biplane choice
 

i would like to know wich biplane would be easy to build and fly for a beginner.
tiger moth, stearman pt17, sopwith pup , pitts special. i am just a bipe fan and would realy like to have one but would like a easy gracefull flyer.
or is there any other you can recomend?
i am looking at 1/4 scale planes (120 os ax) and where can i find plans for building
any help will be welcome
thanks
riaan

RE: biplane choice
 

I'm sorry. There is IMO no such thing a biplane for a beginner unless you get a ParkFlyer type. They are just not that easy to fly. Please consider getting a basic trainer aircraft and gradually moving up to a biplane at a later date.
A Sig LT-40 or a Nexstar would be good. I'm afraid I don't know what is available in your part of the world and certainly don't want to discourage your ambition. I simply desire to make it more reasonable for now.

RE: biplane choice
 

I've got to agree with Bruce, bipes just aren't for beginners. Bipes can be a handful to handle even for experienced pilots, let alone beginners. Start off with a trainer and work your way to a bipe.

Ken

RE: biplane choice
 

people think bipes are easy because they have a lot of lift with two wings. First of all the two wings make for a lot of drag, These planes are hard to dead stick because of this drag. You have to put it into a descent dive to keep speed up. because the lift is split between two wings the wings are shorter then a trainers wings. This shortness leads to the planes ability to roll fast and easily. Traits that are not good for beginners. Low dihedral angles also make the plane less self correcting. Bipes are a better 3rd plane or maybe second if you are a very good student

RE: biplane choice
 

I with the above, i practiced for two and a half years before i bought my dream plane and it was a good thing, but i love it and it flys great, but its not nothing like a trainer to land or fly.(you would smash it right up)have fun for awhile and sharpen yor skills for a bit, then youll understand;)

RE: biplane choice
 

What you might want to concider is building one out of corrugated plastic ( SPAD ) first, till you get the hang of it.I mean, you smash it up, 20 minutes with a hot glue gun, another prop, and you're back in the air. IMHO, bipes fly pretty mych like any other sport plane. It's the landings that will get ya. You have to land at about the same speed as it takes to take off. I have seen a couple models out there that have like a 3 - 5 degree dihedral, on the top wing, but none on the bottom. I don't really understand the reasoning behind that. It seems to me the wings would be fighting each other for control ... but then again, that's probably why I'm sitting here at my house on the internet instead of in a corner office at NASA.
I have to agree with Bruce, there really isn't a gracefull easy flying bipe unless you get one of those foamie park fliers.
I don't know how easy corrugated plastic is to find there, but it'd be worth it in the end. I'd start off small though say .40 size, and a box of APC 11x5 props.
Best of luck in whatever you decide.

RE: biplane choice
 

I am a biplane guy. I really like them a lot and have had several. As a newbie pilot I agree, there is no such thing as a beginner biplane... Bipes are short coupled and this makes them a little more difficult to handle. As has been said they are really no more difficult to fly than any other plane, but they are more difficult to land. I would make your Biplane your 3rd plane. Trying as a 1st Im afraid will only leave you frustrated and discouraged. The only way that I would even consider a Bipe is if you had an instructor that had the patience to teach you how to fly it on the buddy box. I could do it, but most instructors could not/would not...

Just go with the status quo and learn on a high winged trainer.. There is a good reason that people start out on them![8D]

Mike

RE: biplane choice
 

I haven't crashed my 1st biplane on landing yet. It's a Sig Hog Bipe, but on the other hand I haven't built it yet either! :)

I think I'll be ok when the day comes for "me" to land it since I've been landing rc planes since 1973.

I would suggest you listen to the other guys here and get lots of experience before you try landing a biplane if you are a beginner.

Good Luck

RE: biplane choice
 

Interesting, This is his only other post from about a month and a half ago where he says he already has a bipe?

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_42...tm.htm#4213486

Not flying it yet though.

RE: biplane choice
 

Bipes are not near as difficult to build and fly as some of the above comments imply. If you get the Sig Hog Bipe, you are almost guaranteed success and it flys like a trainer if you set it up with low throws. The biggest problem with bipes is that you must pay attention to decalage and build and set up per the plans, no shortcuts there. While more difficult to build the BalsaUSA series of Phaeton bipes also fly like trainers yet can be set up to be quite aerobatic as you progress in flying skills.

RE: biplane choice
 

I would also look at the GP Aeromaster Bipe. It has a wing loading of 22 oz so flying should be easy, just remember to keep the nose down for landing.

RE: biplane choice
 

And your point is?
I have a 1/4 scale DR1 at home, That doesn't stop me from asking what would be an easy to fly triplane, I know I am not ready to fly the DR1 but I may be able to fly a more forgiving model to build skills to eventually fly my pride and joy.

RE: biplane choice
 

Adrain :

This is kind of tough to advise on, because some bi-planes do fly as good as trainers, but the trainer is still going to be more forgiving, there designed that way.
My first plane was a bi-plane, and I crashed it, but it was because I got disoriented. I think I would have crashed no matter what it was.
It was a Midwest Das Bipe Stick, if any of you remember that one, It really flew good, but the trainer I got afterward was easier to handle.
Ive had several bipes sense, I got a Sopwith Pup that floats around slower than a trainer can, but its the fact that if something was to happen, You would be losing allot more. Most of your bipes are going to be somewhat scale or a nice plane at least, and you would be worried about it, as compared to a trainer, most of them are simple and not that interesting or big of a risk money wise, you can relax and learn easier.
If you were to get one to build, the Sig Hog Bipe or BUSA Phaeton II are good choices.
After crashing my first bipe, and then going to the trainer for a while, I then got the Phaeton II and then really started enjoying flying, I still remember those days, Thats the funnest time of the hobby, when touching the wheels of that bi-plane on the ground over and over.

