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Author Topic: Stab leading edge profile?  (Read 1088 times)

Offline Mike Scholtes

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Stab leading edge profile?
« on: December 28, 2009, 08:19:14 PM »
While in David Fitzgerald's shop recently he explained to a group of us how his stab LE profile had evolved over time. Some rounded, some pointed, some with turbulator strips near the stab LE. What is the current state of thinking about stab LE profiles? I am at the point of selecting a shape for a modern 690" stunter and don't want to build in any avoidable flaws.

Offline Jim Pollock

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Re: Stab leading edge profile?
« Reply #1 on: December 29, 2009, 02:10:52 PM »
Mike,

I find that bringing the Stab leading edge to a not real sharp point starting about 1 - 1 1/4 inch behind the Leading edge works best all around for me.  I have done this on every airplane I have build except a Magnum - it has an airfoiled stab.  It does work quite well for me.  No hunting issues with anything I have built.

Jim Pollock   H^^

Offline Serge_Krauss

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Re: Stab leading edge profile?
« Reply #2 on: December 29, 2009, 08:29:53 PM »
From the NACA report I cited on another thread, as well as some of what Igor has posted, I believe that the sharpness of the stab leading edge depends on its chord and per-cent thickness, as well as on whether it is airfoiled. My impression is that flat, thin stabs need sharper leading edges than larger airfoiled ones, but I'm still asking this question myself. I felt that a turbulator thread glued along the leading edge of my small SkyRay .35 stab helped it. This is a more recent stabilizer, modeled after another of mine that seemed to work fine. The elevator t.e. has since been squared off and stab t.e. contour completed. It's still a WAG with room left to play.

SK



Offline John Sunderland

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Re: Stab leading edge profile?
« Reply #3 on: January 01, 2010, 11:27:41 PM »
From the NACA report I cited on another thread, as well as some of what Igor has posted, I believe that the sharpness of the stab leading edge depends on its chord and per-cent thickness, as well as on whether it is airfoiled. My impression is that flat, thin stabs need sharper leading edges than larger airfoiled ones, but I'm still asking this question myself. I felt that a turbulator thread glued along the leading edge of my small SkyRay .35 stab helped it. This is a more recent stabilizer, modeled after another of mine that seemed to work fine. The elevator t.e. has since been squared off and stab t.e. contour completed. It's still a WAG with room left to play.

SK

 How much stab can you effectively use on a nose heavy SkyRay? Ok well, it is three oz and change heavier from the first flip. Shy at least as much as the engine quits. It is short coupled and has no flaps....a wire glued to the LE of the wing might make it fly better.


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