Author Topic: Flights of Fancy (Read 31579 times)

ElyDave · « **Reply #325 on:** December 13, 2020, 08:35:27 pm »

Getting there, but now run out of superglue and the stuff on order hasn't arrived yet, calling a halt to proceedings.

Canopy now complete, maybe a bit of tidying at the edges.
K8 covered and fitted
Wing struts covered, and drying
Front anti glare panel finally looking matt
Now just need superglue to fit the motor peg, then the decoration if I go that way

TheLurker · « **Reply #326 on:** December 13, 2020, 09:11:46 pm »

Don't glue motor peg in!!!
Write more tomorrow evening.
03:00 start so need to crash now.
Repeat. Don't glue peg in place.

ElyDave · « **Reply #327 on:** December 14, 2020, 08:53:49 am »

NO - superglue to harden the hole for the motor peg. I know the peg is not to be glued in place

TheLurker · « **Reply #328 on:** December 14, 2020, 03:06:31 pm »

Phew! You had me worried.

TheLurker · « **Reply #329 on:** January 23, 2021, 10:32:19 pm »

Been working the plan for this one up for about a year now off and on. Airspeed Tern, Free Flight, 34" span. This really is a bit of a punt and if it ever gets aloft it could get sticky (metaphorically and actually) very, very quickly. Strongly tapered wings are more than a little iffy for Free Flight. Hoping to counteract any tendency to tip stalling and spinning with 3 deg. of dihedral and 3 deg, of washout. Fallback is to build a second wing with 4.5 deg of dihedral. Construction started a fortnight or so back. Slow progress. Port wing last weekend, wing centre section this last 3 or 4 days.

philip · « **Reply #330 on:** January 27, 2021, 09:40:12 pm »

Something slightly different, a radio controlled glider sets a speed record: 548 mph

https://newatlas.com/aircraft/dynamic-soaring-speed-record-spencer-lisenby/
https://www.youtube.com/embed/4eFD_Wj6dhk

It's flying on the downwind side of a mountain using dynamic soaring.

Jaded · « **Reply #331 on:** January 29, 2021, 09:34:36 am »

Barking!

JonBuoy · « **Reply #332 on:** January 29, 2021, 12:45:39 pm »

I liked the idea that albatrosses can dynamic soar their way across the oceans in their sleep.

I wonder what they dream about.

Kim · « **Reply #333 on:** January 29, 2021, 12:56:13 pm »

Quote from: JonBuoy on January 29, 2021, 12:45:39 pm

I liked the idea that albatrosses can dynamic soar their way across the oceans in their sleep.

I wonder what they dream about.

Riding a bike.

cycleman · « **Reply #334 on:** January 29, 2021, 06:29:03 pm »

And narwhals

Ashaman42 · « **Reply #335 on:** January 29, 2021, 06:55:31 pm »

Electric narwhals.

TheLurker · « **Reply #336 on:** February 13, 2021, 09:58:17 pm »

Quote from: philip

Something slightly different, a radio controlled glider sets a speed record: 548 mph...

Crumbs.

Meawhile, back at the shallow end of the pool... it's beginning to look like a Tern.

TheLurker · « **Reply #337 on:** February 21, 2021, 07:22:27 pm »

Airspeed Tern. It marches very slowly. A photo-bomb post.

Ballast chamber. Plan is for bulk of noseweight to sit on shelf under nose stringers and the chamber is solely for day to day tweaking of trim to suit the wind conditions.

Fitting the coaming and forward wing roots to form the cockpit space. Coaming is tissue reinforced soft 1/32" sheet.

Noseblock showing removable front cone. Ballast, adjustment. For the use of.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #338 on:** February 22, 2021, 12:06:01 pm »

Airspeed built these in York at their original factory right in the middle of town (it had been a trolly bus depot) which was unfortunately demolished about five years ago.
Interesting company, Nevil Shute was one of the founders and Lord Grimthorpe who's estate is based in our village and Alan Cobham were among the other directors.

