WWI planes
 

Anybody heard anything or have flown the micro planes listed on Giantscaleplanes.com's website? They look like really cool WWI planes. They even have a triplane with ailerons!! How cool is that!!!

WWI airplanes
 

Hi WWI Ace! I'm new to the WATTFLYER family, but not new to RC. My passion is WWI fighters, especially German. I do like the "feel" of this site. I also hope to make new friends in the scale community here. I have MANY sets of electric plans for WWI birds that I have been collecting since I got bit by the electric bug. I hope to build 2 planes (Fokker DVIII, Albatros DIII, both 400 size) this winter for next years flying season. I would count it a priviledge to hear from some of the other scale "nuts" here. All the Best, Martin

here is the GP DR1 I have...

Very Nice,

I've got an old Sterling gasser that my Dad built and I'm scared everytime I look at it wondering how it will fly! It's been sitting for years!

Looks like your tripe flies well?

Paul

Great to hear from all you fellow WWI pilots!!! I was beginning to think I was all alone!! Hey Scalercflyer, where did you get the plans for the Fokker DVII? I like mostly German WWI planes too and these plans would definitly make a cool plane!!!

Sorry Scalercflyer. I meant to type DVIII and not DVII!!!!

glad to see that I'm not the only fokker nut here....I generally scratch build from my own plans and at the moment own a D V1... EV.......E111.....and a DR1.....
largest is the DR1 at 88".....smallest is the D V1 at 66" all are electric, and all are a blast to fly.....I'm in the middle of a 1/4 scale D V111 because the smaller one flew so well...and I just love those big round cowls.... -:)

Hey Ron!! Could you post some pictures of your Fokkers? I would really like to see them. I was also going to ask you if you knew Gary Villette by any chance? I have a couple of his small Fokker triplanes. I only have one built so far and am using the other as a spare. I can't seem to destroy the little triplane though. I might scrub off some wingtip paint on the "typical" triplane landing but it's like a Timex, it just keeps on ticking!!! It is far more durable than my Kavan Fokker triplane. Every time I fly it I seem to always need to reglue the landing gear! I have never broke one of the struts but the foam that they are pushed into isn't exactly a great mounting point. Anyway my little Fokker is posted on the DVFlighttech website under "gallery". It isn't a perfect plane but it was the first depron plane I ever built.

I also have the Sig Fokker DVII parkflyer kit. I haven't built it yet but I hope that when I do it will be the perfect "Sunday" morning relaxing flyer. I like to have at least one plane that doesn't make me work so hard to have fun. Do you guys know what I mean?

OK all you WWI nuts! Listen up!I like to scratch build too! Building for me is as much fun as flying! Here are a few of the plans I have.... Fokker DVIII (69" and 400 version), Albatros DIII, DV, Pfalz DIII, SE5a, N 11, Indoor Eindecker, BE2, Morane Saulier "L", Ansaldo, Sopwith Camel, Triplane, 1 1/2 Strutter, Bristol Scout, Fokker DVII, Fokker Triplane (depron- E file) and Pfalz E3. Most of these are electric with one or two glow (can be converted). If any of you guys are interested in a plan(s), PM me and we will work something out. I get most of my plans by swapping them. PS... I am the Hun in the Sun!!! NEVER fly staright and level for more than 10 seconds in a combat zone! WWI planes rule!

WWI plans
 

Sorry forgot to mention: Fokker DVI(55" WS), Albatros DII and large Pfalz DIIIa. Hmmm maybe we'll start a forum of our own... What do you guys think? PS... If it doesn't have 2 or more wings, It's not an airplane.....

Plans
 

Hey WWI Ace want a set of plans for the DVIII? Big or small, it's your call... PM me. Scalercflyer

WW1 Ace.....I'll post pics in a day or two if you would like to see them, but there's been so many posted on the EZONE that I figured it would be boring for everyone.
There is a photo of the triplane in the new Canadian RC magazine this month, and the D V1 has been the subject of a Peter Rake article in the July 2002 Flying Scale Models. It is modeled after a one only airplane that served in Russia at the last part of WW1. hence it has a somewhat unusual paint scheme. I had a devil of a time verifying that this colour scheme was actually used. The DR1 is the obligatory red and green with sky blue under sides....EV is hand painted lozenge on the fuselage . Sides and top one colour, and bottom different colours as per the norm. It's a copy of an airplane that served in France and is now in a museum in Germany. Yes I know Gary. Somewhere I have a picture of his DR1 sitting on a half of mines tail plane. My prop is bigger than his wing span :-) Kinda looks like a real plane with a model sitting on the horizontal stab. his little DR1 is a really good flier, and it's tough too.
He comes to my field to fly at the Chilliwack fly ins and is a member of the club that flies there regularly.....Right now I'm doing up plans for a 50% DR1 that will be electric powered...seems somebody told me it can't be done.....But that's what they said about flying my 30% one on a cheap brushed motor and 20 round cells since everyone figured it would weigh about 20 pounds. .................................
but I fooled em...it only weighs 10 :-).

