Proud owner of this bird. Now what

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Karee Brinlee

Filing Flight Plan
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Nov 9, 2021
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Karee B
Hey guys,
I have 350 hours but only about 10 in a tailwheel.
Doing tailwheel training now and think I will eventually get checked out in a Pitts.
This is a one of one bipe.
290c lycoming
Basically a new plane with a wingspan 2 feet wider than a Pitts and is about a foot longer.

Any transition advise is appreciated.
I live in Oklahoma.
I love this plane and it’s historic.
I want to show it off and keep its history alive and be part of its history.
I will donate it to a museum one day.
Karee
 

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No advice other than be safe and have fun. Curious though. I looks like it was a homebuilt. We're there plans available for it, or was it just from scratch by the builder?
 
Karee Brinlee said:
Hey guys,
I have 350 hours but only about 10 in a tailwheel.
Doing tailwheel training now and think I will eventually get checked out in a Pitts.
This is a one of one bipe.
290c lycoming
Basically a new plane with a wingspan 2 feet wider than a Pitts and is about a foot longer.

Any transition advise is appreciated.
I live in Oklahoma.
I love this plane and it’s historic.
I want to show it off and keep its history alive and be part of its history.
I will donate it to a museum one day.
Karee
Click to expand...

Cool airplane!
 
luvflyin said:
No advice other than be safe and have fun. Curious though. I looks like it was a homebuilt. We're there plans available for it, or was it just from scratch by the builder?
Click to expand...

it is a Bob Burt Special.
Bob built it in his garage and it first flew in 1961.
Bob went on to work on the systems for many modern jets flying today and won awards for his contribution to flight of the F111 and other planes.
But sadly no plans. I do have all the notes and sketches.
 
Now what? Go fly it! Don’t let it waste away in a hangar, use it. If you can’t at some point, relinquish ownership to someone who can.
 
Very cool. This plane has an airfoil and wingspan that will produce much slower landings than a Pitts, and the gear is much wider so the landing roll will be more stable. I'd bet this will land very Cub like, just with more biplane drag of course. Doing tailwheel training in the back (proper) seat of a J-3 would be ideal. Pitts training definitely cannot hurt, but this airplane won't land/handle much like one, but the Pitts will definitely train the reflexes of your feet to be much quicker, but also very measured. Afterwards, this airplane will feel very sedate. This looks like a very straightforward plane and general tailwheel competence should be all you need. Good luck and have fun.
 
RoscoeT said:
Very cool. This plane has an airfoil and wingspan that will produce much slower landings than a Pitts, and the gear is much wider so the landing roll will be more stable. I'd bet this will land very Cub like, just with more biplane drag of course. Doing tailwheel training in the back (proper) seat of a J-3 would be ideal. Pitts training definitely cannot hurt, but this airplane won't land/handle much like one, but the Pitts will definitely train the reflexes of your feet to be much quicker, but also very measured. Afterwards, this airplane will feel very sedate. This looks like a very straightforward plane and general tailwheel competence should be all you need. Good luck and have fun.
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I hope it flies like that. If it does it will be at many events so I can show it off.
I think it will be a pleasure to fly.
Can’t wait!
 
Karee, as far as advice, I don't have a tail wheel endorsement but probably will get it done soon. I would get really proficient in another airplane, in many different conditions before I started flying that airplane. Last thing you want to do is bugger it up due to inexperience. But I'd be impatient to fly it also.
 
Would dual in a great lakes be a good preparation for soloing this ?
 
The Great Lakes is a much bigger heavier plane with the softest oleo strut gear ever put on an airplane. Requires effort to mess up a landing. A J-3 Cub would land more similar to this plane.
 
RoscoeT said:
The Great Lakes is a much bigger heavier plane with the softest oleo strut gear ever put on an airplane. Requires effort to mess up a landing. A J-3 Cub would land more similar to this plane.
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if this plane lands as easy as a Cub I may install a canopy and do some Cross Country.
I really want to take it to fly ins and show it off.
 
Karee Brinlee said:
if this plane lands as easy as a Cub I may install a canopy and do some Cross Country.
Click to expand...

Don't take a Cub for granted though - I've seen lots of Cubs get ground looped, especially in x-winds. They are very lightly loaded and get thrown around in wind gusts and don't soak up side load as well as some other airplanes. Generally speaking, most tailwheel airplanes require about the same level of competence, but some are quirkier than others, and none are really a problem once you have experience. A Decathlon is significantly more forgiving of sinful landing errors than a Cub. Just pick your conditions carefully as you start out.
 
If not in a Pitts, you might be able to get some informal instruction in a Starduster or Skybolt or something similar. You should post your question on the Biplane Forum, it's where like minded people hang out.
 
How are you liking it?
 
I love it. I have not taken it around the patch yet but I have done high speed taxi with the tail up. I know some do not recommend this but it was easy for me and I was able to get off the ground and land twice on each run. So I would bring the tail up and keep the tires on the ground lightly. I was able to track perfectly straight. Then I would reduce power and get the tail on the ground and even then I have had no issues. I bet I have done that for at least an hour. Last time I did it the wind was blowing pretty good so I opted not to take off. I want my first flight to be in lighter winds.
So now I am just waiting for that perfect day. Do a really extensive ground check and off I will go. I do not think I will have any issues flying her.
 
