14 September, 2012

New DH 100 Vampire and Slope Soarer

As I'm not buying anymore new aeroplanes this year, here's a couple I have just,  ahem, acquired, oops!

First there's the ducted fan Durafly Vampire. This is made of foam, is lithium polymer battery powered, looks good and sounds good too. There have been some problems with the booms flexing which I have re-enforced with carbon fibre and two of the retractable undercarriage units have packed up which the supplier had agreed to replace. Those issues aside it flies well for an electric "foamie" and I can see it being a lot of fun.

A rather more serious aeroplane the second one. This one I bought second hand and at the time of writing I have yet to fly it. This is a slope soarer of uncertain design but very similar to a Chris Foss Phase 6. I need to fit a receiver and battery, then check the control movements and centre of gravity before venturing out but those matters are straightforward and I'll soon have them done.