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Classic Designs => Classic Planes => Topic started by: Ken Burdick on July 06, 2017, 09:40:56 AM

Title: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: Ken Burdick on July 06, 2017, 09:40:56 AM
An interesting discovery on the box of the imp shows it "suitable for combat" same with the super ring so I built the souper and Barrie is building the imp. Might as well since neither were very suitable for stunt.

In doing so, he's discovered the plans show one control horn for the flaps........it has a tapered trailing edge!
Does anyone know if the functional ones used two horns, as I can't imagine any other way to get operational flaps.
Title: Re: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: john e. holliday on July 06, 2017, 09:50:29 AM
My Imperial Ringmaster was built from an Umland kit and flies a very decent pattern.  In fact I put up one flight in St Louis Ice-O-Lated contest this year.   I also have the Super Ringmaster that still working on engine problems.    Now don't suggest I change to electrons as I have too much fun figuring out the IC set ups.
Title: Re: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: Randy Powell on July 06, 2017, 11:00:26 AM
Ken,

You can use "lucky boxes". Search on this site and you will see illustrations of how these work.
Title: Re: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: Ken Burdick on July 06, 2017, 12:20:45 PM
good idea. Still I wonder what the designer was thinking when just one horn is shown in the planset.
Title: Re: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: EddyR on July 06, 2017, 02:00:00 PM
I have seen a few and they all used one horn.Don't use two
Ed
Title: Re: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: john e. holliday on July 07, 2017, 08:59:22 AM
That was the all we had back then and it didn't hurt performance. D>K
Title: Re: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: Ken Burdick on July 07, 2017, 11:44:54 AM
the original question seems to have been lost. With a tapered trailing edge and a straight flap horn, if it is bent to accommodate the taper, it will bind, or at the very least provide a very limited range of movement.
Title: Re: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: john e. holliday on July 08, 2017, 11:31:48 AM
All ones I seen used one flap horn and it was not bent to conform to trailing edge.  Also didn't seem to hinder the controls.   Veco horns was all we had back then in our local hobby shop and Palmers dual horn set up wasn't thought of yet.
Title: Re: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: Mike Haverly on July 08, 2017, 12:15:33 PM
OK, it depends on what you call "performance".  The tapered swept forward TE *will* hinder the flap movement.  Lucky boxes help but don't make it great.  Just because Bob Palmer hadn't "invented" the dual horn set up yet doesn't mean you can't use it.

Remember my Freedom 45? It had a single horn and it was impossible fly a competitive pattern, especially in any sustained wind.  The flaps would start binding at about 8~10 degrees and want to spring back to neutral. Two years ago I cut into the turtle deck and replaced the controls with a dual horn set up.   The new set up makes it much better.  Incidentally, Jack Sheeks original plans showed a dual horn set up.  Upon bad advice I didn't follow the plans and paid for it later. The first one died an early death.  The second one is still around.  I don't fly it much but I wouldn't hesitate to take it to a contest.

So, back to the performance issue.  What do you want?  Personally I would put a dual horn in it, but I would fly combat with it ;) 

Title: Re: Imperial Ringmaster
Post by: Ken Burdick on July 08, 2017, 03:01:29 PM
Thanks Mike.
The common sense method said "use 2 control horns" but it was pretty interesting to see who really understood the issue. It's REALLY interesting how Sterling would produce the kit without addressing this detail. Next Summer we will have Combat graffiti at a new site in B.C. that isn't as restrictive as the Rice Mill site so the Ringmasters will be hacking streamers. If you find a pix of the Imperial box, it sez "combat" as does the older box for the souper r. All we need now is Greg Davis to build the Sportster......he's balking because it's really ugly.

Cheers

Ken