Chris Foss Middle Phase build.

[Alex Leigh]

Slope isn't rough really (see Frank's eco-cam video and you'll see), but works best in a w or WNW. WSW you are flying off the "end" of the hill and it's a bit rough especially near the edge. TBH, the rain wasn't really helping either.

 

100g? Was there a sculpture or something crafted on the rudder?

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

Epoxy figure head!

[Alex Leigh]

Just to finish this thread off, had some decent wind to try the MP and it was all good. I'd over-egged the nose weight so had to add a bit to the tail and then it flew like a proper MP. Lands a lot slower that my heavier one. All good. 

 

 

Cheers for Frank for the picture.

 

Flew my heavy one yesterday in 30-40mph winds. Wow, it's still good for that even tho it's much repaired. New trick, dive, pull vertical, two full vertical rolls, complete the loop

 

I might try one of those myskies electric ones next as I have a nice spare motor.

[Stephen Fowler]

Hi Alex, glad to hear its flying well.

 

Nearly finished covering mine, so won't be long before I can maiden it - can't wait.

 

You said you had overdone the nose weight, what CG have you settled on.

 

Also have you set up any spoilerons. 

 

Cheers

Steve

Edited By Stephen Fowler on 16/11/2009 11:13:15

[Alex Leigh]

I had it on the front limit 2.25 inches I think from the root. Was definitely nose heavy. So popped 15g on the tail and now it's closer to 2.5 back and that feels about right. Going to fly some more before taking the weight out of the nose. Wondering how far back I can go as it's definitely nicer

 

No Spoilerons. Doesn't need them.

Edited By Alex Leigh on 16/11/2009 13:15:30

[Stephen Fowler]

Someone on RCgroups suggests he found the sweet spot to be 2 5/8", so seems to tie up with what you found.  Looks like he tried it as far back as 3" but described it as "interesting". 

 

Think I'll start at 2.5" and then have a play with it on the slope.

[Alex Leigh]

I've now flown mine a bit with 2 5/8ths and that seems perfect. Meant I can take a bit of weight out of the nose as well. Flying really nicely now.

[Wimbledon99]

Nice build!!

 

Just purchased one today. I normally fly large noisy nitro FW & Heli's but had a go with a mates Soarer the other day and loved it!!

 

Can I ask where you found the servo boxes?  They look just the thing for me as I want to do the same and install Flaperons.

 

Cheers

 

Edited By Nigel Bolger on 27/03/2010 23:06:17

[Wimbledon99]

P.S . Can I ask what servos you used please?

 

2 Minis in the wing and 2 standards in the fus? My preference is JR (just a personal thing) but would be interested to know what others use.

 

Cheers

 

[Sean Smedley]

Great build thread, hope some of you are still around as its approx 18 mo. since the last post! My question/comment concerns the aileron wing chord. The trainer wing has a 3/4 " TE glued directly to the foam. The aileron wing has a 1/4" strip bonded to the foam plus a suggested 1 1/4 " TE/aileron. ie its 3/4 " longer!! this has a major impact on the wing seating area. I will be notching the TE to fit onto the fuselage step. But if I would have noticed this earlier I would have cut 3/4" off the foam TE before starting. this would preserve the wing chord at its original length.

Any comments forum members?

Sean.

[IanN]

Sean, I've got a Middle Phase Advanced (ie aileron wing) nearly finished

The aileron wing, buit as per instructions, fits the fus/wing seat perfectly - no need to notch, or to cut the foam.. I'm probably being dense (nothing new there ) but am not understanding the problem - are you by any chance fitting ailerons to the "trainer" wing?

[ERIC MAWMAN 3]

Sean, I too am building a Middle Phase aileron style with a flat wing (2 panels joined upside down as suggested in the instructions) and find like you something needs to be trimmed somewhere as the wing does not fit as would seem proper. At the moment it is shelved hopefully awaiting comments from other builders before I decide what to do. At the moment I am thinking in reducing overall length by trimming at the rear edge.

ERIC

[ERIC MAWMAN 3]

IanN. Noted your comments but as I read the instructions on the non-aileron wing the trailing edge is fitted direct to the wing. With the aileron wing there is a quarter inch balsa strip atttached to the wing before the aileron is hinged. Hence the problem.

ERIC

[IanN]

My understanding is that the foam cores for the aileron, and the non aileron wing, are different. You have either the one wing, or the other - its not designed as a dual purpose item to be built "either / or"

TE on non aileron wing is 0.75". TE on aileron wing is 0.25" balsa wing rear facing PLUS the 1.5" strip ailerons - 1.75" in total

That's 1" more balsa in total than the non aileron wing so I'm guessing the root chord of the foam core of the non aileron wing is 1" greater than the aileron version

So, if you try to fit 1.5" ailerons (and a 0.25" facing) to the non aileron wing then yes, the total chord will be too great for the wing seat (and you are also increasing the wing area). Seems to me there are three choices

- carry on, but cut back the balsa TE to fit the wing seat area (and also clear the dowels, if using banded on wings)

- use smaller ailerons (not sure that would be a great idea)

- buy an aileron wing kit from Chris Foss Designs

Does that help, or am I barking up completely the wrong tree here?

