My New Years Ride

[Allen Eshleman]

I was able to do two flights in high 40 degree weather between 4:30 and 5:00.  Old original Trixie kit, hand-me-down.  I used covering material that was given along with the kit.  It has new life with an FP 25 RC engine.  Runs great.  The controls are too fast but it was fun.

[Allen Eshleman]

I did those on New Years Day.

[Dan McEntee]

   Well that's interesting! I'm reclaiming an old Firecat and just getting started. If the controls are too fast, just extend the elevator horn. Go as long as it takes to get the deflection down to 25 to 30 degree or less. Fine tune with narrower line spacing. I'm not familiar with this one, who put the kit out? Real 50's ish looking styling.
    Type at you later,
    Dan McEntee

[Allen Eshleman]

If you do a search here, on another thread, where I asked what it was, it was identified as a Guillows Trixy - kit around 1956 - designed by Lou Andrews.  Walter Umland apparently make kits. At least he has it listed on builtrightfilyright.com   I'm sure it's a much better kit.  The one given me had some masonite parts in it.  Still, on the other thread I started, some said it was a good flying plane.  I do plan to move the control rod on the elevator horn.  Also, yesterday, I was using an old yellow handle (Sullivan) I think.  Not good! As I commented on the other thread - it certainly can do square maneuvers.

[EddyR]

Here is mine built from plans. I changed it a couple of time. After building it I added the center planking and then moved the gear to the wing.
Dave Cook said Lou was giving out plans and rib sets for them in 1952 long before the kit.

[Steve Helmick]

Are those tip plates parallel to the fuselage? They don't appear to be...which I think would be a very bad thing. Could be wrong, but I'll wait around for Tim to weigh in on this design feature.  Steve

[EddyR]

Steve The answer is yes. The plane has many angles that look odd but my built from plans are parallel. I think mine are correct.

[Allen Eshleman]

Hi Eddie,

How does yours fly?   

Is that an Evo 36 on there?    If so, that's a lot of power.

I first had a Fox 35 but it burped at the top of a vertical 8.  The crash wasn't too bad.

[EddyR]

Allen   I have had two motors on it and the Evo was fine. I use 11/4 prop to control power and it works good. Right from the first flight I have had a problem with the plane.
It has turned in at me several times. I have adjustable leadouts and maybe I need to move them back or add wing tip weight. I scared me a few times by cutting into the circle but I did not crash it.. I set it aside twice as I thought why fool with it. I will try it again this spring. I think I will get rid of the tip plates as the covering has warped them and it may be adding to my problem.
Ed

added   It snapped rolled in at me in a square loop.   I saw several of these fly when I was a kid. That would have been well before 1955.They must have been pre released models. Lew came to our area and flew with the local guys several times and may have given out plans. The one I remember the most was flown by Bill Sims. I asked him about it and he told me my AAsr was a much better plane.
Ed

[Allen Eshleman]

Mine seems to be alright.  My FP 25 is using 9x4's and 9x5's.  It cuts on a dime and stays at the end of the lines for horizontal 8's.  Come spring I want to do some vertical 8's and go from there.