Devon Slopes
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Höllein Inside f5J kit
Devon Slopes replied to Devon Slopes's topic in Gliders and Gliding - General Discussion
Sorry, Andy I have only just seen your post (I did not mark this as a thread to be followed when the web-site updated). I've been flying the model regularly now for three years, including in the South West e-gliding competition. I'm sure I'm still not dragging every last drop out of its performance, but it does well provided the wind is not too strong. The only major change I have made is I now use an XPower F2919/10 motor, not because the previous setup was poor, it was fine for normal flying, but the local competition only gives a 20 second power run for gliders of this size. -
This "background" project which I do between other things has now reached the flyable stage. Its still far from complete, but I want to fly it to find out if there are any problems that need to be solved before I spend time adding more details. So, I'm waiting for the right weather when a willing launcher is available. At the moment the all-up weight is around 1280g, so heavier than Andy's (1210g) and about the same as Peter Garsden's. On the other hand I have the heavier wing spar, and I suspect I was not weight efficient with the structure around the multilocks that hold the wings on. And of course details will add more weight!
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I thought I'd better make a 2022 blog-post for this project before the year is over! Its always been a background project to do in between other things, like the Inside F5J I've completed, or the 3D printed Eclipson Model S. The overall weight was headed rather alarmingly upwards (or at least my predictions were), so although the fuselage is glassed and painted (though still a few coats to go) I'm going for Oracover for the wings and tailplanes.
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Many thanks for the tips, Matty, I've acted on them, but I would still like to hear from other National Park users.
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And we have quite strong evidence that the Park Authority will not give us permission to fly gliders if they take this power. Currently they could give permission for drones within the byelaws, but actually use them to impose a blanket ban... "We do not give permission for any recreation flying of drones on common land." (see https://www.dartmoor.gov.uk/enjoy-dartmoor/outdoor-activities/drones-and-model-aircraft, which also erroneously gives the impression that all model flying is banned without permission). So please, please help us stop the Dartmoor Park Authority having the unilateral right to ban us by helping out as I outlined in the post immediately above.
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Folks, those of us who fly on Dartmoor need all the help we can get here, so aside from filling in the form Wookman has pointed you to, could I ask for two more forms of help? 1) Can you say if you know of other national parks and similar which allow model gliders? If we can say this would leave Dartmoor out on a limb could help us. I know North York Moors allow it, and there is an arrangement for the Long Mynd (with the National Trust). Is it still allowed in the Peak Park? What about elsewhere? 2) Any advice from folks who who have fought similar battles would be welcome. As has been said above the BMFA are aware, but what else has worked in the past? Thank-you Devon
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Devon Slopes joined the community
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Vacuum Forming? Folks familiar with the Andy Blackburn Canberra will know that creating the engine nacelles involves shaping balsa sheets into compound curves (see Andy's thread on this). Having got the balsa wet, I formed the main curve by letting it dry around the vacuum cleaner pipe (hence my claim that it's vac-forming....). More seriously this was version 1 one of doing this. I found you get more curvature if you use tape as well as elastic bands, and run your fingernail along the back to pre-curve it. Andy also describes how to make a template to get the shape right. I found that if you trace around the bottom of the keels onto a piece of paper (before you glue them on) you get a good first approximation for the edge which joins the wing.
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Brilliant! Thank-you Alan, googling that spec gets to some useful sites.
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Any Advice on Canberra Colour Schemes? Progress is being made, and so I'm beginning to think about colour schemes. One of the things I learnt from building model railways is to pick things to do which lie within my modelling skills. Hence I was pleased to find that there is a colour scheme for the Canberra T4 which has all-grey wings. That should not be beyond my abilities with a spray can! But does anybody know if they were really grey, which is apparently as shown here? Or were they actually this greeny-grey shown here?
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Höllein Inside f5J kit
Devon Slopes replied to Devon Slopes's topic in Gliders and Gliding - General Discussion
David - it slopes! I should be clear, though, I didn't take it to the rough-and-tumble of Dartmoor. The Dartmoor Slope Soarers' flatfield site has a slope which works, to a degree, in a south westerly. So last weekend I spent about an hour playing in slope lift. Not strong lift, and I had to use the motor from time to time, but never-the-less technically slope soaring! -
Neuron ESC problem
Devon Slopes replied to Chris Bott - Moderator's topic in ESCs (Speed Controllers)
I think I have found a different set of symptoms for the same underlying problem. I was reprogramming my Neuron 40S and testing it using batteries which were partially discharged. Instead of the normal close to 20A, I was getting a current draw of only about 12A, a situation which reminded me of reading of Chris’ woes. Then I put a fresh battery on, back to 20A for about 10 seconds, and then it cut to 15A and stayed there until I throttled down. This an e-glider setup with 910kv motor and a 3S battery which, in practice gives about 7000 RPM peak. The problems seem to set in if it drops to 6500 RPM, i.e. about the same speed that Chris saw the issues. So, I turned off the low RPM protection and everything seems fine now. Are any dangers in switching it off? I wondered briefly why I had not seen the effect in the air, but I assume its because the prop unloaded to a higher RPM. But presumably if I had tried a half-used battery at the field (this is a new model so I’ve not done that yet) I would have seen the problem. So, thank-you to everyone who has contributed to the thread, I don’t think I would have sorted this out had I not seen it! -
Many thanks Bob for the prompt and useful answer. Increasing the brake to 100% certainly stops it faster when I run it on the ground than it did with 50% brake. So, now I need the time and weather to try it in the air.
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Höllein Inside f5J kit
Devon Slopes replied to Devon Slopes's topic in Gliders and Gliding - General Discussion
Well done, David, nice to see another Inside taking to the air (and a nice-looking one). I havn’t had chance to try mine on the slope yet, just three short outings to the flat field. It currently draws about 20A static, and 15-19A on the climb. I have still not “let it go” for a climb to 200m, but as I said before, shorter climbs indicate I’m in the right ball park for a 30s climb. I’m sufficiently in awe of the designers that I’ve gone very strictly with the throws as given in the manual. That means +/-12mm on the outer ailerons and +/-6mm on the inner ones, both with no differential. With that it really does not want to turn on the ailerons alone, will yours with the differential dialled in? Similarly, I have not applied any butterfly on the ailerons when I come in to land, it is just the central pair of flaps down, and so far (touch wood) no sign of a tip stall. -
I'm using a neuron on an e-glider, but have a couple of questions. First I've set the brake to 50%, but that seems to have no effect (the prop still "windmills", have I missed something, should this not stop (or at least slow) the prop once the throttle is closed? Second, is it OK to program the ESC still connected to the motor? (I'll be good and take the prop off though.) Thanks, Devon
