Hi, I'm having an itch to build a biplane kit. I've looked at the Midwest Super Stearman, and the Sig Hog Bipe. This is not my first kit, accually this will be my 4th. Any sugestion or advice would be appriciated. Also in addition to how easy/hard they are to build, I'd also like to know how they fly.

Right now I'm leaning twoard the Stearman.

what is the motor size choice?

Haven't really decided on a motor yet. I do prefer bigger planes though so I will probably get a motor to fit whatever I get. I have an LT-40 and a 4*60. My Cub is going on the shelf for a while waiting to be rebuilt. I've also want someday to get a warbird, either a 60 size or giant.

I'd absolutely suggest the Hog Bipe. Good flying plane, flies well on a wide variety of motors, and the kit is top notch. Both in the air and on the build table, it is widely regarded an excellent first bipe.

Sig is ell known for providing high quality kits with good, well written, easy to follow instructions. The hog bipe is no exception, and since it's been around for YEARS, there will be no shortage of support and advice from experienced builders here.

Finally, Bipes tend to have their own "quirks"...not that they don't fly well, rather they tend to have their own behaviors unique to bipes....the hog bipe, ime, has the fewest of these in the lowest degree, making them an excellent choice for the transition.

I would suggest a Balsa USA Pheaton 90. I did a little mod on mine which turned it into an almost trainer like character. Just 1 1/2deg of neg incedence on the top wing made a huge difference in performance. Also put ailerons on both wings. It flys nice and slow with a quick roll rate. Mine flys with a saito 1.20 inverted. On a breezy 10 or 15 mph day I can hang it like a kite almost motionless. Beautiful sight. But then again, most any bipe is a beautiful sight. <g>
Edwin

http://ohiomodelplanes.com/models/ offers a couple of options.

Fly safe, Glover

Bob, I am just finishing a GP Super Aeromaster. It is a great looking plane, but boy oh boy, is it heavy. I had to cut a window in the side an make a hatch so I could install the on/off switch and crarger jack. The sides are 1/2" thick. This is an obsolete kit, but there may be some other "old school" kits out there.

struts between the wings was an option. It looked as if it would be an easy modification after the plane was finished, so I skipped them. Now that the plane is almost ready, I'm sure it's going to need them for any serious flying. Still lots to do on it. The cowl and wheel pants are going to take time. I may have to strip the primer and first coats of paint on the cowl as I'm afraid the TopFlite clear is going to blister the paint I have now.

Don

Don, that's A nice job on the master and you sure will be able to see it. I have been flying mine for A couple of years. I went with the straight bottom wing angled top because I have been known to change engines now and again. Roll rate is slow with the ailerons only on the bottom wing. I used 2-56 wire and made up N-struts with ball ends.
I think the Pheaton 90 would be A good one for A first Bipe but the Hog is the one that will always be there at the top of any list for most builders first stab at it.
Both A great choice but I like the BUSA kits.

Don, what Gray Beard said. Nice looking plane. Let me know how it flys when you get it done.

We have a static display at Airport Day next weekend. I would like to have it finished for that and display it. Then hopefully the folowing Monday, maiden it. Boy it sure is heavy though. Right now, it is tipping the scale a 8.6 lbs. I'm guessing that by the time I have the wheel pants finished and the cowl mounting and painting done, if I don't need to add weight to balance it, I'll end up real close to 9 lbs. That should put me at around 22 to 23 oz/sq ft. I guess that isn't to bad, but that fuse sure weighs a ton. It weighs 6.2 lbs without the wheel pants.

If I like the way it flys, I think I'll do some redeisgn work and build up a fuselage with light ply vs the 1/2" thick balsa up front. I'll bet I could shave a couple pounds of the finished weight. Actually, even though the wings are not to heavy, 14 oz on the top wing and 20 oz on the bottom, including two servos, I think I could improve on them also. Guess I'm addicted to building

Gray Beard, I'm thinking seriously about adding the N-struts. The striping on the bottom of the wings is seperate pieces of covering, so I would only have to replace two pannels of covering for each wing and not touch the top covering other than to cut a thin exit hole for the ply to exit. By the way, how did you handle the loose wires in the top wing mount? I can chuck the wing up and down with the llittle mounting taps in place and screwed down. I'm guessing this is a "design feature" that allows for changing the incidence of the top wing

Don

Don, I will just hit you with A PM for details on some of the little things I did to my Master so we don't clog up Bobs thread.
This was just A back up plane for me just in case and case happened so I built it. Still A fun one to fly though.
Gene