This is a page for my Dare Fokker D-VIII.
Update - August 10, 2001
Fuselage is finished. Servos and receiver are installed. Landing gear and wing struts built and dry-fit. Trying to decide on which powerplant to mount, Wasp 280BB w/8:1 gearing or Speed 400 w/4:1 gearing.
Update - August 13, 2001
Mounted the 4:1 Speed 400, painted struts, mounted landing gear and affixed wing. Taxi tests went well and model balances out fine. Waiting on a roll of Superkote to finish covering the cowling and underside of the fueslage and then I'll do some flight tests. Markings and machine guns will be final step.
Update - August 16, 2001
Airplane is ready for test flights. Cowling and underside are covered. Details like markings, guns, cockpit combing and landing gear mini-wing will be added after the model is deemed flight worthy.
Update - September 2, 2001
Test flights today after putting some markings on this weekend. More markings to come soon on the sides of the fuselage. Plane flies, but is a little underpowered with the 4:1 speed 400 and the 11x7 prop. Either I need one or two more cells, or a stronger powerplant. It flies but is really just shy of being a great flier with this powerplant. Check out a couple avi movies of the flights. They may take a while to download - files are 1.3-2.3MB
Update - September 17, 2001
Had a buddy at NEAT charge up my 10x600AE packs and picked up an 11x8.5 prop which I bolted on. Two flights were no less than perfect. My friend Jim who is an expert pilot put it up in some of the stiff wind Friday afternoon and she climbed up at a nice 30 degree angle and easilly looped from level flight. You have to manage throttle and not use 100% all the time or the motor heats up, but that's no problem since she flies great on 3/4, with a good reserve of power for when you need it.
As dusk approached, I put her up myself for a nice flight with a couple of wing overs and a loop. I launched with a ROG and landed nicely. Photos coming soon as I get the last decals on her.
Update - September 22, 2001
I learned a lesson in lightly built aircraft today. I had two more very nice flights on the Fokker, then on the third, while pulling out of a steep dive the stabalizer's left side failed. With half the stab gone she started flapping in the wind something awful. I cut power, but it was not enough to save her. The crash really messed her up bad. The only thing I was really able to save other than the avionics was the landing gear. Wing, fuse, etc. were wrecked.
Sigh, only got 6 good flights out of her.
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