I just got a 1/4 scale, EAA Biplane from Balsa USA (BUSA) which I orered on-line from Stewart Aircraft of Michigan, great place to get BUSA kits and products. While I collect the accessories and hardware necessary to complete the kit, I thought I would check the kit building forum to see what other builders of this kit had said about it before laying out the building surface. I could findno current posts and mostcomments on this kit are from 2008 or 2009 and before, it seems. I am planning on using a Super Tigre S-75 for power; one of the olderengines made in Italy that I got when new and it has never been ina plane. I am also trying to find more pictures of models and full sizeEEA Bipes to select a color scheme and order coverings and paint.

I am currently finishing a Phaeton 90 and I am familiar with comments made about Balsa USA basic instructions for their kits but it looks like te EAA Bipe has a fairly good number of illustrations compared to the Phaeton instructions. I have seen quite a number of comments about the incidence set ups for the Phaeton 90 and their effect on flyability and would like comments from anyone having built and flown a BUSA EAA Bipe. I have flown a Phaeton 90 and agree with the many comments on the negative elevator trim necessary when the Phaeton is set up per the plans. Unfortunately for me I read those comments after my Phaeton was substantially complete andhope to hear aboutany such experiences with the EAA Bipe before I start.

I'll be posting pictures as I go and hope to spur interest in what appears to be a great little plane at a great price. My first look at the materials and plans are very positive and I am anxious to get started but, the covering of the Phaeton 90 and a GP 60 size J-3 Cub are still on my plate, so I still have a couple of weeks to gather any comments about this kit from others with experience. So, let's hear from those closet EAA Bipe builders out there; come forward and be heard.

ex,

I built mine about 25 years ago. I still have it, though it is in storage while I am away from Texas ... a long way away. It was only my second kit build and I found it very straightforward. Just follow the steps and eventually you will have an airplane. If you are considering any mods, I recommend you consider putting ailerons in the top wing. I made that change after flying it as designed and I like the difference. It is not widely aerobatic to start with and is not intended to be. Four ailerons helps it be more nimble. I also moved my firewall back almost 3 inches for a heavy gas (21cc) engine. The balance worked out about right. You should be fine in the designed position with that ST.

Have fun with the build. Keep us advised how it goes.

Bedford

I have one still in the box and am not intending on starting on it until sometime early next year. I have a master builder friend that built one a couple of years ago. It looks great, and he really likes it. However, he did agree that it would be better with upper ailerons.
Anyway... I would be HIGHLY interested in your build and any suggestions, comments, and observations that you may have! Please post ALL of your build as it progresses. Photos would be greatly appreciated also. Good luck & have fun!
Thanks much.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 10pt"><font face="Calibri" size="3">Beepee – Did you have any comments on the set ups per the plans on wing and stab incidences?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>The Phaeton 90 had lots of comments about requiring down trim (about ¼”) if set up per BUSA plans.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>One recommendation was to put a degree or so of positive incidence in the stabilizer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>This is hard to do once the plane is completed and the stab is epoxied in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes">  </span>I’m trying to find out how flight trims may give me some clues to the EAA Bipe and make reasonable adjustment to the set ups before it is “set in stone”, as you might say.</font></p>

I built mine early in my RC career and was too naïve to make any incidence changes (thank goodness!). It was built as instructed and it flies very nicely (getting off the ground is sometimes exciting, but that is another topic).

Bedford

Is the EAA more sensitive to ground handling and takeoff issues or does it just have the problems associated with tail draggers?

ex,

It is fundamental to the design. It is a short coupled bi-plane. It is very sensitive on rudder as you accelerate for take-off. I am not inexperienced with taildraggers. This one is just more challenging. If you have others of similar design, it will be of no surprise. Definitely try to build in a touch of toe-in on the mains, input throttle gradually, and initially hold the tail down with the elevator. Be ready on rudder. The basics. I cheated and installed a gyro on yaw (rudder) that I can switch off in the air. Works fine. I still have to pay attention during take-off and landing, but now it acts like a typical taildragger. Easy-speezy.

Before anyone jumps in with, "Learn how to handle the plane!" Don't bother, it has been covered a hundred times before. I know the arguments. It is an aid that works for me. I don't always use it, but it is nice to have when I feel like it. It is no different that mixes and exponentials.

Bedford

Mine handles very easily off a grass field. While there may be no consensus on how to "properly" set up the main landing gear, I use toe-out because that's how the EAA recommends setting up full-scale tail-draggers. Also, I use little or no caster (rake-back) on the tail wheel strut. This seems to reduce steering sensitivity.

After observing the very sluggish aileron response on other models, I built mine with four ailerons. Point rolls and rolling circles can be flown with no problem. Powered with a .90 two-stroke.

