Hi guys
So the drak didn't seem to quite take the world by storm as expected- although it seems a fair seller.
Whether this was down to its huge size, high price or high component cost I don't know?
Anyway- people's experiences of it would be great thanks. I'm just curious I don't have £300 lying around unfortunately!
I'm just about ready to maiden mine, and unless it flies like a pig, I think it's a great kit. The design is well thought out, it seems incredibly robust, almost too much space inside the fuselage, and a really nice size to be able to carry a serious payload (be it massive batteries, or a hefty cam set up for mapping etc.)
The build is quite straightforward, with the odd little bit slightly fiddly to get a neat finish.
I've just pre-ordered one of the Mini-Drak kits that Mr Ritewing has recently announced too...
Andy
Interesting Andy
How labour intensive was the build? People seem to have spent months building them despite it seemingly being pretty well designed and straightforward.
I would love one but it's just too big for me. I like my wings small and compact.
I've had mine for almost a year but only flown it about 15 times.
Pros:
1) Fast built, took me four evenings
2) Very strong plane
(my first two launches didn't go as planned.... Coyote and Luvbus were there to witness !... no damage)
3) Looks great in the air
Cons:
a) 5S lipo if using Ritewing power setup (not easy/impossible to get now in big capacities)
b) Expensive
c) Launching can be varied until you get the routine that works for you.
PK :)
Don't think 15 flights is too bad this year Paul!!
It looks great in the air, really imposing. The speed is incredible and that is where it needs to be as it seems to be so locked in and on rails. No sign of wing waggle whatsoever. Doesn't look so good stooging around at the same speed as other aircraft, uncomfortable you might say. It's the size that puts me off, it's massive especially when folk don't seem to load them up with much, forward facing FPV & HD cams seems to be be the norm.
I'm with Andy, the Mini Drak looks 😎 most of the benifits without the bulk.😃
What about low speed ? The mini Drak looks like a nice platform for mapping. And the main quality here is stability during low speed flight.
The mini will inherit flight qualities from the big brother I hope.
The mini looks awesome, but even with ritewing packing 4 into a box it works out about $190 for the kit alone, and given the £ is still crap that's £150 before electronics so it's just a bit too much to justify for me. I know the reason for the cost but it just puts it over the 'screw it, take my money' level.
Flies great once you get in in the air. Lots of power and very stable.
I've had around a 50% success rate with launching it though :-[ Going to try new techniques I think
How come nobody seems to use the canards? They should help with low speed handling e.g. launching shouldn't they?
Quote from: SoGeo on October 07, 2016, 09:38:13 AM
What about low speed ? The mini Drak looks like a nice platform for mapping. And the main quality here is stability during low speed flight.
The mini will inherit flight qualities from the big brother I hope.
Way too small for mapping. Small and bumped around with wind. Full sized drak would be good no doubt.
Quote from: iwan_canobi on October 07, 2016, 09:46:09 AM
The mini looks awesome, but even with ritewing packing 4 into a box it works out about $190 for the kit alone, and given the £ is still crap that's £150 before electronics so it's just a bit too much to justify for me. I know the reason for the cost but it just puts it over the 'screw it, take my money' level.
Yes i think the exchange rate is screwing us here. Its hard to justify when a Skyfun costs £40. Ok- so the drak will last longer. But you can buy 4 skyfuns for the same price if you smash the first one up.....
Quote from: AdamG on October 07, 2016, 10:19:11 AM
Flies great once you get in in the air. Lots of power and very stable.
I've had around a 50% success rate with launching it though :-[ Going to try new techniques I think
Adam are you running a drak?! I had no idea i thought you went for a skyhunter in the end? How are you launching it? It seems so powerful it can launch itself pretty easy!
Quote from: Loopdreams on October 07, 2016, 10:40:37 AM
How come nobody seems to use the canards? They should help with low speed handling e.g. launching shouldn't they?
They are not really well understood. And what part of the draks handling is missing to the point where canards will help? I think it was a bit of fun by chris but not really needed.
Quote from: Billy_boy_2010 on October 07, 2016, 02:27:34 PMAnd what part of the draks handling is missing to the point where canards will help? I think it was a bit of fun by chris but not really needed.
The part where they don't seem to like flying slow and therefore seem to have a reputation for being fairly horrible to launch. I'm pretty sure that's the reason they'll have been added rather than just as bit of fun, they should more or less eliminate a stall.
