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E-III Eindecker,  ¾  SIZE


Eindecker Data Sheet

Ron Glover

I have over 300 hours on my Eindecker. The thought of flyingsomething with a full flying tail really had me worried at first.Ithought it would be too sensitive and hard to control. I wasworried about PIO and a host of other things you find to worryaboutwhen you build your first plane. All this worry was for not. It isan incredible airplane.

Ground handling: I have flown both the Champ and Cub. This plane,hands down, blows them both away in ground handling. Without avertical stab, the Eindecker can easily counter cross winds thatwill give your most skilled Cub pilot a bad bout of hair loss. Ittakes very little rudder input to get results. Rudder authority isinstant and completely predictable throughout all groundoperation.You can push the tail up on the Eindecker and steer it around withease.

Takeoff: I push the stick full forward and go to full power.Again,rudder authority is instant. It accelerates to flying speed inmereseconds. As speed builds, I slowly transition the stick fromforward to a slight back pressure and the Eindecker leaps off theground and climbs briskly. It is true that the elevator stickforces are very light but it is predictable and easy to adjust to.I never had any problems with any phase of flight.

Flying: The ailerons are heavy compared to both rudder andelevator. GAP SEAL YOUR AILERONS!!! I've flown it both ways. Thedifference between gap seal and no gap seal is remarkable. It gaveme a whole new experience. I've also tried boosting the roll withspades. In my opinion, although the spades make a difference, itwasn't enough to justify the time spent in building them and theycause more drag and weight. Gap sealing works best. My roll rateis respectable but the pitch and rudder authority are spectacular.The Eindecker will do awesome flat turns and unbelievable slips.Itdoes skid and slip easily but it is very easy to tell when shegetscrossed up and she responds instantly to corrections. Stalls aregentle and predictable even at full power. There is no break withpower off and the power on stall gives you a few good buffetsbeforeshe breaks. Once she breaks the recovery is instant and very easyto handle. Breaks can also be subdued with minor manhandling. Inother words, if you sit there and do nothing it will break. Butquick action can stop the break after the buffet. She warns beforeshe bites and when she does bite, it's only a nip to wake you up.Indicated power off stall is 32 mph...on mine. Due to the inherentinstability of the flying tail design, I can NOT take my hands andfeet off the controls. It only takes a matter of seconds for theplane to develop a mind of its own. With that being said, thisdoesnot imply that the plane is hard to fly. I find it an absolutedream in all handling characteristics. You just can't let go. Ihave no fatigue during long flights and find I can rest my hand onmy knee and hold the plane steady with no pressure on my fingers.She only requires your guidance.

Landing: On approach the decent rate is a little brisk. Like mostall the WWI birds, she doesn't claim a real good glide ratio.Because the Eindecker slows down so quickly you can come in atjustabout any speed you want. A simple kick of the rudder will put herin a slip that will bleed off any extra speed or altitude youhave.My approaches are usually high and fast with an impressive amountofslip as needed. Bumps up the cool factor too. The Eindecker willfeel right at home on any type of landing and does well on sod orcement. I prefer the three point, but when I'm in a crosswind Ioptfor the tail high one wheel deal. I can't even describe how easyshe handles crosswinds. I find it better than the 150. Thestraight tailed 150 at that. I've also tested just about all thedifferent style of landings. I've done…too hard, too short, toolong, too slow, too fast, too much crosswind, too much tailwind,toomuch head in the but, and still came out on top. The flare ispredictable and she settles down nicely with no surprises.

To sum up this ridiculously long post. I have enjoyed my Eindeckerfully. It has taught me things that few other airplanes couldhave. She's docile when she needs to be, yet sprightly when youwant her to be. I once heard an old fighter pilot say, "Anairplaneis like your wife. You love the good points and learn to live withthe bad." This is one airplane that is way short on bad points. Ifyou treat her with a little respect, she'll take good care of youand take you places few people can only dream of.

Sorry… This was supposed to be short but…it didn't end up thatway.It's not supposed to be a sales pitch either, but I just got homefrom flying and I had a blast. I kind of lost control of myself.

Robert, Please make check payable to Ronald Glover. :)

A few specs on my plane.Empty weight: 357 lbs.Gross weight: 601 lbs.Engine: Rotax 503 weed whacker. I know. I know. V Dub or die. Iam eyeballing that new Big Twin though. I'd like to see it upcloseon something similar to mine before I make the switch. The videosof Stark's look very promising.

Airplane was built strictly to plans short of a pull-pull aileronsystem and brakes. Pull-pull works fine but there is no advantageover the push rod system per plans. I would stick with the pushrodif I had it to do over again. As for the brakes? I'm real glad Idid that.

Search Google (Glover Eindecker) and (N621SK) for pics andinformation.

See ya.Ron GloverCheckered Tail EIIIN621SK

 

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