Rotary Dyke Delta Strong Wind Landing, control stick grip breaks Dillon Hopson 2022-03-27 | Runway heading 230 degrees, winds from 300 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 18. In the landing flare the plastic control stick grip broke and the aircraft hit the runway and bounced. Recovery was fast and the Delta was unharmed. Stick grip has been replaced with a nice Ray Allen type. The landing and approach was still less bumpy than the other aircraft.
East Tennessee fall sunsets Dillon Hopson 2024-10-15 | And liking the performance from the cooler air after a long hot summer with high density altitudes.
N7DY evening landing getting use to this higher performing Delta with 8000 feet of runway. Dillon Hopson 2024-09-26 | ...
N7DY interior Dillon Hopson 2024-09-26 | A view of Delta N7DY, a homebuilt with a lot of history and excellent modern features. And a true airspeed of 173-186 MPH depending on weight and power setting in great to.
A Pleasant Evening Flight Dillon Hopson 2024-06-30 | Just a short local flight before the fireworks start. She's flying well hands off.
Little Overview of N805DH Dillon Hopson 2024-01-24 | After a late 2nd shift I made this quick overview for someone that's starting a build and for anyone interested. Options and features vary on different aircraft and I could talk about it for an hour and not come close to covering everything. The Delta doesn't disappoint and I'm fortunate to be able to talk to John Dyke often and learn. Also, it's nice that the original builder of this particular Delta as well as anyone that has assisted me with it can see how much it's enjoyed and used.
KGCY Pass Dillon Hopson 2024-01-02 | A good pass flown by the friend in the back seat. Performance is excellent with 2 adults and fuel. Not bad for 45 dollars in gas for 1.1 hours.
Delta ink pen Dillon Hopson 2024-01-02 | Nice day 1.1 hours on the clock, 25 flight hours on the Delta amd engine since July with no significant issues, including a trip to Illinois and Ohio. I thought the suction around the canopy holding my pen was a neat demonstration of lift and all of the Deltas surface produces lift.
More Delta JD2 Demonstrations Dillon Hopson 2023-12-28 | Some playing around clouds maintaining class E rules and some more demonstrations of Delta stability by making 30 degree bank turns without rudder in mild turbulence. The Dela is always pleasant to fly hand can handle pretty high winds if the situation calls for it. I have landed on a 3500 foot airstrip with 12 knot direct crosswind and had several hundred feet of runway left without hard braking. Any clouds appearing very close are an allusion or CGI. It's a well designed and well built aircraft that flys like most airplanes should but don't.
Dyke Delta JD2 stability Dillon Hopson 2023-12-27 | A demonstration of the Deltas positive dynamic stability. You can put roll input from different speeds and different pitch angles and around 75 degrees of bank the nose will come down and roll authority is heavier as speed builds. Different control inputs to assist in a roll don't work. The Delta was designed to be quick and stable and look good. When a cross controlled slip is done the nose will yaw off center briefly then return without change in rudder or roll control input. The double Delta wing is is also an improvement in ride comfort in turbulence because it bounces up and down instead of moderate pitching, rolling, and yaw disturbances. It's a joy to fly and never disappoints. Yes I am trained on common aerobatics and recover techniques. The Delta is built to normal category G limits of which I have never came close to with these demonstrations, the Deltas structure has proven over the decades to have a plenty of safety margins with only one safety AD/designe change in 63 years.
Yarn and tape results take 1 Dillon Hopson 2023-10-28 | The left wing tip stall first as it should but it's very abrupt and very little to no flow separation on the rest of the left wing or the right wing. Good old yarn and tape and camera, no computer needed.
Yarn and tape test with Brandon Dillon Hopson 2023-10-28 | Trying to see where flow separation occurs and if the right wing has any separation when the left wing is stalling.
Engine run after all the work Dillon Hopson 2023-09-30 | Well we think the radio is fixed, flight control mechanics checked, tire chenged, spare tires and tubes on hand, brakes serviced, oil leaks fixed we think, engine air inlet improved, batteries moved back to tail, wing leading edges improved, wheel bearings greased, propeller nose cone put on, cowling painted to look decent for now, wings painted and look nice, vacuum pump and regulator installed so gyro instruments work better. Take her up in the morning.
