Jeff's DV

Bruce's Comments: I've always thought this idea was worth a try. The DV isn't a natural at 3D, but with small elevons in the center you would at least have a little control in hover. The smoothly faired front end and canopy add sleekness, and flames always look cool. Nice job, Jeff!

Jeff's Comments: I had the maiden flight last summer and had about 25 flights until our winter came. The plane flies much like an intermediate plane with no nasty characteristics. It looked very nice in the air. With the OS .91 up front, I was getting approximately 70 mph, but the engine is not yet fully run in.

I set up the center elevons as elevator only because I found that the outboard elevons provided lots of aileron authority already. The center elevators helped in landing approaches, especially with nose-high landings. This plane is very solid on high-alpha landing approaches. No stalling, but some wing rock. In fact, the best way to land the plane is to raise the nose, apply some power, and it lands like a jet plane. I did not try any 3D because the center elevons were set up as elevator only. I will try it out next summer when I change the center to true elevons. However, it performs all the standard aerobatics including Delta spins (rotating about vertical axis!)

I thoroughly recommend this plane to intermediate flyers. Always draws attention at the flying field.