The Angel's Shadow Bipe v20 (ASB) has been ready to fly since mid-2022. At the time, I had other solid performing competitive airframes and didn't feel the need to take on the task of flight trimming another one. Especially a biplane, with which I have limited experience in flight trimming. The ASB was configured with my go-to power setup, Hacker C54, with the D3 controller. I wanted a change, so I ordered the PCK 4-bld drive system from CK Aero. However, I didn't invest the time or have the motivation to retrofit the ASB's power system. This past Saturday, I decided it had sat long enough collecting shop dust.
After assembly at the field, I thoroughly reviewed the radio setup and ran up the motor to check amp draw. All systems worked as expected. I carried it out to the runway, took a deep breath, and powered down the runway. The ASB lifted off beautifully. I did a couple of circuits around the field, adding small amounts of trim to achieve hands-off level flight at cruise speed. This was followed by a few basic aerobatic maneuvers to evaluate CG, incidence, and thrust alignment. The maiden went so well, I flew through the P-25 sequence for the next 3 flights.
My initial impression is that it will not take much effort to flight trim the ASB for competition. I am looking forward to spending some quality time with the ASB, getting it ready for the 2026 season to fly the AMA Masters P-27 sequence.
