Jump to content

"Pusher" designs


Recommended Posts

It is well known that 'pushers' tend to be noisy due to the prop and the airflow from the wing trailing edge interacting. Putting a prop in a slot in the wing is even worse. Such an arrangement is the basis of any siren!

Obviously the faster the prop, its diameter (i.e. the power involved) and the closer it is to the wing edge the louder the noise.

For reasons mainly for prop protection I have built several pushers of various configurations.

The quietist considering the power involved was the Cessna Skymaster.

Complete4.JPG.f2ca46e01109e4251fbbc664fc1dca2c.JPG 

With the rear prop some distance from and a bit below the wing trailing edge meant the pusher prop itself added virtually no 'extra' noise.

 

My most powerful (380W) is a  simple pusher.

Complete2.JPG.5d9ee57045ab88602ba32070a5c63e0d.JPG 

The motor is set back to give a full 2" clearance between the prop and the wing trailing edge. The motor rearward placement is actually a benefit as it eases placing the battery in the nose. The prop is a relatively large diameter with a low kV motor so the full power noise is at a lower frequency than the high pitch whine of a small diameter prop. Indeed fly gently at 400' and you really can't hear it above any background noise.

 

Nothing earthshattering but it does mean my pushers are quiet!

 

 

Edited by Simon Chaddock
Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 minutes ago, Simon Chaddock said:

 

The quietist considering the power involved was the Cessna Skymaster.

 

 

Agree with your comments Simon but that is quite surprising as the full size was banned from a number of UK airfields because of the noise, we used to have one (G-BATH) based at our flying school at Liverpool in the 70's.

 

Nowadays the Piaggio P-180 Avanti is an irregular visitor and its very distinctive noise that can be heard several miles away.

 

image.thumb.png.539ca70973c63e80da0f7b789c7c7ec3.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Simon, may I ask, the Cessna, based on the free plan from many years ago, a solid plank  wing sanded to some sort of aerofoil ?

 

It didn't glide well and was a real handful !

 

One of these is on my "to make" list but much lighter this time with a proper aerofoil wing, probably Clarke y to keep it simple.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Rich

It was an own design built almost entirely in 3 mm Depron from this 3 view. It was flown as a hand launch/belly lander.

O-2sections.thumb.jpg.e0b088ebcafd13b43424a36672dcba26.jpg

Conventional ribs with wood flanges top and bottom on the single spar. Most of the wing stiffness came from the Depron skin. The fuselage was formers with a planked skin again all in 3mm Depron. The wing braces in hard balsa were also functional.

With a 1320 mm span (52") it was indeed light at 646g (22.7 oz) with a 2200mAh. Plenty of power. One motor could be switched off in flight. Even then it still had a quite adequate performance.

All in the past tense as it crashed badly, my own fault, but it was by then 7 years old and had done quite a bit of flying.  

 

Edited by Simon Chaddock
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have built many models with pusher motors, a couple of flying wings, and a Dornier 335 (the picture attached is the one currently being built, as I do not appear to have a picture of the NITRO MODELS D335).

 

Non have been noisy at all, the delta had a frequency beat from the two motors. My experience suggest that it is the Yagi? types with the prop adjacent to the TE of the wing  that are noisy as a combination of high rev( high KV) small propeller type situations. 

 

V2.JPG

Newnose2.JPG

WP_20200105_14_02_39_Pro.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

18 hours ago, Simon Chaddock said:

Not that I would really recommend doing this sort of thing but in truly calm conditions with a light and well trimmed plane low level slow manoeuvring is safe enough.

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFBf4XFpTzU&t=2s

Having plenty of spare power (unlimited near vertical) does improve the confidence to quickly get out of trouble.

Given that buildup I was expecting it to be plucked from the air with teeth 😉

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...