Hello, I fust ordered a 4* 60 from Chief and am planning on adding a wing. has anyone ever tried this? I hear someone used to make a 4* bibe 40, 60, and 120 size. I'm gona try to sweep back the wings(Ultimate bipe). I'm also going to redo the tail feathers to look like an Ultimate. I'll try to find a cowl and pants that fit too. What's the best way to attach the other wing?
Can someone take pics of their job? Also, on the wing, should I put in 4 standard servos, or two high torque ones with the pushrod method? I'm planning to power it with a Saito 1.00 or the new YS 110. 16 oz tank. Should the etended rudder be pull-pull with a high torqe servo mounted under the conopy? The conopy. Where
can I get one thats more Ultimatishy? Not so bubbly. Thanks, Jordan

Hello Jordan,
I absolutely admire the experimental nature of the proposed endeavor, however, I just have to ask , why wouldnt you rather simply build an Ultimate kit?
Just curious. Sorry I cant provide decent answers to your questions.
Good luck!
Roger

The 4*(whatever number) series of bipes was designed by a chap named DB "Doc" Matthews. Many of the designs showed up in RC Modeler Magazine as construction articles. They were kittend, in both the bipe and monplane versions, by ACE R/C, which went the way of the Dodo and had the name resurected a couple of years ago.

I had the 4-120 bipe, from an ACE kit, powered by a Supertigre 2500, using a Zinger 16-10 3 blade wood prop. I flew it on wheels and floats.

Since the entire plane was constructed of light ply and spruce, it was a heavy beast. i needed about 1.5 pounds of lead under the engine to balance it!! Even so, the ST 2500 did a great job hauling it around. The big problem was that it was designed too heavy - you know, build them to crash, not to fly.

The plans showed two servos for ailerons - one in each wing. I thought that could be improved on by getting rid of the upper wing servo, which was entirely built in, lead wire and all (which is not great if it gives you a problem). I mounted one servo in each lower wing panelat the mid point of the aileron span. The lower wing ailerons were connected to the upper wing ailerons with pushrods. This still gave me one servo for two ailerons, just in a different configuration. Then I added "N" interplane struts to be certain that the wings did not move relative to one another. Otherwise, my servo set up for the ailerons wouldn't work right. The end result was perfect. And the "N" struts made it look better too.

I also seem to recall that these bipes were pretty popula in their day, with all sorts of guys kit bashing them, yes, even to look like an Ultimate. That was around 1990-1992. You'd probably find several photos in RC Modeler Magazine and the section on readers' planes in Model Airplane News from about that time.

I'll look for the pix of the 4-120 on wheels and floats and post them if I find them.

All the best with your project. I

I have a 4*40 wing leftover in repairable shape and was considering making a 4*40 bipe myself. I'd be very interested in info on this project.

Well, I've built more kits than I can take. Followin the instructions is too easy. Besides the cheapest Ulty kit in the size I want runs $400-500. Kit bashin's a lot funner. Thanks for the feedback, Jordan

Re: the canopy. Turn it around and do some trimming and it will look a lot more like a regular canopy without the bubble. Do a search on 4* mods and a link should turn up showing how to do this. Also, are you planning on clipping the wings a bay or two? I would think that might be a good idea when bashing a 4* 60 into a bipe. Keep us posted as I have been comptemplating doing the very same thing with one myself. I was planning on copying the fastening method for the top wing from a Sig Hog bipe. In a way that plane kind of looks like a 4* Bipe.

Good luck,
Dwight Hayden

Yeah I'm gona clip one bay. There was an article in an RC mag showing a 4* that had been clipped 2 bays. It flew like a racer, but it looked terrible. 1 bay is enough for me. What do mean "turn it the canopy around"? I was just thinkin of trimming a bunch off the bottom front. I think I'm gona have to get taller landing gear or use a 3 bladded prop if I get the YS 110. Who makes the best tailwheel for this type application? Ohio? Thanks, Jordan

I'm still kind of stumped on how to attach the wing. I've never had a bipe before. Jordan

Check out http://www.renderwurx.com/rc/sig4star/ for the canopy modification. Hopefully someone who's more qualified than I can chime in with a good explanation of the support for the top wing.

Dwight

By the way. Should I take out the dehedral on both wings? Jordan

Just get a Sig hog bipe. That plane is more of a 4 Star 60 than a Astro Hog.

Whew

OK if you want to do yourself a big favor get a copy of Harry Higleys BIPES. Will give you a lot of the answers your looking for. I built and have a 4-40 bipe (See my picture gallery.) you won't need heavy duty Servos in the wings. I used regular servos in my Ultimate and 4-40 pushrods they work fine. You can tell how much to clip the wing by seeing what your wing loading will be with a total of both wings. Might have to clip them even more than you might think. You will definitely have to take the dihedral out of at least the top wing. Also you will have to alter the incidence on the horizontal stab to a +2o or the plane will want to climb at different speeds. ( will be constantly trimming at diff throttle settings) OH Higley's book will show you a few methods of attaching the wings. I have built 7 bipes and learned more from that one book than by any thing else.

The DiBo

Thanks Dennis. Where can I find this book? How did you do you N struts on the 4* bibe? I have an attachment method for the end struts. Jordan

The book is available through WHO ELSE Tower Hobbies.
YOU attach the struts by making a rib on the bottem and top out of aircraft ply with Tabs OR there is even a better method in Higleys book. shows a way you use plastic angles and can put them on after you do covering.

The DiBo