DAW 1-26 Review

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The DAW 1-26 foamie was our second plane. Purchased from Daves Aircraftworks they represent excellent value for money and most importantly are really ...tough !!    By tough, I mean they actually bounce when they hit the side of the slope but still fly pretty damn well even after all that rough treatment.  I have the HLG and Matt the 2M aileron version.

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The DAW 1-26 HLG. Don't let the foamie look mislead you, this plane is a beautiful flyer and is very versatile .... an excellent plane !

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The 1-26 2M version with ailerons. It fly's much faster and is real 'mean' on the slope. Probably not for absolute beginners.

I built the HLG 'poly' version with Hitec HS-81 servos. It weighed in at about 17 ounces with  a 250 mAh battery.  This size battery gives 'loooong' flights, anything up to a couple of hours on the slopes and believe me the way this thing catches thermals you will need it !! After flying a relatively heavy trainer when I first started out it was a  revelation flying the 1-26. It responds really well in light lift and is at home on the slope in these conditions.

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The HLG flying the ridge ...note the radio antennae in the middle of the picture. I was flying and taking pictures at the same time ...just goes to show how stable and predictable the 1-26 is.

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Just cruising around and enjoying the sunshine.

 

Building the 1-26 was straight forward ....sorry no pics of the building process.   I would class myself a novice builder and by following the instructions closely the whole process was straight forward. My only comment would be to take your time and be careful when applying the tape to the fuselage. It is easy to introduce a bend in the body if it is applied to tightly.  I also spent a bit of time getting the plane trimmed correctly.  This was worth the effort because it made what was already a very stable plane into a very good performer.   My 1-26 is now two years old but I still take it out on light days to the local slopes and chase the thermals ....just for the fun of it !!

In summary these are excellent planes and I would recommend a visit to Daves Aircraft Works Web Page (see our links page) to check out what he has to offer. There are also more pic's of the 1-26 on our Latest Flying Pic's Page