TheLurker · « **Reply #339 on:** February 22, 2021, 03:51:23 pm »

Quote from: pcolbeck on February 22, 2021, 12:06:01 pm

...Interesting company, Nevil Shute was one of the founders ...

Ahem. I think you mean Mr. Norway.

TheLurker · « **Reply #340 on:** February 27, 2021, 08:19:23 am »

Quote from: pcolbeck

Airspeed built these in York at their original ...

If you haven't already read it and can get your hands on a copy, read, "Slide Rule" by our hero. It deals mostly with his time at Vickers on the R-100 with Barnes-Wallis and the setting up and running of Airspeed. No, you can't have my copy.

Airspeed Tern. Last night saw the final "large" sub-assembly done. As pictured 21g, but by the time various bits & bobs like skids, pegs, hooks and so on are added the true bare bones weight will be more like 25g or so, so allowing 10g for tissue and dope and taking the Baby Minimoa as an example for noseweight probably looking at about 40g AUW. There are a few hem hem, "not queit rite" bits, but, as any fule kno, it is a model not a ~~faxsil~~ ~~faccslil~~ excat copy.

Beardy · « **Reply #341 on:** February 27, 2021, 04:48:23 pm »

That’s reminiscent of the swallow I once flew. It’s a bit nerve wrecking as a noice pilot getting into a single seater for the first time because up until that point you’ve had someone to check that you’re DOIN’ IT RIGHT.

JonBuoy · « **Reply #342 on:** February 27, 2021, 08:46:46 pm »

I used to own a ninth of a Swallow but that looks far more elegant.

Only photo I could readily find:

It definitely had a tailplane, canopy and central coaming when I flew it.

Beardy · « **Reply #343 on:** February 27, 2021, 09:21:53 pm »

A lack of tailplane seems to be something of a theme on that there airfield

I like the paint job.

My first launch (aero-tow) in the swallow, and also my first single seater launch, got as far as the end of the runway. PIO resulted in the tug pilot releasing the tow at the same time I did which left the towrope free to drape itself over my starboard wing and jam in the aileron. Fortunately I wasn’t high enough to need to do anything other than land ahead and I had sufficient excess runway to do so safely. I wasn’t allowed to get out of the plane and was pushed back to the launch point, clipped on to the now returned tug and launched successfully. I had to buy the tug pilot a pint in the bar that evening

TheLurker · « **Reply #344 on:** February 28, 2021, 08:04:37 am »

Quote from: JonBuoy on February 27, 2021, 08:46:46 pm

I used to own a ninth of a Swallow...

I own a whole Swallow, but it's only 1/9th, well 1/14th if we're being accurate, the size of a real one.

West Wings semi-scale take on the design. I have to say mine looks a good deal shabbier these days than it does in the pic.

pcolbeck · « **Reply #345 on:** March 02, 2021, 12:51:45 pm »

Quote from: TheLurker on February 27, 2021, 08:19:23 am

Quote from: pcolbeck
Airspeed built these in York at their original ...
If you haven't already read it and can get your hands on a copy, read, "Slide Rule" by our hero. It deals mostly with his time at Vickers on the R-100 with Barnes-Wallis and the setting up and running of Airspeed. No, you can't have my copy.

Thanks for the recommendation. Just ordered it off that Amazon.

Efrogwr · « **Reply #346 on:** March 02, 2021, 04:12:47 pm »

Quote from: pcolbeck on March 02, 2021, 12:51:45 pm

Quote from: TheLurker on February 27, 2021, 08:19:23 am
Quote from: pcolbeck
Airspeed built these in York at their original ...
If you haven't already read it and can get your hands on a copy, read, "Slide Rule" by our hero. It deals mostly with his time at Vickers on the R-100 with Barnes-Wallis and the setting up and running of Airspeed. No, you can't have my copy.

Thanks for the recommendation. Just ordered it off that Amazon.

I've just started reading... I think that it's going to worth it! So thank you, Lurker.