PHOTO: COURTESY OF HOBBICO FLYZONE
Flyzone’s RTF version comes complete (above left) with everything a future Ace needs to fly. A Tx-R version is also available, allowing one to fly the model in conjuction with a Flyzone AnyLink and their favorite
What has changed, however, is an entire-
ly new transmitter. Gone is the small toy- like transmitter, replaced with a still some- what small but much better feeling transmitter than the one included in previ- ous models. For the purpose of this review, I flew the plane with the included Flyzone transmitter; however I have since tested it with the Flyzone Anylink and my Futaba 7C and can report that it works just fine in this arrangement as well. Flyzone also included a complete and thorough instruction booklet; take some time to read through this, as there are some helpful tips. Really the only thing one must do is install the included AA batteries, charge the flight pack, trim and fly. There is no need to build or decal anything. Howev- er, Flyzone has included a set of machine guns and a pilot figure you can paint up and install. While winter here in Northern New Jer-
sey has been mild, the wind has been more akin to what I’m used to in east central Illi- nois. Even at a mild gust, the little Fokker would be blown around. Flyzone recom- mends that if you do fly the Dr.I outside, find a day with 5 mph or lower in which to fly. Fortunately FM Editor, Frank Fanelli knows the guys who fly indoors all winter at the Teaneck Armory. A day was scheduled and Frank and I made the hour drive down to the armory to fly the Dr.I as well as oth- er airplanes. Might as well, right? Upon arrival, I removed the Triplane from
transmitter. This would be the end one would not want to see of the Dr.I in combat (above right). The plane exhibits no bad habits and can easily fly in most modest indoor venues.
its box and charged up the flight battery with the jack that is conveniently stored on the back of transmitter. Soon the battery was charged and installed within the fuse- lage. A quick check of the flying surfaces verified that everything was moving in the right direction, and we were off to the flight line. Placing the small scout on the floor, I slowly applied throttle and let it roll. It promptly got up to speed, lifted its tail feath- ers and popped up into the air. A few trim passes and a few clicks of down elevator and I could sustain level flight at just a hair over half throttle. To my surprise, the plane did not feel un-
stable or quirky. Rudder was very effective and only a small amount of elevator input was required. Much like the full scale Fokker, one can make pretty sharp turns. Granted you keep the airspeed up. In fact, so stable was the little model, I could hold a nice figure eight in a consistent pattern, al- lowing Frank to get pictures. When it came time to land, I anticipated the drag factor this plane would have, and left the power on. Even for as small as it is, wheel landings were a piece of cake. Average flight time in- doors ranges around 8 to 10 minutes. Subsequent flights that day let me do
touch and goes and one wheel landings nice- ly. Be careful on anything but the smoothest surface, however, as it will nose over some- what easily, but because the model weighs in at just a few grams, no damage will occur. The Fokker will do nice scale-like loops and
with a bit more control throw will do barrel rolls and nice stall turns, standard fare for a pursuit plane of this type. If this is your first WWI micro warbird, go light on the con- trols. While not hard to fly, it is a bit more responsive than the Piper Super Cub or Playmate by Flyzone. That said, you’ll find the Fokker will behave nicely with smooth control inputs and it certainly has a pres- ence all its own. One thing I noticed was the noise of the gearbox, it is a bit noisier than similar sized models available out there today. Some of that gearbox noise is magnified and res- onated by the foam fuselage. This however did not affect the performance of the model whatsoever. Another thing that stuck out was the col-
or scheme. I understand why Flyzone se- lected the red and white “Red Baron” scheme, as most modelers envision a Fokker Dr.1 in red, just as they would a Cub in yellow. It is also because the bright red will be easier to see in low light indoor fa- cilities, yet still maintain a scale warbird color scheme. While I would have rather seen a differ-
ent scheme than the red and white, please keep in mind this is just a personal prefer- ence and in no way detracts from the mod- el or its performance. No doubt, as time goes on, many will strip off the factory colors and will custom paint other accurate paint schemes as many enterprising modelers are known to do. Flyzone has certainly made a name for it-
Striking a classic Triplanepose, the Dr.I sets off for an early morning Dawn Patrol near enemy lines. It’s easy to daydream about being the famous Richthofen while flying the Flyzone micro Triplane.
FLYING MODELS
self lately with their micro models, and the Triplane is certainly going to be popular. Rather than produce another WWII warbird or civilian plane, they went out and listened to the market. Another great step taken by Flyzone is their offering of spare parts for the model. Should you have a not so perfect day, Flyzone offers a full parts support so that you can take to the skies again quickly. Perhaps now that we have an Albatros and a Fokker Dr.I in the Flyzone lineup, maybe we shall see an S.E.5a or a Sopwith Camel? Time will tell hopefully. With its low price, completeness, parts support and newly redesigned included transmitter, the Flyzone Fokker Dr.I gets high marks. Add to that the new Tx-R AnyLink version for an even better score. If you’re in the market for a micro that is not a Mustang or Cub, consider the Flyzone Dr.I Triplane and watch your six!
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