So tell us about biplanes

[9GClub]

The 150's ok, but the closed cabin is getting on my nerves. Anybody own/fly a two-winger (or, God forbid, an *ULTRALIGHT*)? Is it true that cruising in a Stearman or a Waco is the quintessential aviation experience? [Insert Mile-High Club jokes here.] Do all the struts/wires/windscreens get in the way [of the flying, not the club initiations] or are they tolerable? I wanna fly one off a grass strip one day, and so far it looks like I'm looking at building a strip and coming up with >$75k. Is giving rides (i.e. a business) in something like that an insurance nightmare?

 

[navigator72]

Insurance will kill you on scenic rides in a biplane

check out wacoclassic.com for some cool planes though

 

[Ill Mitch]

The 150's ok, but the closed cabin is getting on my nerves. Anybody own/fly a two-winger (or, God forbid, an *ULTRALIGHT*)? Is it true that cruising in a Stearman or a Waco is the quintessential aviation experience? [Insert Mile-High Club jokes here.] Do all the struts/wires/windscreens get in the way [of the flying, not the club initiations] or are they tolerable? I wanna fly one off a grass strip one day, and so far it looks like I'm looking at building a strip and coming up with >$75k. Is giving rides (i.e. a business) in something like that an insurance nightmare?

Two wings are awesome. Stearmans suck (just my opinion), Waco's are good, a Pitts is better. And I am one of the few that like the S-2's over the S-1.

It is always neat cruising around and seeing two wings out there.

 

[Flechas]

The most memorable flight in my life was in a Stearman, I remember it like it was yesterday....

 

[9GClub]

I forgot to specify open-cockpit...... so we have one vote for Waco over Stearman, anybody wanna chip in?

 

[Flechas]

I vote Stearman!!

 

[Ill Mitch]

I forgot to specify open-cockpit...... so we have one vote for Waco over Stearman, anybody wanna chip in?

The Pitts I owned (S-1C) was an open cockpit.

But if I had to choose between a Waco and Stearman, I would choose the Waco.

 

[EMBATP]

how about...

tiger moth?

 

[sbav8r]

Waco. Greatest experience ever. Flying tours can work in certain markets, but there is serious liability involved. Insurance on that type of operation will be very high, but it can offset the cost of ownership.

 

[Rolling-Thunder]

I flew a Stearman a few times, and enjoyed every second of it.

In a couple of years, I will be flying a 1910 Glenn Curtiss biplane called the "Hudson-Flier".

 

[DC4boy]

Mitch has obviously never flown a 450 Stearman,,,

 

[VNugget]

Flying, where it's OK to be bi.

(2 hours of WACO stick time chiming in )

 

[Ill Mitch]

Mitch has obviously never flown a 450 Stearman,,,

You are correct, I hear they are nice.
I've just flown the 220 (or was it 230)...Can't remember as it was about 12 years ago.

The only 450 bi-plane I have time in is an Ag-Cat, with the windows off...does that count as open cockpit?

 

[DC4boy]

450 Stearman is a blast, higly recomend it.


Waco's are alright, I dont see whats so cool about them.......

 

[Ill Mitch]

450 Stearman is a blast, higly recomend it.


Waco's are alright, I dont see whats so cool about them.......

I liked the way they handled over the Stearman, of course the Stearman I flew only had two ailerons.

Both are fun to land (The older Waco's anyway).

 

[Wasted]

Just keep your mouth shut or bugs will collect between your teeth.

 

[Ill Mitch]

Just keep your mouth shut or bugs will collect between your teeth.

Since I fly for a living, it's the only protein I can afford.

 

[BD King]

OK. Guess I am the odd guy out here. I DO NOT like open cockpit airplanes. Owned a Pitts, and have flown a couple WACO's plus PT19s and PT 22's. If I had to pick, it would be the PT22, but still, I would rather fly something that resembled a closed cockpit.


www.bdkingpress.com

 

[9GClub]

OK. Guess I am the odd guy out here. I DO NOT like open cockpit airplanes.

BD, why not?

 

[lear24]

Starduster Too is a great biplane, very nimble and fun to fly. Being a homebuilt they can be found with many different engine configurations, everything from 150 hp lycomings to 220 hp radials!

To your original question, it is a blast being out there with nothing above you, if you have the urge for it, you'd love it. If you've never flown a tailwheel you might want to get that experience in something a little easier to land first, though. In most biplanes you completely lose the view out the front in the flare.

 

[BD King]

BD, why not?

They are hot, cold, and windy. If you actually want to go somewhere, especially a touchy S1C, you really have to be aware of wind vs runway, and so forth. I live in the north, and that cuts the devil out of your utilization. However, I do miss the dawn patrol on a summer morn with 15 or 20 minutes of acro to start the day off.

www.bdkingpress.com

 

[C172gal05]

A steerman was my first tailwheel plane and man did I love it...wouldnt want to fly long distances but the sounds and the feeling from an open cockpit is awesome!!!

 

[Vector4fun]

I've got time in the Too and a UPF-7. Loved them both, but as BD said, not real practical except for short trips in temperate weather. I'm leaning toward a Wag Aero Acro Sport Trainer when I retire so I can have a bit of heat in winter, but still remove the window and open the door in summer.

 

[realityman]

I own a Pitts S1-C and an EAA Biplane. The Pitts has a canopy, so no open cockpit. It's a blast to fly, responsive like a fine-tuned sports car. And flat out scary to land! I second the thought about being VERY aware of wind direction/velocity vs runway alignment.


The EAA Bipe is open cockpit and great fun, albeit at a slower and gentler pace. Good for basic aerobatics, and doing loops and rolls in an open cockpit plane is something no one should miss! I also second the thought that open cockpit requires some planning based on ambient temps. 65 may feel alright on the ground, but in an open cockpit plane it's downright chilly!

Neither plane is a great cross-country ride. But the EAA Bipe has surprisingly good forward visibility during landing, and is easy. Neither plane carries more than one pax (the pilot), so forget rides. But both are very affordable.

I'm hoping there's a Glasair III or a Chanute in my future!