K&W Model Airplanes De Havilland DH4 1916 Bomber Assembly Manual - page 6
de Haviland DH4B ARF 6
Landing gear
Push the landing gear supports in the holes in the
fuselage. Secure with the landing gear cross bracing and
tighten.
Install the wheels on the shaft and secure with the
stoppers. Lace rubber bands in the fashion shown in the
sketch.
This is a very efficient shock absorber.
Flying characteristic is that of a biplane from the WW-
I period and it will fly happily on 3/4 throttle. Ground han-
dling on a hard surface demands a gentle hand but on
grass surface, the tailskid provides enough directional sta-
bility. During the initial take off run first keep full up eleva-
tor to keep the tail down. As the speed builds up, let go
gradually of the up elevator and the tail comes up. You
have to compensate for the torque with right rudder but
as the speed builds up the rudder is returned to neutral.
This model should fly of the ground and not be pulled.
Unlike many other planes from this period this type has a
lifting profile stabilizer that in theory should offset the climb-
ing tendency of the high lift wing profile. Once airborn the
aircraft is limited aerobatic like all biplanes from WW 1.
Remember that all turns are made using rudder and el-
evator and compensated with aileron!
The landing approach can be rather steep as per pro-
totype but the flare out needs almost full up elevator. Once
on the ground keep the tail down to maintain directional
stability. In case you have to make a dead stick landing,
keep the nose down and the speed up. The wires pro-
duce a lot of drag! It is always better to do a good landing
in a bad place than vice versa...
Happy landingsl
Lacing of
bungee
rubber
for the
wheel
shaft
Balancing
The C/G (center of gravity) or balancing point should be no
further back than approx. 13,5 cm (5½”) measured from the
center of the leading edge on the upper wing. Make adjust-
ments by adding wheight if necessary. If you desire a more
groovy and stable flight performance you may move the C/
G as much as 1" (2.5cm) forward.
Flying
Let the engine swing a 14"x6" propeller if possible. This
gives better thrust outside the big radiator front and reduces
sound to a more realistic level.