riverlandgirl. Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Hi all Just a quick show and tell I thought I'd try a triplane.... Tiny little thing, 26" span, 28oz and powered by an AP .09. Like me at times, it proved to be a very problematic maiden! 1st and 2nd hand launches the engine quit. Hit the deck but little damage. I figured the engine was over heating , so I put on a smaller, coarser prop, which solved the problem. 3rd launch she got a way, but wouldn't steer! straight back into the deck. Undercarriage a bit sad by now, but plane still air worthy. When I was building her I was thinking that putting the ailerons on the top wing only might not be a good idea... totally ineffective! I swapped the aileron and rudder channels, (never got the hang of useing the rudder in flight) and put her back up. 4 th launch only proved that I didn't check the rudder was the right way round. 5 th launch resulted in a reasonable flight, although the c of g a little far aft. 15 minutes of repair got her ready again for the next day. She has now had 5 or 6 sucessful flights, and isn't too bad at all...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Olsen 1 Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 I was down your direction on Saturday, with some mates and three steam launches. We had a get together at the Les Batley reserve, which I think is downriver from you a bit. Have you got differential on the ailerons? Might help to make them more effective if you do. Of course triplanes are very good at blanketing their own tail surfaces. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverlandgirl. Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Hi there John. Did you mean the Les Batkin reserve, by the Tuakau bridge? Not far from me, nice spot. Steam boats would have been a lot of fun, quite a history of steamers on the Waikato. Have you ever had an explore through the islands and baches down stream, Otaua way? Different world. The ailerons have been glued up, the plane's totally happy just on rudder. It was really strange, you would have thought the ailerons were not connected, I could throw the stick from side to side and the plane took absolutely no notice! Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John Olsen 1 Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Les Batkin, that would be the one. One of the boats had a feed problem so he came off the water early, bur we had rides in the other two, upstream under the bridge and nearly as far as the island up that way. I've never been on the water there before, makes me want to get my own steam launch on the water. Did you know there is a guy in Tuakau building a steam aeroplane, a full size one? I think with the close wing spacing on a tripe, the down going aileron creates enough extra drag on that side to overcome any extra lift. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverlandgirl. Posted June 9, 2014 Author Share Posted June 9, 2014 Yes, I think a steam boat would be something! I do a bit of boating on the river from time to time. I didn't know about the steam plane, would be an interesting project. I was wondering if the vertical distance between the ailerons and the c of g was the problem, but I think your explanation might be more valid? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 RLG I would agree the close wing spacing induces serious extra drag on the down elevator which creates an adverse yaw which in turn generates a self righting moment. Get it all just right and the ailerons have no effect at all! I experienced the same sort of thing with my lightweight Super Cup. The ailerons would make it bank but it just continued resolutely in the same direction. Coordinate some rudder input with the ailerons (literally a mechanical link!) and it turned very nicely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted June 9, 2014 Share Posted June 9, 2014 Hi , I love the Name Tripe , And looks good too . Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverlandgirl. Posted June 13, 2014 Author Share Posted June 13, 2014 Thanks Steve. After all the trouble, I was begining to think it was all turning to tripe! Pleased to say she is flying nicely now. Simon, On my Seal Pup plane the ailerons and rudder are mechanically linked. I always assumed that inverted flight would be out of the question, with the ailerons fighting the rudder, Until I tried it the other day. She is quite happy inverted, responding nicely to the ailerons. Curious. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted June 13, 2014 Share Posted June 13, 2014 Hi Lynn , looks great, and you continue in the..... ''Riverlandgirl Style''..... Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 rlg Unless the plane is a 3D type I expect the yaw aerodynamics when inverted get rather complex. Certainly all my conventional planes tend to 'fall' into a turn very easily when inverted so I suspect a bit of adverse rudder is no bad thing! Edited By Simon Chaddock on 14/06/2014 00:19:31 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverlandgirl. Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 HI Jo How's things on the sunny Adriatic? Thanks for the compliment I guess there are some things about planes you never can tell until you try! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wiltshire Flyer Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Very nice! 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Josip Vrandecic -Mes Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 Dear Lynn, here's a Summer arrived and then many tourists also.But I always think of the wonderful New Zealand ..... I was there in 1980 .. I wish you all the best and thank you for your time. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverlandgirl. Posted June 14, 2014 Author Share Posted June 14, 2014 Thanks WF. Jo, I'm glad you enjoyed NZ. I was 13 back in 1980, and I think in a lot of ways it was a nicer place back then! We were still 20 years behind, and we didn't have the ills of modern life, (nor the variety either, though) You could drive where ever you wanted when ever, (Yeah I was driving at 13) and murders were rare. Now of course we've caught up with the rest of the world with all it's woes, more's the shame. Auckland is one of the worlds more expensive places to live, and our average house price is around $700,000 (350,000 pounds approx). Oh well... All the best to you and yours, enjoy the summer! Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted June 14, 2014 Share Posted June 14, 2014 That's a really interesting model RLG, pleased you sussed it out in the end. It must have been very satisfying for you. I love NZ. In 2012 my wife and I did a 13 day cruise from Melbourne around both islands from South to North, stopping off at Milford Haven, Dunedin, Akaroa, (spelt it wrong)? Wellington, Tauranga, took a seaplane from there out to the hot springs, Napier, Auckland, where I met my cousin and uncle I last saw in 1949. In February last year we went back, starting in Auckland and hired a car to do the tour of North and South Islands, crossing from Wellington to Picton and all the way down, finishing in Christchurch, heartbreaking. We're going back next year, hiring a car again and going North with my cousin to the Bay of Islands, after spending a few days in and around Auckland. It's a wonderful country, I could live there very happily. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
riverlandgirl. Posted June 20, 2014 Author Share Posted June 20, 2014 Thanks Colin, I had a good flight with it this evening, although I will confess I've swapped the .09 for a .12. (makes the hand launch much easier!) I'm glad you enjoyed your travels here, sounds like you've done us justice. I've travelled a little ,mostly Asia and the USA, (never been to England's fair shores though) and haven't found any where I'd rather live. I Was in Christchurch last year visiting family, (escaped the worst of the quake, thankfully) .Parts of the city are now having terrible flooding problems, quake related. All the best for your next visit, I hope we treat you well! Lynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted June 20, 2014 Share Posted June 20, 2014 Thanks Lynn, we're coming back early next year. All the best. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.