KitBuilder

Can't wait to build this.. looks like next year is the year. Toysareforkids. Real nice job on the repair. I've got my cub in the hosptial now waiting for the doctor

M_Callahan

Hi Anthony,

I think the paved runway is 350'.

The top of the picture is South. We mow the patch of grass starting the East edge of the paved strip to
the edge of the corn/soy/wheat field running with the paved strip.

Way more than enough for a Dr-1!

Mike

WacoNut

Mike thanks for the reply. I was mostly thinking about my 1/3 Waco YMF-5. It can use up some realestate on landing.

It looks like the weather is a go for the maiden on the DRI for tomorrow. I am taking the afternoon off work and fly. My plan is to fly my 1/3 Cub for a couple of flights to work out my nerves and jitters then fly the DRI. I do not have anyone to shoot video but my wife will be taking still shots while I am flying. Hopefully tomorrow evening I will be posting some in-flight pics.
Later!!
Anthony

roncannell

Good luck Anthony, I flew my Triplane this week. Balsa USA's advice in the book is wise. Don't mess around on the ground, Gun-It and Go. They are climbing Devils so don't be surprised if it wants allot of down trim. I know you have heard all this before so I'll shut up. I think you will like the DLE 30, my Z26 is OK, but not much left for reserve. I bought a DLE 30 for mine, but put it in my quarter Cub, and its too fun to remove.

Ron

WacoNut

I plan on follwing the advice. I have a few clicks of down trim in the elevator already and plenty of adjustment there if needed. I dropped the back of the stab by 1/8" when I built it to help. I am sure it will fly fine if I can keep it up long enough to trim it out. Should be a fun plane to fly.
Later!!
Anthony

WacoNut

Finishing up packing up the trailer for an afternoon of flying. I will post some pics later.
Anthony

Cub Flyer Fresno

May the wind be at your face!

Take care,
David

M_Callahan

Wish I could be there. Stuck at work.

Darn

Mike

WacoNut

Finally heading out my Photographer(aka Wife) had to take a nap 1st

WacoNut

It Fly's

I intended to take the Cub up for 2 flights to loosen up the thumbs and I made a mistake of settleing in just short of the intended landing spot and caught the edge of the high grass and did a ground loop. This resulted in breaking my Xoar scale detailed prop[:@].

I set the Cub aside and fired up the DRI. The thing doesn't want to turn for crap on the ground as everyone has mentioned. I throttled up and in 30ft it was airborne and climbing. I had put in 4 clicks of down trim before the flight and had to add approx 6 more to get level flight. I flew a few circuits at altitude and then brought it down low for some photo passes( I really need to get a 300mm lens). The wife did a good job of taking the pictures.

The plane flew very well and reminded me of a mid wing sport model in the way it handled. The landing was a little rough as the sink rate caught me a little off guard. I managed to keep the plane upright and straight but the tail skid mount broke loose. It will be a very easy repair. Only one flight for the day but I am very happy with how the plane fly's and looks in the air.

Here are a few pics with more to follow.
Later!!
Anthony

WacoNut

And some more

WacoNut

The last 4 pics.
Later!!
Anthony

Cub Flyer Fresno

Nice Anthony!  Congrats!  Still want to see video if you can ever get it.

Take care,
David

M_Callahan

Way to go Anthony!

She looks good in the air.

Turning the Dr-1 is a bit tricky but it can be done.

What I do is full down elevator, full rudder in the direction you want to turn, then goose
the throttle. Just enough to get the tail skid off the ground.

Don't use your xoar props to practice this.

Mike

WacoNut

Thanks Guys,

Mike, I will get it back out as soon as I can and work on my ground handleing and get some more flights on it. It is definetly a keeper and will get flown often.
Later!!
Anthony

roncannell

Great to see it in the air. Sounds like it fly's well and handles like mine on the ground. Congrats.

capt1597

way cool! thanks for sharing, capt

WacoNut

My wife also got some great shots of my Cub.

rcjake

Nice Tripe, WacoNut! I attended Frank Ryder's Aerodrome '92 (full size WWI aircraft fly-in). There were 6 Fokker DR-I replicas in different color schemes. I was able to talk with the pilots and learned a lot about the handling characteristics of the triplane.

Now, some of the tripes had steerable tailwheels (and none with the radial engines) and used both the paved runway and grass for take-offs and landings. When the pilots were lined up to take off, they would hold full down elevator before powering up. When the tail came up, the elevator was released and the rest of the take-off was uneventlful. Landings did not pose a problem that I saw.

One of the pilots flew his Fokker DR-I from Oregon to Aabama. I asked him if he made many stops for fuel, he told me no. But he did stop to rest his right leg and arms. It seems that he had to hold a lot of right rudder for straight and level flight, and was always moving the joystick around to keep it going where he wanted. He could never relax! The aircraft was such a great fighter due to it being so unstable...according to him.

Jake

bps

My Feedback: (3)

Nice pics the lady did a fine job and both planes look great! That landing short thing (Cub) seems to be something that affects the larger planes. Every year when I switch to the larger planes I really have to concentrate and keep reminding myself that I have plenty of runway. Congrats on a fine day of flying.

2walla

My Feedback: (10)

I have had several triplanes- recommend you put a tail wheel- the old ohio haigh style tailwheels do pretty look somewhat like a skid and greatly enhances the ground handling. The best flying one I had had an electric motor on it with the batteries up under the cowl next to the motor. I could shoot touch and goes, and make wheel landings with it etc.. The instant response of the electric motor made it a whole different plant to fly. With a gas motor and a skid you will end up with the plane on its back 30-50% of the time Even on grass and taking off and landing directly into the wind.. .. Electric and a tailwheel maybe 5-10% of the time.. It sucks to build a pimped out model and have it broken all of the time due to landing mishaps. Been there done that.. Oh and by the way I am a much better than average pilot.. So take it for what its worth..

WacoNut

Thanks for the tips,
Actually the plane seemed very stable on the gear and showed no tendency to nose over. I just planted it too hard. It took about a 4 ft bounce and I settled it back dwon on the mains, didn't drop a wing or nose down at all. I will fly it in this configuration for a while and see how it goes. The tail skid looks too good to give up on it just yet.
As far as power goes I like gas engines. I am not a fan of electric planes for some reason.
Later!!
Anthony

jeffEE

My Feedback: (5)

I was glad to see that your first flight went well. We need all the Huns in the sun we can get.

Ken Kehlet

My Feedback: (89)

I have a small station wagon. When I built my 1/4 scale BUSA DR-1, I split the Fuselage into two (2) Halves, Front half with wings and cockpit, Back Half fuselage with Rudder & Elevator servos. Now I can transport the two halves in the car, wings all attached to the front half.

I made two (2) 1/4 Ply Bulkheads behind the cockpit, aligned the Front section and the rear section using three (3) 1/4" dowel pins, attached the front section to the rear section in three places using flat metal straps, both sides and a larger strap on the bottom of the fuselage.

At the field, I align the two halves of the Fuselage, plug in the Rudder and elevator servos, lock the 3 metal straps to hold it all together, and I'm ready to go fly it.

Lots of wood splicing for the wing sheeting. Flying with a G-26

Ken

VincentJ

Great job Antthony! It looks like it would be a lot of fun to fly....Your wife did a great job with the pictures as well. Happy flying !