Sunday morning sun Dillon Hopson 2023-08-30 | A beautiful Sunday morning with smooth air and fog still laying shortly after sunrise. The cowling isn't all done and smooth, wings aren't perfected, and propeller spinner isn't on and trying to break in the chrome cylinders I was at 2600 rpm and speed 155 working up to 160 mph trimmed out and fabulous.
Putting her up for the day. My kid is thrilled. Dillon Hopson 2023-08-03 | This occasion was the 1st time my daughter or her momma has saw the Delta fly with the new engine. Horse power really does solve most problems.
Brief shot of a fly by, gear up with the new lycoming humming. Dillon Hopson 2023-08-03 | More to come, not pushing anything to hard yet
Lycoming o360 Delta flying Dillon Hopson 2023-08-03 | Another good test flight. Climb is 800-1000 feet per minute before gear retraction. Cruise 135 gear down and 150 gear up at 2500 rpm amd 3000 feet. Speed will improve when cowling is finished and prop spinner is installed. Center of gravity isn't optimal for best climb and cruise in order to get data in the hot weather under the most unfavorable conditions, it still passes the tests so far. Typical outside air temperature is 80-83 degrees F. and density altitude of 3000-3500 feet. Airport elevation is 1600. Only issue to resolve is stall speed is 90 and 80-85 is normal without wind modifications. Excellent progress so far.
Dyke Delta JD2 update. Dillon Hopson 2023-04-10 | I decided to keep the dual electrical system because it didn't cost weight and I'm using two electric fuel pumps and a 30 micron filter because the electric pumps keep the fuel cooler and reduce the remote possibility of vapor lock when running 91 or 93 octane ethanol free car gas. The engine has been run a little over an hour with no issues other then a couple of minor oil leaks that were resolved. A lot of scratch had built parts are needed to make these unique or rare aircraft fly.
Lycoming o360 engine conversion run. Dillon Hopson 2022-08-08 | I still have to finish fitting the cowling, baffling, finish removing the 13b wire harness for re-use and do finishing touches but we are very close. Also running one 1 magneto for this run. Plug wires are double or triple insulated copper core and autolite 386 plugs that seem to be a good match among homebuilders. For a big bore 4 cylinder aircraft engine it's very smooth and I am pleased with it. This is the first aircraft engine I have totally built.
How old fashioned country people on a budget check magnetos. Dillon Hopson 2022-06-19 | Checking out one on the old but good slick aircraft type magnetos fitted with copper core double insulated automotive type wires and plugs. More details on that later.
Lycoming o360 case assembly. Dillon Hopson 2022-06-13 | Starting to assemble the lycoming and important things to look out for especially a first time builder. This engine was a helicopter engine in 1963 sold to Hughes Tool Company, sounds fermilure, then in around 1973 converted into a regular aircraft engine and seems to have ran little to no hours.
Delta dog. Dillon Hopson 2022-04-21 | I don't know if he is interested or wants to carry off my ratchet. He will carry off anything from tools to coffee mugs.
Rotary Dyke Delta Strong Wind Liftoff Dillon Hopson 2022-03-27 | Runway heading 230 degrees, winds from 300 degrees at 10 knots gusting to 17. Delta handles it better than the Cessnas
Rotary Dyke Delta Rocket Departure Dillon Hopson 2022-02-22 | The Delta quickly accelerating to 80-85 for lift off and 110 for the climb in the cool 45 degrees weather near sea level atmospheric conditions.
Rotary Dyke Delta Low Fly By At 175 MPH Dillon Hopson 2022-02-22 | Good low pass with calm winds around 175 MPH after air traffic settled down at the airport.
Rotary Dyke Delta so so landing with gentle nose wheel bounce. Dillon Hopson 2022-02-22 | I good approach with a almost perfect landing except for the gentle nose wheel bounce. Fortunately gentle. The attitude the Delta sits at is almost like landing tail wheel airplane.
Rotary Dyke Delta From Inside Better View Dillon Hopson 2022-02-21 | A flight around the airport with a fly by at 170-175 MPH and a decent landing. Touch down speed is 80-85 MPH indicated airspeed and I keep the airplane coordinated and pretty smooth most of the time. This video also better shows gear retraction and extension and gear down locks. The round knob near the throttle is air to fuel mixture control and the black toggle switch is the in flight adjustable electric propeller pitch control. Two airspeed indicators are visible, one in the instrument panel and one off to the left side as a test cross reference to ensure the panel mounted indicator is correct. Camera date and time are not correct.
