Dear friends,
I'd like to realize a fantastic triplane 1/5 scale to install a 9 cylinder engine!
please see also: http://www.technopower.com/1_5_Price...rice_list.html
is there someone that can tell me a kit or plan that fits perfectly this engine?
I'm thinking to a Fokker DR1 or a Sopwith Camel

Thank you
Sergio, Italy

Arizona models has a Fokker Dr1 plan and semi kit available. Don't know how good they are. www.arizonamodels.com
And Proctor has a Triplane and Camel kit but they might be a bit small. Have a look.
www.proctor-enterprises.com [&:]

Glenn Torrance [link]http://gtmodels.com[/link] has the best DR1 Triplane kit on the market but that radial may be too much for it. (You might have to go up to 1/3 scale (from plans) if you have to have that radial.) I'd check with Glenn before committing to it. He designed the 1/4 scale for the OS 160 FS twin.

Balsa USA also has a DR1 in 1/4 scale but it doesn't look to be exact scale like the Torrance kit.

STAY AWAY FROM ARIZONA MODELS!!!!!

Yak

Although a DR1 tri-plane can use lots of nose weight, I think the TechnoPower 9 cylinder would be way too much.........too large an engine for a 1/5 scale DR1. I scratch built a 1/5 scale DR1 from Tony Lunt plans (talk about a major project), and the cowl was less than 8" in diameter............much too small for a 9" diameter TechnoPower radial. My 1/5 scale DR1 flew well with a 70 4-stroke.

I think that engine would be better in a 1/4 scale project (maybe even bigger). You also have lots more choices and planes closer to scale outlines when you go 1/4 scale than the small variety in the 1/5 scale range. I'm currently working on a Flair 1/4 scale DR1 which has a 10" diameter cowl which would contain the TechnoPower engine. Flair makes a very nice kit of the DR1, and I could recommend it. Other 1/4 scale DR1s include: Balsa USAs, Arizona Model Products, and the ultimate DR1 kit from Glen Torrance Models, which is probably the most accurate.

Having said all that, if I had a TechnoPower 9 cylinder, I wouldn't want to put it under a cowl. I'd be looking at a 1/4 scale Stearman, or something similar with the engine out in the open for that project. The TechnoPower engines look a lot more like the WWII era radial engines than the rotary engines of WWI.

I second that! That TechnoPower 9 cylinder belongs on the nose of the new Flair Stearman!

If you have to have a DR1...and who doesn't, I'd buy the Torrance kit, the O.S. 160 FS and use the dummy gnome rotary cylinders Glenn sells to produce a great airplane. You could fund that whole project including a PCM Computer radio for a lot less than the TechnoPower's $2360 price tag. Ouch!

Yak

Dear Saxser:

The PIPE Here yet AGAIN...and if you head for

http://www.replicraft.us.fm/PriceList.html

there's a set of SOPWITH Triplane drawings there for you to check out!

The Jim Kiger Replicraft series of drawings are about the BEST available scale drawings you could find for sale...I'm NOT too sure about how expensive that 60.83 Euro cost might be for your budget (that's for the Sopwith Triplane drawings WITH overseas postage to get them to you)

And, if a Tecnopower engine IS a bit too "pricey", you could ALWAYS consider what you'll find at

http://www.rcvengines.com/model_home_page_full.htm

for a really POWERFUL four stroke RCV "SP" series engine that can even spin a REAL SCALE SIZED PROPELLER for your project! You COULD even get some automobile wheel bearings to mount "around" the RCV SP series powerplant you choose to use...

...and with a set of clear plastic "blades", one each attached to the rear quarter of each of the DUMMY rotary engine cylinders in the nose of your model, that dummy engine could even be made to SPIN, without ANY mechanical connection to the propeller...the dummy engine just spins on the automobile wheel bearings instead, from the propeller's air stream!

Just "some ideas" to consider...I'm thnking about the Glenn Torrance Fokker Triplane with an RCV 120SP myself someday...with a spinning dummy Oberursel Ur II/LeRhone 9J rotary engine in ITS nose!