Hey Ron, I live in Texas so I don't get too many chances to see Canadian RC mags. It must be one good looking plane though to make it to a magazine!!! Is the triplane that you are talking about with Gary's on the tail all white with a red stripe on the top wing and fusealage? If it is, then I have seen it and it's a sharp looking plane. If you think about it next time you see Gary let him know that I still fly the triplane every chance I get and it's still one of my favorites!!!

Wwi
 

Great to see I,m not the only guy making WWI electrics I just finished converting a Az Modelers DVII Its there small combat plane its really nice but its tight to fit all the gear in also a bear to get the cg right. I am looking at converting my .40 balsa usa eindecker to electric also. I usually fly in my back yard my brother has 12 acres right behind my house. The neighbors usually frown on my gas plane but dont notice the electric at all. Hope to read more about others doing the same.
Dave

Dave :
The Balsa USA E 111 is a good design...I have seen 5 or 6 that have been converted...batteries have to go into the cowl though, otherwise it's a little tough to get the CG right. That being said, every one of them is a good flier. They seem to come out around 8 pounds with the electric setup, but with 1100 sq. in. of wing area, that's not too bad. Nice thing too is with E power, you can swing a scale sized prop.
WW1..... Gary's little foamy is white with red stripe...mine's Green , red, and sky blue.

Great WW1/Golden Age E-Planes
 

If you haven't already, check out this addy: www.aerodromerc.com for great kits, plans, building services, downloadable decals PLUS 4 and 5 color lozenge plans for making your own decals or stencils. Cool, huh? Great service, nice people. Wonderful planes designed for E flight from the start, no converting. Most everything included in kits, except for appropriate wire, and a little extra balsa for here and there. Get the covering offered, too-it's great stuff!:D

Howdy, pardner, will you be going to the AMA's Grand Event in Waco? End of August, if you're interested check it out at www.modelairplane.org , look for Grand Event link at left of page.

Stickhead
I have been eyeing the site for awhile hopeing the DVIII comes out soon I think that would make an awesome electric setup. Plus looking at a few other kits they have they really look very good in quality.
Dave

Big Nieuport
 

I have just purchased the BalsaUSA kit of the 1/4 scale Nieuport 11, designed for e-power.
Will build it over the winter, and will be bringing it to sporty scale contests next year. Should be a great flier.

Check out my VK Camel in the latest Ampeer. After every flight somebody asks me how hard it is to fly. It really isn't ; it's no trainer, but my Funtana set-up for 3d is more of a handful (except on landings).

My next project is a sport scale Tripe built from plans I got when I cleaned out a deceased modler's workshop. It is optimized for stunt flying and i'm hoping to finish it in the colors of the Black Tripe in "the Great Waldo Pepper."
Walt

thought I'd jump into this discussion. I posted something last night, but I was very tired and must have done something wrong'cause it isnlt here. Take a look at my VK (pre-Proctor) Camel in the latest Ampeer. I built a circular pack to fit in the cowl in order to get the c/g right. It was actually nose heavy when I finished!

My next WWI project is a sport scale DRI optimized for aerobatic flight. The plans are quite old (I got them when I cleaned out a deceased modelr's shop), but except for the airfoil the outlines are really good.

Sorry about that! Gotta learn to turn the page )-:
WT

Walt....does it look anything like this??
Can't get the cotton pickin photo to upload )%&^*#$

Fokker DRI
 

Hey Walt, I have a set of plans that I can e-mail you for the DRI. Just say so! PM me. marty

Are you Dawn Patrol pilots still out there? How about some more pictures of your warbirds? I will post some of mine as soon as build something worthy. The planes that are posted so far are amazing!! Keep sending them!! It's almost as fun to look at cool warbirds as it is to fly them. Well maybe not that much fun but when the weather isn't cooperating it's all I've got!!!

Still waiting for the wind to die out so my Fokker triplane can take to the skies and hunt for Sopwiths and Spads!!!

I just dug out my plans. They're from a Flying Models article. Designer was Bryce Petersen. Wing span is about 38" , area 880 sqs, weight six lbs. Since the r/c equipment shown is ORBIT I'm betting a LiPo powered electric could beat tht weight.

My juices are starting to run, but I've got to built a couple of transportable planes first.
WT

Hey Walt,are those 38" plans for a Fokker DR1? If it is that would be a great size for a triplane. But man, cutting out all those wing ribs would be very time consuming!! What do you cut yours with? I'm new to the scratchbuilding part so I was wondering if you had any time saving tips on parts cutting that you would be able to share? I love building kits but I have avoided building WWI planes, (especially triplanes because of all the ribs!!) because I don't know a good precise way to cut them. What are you thinking that you might use for power? I know, I know, I ask too many questions but I'm on a quest for knowledge!!! And you sound like you have alot of experience.

