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Building Tips and technical articles. => 1/2 A building. => Topic started by: john vlna on May 03, 2011, 10:10:50 AM
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Death of a canard.
I started project this sometime ago, lost interest but came back and finished it this spring. Power is a Baby Bee with the large tank. I had the engine on a SIG Skyray and it always has run well. Construction is all sheet balsa, wingspan is 26” with an inch of forward sweep. Wing area is about 100 sq. in. There isn’t any gear.
Of course I hooked the controls up backwards on the maiden flight. Oddly I had them correct, but my helper and I talked ourselves into changing the connections. I touched up on launch and it went straight down. There was not much damage and it was soon in the air. The funny blue marks on the elevator/stab are field repairs for a broken hinge. It flies very well. Quite fast and maneuverable. I used an online calculator to determine the balance point and it was perfect.
The down side is that on the second day of flying I re-kitted the model. I think it was pilot error. I was inverted and did a wingover to get upright. I lost it and well instant kit. It is repairable, but I think a new one with a built up wing would be a good idea. The design seems OK.
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Congrats on the successful part of the flight sorry about the rekitting part. I have rekitted too many canards myself no to feel your pain.
You said you used an online calulator.. I would love to know the link for that tool. I have been calculating mine by hand (yes I still count on my fingers) and the only tool I have found online is directed mostly at RC and gives no consideration for lead-out lines.
Thanks for any info - Eddie
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I would think that the answer that Line III coughs up would be perfectly on track -- it gives inches behind the CG, and should be agnostic to the way that the CG was arrived at.
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Eddie,
This is the calculator I used
http://adamone.rchomepage.com/cg_canard.htm
Your right all of them are for RC, but I simply mount the BC behind the CG and bring out the leadouts slightly aft of the CG, just as I would for a conventional design. Seems to work.part of the reason I crashed is that the leadouts could have been a bit farther back. It was light on the lines, and my older reflexes didn't keep up.
john
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Thanks for the link - I will check it out and see how (or if) my numbers add up.
I am currently building my 5th design again since it was a great flier. Hope to get out with it this summer.
Later - Eddie
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Eddie,
Good luck. I liked my short lived model well enough to build a new one, maybe later this year.
John
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I like it. Do you have a drawing of it? H^^
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Doc
No plans but I plan to make some since I really liked the plane. I'll keep you in mind when I get to it.
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Rising like a Phoenix, the Canard is almost ready to fly. Most of the really bad damage was to the elevator. Since I never named this creation I have decided to call the Phoenix. I had to put it back together since I never actually drew a plan. Despite the two crashes, It flies so well I wanted to capture the design for future use, and besides, Doc wanted a copy. (It is coming Doc, but I have a contest this weekend so it is delayed)
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I guess a contest is as good as an excuse as any. LL~ LL~ Remember I have lots of patience, like it should have been here last month. VD~
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Doc,
I crashed twice this month does that count?
John
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Okay. D>K