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Mini Super Belair Kits


EarlyBird
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Another milestone reached. ?

 

IMG_20220503_093900_HDR.thumb.jpg.e1b524ec5d81a99540ccbfd377522918.jpg

 

Found it's feet. A FG undercarriage from a trainer I destroyed while learning ? hence the yellow covering.

 

The ESC is installed and motor rotation tested, the bottom sheeting is dry fitted so next glue it in place.

 

Steve

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well that didn't take long, for my arm to ache, but not being happy with the results I tried again and again then again eventually boredom set in?

 

Started covering, bottom first with red and cub yellow. The tape gives me a line to work to, the yellow overlaps the red. I leave a small gap between the covering and the tape. 

 

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Some nice compound curves to practice on.

 

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Looks better trimmed.

 

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Ready for the sides next.

 

Steve

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22 minutes ago, Nick Cripps said:

Looking good, Steve.

 

Don Valley this coming weekend?

Yes a target to aim for. Which day are you aiming for. I am in Scunthorpe so not far for me (30 miles) either day will be easy for me. Where are you traveling from and which day for you? I could do both I guess.

 

Steve

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8 minutes ago, EarlyBird said:

Yes a target to aim for. Which day are you aiming for. I am in Scunthorpe so not far for me (30 miles) either day will be easy for me. Where are you traveling from and which day for you? I could do both I guess.

It would be good to meet up with you and to see the finished model. I'm not sure which day I'll go yet, it really comes down to which has the better weather forecast so I'll make the decision later in the week. It's a bit further for me from Nottingham but only takes an hour.

I know I started it here but we should probably move this discussion onto the Don Valley thread...

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  • 2 weeks later...

I am having the new Pilkingtons reflective double glazing installed. Well, The government is paying about 2/3rds of the cost.

 

The man who came to measure up the windows has been trying to do some R/C flying but had the  wrong models to learn on.

He is buying my Mini Super.  I have too many models anyway.

 

 

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23 hours ago, Peter Miller said:

He is buying my Mini Super.  I have too many models anyway.

Does he want another one as I am in the same boat.

 

I did a lot yesterday three more bits of covering ?

 

Sides done.

 

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too much because I made some mistakes. Hopefully I am the only one that will know.

 

Steve

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I decided to add side windows.

 

IMG_20220601_073525_HDR.thumb.jpg.80606eb43abec6ed59e4bb73117b220d.jpg

 

Not brilliant but as we all know film over film is not easy to do due to the bubbles that form. An improvement on my first attempt (Swizzle Stick) but I need more practice before I try to finish the Fournier RF4.

 

Working on the hatch, hinge and magnets, before final assembly. Then ? control rods and horns and not much else left to do.

?

Steve

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Thanks John. After a weekend off, or that could be an off weekend but let's not go there, I decided to check the balance. Checking the plan shows the C of G at 33% of the cord ? having just become used to Peter's 25%. To achieve this will place the battery well back the same as NigelS IIRC or 30g of lead on the tail. I am wondering what other builders have found, particularly Peter as you have just built, flown and sold one. 

 

Steve

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Mine is balanced on the main spar.

 

It does great aileron/elevator rolls.

 

Lots of rudder movement and plenty of power.  Hit full rudder and it goes over onto its back, apply down elevator to hold the nose up and she come round in a roll.  It does make other club members wonder in amazement!!!

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Steve,

 

Mine is an original KeilKraft Mini-super equipped with tricycle undercarrage and its 3 channel only (no ailerons). Balance is behind the Boddington marked position but just before the upright behind the first side window. Here is an extract of the plan cg marked with the arrow.

 

When I commented in an earlier post in 2020 during pandemic just after it was refurbished and electrified I said I needed about 30 grams of church roof but in the nose not the tail - this was a mistake as I'd originally chosen 2S lipo...and that was a bit wheezie and light hence the weight needed to make the marked ballance. Its now got a 3S lipo which made that redundant. For a 3 channel model it is quite spritely on 270 watts using a 10x5 or 10x6 prop. Alas mine is not very good at flying inverte.! Perhaps i need more "Down" than I have available but barrel rolls, loops stall turns and spiral dives (as opposed to spins cos it refuses to spin) are all fun.

 

I flew it at Model days at Old Warden in May and was my plane in North Leeds MFC BMFA world record attempt. I get a good 10mins on a 3S 2200 mAh lipo using an overlander 2836/08 1120kv motor and 20 amp ESC.

 

In my opinion it looks its best flying figures of eight low down and tightly banked plus of course low passes and/or touch and goes. Very relaxing to fly and really doesn't owe me much being nearly 40 years old!

 

Enjoy flying yours it reminds me of those VW polo's from the 1990's that had multi colour paint ?.

 

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11 hours ago, Nigel Sharp said:

Enjoy flying yours it reminds me of those VW polo's from the 1990's that had multi colour paint ?.

Thanks Nigel the colour scheme is the result of indecision combined with accident, the aileron top was going to be yellow ?say no more on that ?

Balance of mine is on the spar which is on the window upright as is Peter Mliier's. Mine could be quite lively on a 3536 900kv 3S then, I will let you know.

 

Steve

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The initial flight showed it to be tail heavy even though it was balanced according to the plan. I removed 10g of tail weight which made it balance as on @Nigel Sharpplan above. Much better with no tendency to wallow coming out of turns. 

 

Next the model is overpowered on a 10x5 prop so I will try a 10x4. The issue is that at half throttle a lot of down trim is needed on the elevator and it will fly happily on one third power. The plan does say increase the down thrust for a larger motor which is not easy to do with a fixed cowl?. There are other options to try, throttle elevator mix or decrease the wing incidence, one at a time.

 

Just need to make my mind up and get on with it.

 

Steve

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If you decrease the wing incidence you are also decreasing the downthrust. Best to use a smaller dia prop & more throttle control.  I'd try a 9x6.   

 

PS there's nothing wrong with permanent elevator down trim.

Edited by PatMc
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I have measured the wing incidence on the plan which shows three degrees which translates to 3mm packing on the trailing edge to give zero incidence.

 

Packing the trailing edge will decrease the wing incidence and, my logic says, reduce the amount of climb as power is increased. Exactly the same as increasing the down thrust.

 

From the drawing the motor has two degrees of downthrust.

 

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which is the angle between the engine bearers and the sill line, which the tailplane is parallel to. 

 

This is the way I have always seen downthrust expressed and never in relation to the wing.

 

I am going to pack the trailing edge by 1.5 mm and would expect the elevator down trim to be reduced.

 

What do others expect to happen?

 

Steve

 

 

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I can tell you exactly what happened when the TE of my Sig Rascal was raised. To cut a long story short, I had forgotten to fully tighten the wing mounting bolts, took off and on climb out the model suddenly and violently pitched down. I made an emergency landing in a field some distance away which pulled the U/C,  mounting plate and lower fuse sheeting out of the ‘plane. So raising the TE will make it pitch down, not as much as the Rascal did but the TE on that got lifted by 20mm!

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