Typhoon Build

[Steven Curtis]

I am looking at doing my first build from plan and was wondering what parts i get with the CNC wood pack and whether there is a wood pack available for the other parts required, or is it a case of making a shopping list off all the wood required and going to SLEC?

I realise there are problems with the free plan and presume a new plan is shipped with the cnc pack.

Cheers

Steven

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Yes Steven a new plan is forwarded with the cnc pack. The cnc pack is basically all the wood required apart from sheeting - so formers, ribs etc..

David.

[Dizz]

"I realise there are problems with the free plan and presume a new plan is shipped with the cnc pack.

Cheers

Steven"

What problems?  Can't see anything on the home page or the "Special" web page: http://www.modelflying.co.uk/news/article/mps/UAN/286/v/1/sp/

Thinking about this as a winter build.

Pete

[David Ashby - Moderator]

Please see the front page for todays annoucement and associated thread. many thanks David.

[Adrian Smith]

hi, regarding the tiffy article in rcme and plan.

excellent article by a very skilled builder and designer dealing with one of my personal favourites, however, two points spring to mind whilst reading the write up on the free tiffy plan, build and flying report.

CASTORING TAILWHEEL.... to fit a free revolving tailwheel is asking for problems, sorry tony! all full size aircraft employing a castoring tailwheel lock it fore and aft for take off. if left to rotate, it will be influenced by the ground texture and any cross wind, resulting in endless ground loops and subsequent over compensating rudder imput. MESSAGE therefore.... keep it straight ( ground manuevures are still possible with a fixed tail wheel).

PITCHING..... Tony mentions in the flying notes that the nose pitched up when the gear was retracted and sermised that this was due to the decrease in drag when the wheels were tucked away. Yes in part he is correct BUT the main reason for this condition is the change to the c.g. point. I'll explain, look at the side view of the fuselage and you will see that the wheels are ahead of the c.g. point, but if you now examine the plan view of the wing, you will now see the wheels are behind the c.g. point when retracted. and there you have it. wheels down ....nose heavy.  wheels up, tail heavy. SOLUTION: balance the plane with the wheels up, this will give a good flight attitude with the added bonus of being slightly nose down upon extending the gear for landing. 

I'm looking forward to building the tiffy myself this winter and welcome any correspondence. happy balsa bashing. regards, adrian.

[Walts]

Hi Adrian,

        In fairness to the designer, I have made many scale models, including two Avro Lancasters that use a free castoring tail wheel, and non have shown tendancies to ground loop as a result! ground looping on models is more prone to models with a narrow main gear track, some early biplanes for example, and they have a fixed skid. Or designs where the rudder is blanked from the prop wash.

retracts................yes you have a point, but then don't we all balance models with retracts with the wheels up for normal flight. I know it makes a huge difference to the c of g on a Lanc where the wheels travel in a straight line backwards, and to balance it with the wheels down would only be cheating yourself to save a bit of ballast and result in a hairy flight with the gear up.

Walts  

[Adrian Smith]

hi Walts, thanks for replying. I was aiming my comments at the less experienced builder/flyers amongst us remembering of course if it was not for people such as these, the hobby would die, If you read some of the email coming through I think you will agree that there no shortage of enthusiasm but! I have seen in my years, people taking off and switching the tx off in their excitement...having the ailerons working the wrong way (boy that was an exciting flight abeit very short)...and many other near misses and I just admire anyone who would build a model of this type but I would hope they take advantage of a experienced flyer for the first few flights.regards adrian.

[Walts]

Hi Adrian,

      yes i agree with your comments there, the Typhoon is probably not the best model for a begineer to be building, neither is any fighter of this type come to that, and hopefully pepole that are relatively new to flying will be given encouragement to hone their skills on more forgiving models first. But until I've built it and flown it, I reserve judgement on It's likely handling. Tony is of a new generation of designers that tend to make their designs very light, very simple, and to that extent probably more forgiving, compared to the older some what over engineered designs.  my comments re the retracts, were unnecessary. It is easy to forget that what we take for granted, may be completely new to others, and it was a valid point. I am very much looking forward to building this model in the near future and will certainly report back how i get on with it.

cheers,

Walts