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Building Tips and technical articles. => 1/2 A building. => Topic started by: minnesotamodeler on September 07, 2009, 08:29:00 PM

Title: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: minnesotamodeler on September 07, 2009, 08:29:00 PM: Still trying for a viable .020 combat rig. I needed a swept LE to offset the tailheaviness most all my 1/4A planes seem to suffer from (.020s are very light engines!) So I tapered the TE and used constant-chord ribs; flexible spar and LE.

Motor mount = 3 pieces of 1/4" balsa laminated together, center piece shorter to slide over the LE. Overlong so I can adjust for balance after everything else is finished.

Controls have to be VERY FREE since line pull is negligible at best. I push-fit an eyelet into the ply. bellcrank and pivot it on a piece of coathanger wire, very close fit. Eyelet length holds the BC properly centered in the wing; a piece of fuel line over the wire above will hold it there. 1/16" ply. strips between the center ribs, top and bottom, with holes to receive the pivot wire.

Tail is notched into the TE, center planking will extend over it for more reinforcement. Elevator = 1/16" balsa with a 1/32" ply. stiffening strip.

So far so good?
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: Bill Barber on September 07, 2009, 08:57:41 PM: Ray very nice work , your eyes must be healing .
Bill
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: minnesotamodeler on September 08, 2009, 08:40:17 AM: Thanks Bill, improving but not really great. Better than it was before the torn retina was repaired. I'm learning how to work with about an eye and a half!
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: minnesotamodeler on September 12, 2009, 07:26:48 AM: Here's the bones, about ready to cover. Weight as it sits, a hair over one ounce. Guess I'm doing OK in that regard.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: Robert McHam on September 12, 2009, 08:42:36 AM: Ray, looks great and I see you are sticking with the diamond airfoil.

Have you picked a name for this one yet?

Robert
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: minnesotamodeler on September 12, 2009, 11:59:55 AM: No name yet Robert, any suggestions welcome. I usually like to see how (if) a new design flies before I decide if it's worthy of a name. Some are not.

The diamond airfoil works really well, super-easy to build flat, and performs as well as a standard curved airfoil if not better.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: Ed Burkot on September 14, 2009, 01:22:21 PM: A name? How about '1/4 A Diamond' ?
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: John Crocker on September 14, 2009, 02:00:44 PM: a small diamond on a ring is called a bagette, call it the Flying Bagette. Glad to see you still using the diamond foil Ray
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: minnesotamodeler on September 14, 2009, 08:45:24 PM: Oh yeah, John, thank you...I've built a stunter, 2 .061-powered combat wings (different designs) and now the 1/4A. It works beautifully on all of them. The stunter is so stable I can even set it in a groove inverted (my nemesis).

There's a few tricks I'm learning: The ribs need to be 20-25% thick airfoils (depending on application) so the "droop" will leave a reasonably thick wing. The high point needs to be well forward of the typical rib, since the "droop" high point occurs a little further back. Rib spacing needs to be wide, of course, to allow for that "droop".
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: frank carlisle on September 30, 2009, 12:55:10 PM: Hey Ray..................................I got the little combat wing today. I was hoping you'd send the handle with it and you did. :) It's pretty windy today but by the weekend we'll fly it aand get some video. Maybe a trip to Flint is in order.
I see you haven't posted pix of it on the thread here so I took a couple to put up.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: minnesotamodeler on September 30, 2009, 12:59:28 PM: Thanks Frank. That's 27' lines. I think you'll be surprised how well it flies.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: John Crocker on September 30, 2009, 04:16:27 PM: And now for my next trick, the human corkscrew!! That thing is just to cute Ray.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: frank carlisle on September 30, 2009, 04:27:54 PM: John--I get to fly it! I've built several of Ray's kits and they all fly good so I'm expecting this one will be fun to fly too. :) It'll be the first .o20 I ever flew. We're going to take it out this weekend so by Sunday I should have some video to share.

I've had a chance to look the DD over a little closer Ray. Nice engineering.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: minnesotamodeler on September 30, 2009, 08:12:26 PM: Quote from: John Crocker on September 30, 2009, 04:16:27 PM
And now for my next trick, the human corkscrew!! That thing is just to cute Ray.

The 27' lines tame it down quite a bit. You oughtta try one on 20' lines, or even 15' as I started out with! Really quick lazy eights saved the day...
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: John Crocker on October 01, 2009, 04:46:30 AM: I'd love to have a .020 to fly in the side yard, especially if I could ever round up a cheap TD, but everybody seems to want an arm and a leg for them nowadays.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: frank carlisle on October 01, 2009, 05:39:35 AM: I think we're taking the DD out today.
John you'd be surprised at how many guys will give you a good deal on an .020. You just gotta put a request out there.

Ray I'm going to stick with the 27' lines. Also we're going to take out the Mini-Delta.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: minnesotamodeler on October 01, 2009, 03:06:04 PM: The Delta with the .061?? Hope you got longer lines than 27' for it!
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: frank carlisle on October 01, 2009, 03:43:04 PM: Jan's got that Wasp with one of his venturi set ups on it. On 10% nitro it's kind of whimpy but now we have 25% nitro.
We didn't get out today. I'm hoping for Sunday now.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: John Crocker on October 11, 2009, 06:42:44 PM: flight report?
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: frank carlisle on October 12, 2009, 03:44:39 AM: Better than a flight report hrtr is a link to you tube video I posted of the flying session.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YIIoaMWJTKI&feature=channel

It's been windy and cold since we were out last and I'm kind of itching to fly these planes a little more.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: john e. holliday on October 12, 2009, 09:00:31 AM: Video looks great, can't wait to show the grandaughters what there planes is supposed to be doing. Now is that Frank or Jan doing the starting? DOC Holliday
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: Robert McHam on October 12, 2009, 10:15:40 AM: Thanks for the video Frank. Enjoyed it very much.

Robert
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: frank carlisle on October 12, 2009, 05:24:00 PM: Doc Jan's the one doing rhe starting.
Thank you Robert.
Title: Re: A tiny little combat wing (.020)--in progress
Post by: Larry Renger on October 12, 2009, 06:06:29 PM: Whoah! If someone thinks the AP Wasp with a Jan venturi is wimpy, they haven't seen one with the correct prop! The engine MUST turn 19K on the ground to get into its power range. I fly with a 6x2 APC prop on 10% fuel, and get 4.5 second laps on 47'lines. I had a problem re-learning how to run small engines when I "left" Cox, and the thing is that the new engines LOVE to rev. Plan to aim for 20k + in the air, and you will have a happy engine. The Wasp can take it with no problem.