jaymen

When and where will this be availlable? I saw somewhere it was out of stock and not expected until October?? It was just in the last AMA magazine and at Toledo, why then would it not be availlable for six month?

Any news appreciated.

Hopefully it will not be as spotty as it's mate the Albatros, seems like you had to buy three to get a good one.....

vertical grimmace

My Feedback: (1)

Going to pick one of these up tonight. I hope it is good as well.

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

Back-ordered mine several months ago, recieved a couple a weeks ago, but wasn't able to fly it until today (mostly due to weather).

Flight report: WOOO-HOOO!
I flew it in my front yard: less than 100 x 100 ft, trees on the corners, very large travel trailer parked along 1 side, house on an adjoining side, THIS WAS DEFINATELY THE EASIEST, MOST MANUVERABLE, SLOWEST FLYING PLANE That I have flown in my front yard. Previously flew the Fokker DR-7 (same company: Fly-Zone), and ParkZone Sukhoi. This was the first one that I can EASILY do figure 8s (others had me just turning circles most of the time). It'll turn on a dime. Can't say enough about this plane: it is so superior to the DR-7 in terms of being able to fly in small places. Much easier to land (on my paved driveway) also.

I did have to add a good deal of down elevator. Trimmed it to max down, then took it inside to 'adjust' with pliers, and re-trimmed. I highly recommend that you bend the linkage 'spring' so that the elevator is slight down (with neutral trim) before first flight.

jaymen

Hey thanks, my local shop has them now, but your unsolicited review has gotten me off the fence, I'm headed to the hobby shop! I'll be tweaking in some down trim and buying a spare battery,

Happy New Years, Jay.

Quorneng

Just to say a bit of down elevator is normal for the Triplane.
My own true scale model needed what to me seemed so much that I worried that it woud effect the longitudianl stability, then I saw a video of a true rotary powered full size replica and it flew with almost the same degree of 'down' elevator!

Digital Don

Santa dropped off a Dr.1 for Christmas and I had the chance to maiden it at the gym on Wednesday.

I was hoping for the best because I'd always heard that triplanes were notoriously difficult to fly. Well, not this one! It's a nice slow scale flyer at half-throttle, but has lots of power if you want it. Mine tends to ground loop if I try a "scale" take-off, but give it about 3/4 throttle and she's up and away straight as an arrow. Lands like a dream too - just throttle back and fly her in!

The new Tactic TTX 402 transmitter is much nicer than the radio included in my original Flyzone Albatros (I understand the current Albatros also includes the new Tactic radio). I prefer a full-size transmitter, but the included radio works just fine with this plane.

It looks good, and flys even better! Ready-To-Fly for $90. Can't beat that with a stick!

Don

jaymen

Hey, has anyone noticed that the color of the stab is different than the rest of the plane? Mine was a dull reddish grey, and the wings were also an off shade of flat red, but not the same as the fuselage or stab. I also noted that the seam on the fuselage was not glued for about 75% of it's length.

I painted the prop, pilot, and detailed the engine and machine guns with highlights, put on monofilament flying wire bracing on the wheel struts and cabanes to resolve the floppyness. After all, what do you expect for $79.00?

indyrcpilot

Has anyone had any problems with the gearbox on their Triplane?

I flew mine for the first time this evening, at an indoor venue. Although the gearbox was noisy, it seemed to have plenty of power and I was pleased with how slowly it would fly. It seemed to be down on power earlier than expected, so I landed.

For the next flight, I installed a 2nd fully-charged pack and it seemed to be low on power right away. I landed to investigate. I would have to apply about 1/2 throttle to get the prop to spin. I could hear it trying to run at lower settings, but it would not.

I turned the prop by hand and for part of the rotation, it's moves freely, but the other part it's binding/stiff. This would explain the lack of power.

Anyone else had this problem? It's not been crashed, and I've only gotten a little over one flight on it.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks!
Chuck

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

Obviously, something wrong with your's. You should try to return it.

cobrajocky

Just tuned into this thread to see what feedback there is on this Flyzone DR-1. I just ordered one from Omni because they were having a big discount sale, so I ordered one with the disc it's $70 w/free shipping. ordered a spare batt too. Plane hasn't arrived yet, sometime next week. Normally I fly large nitro aerobatic planes and 40" WS Depron Aerobatic Electrics, but I wanted a little guy like this to fly in my backyard on still air days and the college gym.

So what happened with your gearbox?? was it bad?

Back some 15 years ago when I frist started flying electric and nearly all planes had gearboxes, we used Silicon Lube on the nylon gears to make them run smoother and long. Not sure what the gears are made of on this model. Any guesses?

Thanks

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

Mine's still flying GREAT!

Took it to Florida with me, I was flying it in front of my campsite in a state park. Tall trees all around, but it is so manuverable I am able to turn it around within the width of the (one lane) drive.

Gears are nylon. Kinda difficult to 'hurt' this plane because it is so light, and travels so slow. I HAVE clipped branches, and had it spin into the ground, with NO DAMAGE, not even a dent in the wings.

cobrajocky

Sounds very encouraging, that's very much what I wanted one for - something to take along when on a drive vacation, biz trip and fly in the backyard lazy time.

