Dodgsen(?) Pixy
07-04-2004, 08:47 AM
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Dodgsen(?) Pixy
I've come across a Dodgsen Pixy 2 meter glider kit - foam wing and glass fuse. Can anyone tell me about building the kit and flying the finished product?
07-08-2004, 10:09 PM
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RE: Dodgsen(?) Pixy
Hi Ken,
I think I may have a very limited amount of info on the Pixie. I will look in my "library" and also ask a few flying buds of mine who basically built everything Dodgson ever offered. I will respond with what I find in a few days.
Sean
I think I may have a very limited amount of info on the Pixie. I will look in my "library" and also ask a few flying buds of mine who basically built everything Dodgson ever offered. I will respond with what I find in a few days.
Sean
07-09-2004, 03:36 PM
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RE: Dodgsen(?) Pixy
Bob Dodgson was way ahead of his time with his product line. A good build and a very good airplane which unfortunately has been surpassed in the intervening 20 odd years since he first designed the Pixy. It still flies very good but gives away some performance at a contest. If you want a good full house sport ship, I think you'll really like it.
JESTER
I've got an unopened kit in the basement that will get built someday.
JESTER
I've got an unopened kit in the basement that will get built someday.
07-10-2004, 01:06 PM
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RE: Dodgsen(?) Pixy
The pixie is a terrible plane, you should put it all back in a box and send it to me, cheap. 
Just kidding, all of Dodgson's planes are great flyers. I will take if it you decide its too much work, though.
Go to Google and search for "Bob Dodgson" and "Second Wind". Second Wind was a newsletter that he published for a few years. Several of his fans have published a complete set of the newsletters online. There are always a lot of tips on building an flying.
The Lovesong/Windsong, Camano, Pixie and Pivot are basically the same airplane on different scales. All except the Pivot used the Eppler E-214 airfoil. All except the pivot use the same root/tip airfoils. Its not the fastest airfoil around, but boy will it slow down and thermal. It can carry a lot of weight and will penetrate better with weight. Be sure to use the "trip strip" on the plane. It makes a world of difference. All the details are in the Second Wind. My old, almost 90oz Lovesong would just about out thermal anything. In crow mode the airplanes will fly slower than you thought possible. All of them are very honest with no bad habits.
The Camano (100" span) and Pixie share the same fuse but use different wings and horizontal stabs. You might consider building it with a larger wing rob carrier tube in the fuse if you want to go this way. I think the pixie used a 1/4" rod and the Camano a 5/16" rod.
All of his airplanes are rumored to be difficult to build, because of the fuse, which has to be assembled and glassed. If you read the directions and follow them its not that bad. I always used CA instead of polyester resin to attached the parts to the glass shell, it always just worked better for me. Make plans to do away with the mixing linkages. I would still use the flap linkage, but run dual wing servos for the ailerons. Use electronic compensation for flap deployment and aileron/rudder mix instead of the AFART system. Add some carbon to the wings. They were designed before the days of "stand on the pedal" winch launches. Use epoxy to sheet the wings, the transfer tape mentioned in the instructions is hard to find.
email me if you have any more questions-
Kristopher
Just kidding, all of Dodgson's planes are great flyers. I will take if it you decide its too much work, though. Go to Google and search for "Bob Dodgson" and "Second Wind". Second Wind was a newsletter that he published for a few years. Several of his fans have published a complete set of the newsletters online. There are always a lot of tips on building an flying.
The Lovesong/Windsong, Camano, Pixie and Pivot are basically the same airplane on different scales. All except the Pivot used the Eppler E-214 airfoil. All except the pivot use the same root/tip airfoils. Its not the fastest airfoil around, but boy will it slow down and thermal. It can carry a lot of weight and will penetrate better with weight. Be sure to use the "trip strip" on the plane. It makes a world of difference. All the details are in the Second Wind. My old, almost 90oz Lovesong would just about out thermal anything. In crow mode the airplanes will fly slower than you thought possible. All of them are very honest with no bad habits.
The Camano (100" span) and Pixie share the same fuse but use different wings and horizontal stabs. You might consider building it with a larger wing rob carrier tube in the fuse if you want to go this way. I think the pixie used a 1/4" rod and the Camano a 5/16" rod.
All of his airplanes are rumored to be difficult to build, because of the fuse, which has to be assembled and glassed. If you read the directions and follow them its not that bad. I always used CA instead of polyester resin to attached the parts to the glass shell, it always just worked better for me. Make plans to do away with the mixing linkages. I would still use the flap linkage, but run dual wing servos for the ailerons. Use electronic compensation for flap deployment and aileron/rudder mix instead of the AFART system. Add some carbon to the wings. They were designed before the days of "stand on the pedal" winch launches. Use epoxy to sheet the wings, the transfer tape mentioned in the instructions is hard to find.
email me if you have any more questions-
Kristopher
07-21-2004, 12:06 PM
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RE: Dodgsen(?) Pixy
I prefer the transfer tape method. I get it at an art store. It is a lot lighter than the epoxy and gives the wings a little flex. I can bend my wings a lot and not break them. I have seen a lot of guys build them too stiff and tear the wing off on zoom lauches. Great airplanes! I still have a few of them, but it is a modified fuse version which handles a lot better with the flaps down. What a blast on the slope.
07-21-2004, 05:08 PM
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RE: Dodgsen(?) Pixy
Yeah but that tape he supplied was some extraordinary stuff!
I'm not too sure that the spar wouldn't handle launch loads today- when I was flying my Camano, we were using Ford starters just like today (ESL, Nats)- it could handle "pedal to the metal" launches just fine-although I just might add some Carbon Fiber for peace of mind.
All this talk is getting me itchy to take my Camano out of mothballs. Let's see.... 6 new servos. another receiver that can listen to my 9CA and a little TLC should do it! Then there's the Pixie still in a sealed box on the shelf... hmmm.
JESTE
I'm not too sure that the spar wouldn't handle launch loads today- when I was flying my Camano, we were using Ford starters just like today (ESL, Nats)- it could handle "pedal to the metal" launches just fine-although I just might add some Carbon Fiber for peace of mind.
All this talk is getting me itchy to take my Camano out of mothballs. Let's see.... 6 new servos. another receiver that can listen to my 9CA and a little TLC should do it! Then there's the Pixie still in a sealed box on the shelf... hmmm.
JESTE
