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Classic Designs => Classic Planes => Topic started by: Paul Smith on December 08, 2006, 01:45:43 PM

Title: Ares trailing edge
Post by: Paul Smith on December 08, 2006, 01:45:43 PM

Comparing the Ambroid and Brodak Ares.

I happened to notice an old Ambroid Ares (built) and a kit of same at a friend's house.  I was allowed to take these specimens into my weapons lab for further study.

The other day, I saw a Brodak Ares plan. 

The glaring difference is that the Ambroid design has a straight trailing edge.  the Brodak as a significant forward-sweep to the TE, with the resultant "bent" hinge line.

Any thoughts vis-a-vis the difference?

Title: Re: Ares trailing edge
Post by: Ron King on December 08, 2006, 03:01:38 PM

I split this post off the other Ares topic so it would have more visibility.

IIRC, my Ambroid version also had a swept TE. We had to bend the flap horn a little and just lived with the slight alignment problem.

Based on my videos and plans, Bill's originals also had a swept TE.

Ron

Title: Re: Ares trailing edge
Post by: RC Storick on December 08, 2006, 03:18:24 PM

The TE is swept 1 inch on the original ARES and is no hinge line problem if you sand the TE square with the fuse center line. It takes about a 2 inch flat to do so. Then bend horn legs to 90 degrees to the TE. Problem solved. Works perfect.

Title: Re: Ares trailing edge
Post by: Paul Smith on December 08, 2006, 03:31:25 PM

I took another look:

The Brodak plan is swept forward 6 degrees.

The Ambroid plan is swept forward 2 degrees.

The green airplane's trailing edge  is STRAIGHT.  It appears that the assembler achieved this by sweeping the LE a bit more.  As a result, the spars intersect the LE a bit farther forward than design intent.

Title: Re: Ares trailing edge
Post by: RC Storick on December 08, 2006, 03:49:25 PM

Here is my Ares the TE is swept forward 1 inch each side. (http://stunthanger.com/onlinephotos/data/media/8/Holding.jpg)

Title: Re: Ares trailing edge
Post by: Paul Smith on December 09, 2006, 06:45:46 AM

Right you are... You can see the sweep in your photo.

Also the straightness is evident in the "old green plane".

This was to be a "patch-job" , but further review determined that the covering is completely "crystalized", calling for a total strip-down and recovering.  Coupled with a new fuel tank and the non-standard wing, it make never be fixed.

Title: Re: Ares trailing edge
Post by: Randy Powell on December 09, 2006, 11:26:32 AM

when I do a swept forward trailing edge (and I've done quite a few), I do as Robert notes and sand a flat spot on the where the flap horn goes, but I don't bend the horn at all. Even with the 10 degree sweep I used on a high aspect job I built. I use "lucky boxes" as Al Rabe has detailed. They work pretty well and I still have very free controls.