Learning to fly a biplane? (1 Viewer)

Jack

Jack

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If you won a competition that awarded you flying lesssons and a reproduction biplane of your choice, what plane would you choose and why?
 
Jack said:
If you won a competition that awarded you flying lesssons and a reproduction biplane of your choice, what plane would you choose and why?
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Great question that is sure to present a great variation in answers. I would love to have flown a Boeing F4b. It is a beautiful aircraft with fantastic handling features and a good speed. I want to know what it was like to fly what many inter-war US military pilots considered their favorite aircraft. Besides, you can't beat the variations in color schemes from the US Navy of the 1930's.:wink2:^&grin^&cool -- Al
 
lancer said:
Great question that is sure to present a great variation in answers. I would love to have flown a Boeing F4b. It is a beautiful aircraft with fantastic handling features and a good speed. I want to know what it was like to fly what many inter-war US military pilots considered their favorite aircraft. Besides, you can't beat the variations in color schemes from the US Navy of the 1930's.:wink2:^&grin^&cool -- Al
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Really interesting choice - I am still considering. I am tempted by the Camel - except my wife would burn the wreckage after I killed myself trying to take off on my first solo. The Fokker Triplane is also tempting because of the connection with the Baron. I have always had a soft spot for the Gladiator and the Swordfish. I saw the skeleton of one of the latter in a museum on Malta just begging for an injection of funds. Then there is the appeal of a flying boat - cannot get classier than that! The swordfish would be good for family outings though ... a hard choice.
 
Jack said:
Really interesting choice - I am still considering. I am tempted by the Camel - except my wife would burn the wreckage after I killed myself trying to take off on my first solo. The Fokker Triplane is also tempting because of the connection with the Baron. I have always had a soft spot for the Gladiator and the Swordfish. I saw the skeleton of one of the latter in a museum on Malta just begging for an injection of funds. Then there is the appeal of a flying boat - cannot get classier than that! The swordfish would be good for family outings though ... a hard choice.
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I was really tempted by the various WW1 aircraft like the Fokker tripe or the Camel but besides the fact they are both inherently unstable and have to be flown with no break in concentration, they are both rotary engine powered and throw off excess oil quite liberally, meaning a nice dose of castor oil sprayed in the pilots general direction. I'm too much a wuss for those challenges. {sm3} -- Al
 
lancer said:
I was really tempted by the various WW1 aircraft like the Fokker tripe or the Camel but besides the fact they are both inherently unstable and have to be flown with no break in concentration, they are both rotary engine powered and throw off excess oil quite liberally, meaning a nice dose of castor oil sprayed in the pilots general direction. I'm too much a wuss for those challenges. {sm3} -- Al
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My concerns are not so much the dirt and grime but the extensive demands on my co-ordination!
 
Jack said:
My concerns are not so much the dirt and grime but the extensive demands on my co-ordination!
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I quite understand. I'm afraid the term 'crash and burn' would appear in my obit after any solo flying excursion, as well. :tongue: -- Al
 
Have to admit that if I couldn't get a Boeing F4b, I would love to take a crack at the 1930's era Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing. This aircraft has always appealed to me. -- Al
 
lancer said:
I quite understand. I'm afraid the term 'crash and burn' would appear in my obit after any solo flying excursion, as well. :tongue: -- Al
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The one thing you do not want to do as an Australian is have 'he died doing what he loved' included in your obit. I do not know if it is the same in the US, but here it is code for 'He was a jerk and he died being a jerk'.
 
Jack said:
My concerns are not so much the dirt and grime but the extensive demands on my co-ordination!
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If its co-ordination you are worried about....stay way from the WW! aircraft, even the modern day pilots who fly the reps say they are hard to fly.....the nearest thing to them would be a Tiger moth...they are all hands...feet and eyes to fly...perfect on a good day.... me...I wanna fly a Dc3......cheers TomB
 
lancer said:
Neat aircraft. I've always liked the Supermarine Walrus. -- Al
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If you would pardon me...I think the Walrus was a smaller aircraft with a single engine and was very successful rescuing downed pilots in the channel..... had one on my Flight Simulator once....cheers TomB
 
Have always had a fascination with the WWI Biplanes and would be interested in learning to fly the Neiuport or a Spad or even a Fokker. I think it would be really thrilling to fly in an open cockpit and feel the elements and oil etc. Very cool question!

Dave
 
Either a Fairey Swordfish Mk ! (iconic, forgiving, easy to fly, highly maneuverable, historically famous, 4 still operational) or Curtis F9C-2 Sparrowhawk (parasitic fighter from U.S. Navy dirigibles [aka airships] in the 1930's, unique and colorful).
Arnhem Jim
Arizona Territory
 
I'd love to learn to fly either a Gloster Gladiator or a Hawker Demon. Ah, the wind in the wires . . . :wink2:
 
Arnhemjim said:
Either a Fairey Swordfish Mk ! (iconic, forgiving, easy to fly, highly maneuverable, historically famous, 4 still operational) or Curtis F9C-2 Sparrowhawk (parasitic fighter from U.S. Navy dirigibles [aka airships] in the 1930's, unique and colorful).
Arnhem Jim
Arizona Territory
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Floats or wheels?

L9767b.jpg
 
A novel idea for a thread! For me I think it has to be the first WW1 model plane that I made - the Albatross. The shape of the wings seemed fabulous. The vivid red colour helped too (though it was probably my brother who painted it!),
 
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