If you were to buy a biplane...

flyersfan31

flyersfan31

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Freiburgfan31
what would you buy???

Just curious. I know, I know, I have a plane, I should be happy, blah blah blah. I am. Still, we all daydream about other women airplanes. Something about a leather jacket, silk scarf, and the wind blowing through my hair (ok, no leather jokes please, this is an airplane fantasy and a g-rated website).

I kinda lean towards a Stearman or N3N Yellow Peril. Pitts are (allegedly) too much of a handful on landing [I know - all tailwheels require attention while on the ground. No lectures, please]. I'm thinking about casual, very casual, aerobatics, graceful loops or somesuch, not hammerhead stalls, and nice 1000ft AGL smell-the-air cruising. Just want to put the "air" back in airplane. Someday.

So?????????????
 
Waco in a heartbeat.
 
Depends on what you want it for. Advanced acro: Pitts, "Modern Classic": Waco, Antique: Stearman.
 
If I thought I just had to have the worst traits of both a highwing AND a low wing in one plane, and if it wasn't a Commie plane I'd maybe fly a big ol' AN2.

Otherwise, some antique mailplane like a Jenny on floats if I wanted to be out in the weather all the time for some reason.
 
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Christen Eagle. My absolute dream plane. No questions for me.

Tim
 
Well, if the Pitts is out (it'd be my first choice for a biplane) and/or you don't want to do much in the way of fast acro, the Stearman is a great choice. Since 11x more Stearmans were built than N3N's, I would guess it'd be easier and cheaper to maintain.

Your mention of "graceful" aerobatics says Stearman all over it. Nothing happens fast in a Stearman. It's slow, graceful, holy-crap-I'm-upside-down-in-an-open-cockpit flying. The Pitts will induce adrenaline-laced whoops, the Stearman will be a source of many happy sighs. :yes:
 
Stearman. I have lusted for a Stearman for nearly 9 solid years... what a beautiful plane. It has a ramp presence like no other, sounds like a champ on start-up, and EVERYONE on the ramp stops and watches one takeoff.

Cheers,

-Andrew
 
Troska said:
Christen Eagle. My absolute dream plane. No questions for me.
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I've always liked the Christen Eagle too only I had forgotten about it until you mentioned it. Years ago I knew someone who was building one. I wonder what ever happened to it... or him.
 
Back to the basics for a little culture: A circa 1917 or thereabouts Curtiss Jenny.
 
Dave Krall CFII said:
If I thought I just had to have the worst traits of both a highwing AND a low wing in one plane, and if it wasn't a Commie plane I'd maybe fly a big ol' AN2.

Otherwise, some antique mailplane like a Jenny on floats if I wanted to be out in the weather all the time for some reason.
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That's a hippopotamus of a plane. Don't think I haven't thought about an AN2 more than once!

Jenny is a great one. Definitely old school.
 
The biplane I did buy was an amateur-built Pitts that was sort of like a Pitts S-2A fuselage and S-2B wings. I loved it. Of all of the possessions I've ever owned and then gotten rid of, I miss it the most. I really really really really wish that decision had an "undo" button.

It did, however, make for a sucky ride to Gastons (700 nm each way).
 
wabower said:
Waco in a heartbeat.
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Only biplane I've been in. Unfortunately, only as a passenger. But the scenery (Kauai) was great. :D
 

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wow i cant believe no on has said Beech Staggerwing! its got 2 wings, is gorgeous, decent speed, and a CABIN.

Stearman would be good too, for other reasons.
 
tonycondon said:
wow i cant believe no on has said Beech Staggerwing! its got 2 wings, is gorgeous, decent speed, and a CABIN.

Stearman would be good too, for other reasons.
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Darnit, I was hoping I'd be the first to say it! Stearman or a Staggerwing for me.
 
A nice Stearman.... blue fuselage with yellow wings,.. nice open radial engine out front.

Maybe a trip to Van Sant is in order sometime....
 
Stearman. Round engines are awesome.

Practically, though, I'd get a Pitts, or more likely an Acrosport. You can get an Acrosport for the price of a new Ford Taurus.

Andrew, your Matrix might get jealous if she hears of this. You better let me put some loving to her just to keep her happy. ;)
 
I've always wanted the Bunker Jungmeister it's the ultimate open cockpit aerobatic plane.

We were digging around the Newburgh NY area for parts to fly a BT-13 back to KS in 1977. Tucked away in a small airport was a Jungmeister. It was the first time for me to see one of these planes except in books. All of the instruments were marked in German too, it was flawless.

Kevin
 
Detroit-Parks biplane...

If I could find plans, I'd probably scratch build one. Unfortunately, Parks college (in St. Louis) isn't about aviation anymore and apparently doesn't have any plans from back in the day when they built Biplanes...
 
kyleb said:
Detroit-Parks biplane...

If I could find plans, I'd probably scratch build one. Unfortunately, Parks college (in St. Louis) isn't about aviation anymore and apparently doesn't have any plans from back in the day when they built Biplanes...
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They don't even have plans tucked away somewhere in the back of the university library?
 
Rob Schaffer said:
Maybe a trip to Van Sant is in order sometime....
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That was one of my last trips in the 182, knowing full well a Matrix wouldn't be able to hack it. It was so bouncy, I wasn't sure the 182 would either - I was a bit nervous about the wheel pants.
 
Ted DuPuis said:
Andrew, your Matrix might get jealous if she hears of this. You better let me put some loving to her just to keep her happy. ;)
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Sounds like some airplane swinging -- I'll fly yours, you fly mine...:D:D
 
kyleb said:
Detroit-Parks biplane...

If I could find plans, I'd probably scratch build one. Unfortunately, Parks college (in St. Louis) isn't about aviation anymore and apparently doesn't have any plans from back in the day when they built Biplanes...
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Wasn't that the one Richard Bach wrote about in one of his books?
 
flyersfan31 said:
Wasn't that the one Richard Bach wrote about in one of his books?
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Exactly. I remember getting my dad to buy me my first airplane magazine (Flying) when I was about 5. I couldn't read it, but it had the most amazing pictures of a red and yellow biplane flying out of a grass strip. For whatever reason, I didn't throw that magazine away. When it turned up years later, I read the article. It was written by Richard Bach himself and something of a companion to his book Nothing By Chance. That copy of the magazine eventually disappeared, but I replaced it with one I bought at the Oshkosh Fly-market.

It still resides in my little stash of aviation collectables. Like the handout they gave at the opening of the movie Battle of Britain. A 30 page magazine telling about the making of the movie - the first adult themed movie my dad took me to see. Twice. ;-)
 
Teller1900 said:
They don't even have plans tucked away somewhere in the back of the university library?
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I thought that too, and discussed it with several people at the college around 7-8 years ago. None of them had any insight on P2A plans...
 
I would love a RV...An Extra...A big FIKI twin...A stearman....I can't ever make my mind up....
 
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