bps

My Feedback: (3)

Just started to build my BUSA DR-1. Almost have the lower wing completed. I am building the stab and elevator while working on the wing and I am wondering how many of you have connected the two elevator halves like the plans show. I am thinking of splitting them and using two servos to control them. Any thoughts?
Thanks
JEB

rptrsn

My Feedback: (1)

I joined them like the plan shows. I built a tillar arm and used pull pull on each half which worked good and looks like the full size.

rptrsn

My Feedback: (1)

These pictures are not very good but heres one more.

bps

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks for the input and the great pictures. I have just taken the lower wing from the building board and have completed the stab and elevators. I had the wing bow on me something terrible. Worst that I have seen in over 35 years of building. I may have scraped the lower wing. I am just sick over this. I had to wet the top sheeting to get it to bend over the ribs (sheeting hard as a rock!) but I let everything dry a couple of days before removing it from the building board. Thats the only thing I can think of.
Thanks for your help,
JEB

Damnathius

Muddpup, that's a nice looking plane. Have you flown it yet?

bps, I am curious... Are you finding the quality of balsa in the kit substandard? You have no idea how much balsa I had to replace in my BUSA Nieuport 17 kit.

Oh, about the split elevators... Go with pull-pull, which will eliminate any twisting at full throw that would cause the plane to do "funny" stuff. At the least, go with a dual push-pull pushrod system tied to a vertical bellcrank... You'll be glad you took the extra time.

bps

My Feedback: (3)

The wood in the kit is not that bad. The leading edge sheeting is rock hard which is not all bad considering the wing construction. I am happy with the die cutting. I did find a few parts of hardwood that are not going to be usable, notified the factory and they have said they would replace the wood. I have not recieved the replacement wood yet though. About a week has passed. I am really troubled about the wing warping like it did though. I can only assume that the warpage is due to the rather flexible construction of the wing and having to wet the leading edge wood to get it to bend without breaking along the grain. I have not givin up the work on trying to take the warps out of the wing yet though. But this may very well require building of a new lower wing. I have contacted the factory for further input on this and will be interested to find if this is happening to other builders as well. I must say I am not at all impressed with the cowl as it is very thin vacuum formed abs. I still plan on using it and will be interested in finding out if my concerns over its durability is justified. I am sure others would be able to give this subject better coverage than me at this point. I am still trying to remember why I do not buy ARF,s! (ha, ha)
JEB

Damnathius

I ended up rebuilding one aileron on mine due to using wood that was slightly warped. Yes, it happened to be that special cut leading edge that was warped. It had been so long since I built a kit that I had forgotten that using warped wood in some assemblies is a no no.

I did contact BUSA about the complaint, and didn't ask for replacement wood as most of the problem wood was 1/4" stringers which were easily made or purchased from the hobby shop. I also had a plan dimensional problem in some areas which they seemed rather nonchalant about. Oh well.

bps

My Feedback: (3)

Yes plans reproduction is not the BSUA strong point. I have found many errors on my DR-1 plans. True it does give the builder the general outline though. I would be careful to check center lines and out lines though.
JEB

Ya know if it was easy any body could do it! (Leaves me out!!!)

Damnathius

Yep... That's it! Both of my main wings built 3/16" shorter on one side due to the plan being slightly smaller on one set. That's a drag for a perfectionist, but I'm living with it. My stab built "off" as well, and it's on one sheet! I rebuilt it though.

Oh well!

rptrsn

My Feedback: (1)

Dave

Have flown my DR1 4 times, had it up twice today before the wind picked up. I admit that I have never flown anything with more than 1 wing, so maybe that is it, but it sures flies different than anything I am used to.

Ron

Cabane

My Feedback: (2)

I built mine with the elevators joined per plan. I too found out the hard way on the wing center line. My wood was so-so. This was my first ~ scale plane WW1 plane. I hope to add more detail later or more like on the next project. I didn't use the supplied cowl and bought an aftermarket. I was scared to attempt the brushed camo cover. I copped out and picked the easiest pattern I could replicate.... First experience with fabric too. I can't figure out how to mount the W. Bros guns in a more scale location with out cutting into the deck sheeting and squaring off the fron to the cockpit. I need to find a decent pilot too. I haven't flown it yet but I'm real close.
Some of my contruction pics are here.
http://www.yore.net/we-camp/DR1/

bps

My Feedback: (3)

Very nice looking plane. Please give us a flight report when the time comes. Is your cowl the kit version? Mine is vacuum formed and is thin. I wonder if it is worth using!
JEB

beardking

My Feedback: (4)

Let me know how hard it is to keep track of that thing since it's all black. I've wanted to do an all black plane for a long time now, but am worried that I'll lose it.

Cabane

My Feedback: (2)

I don't think I'll have any problems with seeing it. the white on the wings really shows up at distance. This scheme is from Fokker DR1 470/17, Josef Jacobs, Jasta 7. The all black may be a sort of orientation camoflage? Dunno. I just wanted something easy I could do on my first fabric attempt.

The cowl is from Stan's. I made a cowl ring and attach it to the firewall from the inside....

http://www.yore.net/we-camp/DR1/DSC00122.JPG

mgnostic

I'd be carful with the dark paint schemes. Granted that mine was the smaller (1/6scale) Proctor kit but the standard streaked green finish tended to turn into a dark square silouette in any thing but direct light. Triplanes are a lot of fun once you learn to deal with the quirks.

Tmoth4

My Feedback: (1)

You guys have some sharp looking DR1s there! We should bring them all to the WW1 event at the AF Museum in the fall.
Mine is finished enough to be flyable but all I've done is taxi it around the back yard some. The Homelite 33cc chainsaw engine is really nice and runs beautifully.

I reinforced the ABS cowl by putting on a couple layers of 3'4 oz. glass on the outside and making a plywood ring for the back inside edge. It's very solid now.

I connected the elevators with the dowel and used a "Y" pushrod and two nylon horns on the bottom of the elevators.

Jim

Tmoth4

My Feedback: (1)

Here's a rear shot. I moved the nylon bolts that hold the middle wing closer together and put the guns closer together. I can still get at the bolts in between the guns.