to be perfect, it has taken me over a year just to build my trainer... I just finally finished hooking up my radio and adjusting everything about an hour ago... I just need some fuel, glow starter, AMA insurance, and find my a flying field. Woohoo.

i have my first bipe being a first tail dragger too.
it is a Wayferer hobo ( svenson kit ) .
if you are well versed in flying your trainer then i would say go for it. i had been flying my trainer for about 1.5 years.
although the take offs are different from the trike planes you will get the hang of it after a couple of ground loops.
the landings are different as they need power all the time.
it was fun to learn...

I`m one of those rare ducks, I suppose, that as a rule has had more problems with take offs than landings. I think I get anxious and over correct on the roll. With that in mind, I won`t even think about a bipe until I nail takeoffs every time ( well, I honestly can`t say I won`t at least think about one !! ).

the other thing about them is with a trike, you are used to flaring a lot on takeoffs and landings. if you do that on takeoff with a dragger, you will be balancing on your tailwheel, not a pretty sight. if you do that while you land, your bipe will stall, and htat won't be very happy either. the trick is to find that sweet spot where the plane doesn't stall, but you can get it to nose up a bit. for the most part though, taildraggers have to kinda sink on their own. if you nose them down and then leve lthem out again, it will take longer.

The Hog bipe and the Tigermoth as mentioned are well behaved aircraft that you should have little problem with.

The biggest difference with a biplane is increased lift/drag. They slow down real fast. When landing, keep a little throttle on until you're ready to flare, you have to fly them all the way to the ground, if you chop throttle and glide like you do on the average trainer, you'll be in for the walk of shame.

Another important point. If you end up dead-sticking, don't expect a long glide. A straight ahead landing off-field will most often result in less damage than a turn back to the field.

Whatever you decide, enjoy, there's nothing prettier than a bipe in flight....

Stay away from the skybolt. It is too much airplane to learn tailwheel, bipes and faster birds all at the same time. The Hog is better in that regard by a little. Don't let people frighten you about taking off a tail dragger. If you have someone teach you that knows what is going on, you will be fine. They are only hard if you are afraid of them. Just know you will have to hold a touch of up elevator and some right rudder as the tail comes up, but not too much elevator. The rudder you have to do it once or twice and figure out how much. You should be able to use the rudder on your trike gear anyway. If you are not using it, get up and learn to use it in the air. Fly with both sticks, or just the rudder and no ailerons and learn to use it. You need to be able to fly both sticks anyway so learn now and learn right. Don't let the plane just go where it wants to on the ground. Put a line on the runway with chalk or flour and learn to stay on it with all your planes. It will make you a better pilot in the long run.

Jim if you had a little spray coming out of the back it would look like you were spraying that corn field. Nice plane.