Bent Wings

[Tim Wescott]

I only know of two people that I regularly see bringing airplanes with dihedral to the stunt circle, at least in the Pacific Northwest.

How many folks are doing this nationally?

(I'm trying to talk myself out of a semi-scale for my next project, in case you're curious.  But man, those bent wings look nice).

[Mark Scarborough]

Tim,,,
NO,,
it comes with issues us mere stunt mortals should avoid,, like How do you tell when the wings are level,, trust me its a trick ,,,, sigh

[Dennis Toth]

Tim,
Do a search on Al Rabe, he has done several ships that were world class stunters with dihedral. Al has some great semi-scale ships and there are plans available.

Best,       DennisT

[Tim Wescott]

Well, I know Al Rabe did it.  See Mark Scarborough's response to understand my trepidations.

[Bob Whitely]

One should not have any trepidations about models, that is a waste of time.
If you like the way they look then build one. There are any number of them
out there that fly just fine and look pretty good. Build one and then tell us
why you don't like them. RJ

[Randy Cuberly]

One should not have any trepidations about models, that is a waste of time.
If you like the way they look then build one. There are any number of them
out there that fly just fine and look pretty good. Build one and then tell us
why you don't like them. RJ

I agree with RJ (and believe me that's rare, just ask anyone that flys with us) (I do listen to him religiously when trimming an airplane or flying a pattern) if you want to build a semi scale stunter do so.  Don't let any imagined problems with dihedral deter you.
Any problems, either real or imagined, are well understood and easy to solve.

Leveling the wings in NOT one of the problems to worry about...

Control functions are about the only problems worth dribbling any sweat over and most of them are not a serious problem either, unless of course you're condidering a compound bent wing airplane like the Corsair, and even that has been successfully done.
Any problem encountered can be solved with the expertise available here on the forum and in videos...Al Rabe's videos are excellent tutorial efforts for this stuff.

Just "Git'er done"

Randy Cuberly

[bob whitney]

anyone ever tell Keith trostle that bent wings dont work 

[Avaiojet]

I've recently posted this photo in "Good" Will Hinton's, great build, "A slooooooww build of a semi-scale Pawnee."

First posted it a few years ago too, so I've had this aircraft on my mind for years. I think it's a great subject to model.

Currently drawn in CAD, I do expect to build it and with wings bent as much as in the photo.

Determining size and power is the issue.

Charles

[Mark Scarborough]

Tim,,
it simply goes to what your goal is,, if you want to build cool airplanes,, go for it,, if you want to improve your flying in competition,, may I suggest ( from experience here) that you stay simple for now,,,as you know,, the 109 hung on the wall for four years for a reason,, it is harder to build a wing straight with dihedral,,,only marginally but it is,, it is anot6her thing to trim that you dont have to worry about with a straight wing,,

do I say DONT build it,, no,,
do I say DO build it,, no
do I say,, build what will accomplish your GOAL best,, YES,,

[john e. holliday]

Mark has his reasons against bent wings and the others have theirs.   If you ever got to watch Keith trestle fly the Bearcat you would want to build one.  They are like any other precision aerobatic plane.  They need to be trimmed after being built as straight as possible.  Al Rabe has won the NATS and I believe Worlds flying with dihedraled planes.  Keith also has won many contests with his Bearcat.

But, if you are new to this and lack help get a what is called a standard type of aerobatic plane that has been  proven in the hands of us wanna be's.

[EddyR]

Getting the vertical CG correct is important on a Bent wing plane. Even when the leadouts are at the correct height there is a lot of mass above the wing. Al's 1968 Bearcat worked out well. I think some designs have had the wing to high in the body. If the CG is to high the plane will lean out and one might think it is the wing that is causing it and then the circle of endless adjustments starts. My 1968 Bearcat didn't need any trimming write off the board. The only thing I changed was to get the wiggly rudder down to its smallest movement. I had expected a lot of adjustment would be needed and none were.
Ed

[Avaiojet]

The bent wing Thread sparked my interest in the AG Cat. For the life of me, I cannot find my CAD drawings, although they were only scale outlines.

Dug this CL AG up on line. Might be farmiliar to some.

Charles

[jim gilmore]

bent wings are so that the landing gear can touch the ground and the prop not hit the ground.
So building a model with a bent wing might work if you plan on using very large props.

[Tim Wescott]

bent wings are so that the landing gear can touch the ground and the prop not hit the ground.
So building a model with a bent wing might work if you plan on using very large props.

I meant just dihedral.  Not a gull wing like a Corsair or a PZ-11.  Jeesh.

Besides, I couldn't figure out how to make the flaps work nicely across the gull-wing bend.

[Howard Rush]

bent wings are so that the landing gear can touch the ground and the prop not hit the ground.
So building a model with a bent wing might work if you plan on using very large props.

That's a landing gear guy's view of it.  

If you copy a successful design like the Rabe Bearcat, you'll be OK.  If you want to set out on your own, you can avoid some bother by considering Cl_beta and the fuselage's contribution to it.