Ok, guys, I need a little feedback for my next project. Background first: I've been flying parkflyers for about two years, some of them fully aerobatic, and I'm building time on my kadet LT-25. I've got a firm grip on basic flying, takeoffs, landings, loops, rolls, etc with these machines. My "second" plane (second glow plane anyway) is a .25 size semi-scale cub ARF that was given to me.
I have a new saito fa30 that I would like to give a good home to. I'd like to put this jewel in something that's about a second or third level plane, ie, at least somewhat aerobatic, but not too demanding to fly. I'd also really like it to go into a biplane. My only biplane experience so far is with the ubiquitous GWS tiger moth, which isn't even in the same league as what I'm looking for. I'm aware that there are double the opportunity for rigging foul-ups on bipes, but I'm fairly diligent and I've got a few balsa builds behind me now, so I think I'll be ok.
There aren't really a whole lot of .25 size kits and arfs out there, but I did turn up a few. I'd be appreciative if anyone could give me any feedback on the following planes; ease of building, flight characteristics, suitability to the engine in question, etc. Here's what I'm thinking of:

1. Clancy Staggerbee - wingeron version (the skybaby is cute, too, but i have a feeling it ain't all that easy to fly--if I'm wrong, let me know)

2. Gee Bee Products .30 size Tiger Moth

3. Pacific Aeromodel .30 size Tiger Moth ARF

4. Ace Simple Ultimate

Any other suggestions for a bipe that would be good for this engine are welcome. I've got some time here--I don't want to rush headlong into a project that may be above my current skill level.

Take a look at the sportsman aviation baby waco it is a 30 size bipe. It looks really nice. There is one hanging up in my LHS it is the grey and black one. Oh yea it is an ARF also so you can spend your time flying instead of building.

Rick

Ditto on the WACo bipe - buy direct from Hobby People.

Bill.

I've been searching in vain for the Stagger Bee with wingerons. I contact Global Hobby and they advised me it's no longer in production but that Clancy was "re-tooling" and moving into laser cutting so possibly in the future.

Bob

There is a thread at rcgroups.com on a nice Tiger Moth wood kit from Balsa Products. That guy is using electric power, and I don't know if it's sized for the .30 4stroke but it looked like a good kit of the lovely Tiger Moth.
Also, in that size it wouldn't be that much harder to build from plans, which would open a large source of good airplanes.
Most of the magazines carry an archive of plans with the accompanying construction article.

Nuker: I should have known the wingeron staggerbee would be hewn from unobtainium--Global's been "re-tooling" the clancy line for some time now. Oh well, maybe next winter.

Swooper: the balsa products TM looks really nice, I hear it's a great kit, and I may eventually build one for an OS .10 I have, but I *think* the saito would be just too heavy for it.

WR and trroscoe: Either of you guys seen the WACO up close, flying maybe? I saw one last week at a big hobby shop about an hour away, but the box was shrink-wrapped, so I couldn't inspect it. I know one of the guys in my club had one and was struggling to get it flying well, but he attributed it to pilot error rather than design flaw.

Anyhow, thanks for the input guys, and have a good turkey day!

I have seen one up close at my LHS they have it hanging up. I inspected it pretty close as they took it down so that I could look at it. I have not seen it fly. A guy in my club has the larger one in red and white. It seems to fly good and it looks impressive in the air. There are a lot of threads about the large one but not the small one. Back to the small one it looks great and is very well built. I think that It would be verry hard to see it in the air. I have a 40 size ultimate bipe and it is very hard to see when flying. I would not let it get very far away from me or you will lose sight of it. Waco's look great flying and you will have lot's of fun with it.

Rick

Matt,
I've seen a couple of Gee Bee Dreamer Bipes floating around in the classifieds section of RCU.
Looks likea great little plane that (from what I read) is a great flyer.
I'm actually thinking about building one myself.

Thought you might take a look

Jeff