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General control line discussion => Open Forum => Topic started by: Geoff Goodworth on December 18, 2011, 08:07:28 PM

Title: Bob Whitely's trimming article
Post by: Geoff Goodworth on December 18, 2011, 08:07:28 PM
I have been searching for an article by Bob Whitely where he talks about stabiliser incidence and engine downthrust. I think it was called Things that work.

Can somebdy tell me where it appeared please?
Title: Re: Bob Whitely's trimming article
Post by: proparc on December 18, 2011, 08:24:41 PM
Man, this was a great article. I was fortunate to see the results of that work in action at a local Socal contest. The best way to describe Bob's flight, was the plane looked EXACTLY like an RC ship in flight. That is, it didn't look at all like a typical plane swinging on the end of a string. The appearance was as if, if you cut the lines, it would simply proceed to fly normally like a well-trimmed RC pattern ship. VERY UNIQUE. Bob won that contest by the way-very hotly contested.

As someone who is in the unique position of flying A LOT of other people’s planes, the single biggest impediment I immediately notice is, dificiency in trim.  I never ceased to be amazed just how much more performance they could get out of their ships for want of better trim. Way too much focus on gizmos and tech, and not enough of the good old time religion.
Title: Re: Bob Whitely's trimming article
Post by: Don Hutchinson AMA5402 on December 18, 2011, 09:11:46 PM
Stunt News some years back. Someone will chime in here with what issue.
Title: Re: Bob Whitely's trimming article
Post by: Serge_Krauss on December 19, 2011, 03:57:27 PM
If you're just looking for the information, Bob has written extensively on these things at SSW Forum. Searches under "author" for "alfadawg", "rjalfadawg", and rjalphadawg1" over there will bring up quite a bit.

SK
Title: Re: Bob Whitely's trimming article
Post by: Allan Perret on December 19, 2011, 05:23:58 PM
March 1998
Title: Re: Bob Whitely's trimming article
Post by: Geoff Goodworth on December 20, 2011, 03:33:17 PM
Thanks Allan. It was reprinted in July/August 2004. I found it but I am still struggling to believe that it was that long ago. Time flies when you are having fun. H^^
Title: Re: Bob Whitely's trimming article
Post by: Chris McMillin on December 22, 2011, 04:59:07 PM
 I never ceased to be amazed just how much more performance they could get out of their ships for want of better trim. Way too much focus on gizmos and tech, and not enough of the good old time religion.


That's funny! And true, I've driven to Tucson just to fly for a weekend with Bob after working my ship into shape. He gets more done in a few flights than I can in weeks.
Of course, he often says that if the model were straight, or had some other basic situation handled that starts on the building board (my Copperhead V-10 has a twist in the fuse and the nose is too long) it'd be a lot easier to trim!
Chris...