Quote from: Loopdreams on October 07, 2016, 02:31:32 PM
The part where they don't seem to like flying slow and therefore seem to have a reputation for being fairly horrible to launch. I'm pretty sure that's the reason they'll have been added rather than just as bit of fun, they should more or less eliminate a stall.
I disagree. Read about its evolution on fpvlab. Chris had some space in the mould and so threw them in. I dont think he even trialed them on his demo ones. A couple of people have had the canards moving and working in flight but it changes the CG hugely.
One of its main marketing points was that it flies slow and has a gentle stall- so im surprised people are really struggling with launching them. I have always said chris should have built it for 6s- so if people are loading them up heavy with 4s batteries they may struggle?
I like chris but im never convinced by his arguments- he never ever admits hes wrong or mistaken and is very very precious about his products. The Z3 was too heavy. And the Drak should be run on 6s. Did he really choose a 5s motor because it was the best for the drak? Or was it because he got a great deal on branding his own 5s motor and batteries? hmmmm....
I love the looks of the Drak, both mini and full size. But, that price...And shipping cost. It's still a piece of foam, after all, durable, ok, but there's loads of great flying planes, for a fracture of Drak's price.
Guess, I'd still get one, after buying a yacht :)
Quote from: Billy_boy_2010 on October 07, 2016, 02:27:34 PM
Way too small for mapping. Small and bumped around with wind. Full sized drak would be good no doubt.
Mini Drak is given for 40+ inches wingspan
Ebee, the best sold mapping platform from SensFly, is 38 inches
https://www.sensefly.com/fileadmin/user_upload/sensefly/documents/brochures/eBee_en.pdf (https://www.sensefly.com/fileadmin/user_upload/sensefly/documents/brochures/eBee_en.pdf)
Quote from: SoGeo on October 07, 2016, 06:48:53 PM
Mini Drak is given for 40+ inches wingspan
Ebee, the best sold mapping platform from SensFly, is 38 inches
https://www.sensefly.com/fileadmin/user_upload/sensefly/documents/brochures/eBee_en.pdf (https://www.sensefly.com/fileadmin/user_upload/sensefly/documents/brochures/eBee_en.pdf)
The two are incomparable. One is a long build EPP racing bashing plane, the other is an off the shelf complete package.
It's like saying a 250 quad is a good arial camera quad because the latest DJI product also has 4 motors......
That s what I was asking for initially. Aptitude to low speed. Size is not the problem so, shape is.
Quote from: SoGeo on October 07, 2016, 08:23:36 PM
That s what I was asking for initially. Aptitude to low speed. Size is not the problem so, shape is.
Well weight and wing area are the two biggest factors determining low cruise speed.
If you want to map for a long time in variable wind conditions you need a bigger plane. You can do it with any plane I suppose. But there are much better options out there than a mini Drak.
I've been flying my Drak since last January (50+ flights) and it's been one of thee best flying airframes I've flown in the last 40yrs+, I would rank it up with the Chris Foss Wot 4 and Acro Wot, it's that well behaved. The issue that I see time and time again goes back to the "good o days" of los and non flight control models, they used to be rated as Trainer, Intermediate, Sports and finally Scale. The likes of the Drak, Z3 and Z2 fall very much into the Sports/Scale category, even with a flight controller they will misbehave if abused in flight/launch. If a guy builds a Drak and thinks he's going to get a large Mini Talon or Twinstar then think again sunshine, it's going to bite ya on the ass big time.
Is it hard to launch, feck no, try launching a scale DR1 triplane or a 2mtr pattern ship because they are hard to launch, the Drak is well behaved in comparison. I ALWAYS launch in manual mode and respect the needs of this airframe, straight into wind, 30degs/40degs, and always on full power. Have I messed up, yep, launched at 70/80degs after my fingers slipped and I knew before she was more than a foot away its was not going to end well. Which leads to another positive point of the Drak which is it's durability, this bad launch lawn darted my Drake from 20ft and no damage, my Mini Talon looks a mess after 50+ flight with out incident but costs a sixth of the cost.
The Drak is not for every FPV pilot, its flown mainly in PA/2D mode by most pilots and they miss the very best qualities in doing so.
If you want a FPV plane that flies like a SkyWalker then buy a Skywalker, don't buy a high wing loaded powerful sports airframe because that's what the Drak is :P
I wish it was cheaper, I wish is was 4S not 5S, I wish my misses won't find out I'm getting the mini Drak.