I want to thank those at the VRCS Yahoo Group
for providing this fabulous rendition of
the original DMECO decal.
| The Dmeco Models Mark-2 version of the Hal DeBolt LiveWire Champ is my newest plane for 2010. I've heard about these incredible old planes since I was 15 years old, and on Sunday, 20 June 2010 I took delivery of my very own Hal DeBold LiveWire Champ!!!!!!!! . |
She's an old design, one of the oldest I've ever had. Originally designed in 1954 (a year BEFORE I started flying control-line
planes) by Hal DeBolt, the prototype plane apparently took the whole world by storm - winning its first contest series by a very
wide margin. Actually, it had a hand at revolutionizing the whole sport.
The plane I've got was built fairly recently, probably in North Carolina, and I know very little of her history, other than the fact
that she's a Mark-2 version and has been modified to include ailerons on the wings.
She was apparently test-flown some time back and was declared to be tail-heavy, and that was pretty much the end of the story.
She has a slight bit of damage to the nose section but it's been pretty expertly repaired so, as I received her, she's pretty much
ready to go.
First job was to re-balance her. That was accomplished by adding 5 oz. of bullet weights to the nose cheeks. Pics of her on my
dining room table are just below.
.
planes) by Hal DeBolt, the prototype plane apparently took the whole world by storm - winning its first contest series by a very
wide margin. Actually, it had a hand at revolutionizing the whole sport.
The plane I've got was built fairly recently, probably in North Carolina, and I know very little of her history, other than the fact
that she's a Mark-2 version and has been modified to include ailerons on the wings.
She was apparently test-flown some time back and was declared to be tail-heavy, and that was pretty much the end of the story.
She has a slight bit of damage to the nose section but it's been pretty expertly repaired so, as I received her, she's pretty much
ready to go.
First job was to re-balance her. That was accomplished by adding 5 oz. of bullet weights to the nose cheeks. Pics of her on my
dining room table are just below.
.
| Ready for her first take-off . |
First flights!!!! After finally getting the balance something close to right, I took the leap and there we were at the flying field.
The first pic above, center, was just before I lined her up for her first lift-off, which wasn't all that successful. I was
taking-off downwind and knew it would be a long liftoff but it was even longer than I thought and I had to cut her and bring her
back for a 2nd try, which turned out just beautiful.
The 3 flight shots were taken after that 2nd try, which was pretty as a picture - a classic (read that "BEAUTIFUL") take-off
and flight, followed by one of the most incredible dead-stick landings I've ever made - and that was with the trims so far off she
was a bear to keep anything close to level on that first flight. However, I touched her down 50' from me and she rolled right up to
my shoelaces anyway.
I made a total of 4 flights that day. First was mainly to see what she needed in the way of trimming after my addition of 5 oz of
weight to the nose (10 1/2oz bullet-type fishing weights inside the nose cheeks - 5 on each side (and 1 oz came back off her, she
was actually just a tad nose-heavy). Ailerons were off and I had to use full left trim on both ailerons and rudder to keep her even
close to level, and the elevator was set WAY too high - even full down-elevator trim had her trying to climb for the stars at little
more than 1/2 power.
After getting the controls right, and the trims back to center on the xmtr, the 2nd and 3rd flight shots were taken.
I actually got brave on the 3rd flight and tried some basic aerobatics with her. She loops (inside AND OUTSIDE!!!!), does
rudder-rolls like any other 3-channel bird but more graceful, aileron-only rolls are slow, long and straight as an arrow - no yaw
that I could detect. Full-house rolls are not far from being snap-rolls - something less than 2 seconds for a full 360 roll.
Hammerheads are just a bit off from a true "straight" but stall-turns are really nice. Inverted flight is less than optimum but
with that dihedral I'd expect nothing less. I did manage to keep her inverted and in level flight for 2 full passes around the field
(which measures 1000' long and 500' wide) perimeter, so I really have nothing to complain about there. Spins are fair but not
tight - probably due to being a bit nose-heavy.
At roughly 1/3 throttle she's a pussy-cat, at full throttle and the elevator trimmed down a bit she's a howler. This is a great little
airplane and HUGE fun to fly. I can hardly wait for Jason to come back to Luray to try her out - he's going to be sorry he parted
with her.
.
Next was to take her out for a test spin. That happened on Monday, 28 June 2010.
.
Three flights, three pics. The pic on the right was taken while she was flying at about 1/3 throttle, HANDS-OFF the transmitter. Very stable plane now. . |
|