Hope these helped!

Yours Sincerely,

The PIPE!

I've contacted Technopower to ask if it's possible to make a Stearman PT-17 of Balsa USA with 9 cylinder engine but Marc Linville, president of Technopower Engines said me that:
"Sorry to inform you that our engine is much too small to work with the model you have selected! Ours is a 1/5 scale engine. The maximun recommended weight for our 9C engine is 22 lbs..."
so I think that it's uncorrect to change scale!
Sergio

mick reeves has several sopwiths, camel, 1 1/2 strutter, and pup in 1/4 and 1/3 scales, might be just the ticket, hes located in england

Just out of curiosity, What's the beef with Arizona Models? I've considered buying one of their products and would like to hear of any problems you may have had. I'm currently building a Proctor N28.

Don't forget Balsa USA! They make some WWI planes in 1/4 scale that may work for you.

http://www.balsausa.com/

or the direct link to the DR-1 http://www.balsausa.com/kits/kit.htp?id=49&shopperid=

Here's my .02 worth with AZM....
Jamie at Arizona Model Aircrafters could use some lessons in customer service. I received an AZM Tripe ARF for Christmas last year, and while it's good looking fun scale Triplane, his lack of any really usable instructions was a less than acceptable, even for a $300 semi-ARF I thought. When he told me to get a back issue of MAN to show how to modify the firewall to mount a 4 Stoke in mine, it was disappointing. Why not provide that himself? The provided Williams Bros. wheels were way to small, and the "scale" seat kit was a joke it was so small. He replaced the wheels finally, but I paid to ship the others back, and built a correct size seat. Some of the other detail pieces I paid extra for were also a joke. The covering was also below average, and he wasn't really able to tell me what it was for sure. Talking with him on the phone for help was less than satisfying on a couple of occasions. The nice folks at Proctor we're more pleasant and helpful (and I hadn't spent a dime with them yet!). Some of his "scale" instruments are of questionable size I've been told. But I can't confirm that myself.

Also, a friend had ordered a set of plans from him a couple of years back and after months of excuses, finally had to settle on some other items he did have in stock to get his monies worth. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't going to refund the $$ for plan sets he did not have.

On the plus side... His scale gun kits are pretty awesome, and come with great instructions. And he kindly sent me (at no charge) a set of his props for his Wright Flyer for my son to try on his Dare kit. He's probably not a bad guy, just not very customer service driven.

Ziroli has plans available for a DR 1.
http://www.ziroliplans.com/home_frameset.html

saxser, Glen Torrence has a wonderfully scale 1/4 scale Dr1. I don't know the cost to ship to you but he does have a web site and you can contact him throught it.
http://www.gtmodels.com/
Lucky Dog, I bought an instrument set from AZ a few years ago. I finally got around to finishing the plane and detailing the cockpit. Not all the instruments were usable (because of size and color) but several were and he does provide a good drawing of the panel layout. I think they are generic WW1 British instruments so they all did't work for my SE5a. Any way here is a pic of the near completed interior.
BobH.

The BUSA stearman kit is 1/3 scale............really big stearman! If you are going to do a stearman check out Flair's kit which should come out at around 20-25 lbs. It is a little bigger than 1/5 scale (around 4.33). I think the TechnoPower engine would be a good size match, but I don't know about power of that engine. Ziroli has plans for a 77" stearman (very close to 1/5 scale), and around 17-20 pounds which might be the perfect match.

I built the Ziroli Tripe a few years ago. The design is getting a bit dated. I modified it a bit to make it more scale. Still, it flies well and never ceases to impress at the field. That's it in the avatar.

BobH,
Nice looking SE-5a cockpit! Well done. I hope I'll do something as nice at some point.
Mike

Mike thanks, I'm sure you'll do as well. It just takes time and patience and a slight bit of perfectionism lol..(its not near perfect mind you).. Regards BobH.