Dymond modelsport: Ford Flivver

Model Airplane News, Oct 2001 by Olivett, Vic, Chianelli, Chris

MODEL AIRPLANE NEWS

FIELD & BENCH

REVIEW

DYMOND MODELSPORT

Back in 1926. Henry Ford had a dream. He had built cars for more than 20 years with amazing success. and he hoped that if he applied some of the same ideas to the world of personal aviation, the flying Flivver would become the Model T of the skies. Flying was just becoming accepted as a safe form of passenger transportation, but the idea of people flying their own planes the way they drove their cars was a bit optimistic; the Flivver did not catch on. Nevertheless, the plane was well designed, and though it never turned a profit, it has become a great subject for modelers. Now, modelers can experience the excitement of this Golden Age aerobat in ARF form with Dymond's superb 71-inch rendition of Henry Ford's dream machine.

The Dymond Modelsport Flivver is designed to get you into the air with very little time and effort. This ARF is completely built of balsa and plywood and is covered with blue and silver Ultracote, and it has been hinged and painted. The kit includes a fiberglass cowl, landing gear with wheels, preheat pushrods and epoxy-coated motor and tank compartments. Also included are the installed servo extensions for the aileron servos.

FUSELAGE ASSEMBLY

Assembly begins with engine installation. I mounted the O.S. .91 4-stroke with 8x32 machine bolts and blind nuts; the motor mount already has downthrust and right thrust built in. I placed the tank assembly on the flat tank floor just behind the engine firewall and used a thin piece of foam rubber to absorb the engine vibration. I mounted the tank using four small screw-- hooks and rubber bands.

The cowl is made of good-quality fiberglass and must be custom-fit to the engine of your choice. After a few measurements and some careful cutting, the cowl fit very nicely over the engine. You also have to open areas for the muffler and the needle valve. The cowl runs back to the beginning of the turtle deck and covers the entire top front of the fuselage. Once you are satisfied with the fit, the cowl can be screwed into place.

The rear of the fuselage comes prepared for the vertical fin and horizontal stab. Both of these components are hinged and ready for final installation. On my model, the slots for the horizontal stabilizer and vertical fin were tight, and alignment was perfect. Remember to install the tailwheel in the rudder area before you install the vertical fin and rudder. Once you are sure of the measurements, you will have to mark the covering to be removed before final installation. Be careful not to score the balsa under the covering. This can cause a weak area in the stabilizer.

The pushrods included in the kit are prebent for the elevator and rudder. However, I did find that the pushrod clearance in the rear of the fuselage was tight. If left as installed, the elevator and rudder pushrods would have rubbed against each other. I corrected this problem by placing one servo upside-down in the servo tray. This gave the needed clearance and still left room for the receiver. To ensure that the throttle pushrod clears the fuel tank, mount the throttle servo on the outside of the servo tray. Now set the fuselage aside and check out the wing.

WING ASSEMBLY

Dymond Modelsport did a great job on the wing, which uses three aluminum joiners. The wing has three pockets for the joiners and channels for the servo wires. Once the joiners are in place, the wing is very strong. By using this system, you can easily break down the wing for transportation and storage.

The wing comes with installed servo-extension wires that fit most of today's radios. I used Hitec HS 225 BBs, but any servo of similar size will work just fine. Once the servos are in place, check the length of the supplied pushrods with the devises attached. The control horns can be fastened to the aileron using screws and a little CA for added insurance.

Now for the strange part: Dymond recommends that you fasten the servos into the wing pockets with glue. I have a problem with using glue on a servo. If it ever has to be replaced, you may damage the floor of the pocket. I suggest that you use a more conventional method of servo installation. A simple Y-connector completes the wing control system. The wing is attached to the fuse by rather large dowels in front and two 1/4-20 nylon bolts at the rear.

The landing gear is prebent wire held in place by four standard straps and screws. Included in the kit are two large balloon-type wheels along with the wheel collars. The 3 1/2-inch wheels really give the Flivver a Golden Age look.

When the Flivver is complete, it looks somewhat out of proportion; the massive wing on this little, short, stubby fuselage gives the Flivver a unique profile, but it remains true to the original. With all of the components in place, the Flivver should balance without any additional weight. For the final setup, Dymond recommends that the control throws be set rather liberally; elevators, 1 1/2 inches up and down; ailerons, 1 inch up and down and the rudder at 1 inch left and right.