I have been itching to purchase Palmer's 93" WS Dash 7 kit from Precision Cutters but have not be able to find one build thread on it from any of the active forums....does ANYONE have any links to one or have info on it?

Cheers,
Steve

Well, I just got the plans for a future build. I've got a few in front of it in the queue though.

Back when I was flying the full scale ones 20 years ago, I had some MX 3 views blown up to an 89" wing, and drew my own 3 plans. I still have the fuse (but little else), but figured it would be less work to start over.

The plans are pretty "involved", to say the least, but I honestly haven't spent much time studying them.

It's definitely gonna be electric.

I haven't even ordered the parts yet.

Originally Posted by Tripower455

Well, I just got the plans for a future build. I've got a few in front of it in the queue though.

Back when I was flying the full scale ones 20 years ago, I had some MX 3 views blown up to an 89" wing, and drew my own 3 plans. I still have the fuse (but little else), but figured it would be less work to start over.

The plans are pretty "involved", to say the least, but I honestly haven't spent much time studying them.

It's definitely gonna be electric.

I haven't even ordered the parts yet.

Have you ever heard of anyone flying the model? I really couldn't find anything on it!

Cheers,
Steve

Originally Posted by steve1814

Have you ever heard of anyone flying the model? I really couldn't find anything on it!

Cheers,
Steve

Nope.....

Not much out there, but it is an esoteric and fairly complicated airplane, so I'm surprised anyone even drew up plans for it!

I've got Rick at Fibretech looking into the fiberglass parts (they're on his site, but said I was the first one that ever asked about them!). I don't like the Century retracts, especially for the price, so I'm probably going to go a different direction, but again, I am in the preliminary planning stages of this project.

Originally Posted by Tripower455

but again, I am in the preliminary planning stages of this project.

Same here...But I figure I had better get the pieces all lined up because the kit may fall into obscurity and then I'd kick myself for not getting it while it was available

I came across the only thread in RCU that started off well, but died (as you know) and another that someone was going to design better retracts for it, but I can't find that one again.

Oh, I did inquire about just getting the struts from century...


Nose strut is ...........$60.00
Main struts (2 each)....$180.00

Total cost..............$240.00 plus P&H

Figure it would do nice on some E-flite Electric retracts....so modification required


Not much going on for such a nice model - I guess it is just too involved?

Nice scale battery hatch:




Cheers,
Steve

I have been wanting to build a Dash-7 for years.... Also have made plans for a 100 inch wingspan plane, but haven't got to start building one yet.

Have also searched the net, but there are no active build threads anywhere I have also tried to get hold of the discontinued Robbe kit, and have been outbid on e-bay once. I stopped at 350USD

I have never seen the Palmer plans, but I have heard that the Palmer planes has a tendency to turn out heavy.

Have been hoping that someone took up this challenge - it's a beautiful airplane. With fowler flaps and retracts it's a beauty and would definately draw attention at any field

So, go ahead! Don't wait!

Ben_E

Originally Posted by Ben_E

So, go ahead! Don't wait!

Ben_E

Working on it....

Cheers,
Steve

Just a note to add about Palmer plans, the designer never built a model from the plans so there may be a lot of discrepancies with parts fit. I attempted to build from one of his C-130 plans and found so many problems I never finished the plane. While they are workable they are not in the same league as Ziroli, Bates, or Vaillancourt.

cooper998

Originally Posted by cooper998

Just a note to add about Palmer plans, the designer never built a model from the plans so there may be a lot of discrepancies with parts fit. I attempted to build from one of his C-130 plans and found so many problems I never finished the plane. While they are workable they are not in the same league as Ziroli, Bates, or Vaillancourt.

cooper998

So if you get the kit from Precision Cutters some of the parts won't fit How can they at all market something like that Seems like the best is to get into balsa-bashing.

Nevertheless I have been planning to build a Dash-7 from foam, a lot less work, but it ends up lighter and flies better

Ben_E

Interesting thread. I hope all goes well for you, Steve. I have always thought the "Dash" would have made an excellent handling model if you could keep the wing loading low. The picture you have is, I believe, a non-standard one as the passenger versions had the cargo door aft of the pax on the starboard side opposite the passenger loading door. At least they were at Rocky Mountain Airways when I worked there in 1990. Good luck.

Randy

Originally Posted by Pilatuspc12

The picture you have is, I believe, a non-standard one as the passenger versions had the cargo door aft of the pax on the starboard side opposite the passenger loading door.
Randy

Yep:
DHC-7-103 Production passenger/cargo variant with a maximum of 50 passengers and a left hand forward cargo door (with 19,968 kg/44,020 lb take-off weight.*

--Thanks Guys. I'll try to build it no matter what errors I come across. Electric powered of course, with spoilers (very worried about those small ailerons) Once the other plane is off my bench I'll try to start a build thread under scale planes on this-who knows, it may spark an interest in this plane.

Cheers,
Steve


*Citation

I was looking around for Dash 7 plans for the last month or two for my next project to build a crazy electric STOL plane.

Its not scale but I want to make somthing that is STOL...since I can barley find anything for STOL projects/ builds here.

My Plan is now to go with a Dash 8 layout in balsa, kit bash some sailplane wings, and strech out the wings more to make it a floater, shape them as close to Dash-8 wings as possible and the fuse is mostly round..hard parts for me will be T-tail / wing mount/ flaps...maybe flower flaps) shooting for 80 somthing inch wing span, over powered motors, probably no retracts but who knows...just somthing that will take off in 5 feet or somthing!

let us know if you find some good dash 7/8 plans, thanks

Originally Posted by cooper998

Just a note to add about Palmer plans, the designer never built a model from the plans so there may be a lot of discrepancies with parts fit. I attempted to build from one of his C-130 plans and found so many problems I never finished the plane. While they are workable they are not in the same league as Ziroli, Bates, or Vaillancourt.

cooper998

Cooper,

What is up with Palmer? I didn't know he never built any of his plans! -leads one to believe that he wasn't a modeler. Do any of his plans work out to be good models???

Cheers,
Steve

Originally Posted by Pilatuspc12

At least they were at Rocky Mountain Airways when I worked there in 1990.

I think I rode one of those from Cheyenne to Denver back in '84; what a blast with the turbulence from the mountains.

I just have to share this one with you guys, the Dash-7 is truly a STOL aircraft

Wideroe demonstrating STOL and slow flight at Sola, Norway. (2 min 17 sec)

Ben_E