OK the Frankenstone Arrow has had its baptism of fire. Had it up several times today, pretty interesting:
First, you may recall I had some problems keeping the engine running before. Sad news, guys, the cowling is the problem--engine just wasn't cooling inside. Below is a couple of pics of the successful flying configuration--no cowl, tank compartment sealed with foam, rubberbanded in. Engine ran and needled fine with this setup.
Next problem: Remember I had added a tail wheel, putting the ground attitude nearly level--made it look really good. Well, first flight, it came off the stooge with the .061 just singing away as it does, taxiied nicely...and taxiied...and taxiied...a fast taxi, but stuck firmly to the ground. I kept increasing control until I had it on full "up", you could clearly see that big ol' flap in back sticking up, and it was still on the ground! A full quarter lap, then I ran out of pavement and hit the grass lip--plane kinda bounced, and suddenly it was doing a VTO. I had short-tanked it so didn't do much, just ran it out and got it back down--by the way, landing is what it does best, just lovely. It evidently LOVES being on the ground.
Obviously it needed some positive AoA on the ground to get airborne, so I bent the tailwheel up and back to lower the tail. Also moved the leadouts back a little since it seemed pretty light on the lines. Next launch was much more "normal", off in maybe 15'. Second problem solved.
Well, I gotta tell you guys, this plane is SLOW! I was amazed; the .061 is plugging away as it does, sounds good, nice rpms, yet the plane is just lumbering along--best I could count, without a watch, easily over 5 sec. laps, maybe close to 6. Admittedly this is on my 48' lines, but I really expected this thing to be fairly fast--huge wing, 10.5 oz., should equal a really flat AoA and good speed. Well, it's flat, but slow--lumberingly slow. I guess all that wing area = a lot of skin friction. It was like I was towing a parachute, or something.
I did take it into some cautious maneuvers, which it handled OK considering. If you've ever flown a Wow, or Half-fast, then you know how it flies--just slow it down a lot and you've got it. It is prone to stagger with just a little too much control input, and there ain't much between "not enough" and "too much".
I'm really not sure what to do with it--according to the plans, it balances 'way noseheavy, but certainly doesn't fly like it--I'm not inclined to move the CG back any since it verges on unstable as is. One thing: Next time it flies, it'll be on 42' lines; I may even try it on 35'. And I guess too I could try a 5x4 prop or so to try and get some airspeed.
One positive note: If there's ever a "landing" contest this plane should win it hands down. Floats down nice and slow, slower, slower...then grabs the ground like a magnet and sticks to it. No bounce whatsoever even if you "rough" it in a little--thanks to Frank's aluminum gear, it absorbs shock by bending, not springing! I never saw a plane that likes its wheels so much.