Rotary Dyke Delta 15th Flight From Inside Dillon Hopson 2022-02-07 | A nice flight feeling out the airplane more than ever. A Beech Jet landed just before Delta take off. Gear up at 4:00, Gear down at 16:25. The camera fell as this is the 1st time using it but footage was decent.
Rotary Dyke Delta Flight 15 Landing From Inside Dillon Hopson 2022-02-06 | This landing had mild winds, probably over controlling slightly and this was a slightly fast rushed landing as a Mooney was entering the pattern behind me. Date and time is not correct.
Rotary Dyke Delta Evening Flight Dillon Hopson 2022-02-02 | An evening flight around the pattern with light winds. Lift off 80-85 MPH, climb 110, pattern speed 120, touch down 80. Climb rate approximately 1000-1100 feet per minute. Doesn't take long to get gone. The filler and fiberglass work on the left wing was to improve a left wing heavy condition. Also, the date and time on camera are incorrect, will correct.
Rotary Dyke Delta Flight 13(1) Dillon Hopson 2022-01-31 | The 13th flight with a 165 MPH low approach and winds 10 knots gusting to 19. The Delta handles it well.
Rotary Dyke Delta Flight 13(3) Dillon Hopson 2022-01-31 | The 13th flight with a 165 MPH low approach and winds 10 knots gusting to 19. The Delta handles it well.
Rotary Dyke Delta Flight 13(2) Dillon Hopson 2022-01-31 | The 13th flight with a 165 MPH low approach and winds 10 knots gusting to 19. The Delta handles it well.
Rotary Dyke Delta 11th flight Dillon Hopson 2022-01-23 | Better in flight short video of all the instruments, gear retracted, and a few control inputs. Very stable.
Rotary Dyke Delta gear retraction tests. Dillon Hopson 2021-09-28 | This shows the retraction test and the nose wheel steering and steering disconnect that is unique to this Delta. Nose wheel steering is available until the nose gear is almost fully retracted and is engaged as soon as the nose gear starts down.
Rotary Dyke Delta 4 th flight. Dillon Hopson 2021-08-22 | This was the 1st time the gear was retracted in flight, holding the phone, watching the instruments, and test flying can be busy.
Rotary Dyke Delta flight 3 Dillon Hopson 2021-08-17 | Test flight 3 with 800 feet per minute climb, solo weight with fuel approximately 1600 pounds, density altitude near 2800 feet, outside air temperature 25 Celsius, CG approximately in the middle of limits, climbing at 110 MPH
Rotary Dyke Delta firewall forward Dillon Hopson 2021-04-28 | I had to cut the video short due to battery and weather but most or all of the important details are in. Feel free to ask questions, I hope anyone interested in alternative engines finds this useful. The rotary is not as fuel efficient but has a lot less moving parts and its operation is simple. The engines are proven to be reliable when cared for properly. I can also select primary, secondary, or both injectors from the cabin. The air temperature probe for the EFI is in the intake plenum right after where the ram air connects. The crank angle sensor is near the alternator and is gear driven and is similar to a distributor. Simple for EFI and electronic ignition. The engine is rated at 180HP at 6500 rpm but with the 600 pounds of thrust we are getting it's comparable to common 150-160HP direct drive aircraft engines but excellent torque. We still expect above average performance. The Delta weighs 2000 pounds fully loaded.
Rotary Dyke Delta wings folded. Dillon Hopson 2021-04-25 | The Dyke Delta with wings folded and tow hitch hooked up so the airplane can be towed on it's own wheels. The stainless steel ribs in the wing are shown as well as the pins holding the removable folding wing struts. Trailer lights on the rear folding struts and trailer light harness built into the aircraft. When towing, the nose wheel is removed giving 5 inches of ground clearance and 6-7 inches of clearance at the tail skid.
Rotary Dyke Delta start up. Dillon Hopson 2021-04-21 | Start up procedure and details of the 13b aircraft conversion.
Rotary Dyke Delta Dillon Hopson 2021-04-03 | The Dyke Delta JD2 with a Mazda 13b rotary converted for aircraft use. Dual ignition, engine controllers, injection, electrical system, fuel filters, and fuel pumps for redundancy. Propeller speed reduction gearbox is 2.85 ratio with an ivoprop in flight adjustable propeller. 30 engine test hours so far. No rude comments. More updates will come.
