Jackson T
Elite member
Looks really good! How did you make the dials?
Fokker Dr.1 Triplane Build Log
- Thread starter TriplaneGuy
- Start date
The drawing to me shows CoG based on the top wing, but I’d go off of what others have determined after successful flights. Instructions on even the best kits can have errors, and when you get to the cheapest kits the errors outnumber accuracies! 😁
TriplaneGuy
Active member
Thanks I agree - it does look like it's measuring the top wing, but apparently others used the middle wing and it wasn't out of control on their maiden flights, so I'm gonna roll the dice and go with the middle wing.
TriplaneGuy
Active member
Thanks very much. I bought the dials from an obscure parts/accessories dealer (iflytailies.com). I carved the dash out of balsa and embedded them in it.
TriplaneGuy
Active member
Thanks I'll keep you posted!
TriplaneGuy
Active member
Well bad news folks....I maidened the Fokker today and all went well for the first minute or so, but as I banked into the wind the right side of the tail tore off, taking the elevator and rudder with it. There was no way to recover and she spiraled into the ground.
The good news is only the front portion of the fuselage and the tail were damaged (the crash was surprisingly soft and it landed on the nose - even the cowl survived unscathed), so it's repairable, but will take some time for sure. My only solace is at least it wasn't pilot error (though I suppose it was my build error). One of the other builders online noted the tail was weak and suggested reinforcing it....I should have listened.
My son got some video of the takeoff but unfortunately he stopped recording before the tail ripped off. For now here's a low quality shot of the takeoff, as well as photos of the damage. I'll post some better pics soon.
Stay tuned for the rebuild!
Here's where the balsa in the tail sheared off....
Fuselage damage...
The good news is only the front portion of the fuselage and the tail were damaged (the crash was surprisingly soft and it landed on the nose - even the cowl survived unscathed), so it's repairable, but will take some time for sure. My only solace is at least it wasn't pilot error (though I suppose it was my build error). One of the other builders online noted the tail was weak and suggested reinforcing it....I should have listened.
My son got some video of the takeoff but unfortunately he stopped recording before the tail ripped off. For now here's a low quality shot of the takeoff, as well as photos of the damage. I'll post some better pics soon.
Stay tuned for the rebuild!
Here's where the balsa in the tail sheared off....
Fuselage damage...
Well, that sucks. Glad the damage isn't too severe!
TriplaneGuy
Active member
Thanks, I had a closer look and it's not too bad. Should have her up and running again in a couple weeks.
"Corpse"
Legendary member
Awesome! I'm a sucker for triplanes, was really bummed to see the wreckage.
TooJung2Die
Master member
Ouch! Bummer. So sorry to hear about the unscheduled landing. Hoping you get it back in the air soon. Can't wait to see it flying.
BATTLEAXE
Legendary member
AAAHHH MAN... that has got to hurt a little. Such a gorgeous plane as well. As i was reading "tail tore off" I had to read it twice, did I miss something? Just midair tail just breaks off like it got shot down... Is this an inherent fault in the kit?
Vimana89
Legendary member
Ouch. A lot of work in that beauty. I just flew my mini DR1 speed build kit today after reattaching the top wing after last crash(happened a couple times so far, that little plane is a great beater and easy to repair). Yours is going to take a lot more work to repair, but good on you for sticking with it, it will be well worth it
TriplaneGuy
Active member
Yes the right side of the tail section sheared off and took the elevator with it. The rudder was hanging on by a thread and useless. One of the guys at the field got some photos of it. It happened right after this banking turn.
With the rudder out of commission and right tail gone she started to plummet....
End result.....
It's definitely a flaw in the kit where the tail section meets the fuselage. The forces on the tail actually sheered the wood (and not along the line that had been glued). I'll reinforce the tail with some metal braces which should solve it.
TriplaneGuy
Active member
She's definitely gonna take some work but thankfully there was no damage to the wings, just the front section of the fuselage and tail. Making the covering look right again might be the hardest fix!Ouch. A lot of work in that beauty. I just flew my mini DR1 speed build kit today after reattaching the top wing after last crash(happened a couple times so far, that little plane is a great beater and easy to repair). Yours is going to take a lot more work to repair, but good on you for sticking with it, it will be well worth it
The depressing walk of shame.....
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Michael9865
Elite member
Wow. Amazing, yet sad pictures.
Born2bwire
Member
Whelp, guess I'll delete that link from my to build list. Shame, it looked like a nice package.
TriplaneGuy
Active member
I wouldn't cross it off your list quite yet. The kit was really great (right up until the tail fell off of course). Here's a link to a build video series I should have paid more attention to. At about the 3.5 minute mark this builder suggests installing stuts to deal with weakness in the horizontal stab. He was totally right. I'll try something similar.
Born2bwire
Member
Well, I'd rather not have struts affecting the scale look of it all. There's plenty of DR1 kits out there and I've had my eye on Bengtson's over at Aerodrome RC. I also need to keep in mind a 5 lbs weight limit for mine as I'm not sure if I'll have a club field to use in the coming future.
