Wednesday, August 29, 2007

The Spitfire is starting to take shape

I posted about this airplane a while ago, but it was still pretty bare at the time. Now its starting to look like an airplane.

7 comments:

Ivo Vegter said...

That's looking really good. Are your plans intended for a model, or for an original aircraft? I.e. do you have to figure out stuff like scale and weight distribution yourself?

And are you really going to fly it? No, I mean, once you've pondered the possible consequences? ;-)

I've half-built a model sailing ship, and fully intend to retire young and scratch-build models from original plans one day. Ideally, one day soon.

Projects like yours are a kick in the pants. Thanks.

Mike said...

I can think of all sorts of mischief that you could get yourself into with that thing if you put an engine into it! RC planes have such potential to wreck havoc on unsuspecting victims >:)

Purple Avenger said...

This one isn't R/C, this is a control line airplane (flies on 60' stainless steel cable connected to a control handle). Doesn't make it any less deadly though.

Decades ago someone was killed at Flushing Meadows park in NYC when they lurched into the path of a control line speed plane doing 150mph+.

This is a slower stunt plane though. I expect it'll fly in the 60mph range with the intended engine.

Ivo, of course it will be flown!

This one isn't a static display wall decoration. The balance is something you fiddle with while trimming it out. There are general rules of thumb to start with to get something flyable. Symmetric airfoil planes of this type will typically want to balance somewhere forward of around 25% of the wing chord. Certain types of gliders with lifting tail surfaces might be able to balance at the trailing edge and still fly well.

If it turns out to be twitchy, then you move the C/G forward some. If its sluggish, you move it back. Everyone will have a different comfort range they can handle. I can handle a much twitchier trimmed plane than a beginner could.

When the C/G gets too far to the rear, you wind up with something that is essentially uncontrollable. All control inputs become greatly exaggerated and the thing gyrates violently up and down. Not fun.

AmPowerBlog said...

Have a great holiday weekend!

Anonymous said...
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Ibrahimblogs said...

It is indeed looking like an airplane now. Congratulations!! Keep sharing!

This is Ibrahim from Israeli Uncensored News

宛佳宛佳 said...

好文章給人的感覺就是很好,謝謝您~~ .................................................................