SEEYA, TIM

RE: biplane choice
 

well sorry if i was not clear on this i am not a beginner pilot i am new to flying bipes.i currently own

1/4 scale bipe 22 years old (not comlete)
spad debonair 61 asp
spad buhor 46 asp
saturday night spes 20 os
spadstick 120 os ax
spa3dt 46 os ax
christen eagle profile outrunner
gentle lady glider 20 os
classic trainer phoenix 46
paragon trainer phoenix 52
old cessna trainer 46 selfbuild(20 years old 3channel)
2 dragonfly electric helis

the old lady is the only one not comlete and even if i complete her i would think very hard before flying her as she has very centimental value to me. that is why i am thinking of another bipe to get used to it.

thanks for understanding missileman

thanks for the inputs

riaan

RE: biplane choice
 

Adrain :

I was laughing the whole time I was reading your list of planes you got, how every single one of us misunderstood your question. How I stared at the keyboard trying to think of a way to tell you not to get a bipe without discouraging you. HAHAHA. Oh well !! I got a laugh out of it.
Now that I understand, The Tigermoth and Pup would be great floaters, allot of fun to me, just float down the runway at an idle, Thats what I like. The Stearman and Pitts are great too, with the Pitts you can tare up the sky and have fun. Ive never flown a Stearman, but I believe its a little of both, really aerobatic and can fly slow too. I wouldn't imagine it cant fly as slow as a Tigermoth or Pup though.
Any of the planes you mention or any of the ones we mention would be great.
If you have built planes before, you shouldn't have any trouble building a bipe, just follow the directions and use their recommended CG and incidence of the wings. Some planes require the wings be straight with each other and some require the top wing have a little negative, I think, I cant remember right now, but just follow the plans.

SEEYA , TIM

RE: biplane choice
 

My apologies for assuming you were a beginner just because you said you were.

As a beginner biplane pilot, a Sig Hog Bipe would probalbly be a good choice for you. There is an excellent and extensive build thread here on RCU of this model if you would search for it.

RE: biplane choice
 

The Pitts and Ultimates are really aerobatic. The steerman is mildly aerobatic but is typically sluggish if built to scale. Its pretty to watch though. Tiger moth is about the same. The Ultimate is the most aerobatic in an RC Biplane,, the Pitts coming in right behind it.
I can fly any of them but,, I dunno, if you are pretty skilled you can probably fly any of them.....

OK I see you mention 1/4 scale... I would go with the Wild Hare Ultimate and a DA 50. Im sure this will get some disgreement but it you are a reasonably skilled pilot this one would be a winner for you. Its easy to fly and is gentle to takeoff and land. And if you want it to be it can be an aewrobatic monster.

If you want a really pretty scale looking Bipe,,, look at the GP Steerman ARF. Its a really pretty bipe and it flies nice with a G26 but like I said its slow and flies scale. ;)

RE: biplane choice
 

Well, I would not say I am a experienced pilot. I have been flying for around five years now. I had a nexstar, T-34, 4*, tower trainer, J-3 cub, and I just bought, and flew, my Tiger Moth 60. I really like the tiger moth and I would say if you can or have flew a cub you can fly the tiger moth with no problem.

RE: biplane choice
 

Like i said it is my fault no apologys needed i was not clear as to the fact that i am new to bipes not to the hobbie as such if you look at my frofile i have 22 years experience and see myself as intermed

a bipe to me should be slow and graceful that is how i swee them in my mind. if i want to be on the wild side i take the spa3dt or spadstick they get the adrenaline pumping `or even the small special that is sheer fun

thanks

riaan

RE: biplane choice
 

Riaan :

Which Bipe are you leaning toward, There are several floaters, Great Planes has an ARF Tiger Moth, but I usually like to build.
I was wondering, What is your 1/4 scale bipe ? What is left to finish it ?
Flair makes a few kits that are around 60" wing span, Like the Sopwith Pup, (witch they call the Puppeteer), They have a Se5a, and a Bristol F2B, (which I am building now) http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=523854 They also have a Newport, but I forget what they call it, you would have to look at the pictures. http://www.flairmodels.co.uk/ Flair is in the United Kingdom, and I guess they just have different names for the planes over there, I don't know, but they really have nice kits. Oh Man! I forgot, there not exactly easy to build, there not hard, but you should have built before if you get one. If you've built before, you should be OK. If you do get one, don't use their nuts and bolts, replace them with our thread size. They have a thread size that is new to me, its called (ba) thats (British Assosiation). It doesn't match metric or standard. So if you ever lost one you would be screwed (no pun intended) LOL
Proctor http://www.proctor-enterprises.com/ has allot of nice kits too, Ive got a Newport, but haven't built it yet, so I don't know of the build, but I'm sure its a good one. Proctor has some really nice guys there that don't mind helping you over the phone. I was talking to Joe the other day, he was giving me advise on my Bristol, and thats not their kit.
On those two sites you should be able to find exactly what you want. I would recommend Proctor first then Flair.

SEEYA, TIM