Dale Butts

Attached are four pictures of the airplane I am finishing up. It is the iconic Sig "Hog Bipe" (altered).

I bashed the kit by making the rudder larger for more authority. Moved the landing gear forward 1/2 inch for better ground control. After the doublers for the fuselage were completed I cut the nose of the airplane off just forward of the firewall on my table saw. Yes, that is a gasoline engine up front, the reliable DLE 20cc, so it becomes a Gas Hog. The cowl was purchased from Fiberglass Specialties and is the Tower RV3 cowl. The art work on the cowl is a juvenile warthog with an attitude. The stunning artwork was completed by a WASP member John Tucker and I think it is spectacular! Making the cowl fit the fuselage did not come easy, I had to change the radius of the fuselage from the firewall to the cockpit. It's not perfect but looks good.

I engaged my good friend Vo Decker to cover the airplane for me. What a beautiful job he did. Sadly Vo passed away before the airplane was completed. Vo had finished the wings and base coat of UltraCote on the fuselage. I wasn't sure what to do with the airplane for a while. During this past summer I decided to finish the airplane as a tribute to Vo. My covering skills are not even close to the work that Vo did, but I look forward to flying this airplane week after next if the weather cooperates.

If anyone is interested I had the "Hog Bipe" plans professionally enlarged last winter. As I recall, this will give you a 72 inch wingspan and will require a 50cc engine. Just let me know.