12-2012-Fokker Dr-1 Triplane. Rebuilding From a Bad Wreck

Discuss & share your electric-powered airplane projects here!
Post Reply
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

12-2012-Fokker Dr-1 Triplane. Rebuilding From a Bad Wreck

Post by Neons »

Nothing is interesting like flying a multi wing aircfraft. To bad there are not more of us trying them. I had a homebuilt Eindeker about 4 years ago and it was a joy to fly. Being a mid wing it was real aerobatic. I finally wore it out and broke it up. Then I found the replacement plane. Steve Shumates Fokker Triplane. It was built super light weight and flew slow and practically did 3-D flight.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=425387

I wanted it to fly in a little wind under 10mph so I built it heavier with Pink foam early 2009. The original Z-fold stuff that was straight and smooth. The new stuff is crooked and rough. So I put it together after printing out Steves Free plans for the plane.
Here:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost ... ostcount=4

I maidened the plane 7-2009 and was in for some surprise flying after the maiden flight. This plane has the 3 wings with ailerons and is designed to be a little more sporty. It is not a scale plane so anything goes. The plan does have the original single wing set of ailerons also. So I always liked this plane the way it handles and turns on a dime. Heck, just hit hard right or left and the plane turns a "U" turn just like the real plane. So I got a little daring one day a few months ago and I readied it to fly. The reciever was going on and off like a bad connection and I pulled the plug and restarted it. It seemed to be fime. Off I went and was flying around and then it quit about 300 feet up. It spiraled in and cracked the thee wings and crushed the nose in.

The plane was so bad that most would have thrown it out. I decide I was going to rebuild it. It just was too good a flier to discard. A couple days ago I was looking to work on a plane before I start my winter project. It was a good in between project. So I got out my knife and cut away the whole rear fuselage just ahead of the cockpit.. This is not going to be a new plane. It will be a rebuild instead. Many parts are still good to be used again. Each wing was broken and I took out the carbon fiber that was good and cleaned them all up and put aslde. I stripped all 6 ailerons off to reuse also. All the elecronics exept the rudder and elevator servos were removed. The motor and ESC was put aside.

Now with a new sheet of pink Z-fold foam I made new fuselage sides and formers and hot glued them in place. With the new motor mounts and new landing gear braces I had the fuselage all grafted and looking great. The motor had a broken shaft so I presed in a new 4mm straight shaft and set it up for a collet now. I next copied the three wings out and cut them loose from the foam sheet. I had a pair of broken wing braces so I cut out a pair on the coping saw. New carbon arrow shaft and thin carbon was sparred into each wing. After careful measuring and fitting I got the 3 wings in place as seen in the pictures. I also modified the battery to go straight into the plane. I used to have 2oz. of lead in the nose. No more. I lenghtened the nose 1/2 inch and moved the wings bac 3/8 inches and the plane is in nice balance now. No more lead weight.

I finished the cowling tonight in 2 hours and spackled it. Foam is fast to work with. Tommorrow I paint the areas that will be Blenderm hinge taped . The tape does not hold paint and it is best painted beforehand. You can see the paint after taping. All the ailerons will be connected and it is basically flyable. Of course I have to finish paint the plane first.
Attachments
12-21-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (5).jpg
12-21-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (4).jpg
12-21-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (3).jpg
12-21-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (2).jpg
12-21-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (1).jpg
12-21-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (0).jpg
12-03-09 Fokker Dr-1 Tri.jpg
7-7-11  Fokker Dr-1 -Pre Takeoff.jpg
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Re: 12-2012-Fokker Dr-1 Triplane. Rebuilding From a Bad Wrec

Post by Neons »

The Fokker Dr-1 is just about rebuilt to a better standard than my original. I made improvements to what I want to my style of sport flying. The wing is much more solid than my first one with a full arrowshaft in the mid wing. The arrowshaft is rock solid with no bend. I have a better battery situation and balance now. The weight is 2lb 4oz. with the 3S -2200Mah lipoly battery and ready to fly. The Hextronic DT-750 was rewound 15 turns and puts out a static thrust of 2 3/4 lbs. of thrust. I have plenty of power with the 13x4 APC prop. She is a great flier.

The fuselage is all repainted over and looks good. New Mylar tape decals. I also installed a new elevator and rudder made of the new material, 6mm MPF foam. Great stuff. The only thing left is to make 2 ailerons servo pushrods and setup my transmitter and go out on a good day and re-maiden. Hopefully I will get 3-4 years out of it again.

This is the original post of my build in 2009. Later motor changes were made to the reent setup.
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost ... tcount=556

The older 2009 Fokker Triplane Dr-1 video of a later flight that year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f36aq1bn ... r_embedded
Attachments
12-23-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (5).jpg
12-23-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (4).jpg
12-23-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (2).jpg
12-23-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (1).jpg
12-23-12 Fokker Dr-1-Rebuild Tri (0).jpg
Fokker_Dr1_Blue_-Von_Raben.jpg
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
HitNRun
Posts: 91
Joined: Mon Nov 12, 2012 7:43 pm
Contact:

Re: 12-2012-Fokker Dr-1 Triplane. Rebuilding From a Bad Wrec

Post by HitNRun »

Wow, she looks fantastic Bob! Nice work! :)
Ben Costa
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

Re: 12-2012-Fokker Dr-1 Triplane. Rebuilding From a Bad Wrec

Post by Neons »

hank's Bem
Merry Christme to You and All the Rest of Us

Well, this is an easy build for a totally new one or a rebuild like this one. I did not put many hours into this plane and it is ready to be around another 4 years. . Rebuilt at the cost of a new arrowshaft and some cheap foam and Blenderm taped hinges.. About $7.00 in material. If this was wood it would have been junked or rebuilt taking up to 2-3 weeks. Still gives the same flying pleasure too.
Bob Pacheco
User avatar
Neons
Site Admin
Posts: 675
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 10:28 pm
Location: youtube ne0ns1
Contact:

6-7-2015-Fokker Dr-1 Triplane. General flight

Post by Neons »

New video up.


This is the old Steve Shumate design in RC Groups. Inexpensive to scratch build..

Free Plans
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showpost ... ostcount=4

This plane has had a few crashes and was rebuilt over and over. Keeps on going.

Luftwaffe March Music

Youtube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7icVW65fyD0

Vimeo is better quality
https://vimeo.com/130595124
Bob Pacheco
Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 17 guests