Martin Harris - Moderator Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 All is revealed in this thread. Tom.... Edited By Martin Harris on 19/06/2012 17:58:29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Harris Posted June 19, 2012 Share Posted June 19, 2012 Peter, I do like that, good look with the maiden Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted June 19, 2012 Author Share Posted June 19, 2012 I think the wing loading will not be too bad. Complete airframe less engine and radio is just over 2 lbs. The CG was c alculated as being 1 1/2" inches back from the Leading edge. I am letting it go back to 2" and I think I will achieve this without any extra lead. Maiden flight will be the first calm, sunny day from SUnday onawards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 All i have to say Peter is W O W . Thats one big small model . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 20, 2012 Share Posted June 20, 2012 That looks great Peter! I'm following this with interest! tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted June 20, 2012 Author Share Posted June 20, 2012 Got the radio and engine installed and all the stickers on. Weight will be about 3 lbs 14 ounces giving a wing loading of 25 oz per sq. ft. CG has come out right on the spot at 2" from the leading edge. I am feeling hopeful. Today I test flew my Fokker DVIII. after two flights it seems to have suffered complete radio failure. Went in from a great height. Have the post mortem yet to do. At least I know it flew well and I did get the flying shots to prove it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted June 26, 2012 Author Share Posted June 26, 2012 IT FLIES!!! This afternoon I flew the Stits. What a little cracker! I need to move the CG back but the first take off was smooth but I needed full up elevator. In flight I needed full up trim but it was quite stable and easy to fly. The landing was great, smooth and ended with the engine still running. Second flight with the CG a little firther back was similar and I handed over to mate Stuart Pickett who flies while I take pictures. He soon had the measure of the model and made some low passes. That last shot was taken while the model was inverted. Yes STuart was soon rolling it and doing loops and inverted. He also tried flying very slowly and she didn't even try to drop a wing. Warning, It is very fast and gets very small very quickly and orientation is a bit of a problem. The down side? She ran out of fuel way out over a field of oil seed rape. It took about an houir to get through 250 yards of the tangle. They should plant that stuff round prisins, no more escapes. So you can see what the finished model looks like Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 well done Peter, brings back memories trying to find free flighters when I was small. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Hi Peter , That looks great in the air . maybe putting fluorescent covering on the wing tips will help with orientation . Not scale i know. Great job i`am sure we will see it in the mag . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 I believe Ken Willard? or similar contributer to the USA, RCM made one, which did not fly well, other than he or similar luminory wrote about it, and transporting the model on a Delta Airways aircraft, whilst sitting in the jockey seat (if that what it is called). However they did produce two plans of the Stits Skybaby. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank Skilbeck Posted June 26, 2012 Share Posted June 26, 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 One of these days I may have to try the Stits Baby Bird again. I am told that one flew well in South Africa. Mine kept tumbling over on take off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 I can imagine that the Stits are difficult to fly without aids. The short coupling being one issue, the second is the very low aspect wings. In the case of the Baby, I guess that by keeping all the masses such as Lipo very low, the roll rate can be tamed. I do not know how you feel about gyro's, but the Stits could be a candidate for such systems. I fly a OD (bitza) park flyer with a 3.2:1 ratio, which is very stable using the principle of a low CG. I guess a little different when a low winger though. I did note whilst looking at the RCM&E web site that there is a plan of a tri motor Bellanca. I did think, perhaps, your own version would have also have benefitted from electric power. Before I could crystalise an offer on your model, it had gone, plus you live at the other end of the country to me. Edited By Erfolg on 27/06/2012 10:43:29 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 This Stits is not hard to fly, flies as if on rails. The problem is that it is small and orientation can be a problem in poor light at a distance. Certainly does not need gyros at all. I will be moving the G back to reduce the up trim needed. Ailerons are positive but not too sensitive. Elevator may get more sensitive as the CG moves back but it is being flown on high rates at the moment. It does need a lot of power. IT has a .25 engine and it starts comng down at half throttle but this may improve with a more rearward CG. CG at the moment is 2" back from LE on a 12" chord wing. Edited By Peter Miller on 27/06/2012 11:25:14 Edited By Peter Miller on 27/06/2012 11:27:22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Always good to read. I guess that tip losses increase dramatically (as a proportion of all drag) as the AoA increases,as you go slower. It will be interesting to see the plan. I just wonder when you will go back to the Golden Age air racers, maybe a Brown Racer, Folkerts, Goon, as you have covered many of the midget racers already? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Lewis Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Looks fantastic Peter, congrats on the maiden. I hope we get to see the plans available soon.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Well done Peter! It looks like the ideal 'keep in the car' model, doesn't it! Sympathies on the oilseed rape, my friend - we've had 1/4 scale models disappear for days in the stuff! tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted August 9, 2012 Author Share Posted August 9, 2012 Well, after three flying sessions with the Stits I have to say that it will not appear as aplan. Take offs called for extreme care, two stalls on lift off out of 6 take offs. THis meant that one had to take off on low rates and still with care. Once in the air it was OK but today I got disoriented. The model was at a great height and got into a vertical dive. Insufficient elevatro control to recover and I didn't get to the rate switch in time. One one flight it was flown through loops, rolls and inverted. Landings were OK. If anyone want the plans and instructions I will let you have copies at cost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Concorde Speedbird Posted August 9, 2012 Share Posted August 9, 2012 That's a shame, quite a cute little plane, sorry to hear the outcome. Onwards and upwards! CS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elizabeth sparrow Posted September 7, 2014 Share Posted September 7, 2014 Dear Peter. I love this aeroplane so much! I'm sorry that you will not be publishing the plans but if you will let me know the cost and such I would love a copy. The only plan I've found so far is for control line and I was going to try and convert them to rc but I would rather try yours. Thank you in advance dave sparrow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted September 8, 2014 Author Share Posted September 8, 2014 Hi David. I have sent you a PM Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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