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Building Tips and technical articles. => 1/2 A building. => Topic started by: Larry Renger on February 20, 2008, 09:55:03 AM
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Hey gang, guess what! I won 1st in Advanced Profile at the Ed Southwick contest in Phoenix AZ. Flying an .061 powered plane against the big guys!
#^ LL~ n~
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Congratulations! #^
Larry, I tried to find some up to date info on the event but no luck.
Who and what planes did you fly against?
Pictures? Video?
Robert
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The model is the one that was recently published in Flying Models, the Sky Sport. Power is the AP Wasp .061. 45' x .008 lines, RSM "More Ultimater 1/2A" handle ( I keep coming up with improvements, so what can you do for a name?) It uses a floppy balloon contained in the cheek cowls for a tank, and the engine run is flawless ( no pressure required, the balloon doesn't even need Viagra). RSM plans to kit the model in April.
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Interesting look. Wingspan, area, weight?
Those floppy tanks work better than they have any right to, don't they? I think they feed much like a uniflow. I been using them for 2-3 years now; --I've built clunk tanks, fixed-pickup tanks, plastic tanks, hard uniflows, medicine-bottle tanks, trying to find something better, just because it's embarrassing to say "My tank is a party balloon", and they all pretty much work--but none better than that goofy balloon. Ohwell. My tank is a party balloon!
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Party Balloon picture?
Good job on the win. That's always a nice feeling.
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Great work Larry!! H^^
Am I to believe this plane flies better than a 1/2A Pathfinder?
Contest results seem to indicate that it does!
Roger V.
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Actually, no. The Baby Pathfinder is a superior plane. But there wasn't one there. Can't win if you don't play. I designed the Sky Sport to be a decent stunt machine, but very simple to build, and not requiring either a spinner or special tank. It is designed from the start to use a 12" party balloon for the tank.
For details on tank construction, do a search on "balloon tank". I believe I published a complete how-to in the past.
Sky Sport has a 180 sq.in. wing, and is really nice with a .049. With the .061 it is a screaming machine. The one I flew is the first prototype, and required noseweight. In addition, the tank compartment is too small. Even so, it has gathered 4 trophies in the last couple of years.
The published plans and kit have a 3/4" longer nose that should solve both problems. Weight came out at 8 ounces.
As it is small and overpowered, it doesn't mind wind or even gusty conditions. The long tail moment, high aspect ratio tail with twin rudders acting as tip plates provides a model that turns NOW and then stops exactly where you tell it to with no overshoot. The judges remarked that the triangles were the best they had seen in some time. #^
Eric Rule came in second with Rudy Taube's Electric P-40. I can't recall what model was flown to 3rd place.
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Thanks Larry. H^^
I will check on the balloon tank article(s).
Roger
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Here's a series I posted long ago. Uses a 35MM film canister for a container.
--Ray
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Thanks Ray.
Roger V.
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Congrats on the win, Larry!