I was asking about incidences because of the build comments on the Phaeton 90 which requires about 1/4" of down trim to keep it from climbing constantly.  Of course that much down trim on take off for a tail dragger is not a good set up.  If someone doesn't check incidences during the build and has trim problems it is too late to easily make the corrections.  In a bipe we have more flight surfaces to get right or wrong and an incident meter for about $35 is a good investment.  Incidences at the root and at wing tips can be taken to ensure that wings are not warped or actually have wash in or wash out as designed.  It is interesting that some designs seem to fly better when set up differently that the plan recommendations.  I'm hoping that the EAA Bipe is not one of those. 

Gyrocoptr - Do you have any pictures or comments on how you modified the top wing trailing edge and or ribs to add ailerons?

Mine handles on the ground pretty much like a cub. I can see the benefits of adding ailerons to the upper wings, but I'm not sure I would do so if I had it to do over again. This airplane is about scale and nostalgia rather than 3D aerobatics. I have an OS 91 FS in mine and it flies just fine, although it will not hover.

As far as construction advice goes, I took the time to install blind nuts at the mounting points for the cabanes and interplane struts. As I recall, the stock design calls for short wood screws, which I figured would wear out pretty soon with the assembly and disassembly required of biplanes. I used 4-40 blind nuts and bolts on the interplane struts and 8-32 on the cabanes. I used blind nuts to mount the aileron horns as well.

I covered mine in white solartex fabric and painted the color over it. The solartex is awesome stuff.

Pictures of my EAA bipe are in my gallery.

Thanks waagbuck - I am not sure about the upper ailerons for the EAA at this point either and I know the Phaeton does just fine with lower ailerons only.  Good point on the blind nut attachment points for cabane and "N" struts.  The Phaeton I am completing has that feature and I inlaid ply where the attachment points were over balsa sheet.  I'll probably do that as well on the EAA Bipe but I haven't got to examining the hardware for the EAA to see the detail for attachments.  I like the 4" baloon tires from Du-Bro and I've got them on the Phaeton.  I flew my cousin's Phaeton and the landings on grass are smooth with the nice cushy tires.  I love the slow speed handling of a properly set up Bipe and I am sure looking forward to adding this one to the hangar.  We were thinking flaperons on the Phaeton 90 but, with such great slow speed handling, who needs the extra channel for the feature so we just used a "Y" harness for the aileron servos.  I'm also installing a camera somewhere near the CG on the EAA so that I can fly with a camera or not, without shifting the CG a bit.  I love the camera shots from within the cockpit area of the plane in flight.  No FPV or anything like that;  just a Hero HD on movie or time lapse.</p>

I've got most of the things on hand to begin the construction but still finishing up two other projects, currently. I've decided to cover the model in iron-on fabric in cream and medium blue. I'll probably add some red accents but still working on the finishing details as I gather comments about this kit and experiences others have had in building and flying it. I got the Pitts muffler for the old Italian Super Tigre 75 and will probably use the ABS cowl that came with the kit for now. I haven't decided on whether to use the "N" struts materials that came with the kit or to "upgrade" to some of the air foil shaped extruded aluminum to make those. I will make sure to use heavier strut and cabane attachments with blind nuts as I used in the Phaeton 90 I am completing. Anyway,following are some pictures of the basic stuff, less radio and camera mount, etc. to get the Balsa USA 1/4 Scale EAA Bipe substantially completed.

Has anyone got a template for the wind screen they could e-mail me? [email protected]

Hi. I am finally getting ready to build my BUSA EAA Bipe after about 25 years of it being in storage. I am missing the build manual for it. It is the original kit from the 80s or 90s. I don't know the difference between it and the newer kit that I understand came out later. But I do need the older kit build manual please. I will happily pay for any expenses in copying or preparing. An email copy of the manual is fine for my use. Thank you.

Sincerely, Richard/SPACEWORM/BUSA Brotherhood # 141.

Way old post, but I am building a 25 year old BUSA EAA Bipe kit. Is yours the old or the new kit ? If the old kit, do you still have the build manual? I have the kit with plans but no manual. If you have, could you send me a copy? Thanks. Sincerely, Richard

Richard,

I recommend you try Balsa USA first. If there is an update to the build manual, it will be MUCH better than the old one. Even if you have to deal with kit variances. I am currently building a BUSA Cub and have both manuals. The difference between the two manuals is significant. New one is so much better.

All that said, I have the original build manual for my EAA Bipe (circa 1986) that I will scan and send you. PM me your email address and I will send it one the way.

Have fun!

Bedford

Thank you for your recommendations and your kind offer of a copy of the original EAA Bipe build manual. I am PMing my email address to you for your sending that to me. Thanks again.

I wil also try to get the currrent version build manual.

Sincerely, Richard/spaceworm/BUSA B'hood #141

This is WAAAY past the original postings but I am also building the EAA Bipe. It's an old kit, die stamped but still good. My problem is that the cowling is just too small to work. I'm using an electric motor mounted directly to the stock firewall. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Too small how? front to back? side to side? I am a big fan of building my electrics with a two piece cowl where the top comes off...

Too small in all directions. It would fit if the motor was extended out about 2 3/8 inches. The ones that are available to buy do not list their dimension. No other choice but to fabricate one.