I see they advertise 10 minute flight times, what did yours get when new and how long is the recharge time??
Also, can you recharge one battery (spare) while you're flying with another?

Wonder if there are any aftermarket batteries?

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

I don't recall ever timing my flights, but 10 minutes sounds close. Once airborn and sufficient altitude achieved, I throttle back to about 1/2 power, that's all it needs (incuding for manuevering).

I don't like using transmitter to charge the battery (runs down Tx batteries), I use a seperate ParkZone charger (same one the comes with the ParkZone BNF micro aircraft), OR an AC charger that I purchased thru ebay.

PLENTY of aftermarket battery possibilities, hardest part is finding thin Velcro tape to install on them. @ batteries work fine for me. After all, it is not my intent to fly for long periods of time.

cobrajocky

Glad to hear the about 10min flight time is credible. I've had a couple RTF planes from major manufacturers that made some wild claims on flight times that turned out to be twice the reality or ownership.

This is (perhaps for now) my only PZ model, so I don't have their exteranal charger. But since I do fly quiet a few LiON Flat Foamies aerobatics and balso built-ups, I have a few 110V / 12V "multi-chargers" (LiON, A123, NiMH, NiCD). Guess I'll have to jury rig some sort of connector adapter. Wonder if anyone sells the "female" connector end?

How's rolling take-off from hard surfaces and short-short grass? What's your rolling take-off technique?

I've read on a couple reviews that this DR-1 has the same "ground loop/roll" characteric as any larger scale Nitro and Electric DR-1 has (I've read that even the real DR-1's had this quirkiness. I had a 1/6th scale nitro (.61 ASP) Kit DR-1 that was a nightmare to take-off; I got so frustrated I sold it before I could destroy it. Replaced that with a 1/6th scale Nieuport 17 w/ .91 ASP. Now I have a Electrifly DR-1, about 1/8th, and I've found a slow run up on the runway to take-off works best; though I've ground loop/rolled it a few times before mastering the slow technique. Fortunately I learned the how-to on a putting green short grass runway, so no damage. Landing the Electrifly DR-1 is a snap, 1/8 throttle on a powered glid in, cut on touch down.

How's this FlyZone land? Power or dead stick?

Thanks for the share,.

Fix-it

My Feedback: (3)

Flew mine for the 1st time today, wish I had found this thread first. Didn't have enough down trim and fought it at anything above 1/3 throttle, but flies nicely at less than 1/2 to 3/8 power.

Rudder broke at tape hinge so I added a small nylon tube / wire rudder post running through the stab. Waiting for wind to quit and I'll try it again.

EDIT- How do I rotate pics after I post them? Or do I have to edit them and repost?

cobrajocky

You rotate the pictures with a photo editor BEFOREyou upload them.

It's free and the best simple editor around (for a couple decades now) - Irfanview

ehelibuff

I just bought one of these the other month and flying it all over in my front yard... Fun lil plane. Bought it in the box on here for $50.

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

I flew mine in my front yard (again) yesterday morning. This remains my all-time favorite front yard flyer. I recently tried the Fly-Zone Cub: it was not as manueverable, and just plain not as much fun as my Fokker Tri-plane.
Just can't say enough good hings about it.

ehelibuff

I have a huge flying field behind my house where many locals fly electric and gas. I even fly my pylon electric and gas there..But this lil Fokker is great in the front yard. I land on the sidewalk or street usually and do touch and go's. I agree, this is a great lil bird! So simple and lazy.

Turbobearcat

Hope to buy one soon- depends if I can get this past my wife or not ;-)

Turbobearcat

I love my Fokker DR1 - had to modify the tail since it came loose but the fix was good and had no issues since then.


I can flight this one in my tiny yard with no problems - ran into the motor noise followed by the gear slipping on the shift..part of the problem was related the the motor itself coming loose
which I fixed with using silicone to anchoring it down - now only the lower speeds does it sounds like a small gas plane and at higher RPM's is is quite..which I find odd but the good news as the battery starts to wind down- the pitch changes long enough for you to throttle back and bring her in before you loose power.


Easy flyer and some very short take offs!!

Also got a AnyLink module which I already have one...anybody interested in one?

Saburo Sakai

After this report and Turbobearcat's I think I might pull the trigger on this tri-plane for night flying under streetlights. Have Anylink for F-86 but havne't flown yet. All the "warnings" about possible disaster and stuff on the Anylink attachment kind of freaked me out so I'm probably gonna get a separate tranny for my Tower Hobby birds. What say youz on that?

CorsairJock

My Feedback: (90)

The Tactic (stock) tx works fine with me. It DOES have digital trims, very long battery life, and is much more compact than other transmitters (altho still easy to hold and control).

I DO now have a fuctioning AnyLink that I use with my F-86, but I'll continue to use stock Tactic for my Tri-plane.

Saburo Sakai

Hey thanks, Corsair Jock!

ian51291

Hi guys,i flew mine for the first time today in our local indoor venue,really good fun until i had a midair and broke the prop,tried to pull the prop off to replace it but i just pulled the shaft out a little from the gearbox,anyone know how you can get at it other than splitting the fuz in two.

Ian