DS - Diva by Patrick Häusler and Hannes Niethammer:

in German here to find: DS-Diva

last update 23.02.2008

The DS-Diva has been designed specially for fast DS.

Patrick Häusler did the calculations on the plane, Hannes Niethammer made the construction drawings in CAD as well as finishing the positiv molds for the plane. The negative molds were made completely out of carbonfiber.
The project DS-Diva has been completed, starting with the first scratch pictures up to the maiden flight, in only nine months time and got rewarded in a fully stress free first flight. The setup suited perfectly from the start, only the CG had to be changed slightly with 10g (0.35 oz) of lead.

In the construction, much effort has been put into making it fast and easy to build. All needed markings for cutting afterwards, have been very carefully made in advance in the positiv mold.
The fuselage cross-sections have been choosen in way, that a very stiff fuselage can be build with as little material as possible.
The service-lit in front of the fuselage has been placed on the side, so the fuselage will not loose any stiffness here. Just like on the SRTL the plane has been planned without nose cone. The linkage of the flying stab is made with a bellcrank running in ball bearings.

For the wings, the wingsection near the flap-servos was made thicker with a specially developed section. Now it is possible to build in a 19mm (7.48inch) thick Servo for the flaps.
This way not only a very strong servo can be placed on the flaps, also a very durable Servo, which can take some harder landings as well. On the ailerons, a Volz Micro-Maxx-XP fits in easily.
The wing can be mounted on the fuselage with two M6-bolts. There is also a possibility to mount the wing with tape (just like the SRTL)

Meanwhile the first two versions have been build by Hannes (Patrick is still building, see pictures below).

After a certain test phase with the first version (F3F lay-up, 3kg = 105.8oz) a special DS model was build.
A lot of carbon was used in this plane. Nevertheless much attention was payed in placement and dosage of the carbon. Which means in the rudders on the in- and outside skins only a 49gr/m²-glass, one diagonally 200gr/m² carbon and in between 1.2mm Herex. The D-box however, got 800gr/m² gradated carbon inside. This gives a brutally rigid surface at a relativly low weight. Together with an "extreme" layed up spar, this wing only bends when sitting on it and rocking it extremely.

We succeeded in developping and building a model especially for hard DS. On 31 January 2008 this got rewarded with a European record of 423km/h = 262.84mph. (although this record only held 0.5 hour, as Dietmar flew 3km/h = 1.9mph faster with his SRTL ...)

We'll keep on trying to get back that record!!

Hannes Niethammer

Video: Black Mountain am 31.01.2008 - 263 mph (115 mb)

Screens:

Video: Black Mountain am 15.01.2008 - 221 mph (52 mb)

Extension 11.02.2008:

Assembly photos DS-Diva, send by Patrick Häusler:

Assembly photos DS-Diva, send by Hannes Niethammer:

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Forum - DS-Diva

Forum - building the DS-Diva - by Hannes Niethammer