Well, you’d need a pilot’s license, enough experience to fly something as challenging as a triplane, someplace to keep the full-sized triplane (which would be classified as an “experimental” aircraft with the associated restrictions), and lots of insurance. That’s a lot more to invest than simply building a remote-controlled model.
1 Like
I’m not a pilot but I’m curious if the older era bi- and tri- planes are more difficult to fly than modern aircraft.
If you think about it, the control surfaces of one of these planes are larger in relation to the wing size and controlled by wires to a single 4-way stick. The stacked wings produce a lot of extra lift and the engines are small by comparison so the speeds are not very high. And they’re covered with fabric or canvas bodies instead of metal so they’re lightweight.
I’m just guessing but they seem like they’d actually be easier to fly in comparison to a modern monoplane. Anyone here have experience in this area?
1 Like
My personal experience is not with biplanes, but with the classic “taildragger” landing gear configuration, which is less forgiving than the tricycle gear you see in today’s Cessnas. You’re more likely to swap ends or plant the nose in the ground, and you have to be more mindful of which way the wind is blowing anytime the aircraft is not tied down and chocked.
2 Likes
Those things look really cool, until you see some of the swastikas. And I get it; the builders are trying to replicate for history…but really? Does that HAVE to be on there? They’d be just as cool without them.
4 Likes
Those aircraft were built scarcely a decade after the Wright brothers first flew. It would take another couple of decades or so until aircraft design got pretty much nailed down.
The principal danger with fixed wing aircraft is stalling without enough altitude to recover. Modern (from about 1930 on) aircraft are generally designed to stall gently and to give warning before stalling.
The inner portion of the wing is designed to stall before the tip. This reduces the likelihood of dropping a wing and has the added benefit of sending turbulent air from the stalled inner portion of the wing over the elevator which causes the joystick to literally shake in the pilot’s hand. If that’s not enough, most light aircraft have a horn or a beeper to tell the pilot the aeroplane is about to stall.
There are plenty of designs from the 1930s (Jungmans, Tiger Moths, Piper Cubs) still in regular operation but aircraft from before then are generally only flown under special circumstances.
It’s worth noting that modern light aircraft are still surprisingly basic. There’s still a stick and the control surfaces are generally operated by cable. And up until recently most light aircraft were powered by four or six cylinder horizontally opposed air-cooled motors. The displacement is in the region of 5 to 7 litres, but the motors are about as complicated as a VW Beetle motor.
4 Likes
German WWII aircraft featured an iron cross on the top and bottom of both wings and on either side of the fuselage and a smaller swastika was displayed on either side of the tail.
In most countries where WWII German aircraft (and replicas of whatever scale) are flown, the swastika is displayed on the tail. Presumably this is in the interest of authenticity.
In Germany (where displaying a swastika is illegal) aircraft display the iron crosses but the swastika is deleted.
Having grown up building plastic model WWII aircraft many of which were German, the lack of swastika looks odd to me.
1 Like
i WISH I was as talented as this fellow - building free flight, rubber powered, stick and tissue —
a bit more relaxing – and I’m getting better every year
1 Like
Ramy RC has a great channel walking through the entire build process of large RC aircraft. Beautiful work.
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
