Hi All
Well been looking for a Sig Four Star for my first kit build but not luck on getting one so far. I did get a great deal on a Sig Astro Hog that fell into my lap. So question..good first build or should I keep looking for a Sig Four Star? Let me know what you all think!
~Boudacia

I believe, with help from RCU forums, that it will make a good first build. You will always have our help with any difficulties you may have. Would be great to see a build thread of your progress. SIG makes some great kits, I love'em!!!

Ah - the Astro Hog. That's a GREAT flying, looking, and building plane. Take it slow and you'll be ok. Sig's kits and instructions are excellent. Go for it!

Didi you try ordering the kit directly from the SIG website?

http://www.sigmfg.com/cgi-bin/dpsmar...FV5.html?E+Sig

It seems to be available for $80, besides the new SIG Four Star 20 EP (also a kit / same price), which can be powered by electricity or fuel.

Regards!

Well trying to keep cost down so hoping to get it on eBay. Hubby is not exactly cool about me buying planes.
~Boudacia

That's a switch. Just something to think about, I find the 60 easier to build then the 40. They both use the same gear except for the engine. 4* is one of the all time greats for both building and flying.

The Astro Hog is a great building plane and flies great too. I would replace the liteply wood they use. I just think they use to much and the sides don't need to be made out of liteply. As for building it, if you are able to build it then have at it. Everyone on here will be glad to help and there is no shortage of help for someone that asks for it. I love the old hog and am thinking of building another one, or maybe the bipe. Can't seem to make up my mind.

Ed

Has Sig changed the materials on the Astro Hog? When I built mine years ago the sides were balsa.

Ilook at the Hog Bipe insturctions and the sides are lite ply and Iheard that the same thing is on the Hog. I just built a glider and it had Lite Ply sides on it too. Idid build it, but also used it for a pattern to build one out of balsa. Ithink lite ply is just cheap and they use what ever is cheaper. it sure can't be for strength. I don't see where you need anywhere near that kind of strength on the sides. I always use balsa even if they supply lite ply. Ijust built the glider to see what the weight came out to be. It's heavy and because Ididn't have the balsa at the time and was in a hurry Iwent and built it to the plans and the wood supplied.

Ed

I wouldn't use lite ply for the fuselage sides on the Astro Hog either. Mine was all balsa when I built it years ago. It's a shame that companies are substituting ply for balsa.

I've talked with several of the manufacturers over that last few months and unfortunately some such as Sig are having to change to lite ply such as this because of the balsa shortage in the industry. It's getting hard for the kit manufacturers to find good balsa to cut kits out of.

Ken

The Astro Hog has not changed unless it is a very recent change. People often talk about it and the Hog Bipe as if they are the same plane with a top wing added to make a bipe.

About the only thing the Astro Hog and Hog Bipe seem to have in common is the word "Hog" in the name.

The Astro Hog is a 1950s design with very few updates since SIG bought the rights to be able to kit it. Page 2 of the manual describes some of the changes they made. http://www.kavanrc.de/instructions/sigrc55astrohog.pdf
Page 3 shows the die cut plywood. Picture from manual is below. Unless it has changed, and the manual is not updated, that's not a lot of plywood.

The Hog Bipe is a much more modern design with a lot of lite ply and some laser cutting. See page 3 of the manual
http://www.kavanrc.de/instructions/sigrc69hogbipe.pdf

OK, Istand corrected. I did build a Hog many years ago and it was a great build. Like I said, I didn't read the manual on the Hog, just the bipe and I didn't like the lite ply fuselage sides. Imay get the plane, but the lite ply will go along with anything else I don't like. Imay even bash it a bit just to be different. And yes, I know the Hog bipe is a different plane, but it's based on the Hog. Idon't understand why the kit manuafucturs are having problems getting balsa. I have no problem getting it from Balsa USA and from kit cutters. They use some of the best balsa I have ever seen in a kit.

Ed

carrellh,

Thanks for the update. I'm glad the Astro Hog is still built the way it used to be. I do not like lite ply fuse sides.

Having built and flown both the Astro Hog and the bipe, the original is far and away a superior flyer.

Balsa is being used in large quantities in industry. ARF manufacturing consumes a lot too.

SIG's 4*40 is a great airplane! The gear mounting area needs some strengthening if your flying field is rough. I've built 2 of these. I didn't like them... I loved them!

The Astro Hog fuselage sides are just printed on balsa sheets. You have to cut them yourself. To switch the kit to use lite ply they'd either have to make dies or do the setup for laser cutting. I have no idea how many Astro Hog kits are sold in a year but I suspect the number is pretty small. Spending any money to change it probably would not make sense.

Some jokes I've seen about building this kit:
Be sure your chainsaw is very sharp before you start.
Have a 55 gallon drum handy to collect all of the wood shavings and sawdust.

I loved my Astro Hog. Lost it due to elevator flutter; at least that's what we think happened. I still have the wing but the fuselage was trashed. My brother has one and I love flying it.

It's been such a long time since Ibuilt one Iforgot how they went together. The one thing Ido rmemeber is all the carving and sanding you have to do on one. It just so happens that I like doing that part of the build. Guess I'm just strange that way. Most people don't. The Hog is a great flying plane though. It won't do a pattern like some of the later planes, but it is still a very good flier. If powered the way they say, it is gental and smooth. Put a bigger engine in it and it becomes a different plane altogether. I still loved flying one. Ijust may get one of them instead of the bipe, Haven't made up my mind yet. I'm still going back and forth on which one to get. I did get a Taurus and will build the Orion also. I loved those planes. Ihave a Super Kaos now and am going to build the Interceptor soon too. Iguess Ijust like the old pattern planes better then the new ones. At least it's not an ARF yet.

Ed