Jump to content

Alan H

Members
  • Posts

    135
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Posts posted by Alan H

  1. 19 hours ago, David Ovenden said:

    Don't want to "muddy the waters" regarding the reflex issue. I don't disagree with what has been said by Peter and PatMc. But my take on this, is that it was to simplify the building of the kit. Why? The plan data box states it has an N.A.C.A. 2412 wing section. That is a bi-convex airfoil. The plan show a wing section with a distinctly flat, straight lower rear profile. Do doubt that was to make building the wing over the plan easier for beginners. The packing up of the trailing edge (reflex) was to give some sort of approximation to the NACA 2412 section that Phil Smith used on his original design. I could be wrong, but it makes sense to me!

    I too am looking at building a version of the Robot for 4 channel radio with a classic Enya15 engine for power. I will modify mine to have an accurate NACA 2412 section and see what happens!!

    This was my understanding as well. A semi symmetrical section is less prone to ballooning with a rudder only model. It also enhances the aerobatic capability if elevators are also fitted.

  2. I have had several ED's over the years and most have performed well but I did have one bad experience around 1961. I was building a Mercury Galahad and decided to power it with an ED Racer. I quite fancied the idea of using a glow so I ordered a new Racer diesel plus optional glow head, this was quite an expense for a schoolboy. After a while the model shop phoned to say it had arrived. I collected the box and on opening back home was horrified to see a large flaw in the crankcase casting which actually formed a hole. It was in the rear of the exhaust stack just left of centre so the engine running would not have been affected. Anyway I took it back to the model shop who were horrified on seeing it and sent it back to ED. The replacement engine was fine, as an aside the engine power was excellent as a diesel but gutless when run as a glow (yes I did change to glow fuel!). How it ever got passed ED's inspection (was there any?) I cannot imagine.

  3. 15 hours ago, Martin Harris - Moderator said:

    Or the flying friend who charged a 5 cell pack and checked it with a dedicated tester before handing me the model to test fly. 
     

    After three circuits, I lost all control and the newly built model re-kitted itself terminally. During the post-mortem I discovered that the receiver battery was completely discharged - and that both his charger and checker were set to 4 cells…

    What was the charger in this case? all the intelligent chargers I have seen that can handle NiCad and NiMh are of the peak detect type and do not require the number of cells to be set.

  4. 21 hours ago, Dave S. said:

    I assume that my Astro Hog is old enough to fly there - the design is slightly older than I am even if the actual model isn't. It's a relatively local event for me.

     

    I've seen Astro Hogs flying there and they are definitely acceptable.

  5. I think the only solution to the yaw instability problem is more fin area. I believe the problem arises from the amount of side area ahead of the CG leading to an adverse yaw moment which is similar or more than the corrective  moment produced by the fins. I'm surprised the full size did not have similar problems but a pilot sitting in the cockpit would make instinctive corrections with the rudder pedals to correct any slip.

    • Like 1
  6. My interest in R/C goes back a very long way. As a youngster I did a lot of sport F/F and C/L flying but I was also fascinated by all things electrical and electronic. This combination led to an early interest in R/C models, this would have been in the early 1960's. My first model was a Mercury Galahad which was powered with a Frog 150 and controlled (occasionally!) by REP Mini Reptone single channel radio. It was not very successful, the MinI Reptone was more sensitive to metal to metal noise than the transmitter! The Galahad did provide quite a bit of fun as a F/F model. My first successful model which followed shortly after the Galahad was a Ken Willard Gasser which was powered by an ED Racer and controlled by REP Unitone single channel gear, the Unitone was very reliable and at last I achieved successful controlled flights. Back in those early days a successful flight was one where the model landed in the same field it was launched from and arrived more or less in one piece. I have attached a couple of pictures of those early models.

    Alan

    Galahad61.jpg

    Gasser62.jpg

    • Like 1
  7. Posted by ken anderson. on 24/01/2021 16:00:59:

    don't know if anyone heard about the Catalina broken down on Loch Ness,its now back home,there's a program getting broadcast and then made available to view on I Player..

    ken anderson...ne...1...cat dept.

    Thanks for the heads up, I've just set up my Virgin box to record it. For anyone with Virgin cable Alba is channel161

×
×
  • Create New...