Dancing Wings Hobby "Fiesler Storch Kit"

[Stearman65]

Last part of my order from Banggood arrived this morning, 6 metal geared micro servos, £2 each, they will be perfect for the Storch as it needs 6 for the wings alone.

[reg shaw]

Why 6 servo's in the wing? Aileron and flap each side, what else moves? Have the manufacturers made the slats move too, unlike the real Fieseler Storch?

Looks like a decent enough kit, watching with interest.

Ian.

[Stearman65]

Posted by reg shaw on 15/02/2019 08:45:33:

Why 6 servo's in the wing? Aileron and flap each side, what else moves? Have the manufacturers made the slats move too, unlike the real Fieseler Storch?

Looks like a decent enough kit, watching with interest.

Ian.

Hi Reg yes the slats have a servo each side. They do move on the original, they are connected to bike type chains with a handle on the R/H side of the cockpit. Depending on what type of flying the aircraft is performing, depended on the the setting. There is a very good series of films on YouTube by Kermit Weekes where he is flying the Storch, I think it shows the slat operation. Re the kit, I would imagine the week point is the wing attachment, most other Storch kits I have seen have some form of metal / wire reinforcement between the fuselage & the cabin top. Another poor point is the glazing of the cabin top where the gun sits, it's held on with magnets & is very poor celluloid.

**LINK**

Edited By Stearman65 on 15/02/2019 09:58:59

[reg shaw]

The slats are definitely fixed on the Storch Eric so you could save yourself a couple of servo's. The chain and linkage on the port cabin side is for the flaps, which are interconnected with the ailerons to droop the aileron when the flap travels past about 20 degrees IIRC I'd love to see the set up for the slats on the model, do they push forward or roll forward to open them? Any images you could share from the manual?

Many thanks, Ian.

[Stearman65]

Posted by reg shaw on 15/02/2019 13:28:54:

The slats are definitely fixed on the Storch Eric

Hi, Not on mine they aren't!

If you look at the first posts when I was researching the kit, there are pictures of how the slats are hinged. Whether this is correct or just DWH's interpretation of how the slats operate I'm not sure. I don't want to sit through the Kermit Week's YT videos again, but I'm 99% sure he described how they operate & the chain is definitely on the R/H (starboard) side of the cockpit, but could be duplicated on the port side? There is also a page in the manual showing the wiring of the 6 wing servos. If you use the link, it will take you to BG's page with the model, scroll down to the bottom there is a link to the English manual.

**LINK**

[Stearman65]

Up-date on the slat discussion. I watched the Kermit Weeks YT vids through again. At the beginning of the second vid' he was describing the slats & their operation. He briefly mentioned they were spring loaded & the gap between the wing & slat varied with the angle of attack of the wing. The ailerons are also coupled to the flaps, in that, when the flaps were deployed, at their furthest travel, the ailerons also drooped.

I must have been dreaming when I saw a chain driven control wheel on the R/H side of the cockpit, or it could have been on another Storch. Apparently, after the war, the French liked them so much, they continued to build their version.

[Don Fry]

The flaps on a Storch are operated with a wheel, on the left side of the cockpit, at lower window height. It actuates through a bare bike chain to a cog in the cockpit roof. It then does both wings. Turn the handle, clockwise?, and the flap deploys to 20°, thereafter, the flaps and ailerons go down at the same rate, to end of travel, 40° flap, 20° drooped aileron.. The French Cricket was the same.

You may be right about spring loaded slats. But I've never heard them mentioned. And having looked at one, and pulled and pushed its bits, the slats looked and felt rigid.

So why inflict 2 extra servos on a small model. If it's not kept light it won't float like a Storch.

[Stearman65]

Posted by Don Fry on 15/02/2019 19:15:45:

So why inflict 2 extra servos on a small model. If it's not kept light it won't float like a Storch.

The two servos weigh under 30g total. The model has a massive wing area for the stated build weight, which includes 6 servos. So, why not? It will be more of a build project than a regular hack, so i will be following the manual, just have to work out how when & why the slats are mean't to operate. Someone else mentioned Model Geeks will be reviewing it in the future. Maybe by the time I get to it they will have built & reviewed it.

[Denis Watkins]

This is an interesting thread, and a cracking aeroplane, and I don't want to muddy the water, but I have researched in the past, the Storch at Cosford and the modern view of STOL, as this is an amazing modelling topic

The DWH Manual clearly shows the slat hinges and the servos as Eric's build

When the Storch was current during WW2, the pilots were very impressed with the advantages of the leading edge slats and suggested that fully adjustable retracted slats would increase the Storchs pitiful flying speed.

