ORIGINAL: vertical grimmace

I will not comment again on the Electric vs engine issue here as it is off topic. But I see more accidents with electrics than I do with engines. The reason why is that they can go to instant, full power just trying to set them up. Usually these accidents are in the shop or someones living room. There are certainly serious injuries with both types of propulsion, but it is my opinion that you have to be more careful with electrics. There is more of a possibility for the prop to start turning unexpectedly with E power than with an engine. This has nothing to do with which type of propulsion you prefer, it is just the nature of the the beast.

Also, the 2 very serious incidents we have had within our club were grievous errors on the part of the users. 2 airplanes with over 50cc engines started without assistance or proper restraint. They broke all the rules with engines you do not mess around with.


To bring this back to the DO 335, I think much attention will need to be paid to that rear prop when starting if an engine is used here. One time when E power might be safer!

ORIGINAL: oliveDrab

Look at 2:11 in the video. It looks like they lifted it along the main spar and determined the plane was nose heavy. I'm assuming that's the correct balance point.

ORIGINAL: drifter

There does not seem to be any way to tell where they lifted the plane from. The view of the wing tip is blocked..

ORIGINAL: oliveDrab


Yes - the view is blocked. But it looks like they tried to verify the balance was acceptable and apparently they thought it was.

ORIGINAL: SunDevilPilot

My friend's DO 335. It had been flown by the family of my friend on a single gas engine up front. My friend passed away and another member acquired the model and converted it to a dual electric setup, didn't go well.

ORIGINAL: kahloq


Im sorry......but regardless of it having previously flown with a gas engine....the setup shown in the video was severely tail heavy....and I mean BADLY tail heavy. Thrust line had nothing to do with it. The angle of attack on this plane is setup so that the plane sticks to the ground even with the slightly longer then scale ESM nose strut. It will lift off on its own without much elevator input and will do so in a very flat manner once it reaches speed on the ground. This is what other pilots have reported who have built and flown this model....not my own experience since Im still building mine.

There is no hatch on the front of the nose to put batteries in on that plane in the video. There are THREE bulkheads in the way from that midline fuse cover hatch to behind the firewall of the front motor. Its not possible to get batteries up forward far enough without really compromising the integrity of the internal structure without making a hatch........OR packing in a snot load of dead lead thru the wheel well opening behind the firewall. Additionally, there is no front spinner...just a little Higly type prophub. Had the plane been balanced right, the pilot would have had to put a spinner up front just for weight.

At the 2:07 mark...the pilot had turned the plane around and no longer had any grip on the tail. It was obviously still light on the nose. You may have to replay that spot a few times to see what Im referring to.

This is video of an electric setup on this plane that's been shown before in the thread....but it shows very clearly how the plane takes off when properly balanced........flat:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z_5TmC94BF0

ORIGINAL: kahloq

Would you be so kind as to remind me which retracts you used? Sierra or the ESM? I ask because I have the ESM and understand the nose strut to be a rad long scale wise. The wheels included with the gear are 4.5'' mains and 3.5'' nose. However, in an effort to try to give a tad bit more room under the bottom tail fin, I bought the older style ESM aluminum hub 4.5'' mains and a 3'' nose wheel. So, that'll drop the nose by an 1/8''. Not much, but do you think that will make any difference?

ORIGINAL: kahloq

I already received the wheels, however i could shim the retracts themselves off the wood rails a bit. The issue there would be the wheel pants wouldnt be flush with the wing.

ORIGINAL: jimkron

Out of curiosity, do you guys from Fort Collins know each other?

ORIGINAL: vertical grimmace

We do. You should see how we argue in person! lol

ORIGINAL: kahloq

You know though......I'll find some gizmo or something to put on that giant spitfire even with a gasser that will drive Vertical batty!!! Like an electric start system or something off the wall <big grin>........hmmmmm...would that make it a hybrid? Might get better gas mileage LOL

ORIGINAL: jimkron


Put something on there that won't destroy the outline of one of the most beautiful planes of all time. No muffler please.

jim

ORIGINAL: kahloq

Yes....we fly at the same field. We give each other a lot of crap cuz we both like different spectrums of the power options(gas vs electric). We are both warbird fanatics as well as mostly prefer Luftwaffe planes...very rare at our field. Vertical's only current flying 50cc size plane is a Mig3 though LOL....however, he is half way through a build of an Anderson plans 110+'' TA-152, has a Holman D9 that I helped him procure and of course his 1/4 Busa Fokker DVII. Smaller size he has a Platt D9. He likes gassers.

Me...well....I have a lot more in quantity of planes( talking warbirds here)....predominantly electric and some glow...including the ESM fw-190D9 and this Do-335, however, many of them are 120 size ESM planes....a few H9, etc. The one giant scale plane I had acquired prior to the D9 was an 80'' H9 P-51(not my cup of tea really...only built it to fly with a friend that doesnt visit the field much anymore)....and as such...that P-51 just sits in the basement.

In an attempt to make peace(tongue in cheek here since me and Vertical are actually friends)....I bought that Hobbyking 89'' Spitfire and will be installing the 50cc turnigy gasser I mentioned a bit earlier back(the one I asked vertical to test run for me).
That'll make him happy LOL...but he'll always give me chit about electrics no matter what I do.