Be very very careful doing high speed taxi runs. You will overheat the brakes and can get a brake fire quite easily. There are other reasons not to do them besides brakes. Get your tailwheel endorsement. Wait for perfect conditions and take off. Get to a safe altitude and slow flight the aircraft for a long time. Work on smooth coordinated turns. When comfortable do a few stalls both power on and power off noting airspeed. After that head back to the airport and work on landings. Most start with 3 pointers on a new aircraft but it’s up to you and what your comfortable with. Wheel landings could be a option.
 
Given your low tailwheel time and the unknown nature of this airplane, I recommend finding someone with Pitts or similar biplane experience to test fly it. Ideally it would be your tailwheel CFI or someone else familiar with your current skill level. Have them take it up for a couple laps in the pattern to get a feel for the handling characteristics of this particular plane. They will then be able to advise you on whether your skills are adequate, or whether you need additional training or practice before you solo.

Do you have documented V speeds and operating limitations from the initial flight testing, or some kind of aircraft flight manual?
 
I would fly the daylights out of that thing. Looks like a lot of fun.
 
How different to fly are biplanes? I'm completely ignorant, but I guess the additional wing will change stall, landing and take off speeds?
I don't see schools offering "biplane ratings" so maybe is not that different?

Georgeous bird BTW
 
Hector Parra said:
How different to fly are biplanes? I'm completely ignorant, but I guess the additional wing will change stall, landing and take off speeds?
I don't see schools offering "biplane ratings" so maybe is not that different?

Georgeous bird BTW
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Biplanes have lots of drag, so the glide angle is very steep and they don't float much. Most don't have flaps, so slipping is how you control the approach angle.
 
Hector Parra said:
How different to fly are biplanes? I'm completely ignorant, but I guess the additional wing will change stall, landing and take off speeds?
I don't see schools offering "biplane ratings" so maybe is not that different?
Click to expand...

The first question isn't really relevant since airplanes are generally designed from the ground up with either one wing or two. It's not as if (in general) there are monowing airplanes that have alternate versions as a biplane. There is huge variation in stall/landing speeds among biplanes, same as for monoplanes, so you can't really compare the two that way.

There isn't much difference to flying biplanes except they generally have more drag (steeper glide ratio) and worse visibility in the air and on the ground. They are way cooler looking though. They exist because you can produce a very strong and light set of wings built with simple tools using the wire and cabane strut arrangement. To build a cantilevered mono wing of the same strength is heavier and/or more difficult.
 
From that picture I would expect short coupled gear, no forward visibility on the ground and questionable tailwheel authority (if it even has tailwheel steering).

A Pitts would be great prep. My only thought would be to check the alignment of the main wheels to make sure they are both pointed in the right direction (this is apparently a common issue on Luscombes, for example).
 
Hector Parra said:
How different to fly are biplanes? I'm completely ignorant, but I guess the additional wing will change stall, landing and take off speeds?
I don't see schools offering "biplane ratings" so maybe is not that different?

Georgeous bird BTW
Click to expand...
Stall/landing and takeofff speeds don't change, but flying a biplane compared to the standard GA airplanes is a lot like riding a motorcycle compared to a car. Or a sailboat vs a powerboat.

As Dana mentioned, there is a LOT more drag - you will find wind affects you much more than a mono-wing airplane. A 10 knot crosswind in a biplane will feel like a 15 knot crosswind in a typical GA airplane.

Visibility is also a challenge, but since most biplane's have no flaps, you'll get used to slipping which helps the view of the runway.
 
Fearless Tower said:
As Dana mentioned, there is a LOT more drag - you will find wind affects you much more than a mono-wing airplane. A 10 knot crosswind in a biplane will feel like a 15 knot crosswind in a typical GA airplane.
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Drag doesn't affect the ability to handle crosswinds-- if anything it means you can approach faster without floating-- but stall speed does, as does the proximity of the bottom wing to the ground, limiting how low you can get a wing while landing. But the Pitts, as twitchy as it is, is considered a great crosswind airplane, because of its high stall speed and powerful rudder.
 
Dana said:
Drag doesn't affect the ability to handle crosswinds-- if anything it means you can approach faster without floating-- but stall speed does, as does the proximity of the bottom wing to the ground, limiting how low you can get a wing while landing. But the Pitts, as twitchy as it is, is considered a great crosswind airplane, because of its high stall speed and powerful rudder.
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Didn’t say it necessarily had anything to do with the ability, just that you will feel the wind more. Most biplanes simply have more surface area for the wind to act on. Like driving a big van on a windy road vs a low profile sports car.

As far as floating, I’m not sure what your flying, but in the Wacos, if you approach too fast you’ll float like any other airplane.
 
More surface area to catch gusts, yes, but it's not a matter of drag in the conventional sense, which is a force right on the nose.

Of course you'll float, just not as much. The T-Craft I used to own was a real floater if too fast at roundout, the Hatz I have now bleeds off speed a lot faster.
 
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