Is lighter always better?

[Bill Little]

OK, now for my own curiosity........ the first guy I "hitched my wagon to" (back in 1963! LOL!) was Billy Werwage.  I thought the Ares was the prettiest model airplane I had ever seen.  Now, I know Bill has always preached building light, and even lighter.  Bob Hunt is another good friend that is the same vein (I haven't heard that either have changed their thoughts on this?).  Both have been US National Champions and World Champions.  How does this philosophy fit in to the thoughts today of heavier models which also has its share of NATS and World Champions?

No, I am not trying to start anything, not "pitting one camp against the other", etc., etc..  Just trying to determine the differences in approaches between the different theories of highly successful designers/builders/fliers.  Really, no hidden agendas, purely from the intellectually curious side of this hobby since both theories have proven highly successful. 

Is it simply design theory where one area places emphasis on one aspect or the other?

Thanks
Bill

[Howard Rush]

    I think "too much lift" is best read as "more lift capability than you need for the rotation rate you are going to use" which is more-or-less a fixed ratio given that the rotation and translation is coupled. The net result being that you track through at a low AoA and generated more hinge moment and adverse pitching moment than would be ideal.

So does it mean too much flap deflection for a given pitch rate?

[RandySmith]

or too much flap area
which is more or less about the same on many ships
Randy

[PJ Rowland]

I prefer Less flap both in ratio & in Throw.

The Ares has alot of flap..

[Steve Fitton]

Yeah. I have a 38 ounce Tanager kit bashed into a JD Falcon. Powered by an LA46. Lines are .015 by 63', eyelet to eyelet.  I've been running it in a dead four stroke, little burps in the overhead eight. It was timed at 6 second laps. Definitely stays out on the lines.

Well, it stays out, but it can be pretty scary looking sometimes as it flops around.  It needs to go faster...

[jim ivey]

I mounted an old OK 60 on a red brick, put on a landing gear and controls on it for a novelty event  I couldn't quite get it off the ground. Someone said "jim put some stubby wings on it and it then it might fly". I said " It wouldn't be a flyin brick then it would be an airplane!!".  jim

[Dennis Moritz]

Yeah. Steve. It looked o.k. to me. But I am laughing. Was that why the judges got out their seats? Imminent disaster. Always a show stopper. Dan was ticked off with me too. Also funny. Frankly I had no idea a plane could fly that slow and go over the top.