There's always a time in a build where you have what I call "that boneheaded mistake". If you're like me, you have several of those moments over the course of a build . Well here's my first one.

The next step is to add the cap strips - no problem. Like an assembly line, I cut a cap strip for every rib, like I did on the top wing... that's right, every rib. [:@] Now, for those of you who already figured out my mistake; good for you, you're quicker than me. I figured out my mistake when I added the cap strip to the first W-1T rib on the bottom (remember the top's been done for days). Then it dawns on me - "Hey Bonehead, how are you going to sheet the middle section of the wing with those caps strips in the way!" [:'(]

"Oh fudge", as Ralphie would say ...

Too late to do much now. I add the cap strips on the bottom where they should go while trying to figure out my strategy for sheeting the middle portion of the top and bottom.

Take a look at picture1. This is the top wing after all the cap strips were applied. Looking back at my earlier post about the sheeting and possibly adding scrap to come down to the main spar should have been a clue to me ... hey you're gonna sheet that later anyway. It never hit me till now. Argh!

So, here my solution. I added little braces under the cap stripped W-1T ribs so I could insert sheeting between the cap strips (picture2). Yeah, this is going to add some weight, but not much - and this was easier than removing the cap strips and sanding down CA. Next I cut the sheeting to fit the gaps. I took my time measuring and sanding to get as close to an exact fit as I could. I CA'd the sheeting down onto the tabs and used Titebond for the edges (since I am going to be sanding). I think this will end up being okay ...



Picture1 - Caps Strips on Top Wing - DO NOT Cap Strip the W-1T Ribs
Picture2 - Added braces for sheeting
Pciture3 - Sheeting added to top ... waiting for titebond to cure. A little sanding and this just might workout.

Way to work through that error! I would have started sanding them off without even thinking about it [:'(]. A bit of finish sanding later and you'll never see it!

MasterAlex,
Great work, nice and neat.

I have been without internet for a little while and have not been able to follow this build as it was happening, now that I'm caught up I will enjoy the rest of the ride hopefully without further mishap.

I have received my Hog Bipe and I will start it as soon as I get a few more things done in my shop.

Thanks for putting up such a nice build, it will be a lot of help to me when I start to build my Hog.


Miguel

I have just finished the construction of a Hog Bipe and am in the process of covering it now. Before your build got too far along, I wanted to alert you to a small problem I encountered in the construction of the fuselage. On page 12 (10a-b), the instructions call for gluing formers F-2 and F-4 to the forward deck and attaching the stringers. Before gluing in the stringers, I happened to lay a straightedge from former F-1A (on the firewall) back to former F-5. In my kit, F-2, and especially F-4, were out of alignment. The middle stringer notch on F-4 was nearly 1/8" too low. The notches on either side were also too deep. If the stringers had been glued in, there would have been a definite sag in the three uppermost stringers in the span from F-1A to F-5. (Note that there are no stringers extending from F-4 to F-5.)

I mentioned this to another flyer in the club and he said that he didn't notice this when he built his and consequently when he attached his sheeting (page 13, 11a-b), it wasn't making contact with the uppermost stringers over former F-4. I simply laid in my stringers using the straightedge, adding filler to the bottom of the notches as needed. It seems to me that since a large portion of the sheeting will be cut out for the cockpit in this area, it's especially important that the sheeting is well supported by the stringers all the way around.

wuness

Nice save. Now that you got that out of the way the rest should be cake. Good luck.

Thanks Wuness for the tip on the Fuse. I built a fuselage Jig [link=http://webpages.charter.net/rcfu/ConstGuide/FJConstr.html](found here)[/link] before starting this thread, not sure if this jig would have prevented me from making that mistake, but now that I know, I'll be sure to look out for it.

-MA

MA,

I, like many others here, am reading your build thread but not posting any comments as I have nothing to add. As long as I'm not adding anything I'll just say nice job! I'm watching your build closely as this same kit is in line for my next build

Scott.

Hi MasterAlex,
Don't be alarmed that a lot of people are not making comments about your build. I am sure there are many others like myself (Hog Bipe builders) that are following your progress. You have done excellent work so far and it has been virtually mistake free. Over the last two years there were a lot of Hog Bipes built and discussed here on RCU (that is when mine was born). I will not just sit on the sideline during your build any more, doing a build thread doubles the amount of work that it takes to complete the kit and while you may not need encouragement to keep building the plane it is hard to justify the work required to post your progress if you think no one is there to appreciate it. I appreciate your efforts very much. I still don't have a lot of flights on my plane but it is one that I immediately liked a lot. Most of the time I have to grow to appreciate a plane over time, but the Hog Bipe grabbed me on the trim flight, it is just a sweet flying model plane. Here are a few pictures of mine when it was bolted togeter after I painted it.

Thanks for all the kind words guys! I will most certainly keep this going. With that in mind, I am going to be out of town starting this afternoon until next Saturday. This thread will go "dark" from my perspective. Don't worry, I'll be back. Probably just the kind of forced break you need when doing a bipe - right after you finish the first wing and look to start the second ... hehe.

Talk to you guys in a week!

BTW, Charlie - love the Extreme Pilot in your Hog, he's a natural!

