RE: One Design
Shane,...
Sorry for taking so long to get back to you. I had to dig out my old photos and scan them in, find the magazine article and refamilarize myself again. Anyway,... the reveiw of the Hobby Hangar One Design kit was published in the February 2000 issue of Flying Models magazine.
While rereading the article I recalled the challanges I had while building the plane. Just about EVERYTHING is laser cut in the kit, including the leading edge sheeting and rib capstrips. At first this seems like "overkill" but then you'll realize that as the lower wing skin (leading edge sheeting, capstrips, and trailing edge) is assembled flat on the surface of the bench, it defines the shape of the wing. Quite a bit of washout was built into the wing.
Building the fuselage with its unique "scale-like" trapezoidal cross-section was very interesting and challenging. Not to say it was difficult, it was just something I had never done before and found it very rewarding to have a fuselage that didn't resemble a "box" !!
Flying the One Design, was not as hard as one would imagine with a short coupled stubby airplane. Infact the controls were quite tame and docile. High rates were needed to get crisp rolls and snaps. The only nervous time I had while flying the plane was the landing. Power management is "key" to good landings. Also,... keep in mind the DR-107 has a flat bottom wing; therefore outside or negative "G" maneuvers required a lot more forward stick pressure than back pressure was require for the same size positive maneuver.
Well,... that's about it. It certainly is a beautiful little airplane!! I've attached quite a few pictures of my 1-D. Let me know if you have anymore questions. Heck,.. with all this talk about it, I might just build another one. Maybe this ths time I'll buld the DR-109!!
Sincerely,
Steve T.
Monson, Massachusetts