The adjustable Slat design never materialised at all during WW2

Am now looking for any development Post War

[Bob Cotsford]

Wikipedia makes it sound as though the retractable slat was tried on one model at least but did not make it into production :

"Fi 156 B: Fitted with a new system which could retract the normally fixed leading edge slats and had a number of minor aerodynamic cleanups, boosting the speed to 208 km/h (130 mph). The Luftwaffe did not consider such a small difference to be important and the Fi-156 B was not produced."

I've always liked the Storch concept though the reports I'd heard of the BlackHorse version's lousy handling put me off trying one.

Edited By Bob Cotsford on 15/02/2019 22:38:45

[Stearman65]

I think I mentioned earlier, back in the day, I flew a friends Svenson Storch. Then we were asked to do a display at a local school. The day was very windy & not really suitable for the Storch & resulted in me stalling it at around 20ft & it was quite extensively damaged. Then back in 2004/5 I acquired a Svenson Storch kit & was going to fit a new four stroke that had just come out. Eventually, I chickened out & sold it on. There is one for sale RTF at £300 that looks a good buy, IMO well worth the investment., whoops, just checked & it's sold pending collection & payment.

**LINK**

[Brian Hammond]

Hi All ,can anyone tell me how to find W21 ,it would need to be ply or carbon but I'm blowed if I can find it!

[Brian Hammond]

Don,t panic ,I,'ve found it ,Carbon but shorter than stated on drawing!

[Brian Hammond]

Hi Stearman,have you flown your Storch yet?

[Stearman65]

Hi Brian

Packed in the hobby last year & sold the Storch kit.

[Brian Hammond]

Has anyone flown a DW storch yet?

[Denis Watkins]

Posted by Brian Hammond on 11/06/2020 10:49:03:

Has anyone flown a DW storch yet?

With the recent poor weather Brian, and the initial meetings of just 2 at the field, and now 6, my crew have barely had 10 minutes with this one.

Am not the owner of the Storch, but am the test pilot.

I will report fully when the weather improves but have some observations so far.

At 4.5lb on 4 foot Narrow chord wing, we have our work cut out for us.

This model is not a trainer, and possibly not intermediate either, so breathe deeply and wear your bike clips

My preferred test flight, with a tail dragger is a clean straight run, where the model lifts its tail

And seconds later, the Wing lifts the model as airspeed increases, without needing to force the event.

I have had none of this, but have had 10 or 15 minutes of ground runs and hairy hops with no damage.

BTW there is ample power.

The 1st few attempts reinforced the use of progressive throttle, and right rudder

But this could all change next week with wind direction and going the other way down the runway.

I did 3 long hops into the air, unready to commit yet, that showed the C of G to be near enough

But showed just how fast the take off needed to be, which equates to a lot faster than a similar sized Cub.

So next week

No great surprises, we need to move so on the ground quickly, but don't hike it off before the Wing decided to fly.

[Brian Hammond]

Hi Denis, I wait with baited breath,it sounds dreadful so far!

[Richard Clark 2]

Posted by Brian Hammond on 11/06/2020 12:40:52:

Hi Denis, I wait with baited breath,it sounds dreadful so far!

The structure looks like it uses more trees than Nelson's Victory.

And the rivets around the cockpit obviously came from the Titanic.

[Martin McIntosh]

Mine is still sitting there waiting but only five flights with tested models so far this year, and the motor not yet run in it, this will have to wait its turn.

[Denis Watkins]

This model does fly, and the greatest apparent lift was gained with 25° flap which stretched out the stall,

But the stall at least was a nose drop and not a wing drop.

The model looks great and to show it off requires slowing down which is difficult to do without a huge amount of height lost.

Circuits either direction were fine, and landings practiced 2 mistakes high, we're still too fast even with flaps.

I could not feel a difference with the leading edge slats, but maybe with more flights they will show.

Conclusion is to fly and land a greater speeds than you would normally like. The flaps do produce a steadier approach.

I cheated with the landings, not forming one slope to touchdown, but flew one slope to about three feet off the

deck, and then a second very gentle slope to the ground.

Looking at the landing gear, it would stand one heavy landing, so that is to be avoided

Practice landing 3 or 4 times high up while you have power, and come in under power.