WinterHawke
Posts: 169
Joined: 9/17/2003
From: Waterford,
MI, USA
Status: online
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Test Session #2 – Glenn Torrance Models Fokker Dr.I Triplane(s)
(and a couple of Fokker D.VIs as well)
Pilot’s Report by Lee McDuffee
This last weekend would be the first time this year we had to get more test-flying done on Del’s Dr.I, after last November’s 2 successful flights. Quite a few minor changes had occurred to the plane since last time – a whole range of scale details had been added: the scale dummy engine, Spandau machine guns, bracing wires on the cabanes and landing gear, and the aileron top cable, in addition to a built-from-scratch muffler for the engine. Our focus would be to get enough time with the plane to make sure all the new details would work fine, as well as handle any engine vibrations. In particular, I wanted to ensure that the Roto 70 was happy having the dummy engine and new muffler in place – very easy to cook an engine in a scale cowling, and a significant air outlet had now been mostly closed.
Weather forecast for the weekend wasn’t great – rain off and on Saturday and Sunday morning, but Sunday afternoon should be okay. I’ve since concluded that weather forecasting would make a nice job – getting paid for being completely mistaken a bunch! 
In any event, I caught up with Del Saturday afternoon, and while there was a bit of rain in the area, the day actually wasn’t too bad. A bit breezy, though – enough that we decided to just get some engine runs in. We got some good engine readings that will help going forward, and so long as we didn’t get too aggressive on the needle valve, the engine temps were just fine. One new brace cable on the landing gear let go (swag crimp failed), but as these cables are really more for show than anything else on this model, it wasn’t a big deal (this will get fixed prior to Rough River!). And the only other squawk to sort out was a fuel tank problem, which has also since been corrected.
Sunday (you know, that day that was supposed to have better weather than Saturday) ended up being cold and drizzly all day. But in between some rain showers we did manage to get several flights in. We’d been invited to another flying site in the Cincinnati area – the site of this coming summer’s Ohio Dawn Patrol in fact. It’s been better than 20 years since I last visited the Cincinnati Aeromodelers Field, in fact it was where I flew my last pattern contest (so it can’t possibly have been THAT long ago - - - could it?!?).
In addition to Del’s Triplane, Gary Denzler had his just-finished GTM 1/3 Dr.I ready for its maiden flight, and asked me to do the honors. And just to flesh out the Jasta, both Barry Vogel and Paul Westrich had their recently completed and flown GTM Fokker D.VIs at the field that they also let me fly – both planes had only a flight or two apiece, and were still in the early testing and trimming stages as well. It was going to be a very good day, indeed.
Except for the weather, of course, which missed the forecast by a mile. It sprinkled rain off and on almost all day, until mid afternoon when it decided just to stay on for a while. Even so, we got five flights on the four planes, and hardly nothing got damaged!! Del’s excellent video shows a good bit of the action, so I’ll just cover the highlights, and give my thoughts on all these planes.
< Message edited by WinterHawke -- 4/23/2008 4:14:54 PM >
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Arguing with a Scale Judge is like wrestling a pig in the mud - After an hour or so you figure out the pig enjoys it!
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> RC Scale Aircraft >> RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale Dr.1 Build Along 
RE: Glenn Torrence (GTM) 1/3 Scale ... - 
I'm sure Lee will sleep great tonight. Have a great day. 
, what does that mean modified 