-MA

I am watching your thread too. I am in the process of covering my hog bipe, and am looking forward to maiden in the spring. this is my first biplane to fly. One thing that I ran into was the dihedral on the lower wing. After setting the brace, let the glue dry, when I put together the plane the struts were too short. Should have measured twice !! had to make new struts 1/4" each side. I am also using metal pushrods inside of the supplied tubing instead of supplied nylon pushrods because the nylon rods length change from temperature extremes that they need to be readjusted all the time.

rkliemann

Alex

Keep up the good work and continue the thread. This will be a build for me in the future. Meanwhile I am seeing a lot of good techniques. Thanks for your effort.
Huck

Alex,

The timing of your Hog Bipe build thread is perfect for my grandson and I as we began work on ours during Christmas vacation. Please continue. From your thread we have learned several tips to avoid problems already. We started with the bottom wing and have that nearly completed. Top wing next. Several minor changes in the construction of the bottom wing were found to improve the construction. We are using our experience from building the Sig Something Extra and Four Star 60 to construct the aileron servo mounts and and provide for the leads to the fuse. We also reshaped the leading edge of the ailerons from the rounded shape to a more typical vee shape to provide for installing the nylon hinges. All of the advice and help on this forum just makes the construction all the more enjoyable. Thanks for taking the time to make it possible for everyone to join in.

Schultz
Freezing in Iowa

and besides this one hookedonrc also did a kind of long thread on the bipe too. It helped me building mine last year. I hope to start another soon. Thanks for doing this one Alex! It's good and can't wait for the next steps.

Hey guys! Just checking in. I can't wait for this trip to get over so I can get back to this build! And get back home to my lovely wife!

Anyway, thought I'd say thanks again for your kind words of encouragement. I'll be back at it this weekend.

-MA

I can't remember the exact details, but I remember having to make new struts for my Hog Bipe when I built is 5 years ago. Might have been the same problem.

Jim

I replaced the supplied push rods with Golden Rods. The tubes that come with the kit are very large in diameter. The steel push rods may be able to flex inside of them. If you use small slices of the inner rod spaced 4 to 6 inches along the steel rod it will keep the steel rod from flexinn in the tube. It is a good idea to CA the spacers in place. The spacers on both ends need to be about two inches long so they support the steel rod to the end of the tube and will not completely exit the tube at full extension.

MasterAlex,

I have a Hog Bipe with a Saito 100 I have been flying a couple of seasons. Ailerons on both wings with 2-56 wire stiffened with aluminum airfoil tubing for the upper/lower control connection. (Two servos in the lower wing) Z-bend on the top and Sullivan quick release ball connector on the bottom. This provides a tool free interconnection for the ailerons. I have solid wire control rods running inside plastic pushrods for all the control surfaces. I do not like trim changing with the weather.

I recommend you use Dubro #789 Super Strength Fiberglass Landing Gear (or similar, mine is Klett) instead of the supplied aluminum gear. The aluminum gear bends too easily and soon the plane squats so low that the prop hits the ground on landings. (I know, I need to learn to land better!) A fellow club member and Hog Bipe owner recommended the fiberglass gear and it has really worked out great. The gear always returns to a full upright position.

Stan

My last post may be misleading on the pushrods. I used 2-56 steel pushrods full length inside of a small plastic tube moving inside of a well braced large plastic tube for the rudder and elevator. Soder clevis on one end and threaded clevis with locknut on the other.

Stan

I agree with the fiberglass gear. I just had one laying around and put it on my bipe and it now resides on my Astro Hog after I lost my Bipe. Tough gear and does hold up good to hard landings. I don't know what kind it is. Will get another for my new bipe.

JPS

You mean [link=http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin/wti0001p?&I=LXNM65&P=ML]this?[/link]

-MA

Right now mine has the original landing gear but I am thinking about swapping it for the Dubro gear. I have already had to bend the gear back and the plane has less than 10 flights on it.

When I first unpacked the box, as I picked up the landing gear, I thought to myself how light they were. Even compared to other SIG kits (Mid-Star, SSE) my perception was that this gear was a bit more fragile. You guys are confirming that thought. I suspect my next Tower order is going to consist of the Dubro gear.

Thanks guys!

Hello All
MasterAlex I appreciate the work you have done to post a build thread, I stumbled on it today and am subscribed. I bought a hog kit a couple years ago, and backed off because I figure I need more building skills, and building time.,and spare time. I have read Hooks thread cover to cover.
I have no experience with sheeting. My only question is which type titebond glue folks prefer, it seems there are several. Is there an elmers = TIA Fred

smashmaster, I'm not an expert but I think any of that type wood glue works fine. As long as you hold it in place till it dries. some use ca but you have to be able to work fast and have a system to hold it all down during the set time. One thing I've found is to tape or rubber band sheeting to the curved surface after wetting it with alcohol or amonia or water and let dry to shape. Goes a long way in helping to hold down without splitting and where it is supposed to be glued. The hog bipe suggest that in sheeting the turtle deck on the fuse. Just do a dry run to be sure you can get it where you want it before gluing and you should be fine.

I agree with Cubfloater, any of the yellow wood glues will work fine if that is youe preference.

I guess a biplane is probably not something for a first time builder to take on but if you have built a kit before you can build the Hog Bipe.
The parts fit together real good and there are not any real gotchas about the kit.
Having said that I screwed up the second lower wing panel because it was so easy to build I didn't bother checking the plans and I built two identical wing panels. GRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR But I have a fully equiped woodworking shop and was able to recover fairly easily. It would have been a lot harder without the table saw.
So .... moral of the story is follow the directions, take your time, if you need to ask questions there are lots of Hog Bipe builders here to help, and don't get cocky because it is going so well and you will be fine.