Sorry I wasn't more clear; yes, the plans are for a DR1 Triplane. The nice thing about the DR1 is that all the ribs are the same. I'll make a pair of templates out of either ply, aluminum or bakelite; rough the ribs out on a band saw and then sand to the final air foil. The templates take more tme than the ribs.

If the Axi I have in my just finished Sea Fury (may test fly it later today) proves out I'll probably go with one in the DR1. An outrunner in a model of a rotary engined airplane seems natural (-:
WT

Thanks for filling me in Walt! I would be very interested to see pics when it's complete!! I have three rc fokker triplanes, and about seven plastic kits in various scales. Along with 3-4 books on Fokker triplanes. I really enjoy watching my triplanes fly around in the sky. Some of the other guys I fly with though think the only "cool" planes are overpowered 3D planes. I have a couple of those too and they're fun but they're not triplanes!!!!

I just finished my Direct Connections Sea Fury. Will test it as soon as the winds die down. It is done in the "Furias" Reno Racer color scheme (do a Yahoo search for Furias flies again and you can get a good look at it) I was going to start on some easily transported planes for next year's vacation, but looking at that Tripe is changing my mind (-:

I made a flying club summer meeting (I usually can't because of work, but I was on vacation), when I put the Camel up everything stopped and when I landed (without tipping over!) I was surrounded by club members who hadn't seen it before. Feels good!
WT

Studied my DR1 plans last night. I was wrong about the ribs --- there are three different types. It's a real builders plan as the construction article says things like "build the fuselage sides on a flat surface." There are very few wood dimensions given. It uses 1/8 sheet sides rather than a built up fuselage --- quick, but I gotta think about it.

I also noticed that there's no spring in the l/g, but I think I can use the basic idea in my Camel's gear for a bungee cord system (just like the full scale). I'll probably go with a pull/pull system for controls and make the rudder and horizontal stab removable for travel.

Guess, I'll take a few former and rib drawings to the copy shop and stop at the LHS for some balsa stock (unless I decided to raid a kit I'm no longer interested in building).

Whne I get going, I'll try to post some photos.
WT

Anybody else notice that we have more replies in our WWI thread than even the WWII guys? Pretty impressive!! And I thought that I was the only one interested in these "little pieces of history"!!!!

You know what they say two wings are better than one:)

Well, I've found enough wood in my stash for the fuselage sides, ribs and firewall. So I'm going for the Tripe.

I've studied the plans and come up with a few changes that reflect the 25 years since the plans were drawn. for example the dsign included a very complicated cable system for the ailerons since there were no servos that would fit in the win at that time. I'll go with the new Hitech thin wing servos like I've got in my Camel.

I'm still debating between the Axi 4120/18 and the 4130/16. The plans call for a 14 inch prop which looks pretty scale and either engine will spin one, albeit with quite a difference in the number of cells.

My building plan calls for cutting all 60 ribs from the same templates and then modifying then as needed for construction. This ensures conformity for the rib profile and reduces the number of labor intensive templates I'll need to make.

I guess, maybe you can tell I've really gotten into this project.

Oh yes, I found a really neat (and easy) color scheme that I've never seen before on a German site buried deep in Google's Fokker Dr.1 search results. If you find it great, but for now it's my secret. (-:
Walt

due to CG concern, you should take the 4130/1-, still batter than the 4120 + lead...:)

I used the 4130/16 on 6S with 14 *12 APC E or 15*10.

Walt: what is scale size for the prop?? mine is 30" and I used the 4130/20 on 20 cells and one of Tom Hunt's reduction drives 2 to 1... works great...

Thanks for the input on the Axi's. I guess it's pretty well settled; it'l be the 4130-16 unless I get a great deal on a 4120. The difference is three ounces.

I'll try to find an exact number on the prop's scale, but every photo I've looked at shows the prop extending from just below the top wing to just above the axle. On my plans that's 14 inches.

By the way, when I add in the ailerons the top wing comes out to 48 inches not the 38 I mentioned earlier (must've been tired, couldn't have been the after work beer).
WT

Just got back from flying my triplanes!! I took my brushless Kavan Fokker and my DV Flighttech Fokker. It's a great morning when you get to watch triplanes patrol the skies. I just changed my DV Flighttech Fokker DR1 over to brushless. I put a Fegio brushless in a GWS IPS gearbox, Castle Creations Phoenix 10 ESC, and a Thunder Power 2 cell 900mah lipoly. It gave it a power boost and going from a 300mah NiMh pack to a 900mah lipoly (with no weight gain), greatly increased my flight times!! If you have never taken a look at this small tripe go to dvflighttech.com and check it out!!! Pictures of mine are posted in the Gallery. Mines the "okay" looking red one. There are also some pretty cool videos of it flying both indoors and out. If you need a small WWI plane to fly indoors during the winter, this is it!!! Gary Villette, the designer of this plane has been a great guy to deal with. It's a fun semi-scale build of depron foam with a unique rare earth magnet wing strut system so if you have a bad landing you just snap the wings back on and live to fly another day!!! I can almost smell the castor oil now!!!!!!