 

 

Edited By IanN on 13/03/2012 17:33:12

[FWAL]

This was a scratch build MP. I bought the advanced wings cut 4" off them and made my own fuse copying the profile of the MP but 1" narrower. I made built up tail parts and have also made another epler 374 profile wing for medium to strong winds

Below is a link to a short film of her doing her bit in light to moderate wind

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jx2rt08fO-c&list=UUeHwm2gxFK4Uyn_IIEEQRCg&index=8&feature=plcp

[Sean Smedley]

Thanks to you all for your aileron comments! Yes, I have fitted ailerons to a trainer wing...that's my problem, and challenge. I have notched the TE where it contacts the fuselage, so it fits now. Also I reduced the aileron width from 1.25" to 1" to ease the problem. Now I am just about to slit the wing veneers to pop in the aileron servo leads.

Sean.

[ERIC MAWMAN 3]

SEAN Finished but not yet flown. Trimmed the rear edge of the wing by about 1/4 inches and it fits OK. C/G etc spot on. I opted for the single servo aileron control.

[roger warner]

I have just scanned through the 5 pages as I have got my middle phase advanced plane . I have survived serious brain surgery for a burst aneurysm and suffer short memory problems. I want to build mine over the coming months and will start when I have finished the 2 Gemima free plan planes I am building for myself and a friend who cant build thanks to polio ,I have built various other planes and sadly often make mistakes and dont want to make any errors with my first aileroned glider , I figure that what was good enough for German youth in the 30s will be the best way for me to learn and master the flying skills . I have flown a few times on a buddy box system and feel ready to pander to my skills of auto didatics , I have self taught myself to do various things even since my surgery some 17 years ago . I shall be in regular contact with this site once I start the building and hope I can get the assistance I imagine I will need . Roger and out

[Jamie sawyer]

I have a MP6 also which I built a few years ago and flew it for the first time a few weeks ago and lost it at a couple hundred feet and she went into the hill and out of sight. When I walked down the damage was relatively light so I've stripped it back to the wood and carrying out repairs. The glider was tail heavy and I think that the c of g was to far back and that is with a hunk of lead in the nose...!

The fuslage is getting a few re-vamps by me to try and get the tail heavy issue sorted. I'm going to cut a 12 inch slot in each side of the very rear of the fusalage and keep it about a half inch wide at the tail end and taper it wider as it moves forward to remove some of the material on the rear. I'm also planning on cropping the tail fin and rudder by a couple of inches. Just now the fin is 8 3/4 inches high so I'll knock it back to 7 I think. The rudder is massive on the glider to but think Ill leave it alone just now to see where the weight lands. I wasn't crazy with the gluing of the model and was reading this thread and it seems to be a common problem.

Its nice to add balast in the glider for the wind conditions which you would add directly below the C o G but adding it just to balance it is a wee bit annoying

Jamie

[Anthony Dicks]

Good day all,

Just read through over 2 years of fascinating thread after acquiring a MP2 Aileron kit in a weekly "antiques" auction. I had been told that the kit had a guide price of £20-40. Always up for a potential bargain, I sat through the sale of a hundred or so assorted lots - China, clocks, pictures, teddy bears, you name it. When the MP came up bidding started at £20. Someone else came in at 25. I then bid £30 and was pleased to win. This turned to delight when I found later that the lot included a 20 year old futaba skysport 6 channel 35meg tx in box with servos and charger - and - a ready built, hardly flown Middle Phase Trainer! All this for £30!

I've assembled the trainer, cleaned it up a bit - not sure whether to go with the existing banding for the tailplane. Any movement will play havoc with the trim. I'm inclined to glue it to the fuze and trust that arrivals aren't too fraught (who am I kidding!).

It weighs in at 1100gm or 2lb 9oz in old money, with the CG a gnat's under 2.5" back from LE.

I'll be chucking it off one of the local slopes to Brighton as soon as wind and weather - and my Manager, bless her, allow.

Anthony

[Dave Cunnington]

Sorry to drag an old thread out again, but it seems the best place for my question

I have been given a part built Middle Phase. I note that there used to be an optional "Power Pod" which could be bought

Does anyone have any info on this pod - I have looked at the other thread about adding IC power to a MP but that didn't help

What dimensions, thrust line, engine size etc did it have....maybe I could make up my own Pylon ? ? ?

T I A DC

[Denis Watkins]

Your confusing me Dave, you ask what engine size, and then also say that the IC thread was no good

So did you want electric assist?

Making a pod is fairly simple compared to building a model

At least on a pod, all the gubbins is on the outside, and a small tank too can go in the pod

Just clarify if you want leccy or IC

And in any event, some small down thrust will be required

[Anthony Dicks]

Dave, If you want to use a pod as per original, you could always ask Chris Foss. You'll find his website at the back of most mags. If you want to use i.c. then a ;pod with a small ic engine, with integral tank will be fine. I would prefer to go electric and do a little redesign work to fit the motor conventionally at the front end with a folding prop. The weight of the motor plus li-po battery will help with C of G. Good luck, Anthony

[Dave Cunnington]

Dennis, thanks for the post. The IC thread did not help re the pod/engine size. I am thinking IC and it looks like a small Cox in the box pic of the pod.

Anthony. Good idea to ask C Foss, I'll get round to that. With an already built fuse it seems sense to look at a pod

[Mike Etheridge 1]

The power pod for the Middlephase 2 is mentioned on page 2 of the instructions and I confirm you need to contact the manufacturer for details and costs etc: