Colomban Luciole

[WOETC (Rob)]

Peter

 

Most interesting.  I am progressing on mine but am interstate with work a lot at the moment (just last week I was both in Darwin which is about as far north that you can go and in Melbourne which is about as far south) so have not had time to make any postings.  I've done both the wings now, ready to set up the washout wedges and get the top sheeting on.  From then on it should be down hill to preparation and covering.  I'm a bit of a luddite and still prefer a doped finish - will be using Sig Koverall on the open areas and tissue / dope on the sheeted areas.

 

Cheers

[WOETC (Rob)]

I got the top sheeting done on the LHS wing today.  Not sure what an Argos catalog is but I figured half a dozen Sydney telephone directories would do the job just as well.

 

More photos in my Luciole album.

 

Cheers

 

 

[Peter Miller]

I think that three would probably have done!

 

The main difference on the model fuselage construction is that I do not have the top of the basic box covered.

 

Also, at the time I designed it I had not seen the front top former which has been redesigned as a rollover pylon.

 

I like dope and tissue or nylon.  One can get such a great finish and do some great paint jobs. Trouble is that I tend to be too lazy these days.

 

[Peter Miller]

Richard Teverson has a website dedicated to his build etc. Well worth a visit.

 

http://www.luciole.co.uk/

[Mike Sargent]

I'm going to modify this airframe and make it an electric project. I would be interested in anyone who has more experience than me in selecting a power train. My airframe is almost complete. I'm modifying the cockpit construction to give access to a battery compartment. The flying weight (including all the gear) is estimated as 3.3 lbs. My first thoughts are 300 watts and about 1000kv, possibly a shade more? Lipo of course, 3s1p about 2000mah.

I would be interested in hearing from others who have views.

 

 

All of the above posted in the wrong place. I've got the hang of it now!

 

It seems I could have saved myself some time by looking up Mr Moderators contribution on electrification. Thanks Timbo.

The BRC site link is very helpful. Back to the building board.

Thanks also to Peter Miller for a nice project. Have you done the Cri Cri? I would think the enthusiasm generated for the Luciole would be just as much for an electric Cri Cri.

Mike

[Peter Miller]

The Cri-Cri has a few disadvantages as far as my design criteria is concerned. i.e., it is short on wing area.

 

There was an electric kit or rather ARTF in the USA but I think it may have been discontinued.

[WOETC (Rob)]

Long awaited hols are here so I've been powering ahead.  Construction is virtually complete - a final sanding tomorrow and then on with the covering.  I'll be doing the tail surfaces and turtle deck in Sig Koverall (nylon) and dope and the sheeted areas in tissue and dope.

 

 

 

I've a flying friend who is a spray painter - will be doing this one in yellow (a little more orange than Cub yellow), similar stripes (as Peter's) down the fuselage sides in red & black and I've made up a stylised logo for each side of the rudder.

 

Hope everyone had a great Christmas - we had rain in Sydney which cooled it down nicely.

 

Cheers.

[Peter Miller]

Very smart, well done I will look forward to seeing the finished model.

 

Richard Teverson who is building the full size one was asking my friend who flies my models when I take flying shots, how it floew and what the stall spin characteristics were.

 

The answer is excellent with instant spoin recovery.

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

Funny how the full size guy was asking after the model, as if it might handle like the full size one! i guess there are a lot of variables that can affect it, and physics don't scale well!

Edited By Peter 'Servo Scrounger' Savage on 31/12/2009 02:45:10

[Peter Miller]

If the model is accurate it should show similar characteristics. The effect of the physics would be to make the ful size even better handling than the model because the Reynolds numbers would work in the favour of the full size.

 

After all there are numerous examples of full size aircraft being tested as reduced scale models and not just in wind tunnels.

[Peter Miller]

woetc.

 

With that covering and the paint I imagine that the weight will be quite a bit higher.

 

However with the Wankle you sgould have more than enough power.

 

I will look forward to hearing how she flies.

[Peter Miller]

NEWS FLASH!!!!!!!

 

STuart Pickett who is one of our leading members and flies my models for the camera tells me that Richard Teverson has persuaded him to build a 90" span version of the Luciole to see how that performs.

 

Should be interesting but not sure how long it will take him.

[Peter Miller]

I have just been talking to Stuart. He has had the plan enlarged to twice size, i.e 120" span.

 

Now that  should be an impressive model. The fuselage is massive, you can lose the transmitter in there at that size!!!!

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

that must be getting on for 1/4 scale my dad made a 1/4 scale BD-5 and that was pretty small

[WOETC (Rob)]

Hi all - paint job was completed over the weekend.  Just remains to fit out the radio, engine etc and tart it up.  A very enjoyable build Peter with no issues.  well designed and thank you.  Still on hols so hoping to finish it during the week and test fly on the weekend.  Standby for a flight report and photos - maybe a video.

 

[Peter Miller]

I am glad that you like her so much. She really does look smart.

 

I am looking forward to hearing how your flies. IT will be interesting to compare your feeling with my own.

[Peter Miller]

Peter, 120" span is actually half way between 1/2 scale and 1/3 scale. or 1:2.5

 

My model is 1/5th scale.

[Peter Miller]

Woetc.

 

Richard forwarded me your email.

 

Glad to know that she flew so well, How does she go on the Wankle?

[WOETC (Rob)]

Hi all, well its its finished, looks great in my opinion and has flown twice now - both times its been the centre of attention down at my club.

 

The maiden was 2 weeks ago and everything went splendidly. However, not being familiar with the Wankel I had the idle much too high (you can't trust your ear because what sounded like a low idle was 4,5k when I tached it.  End result was a exellent flying characteristics at half throttle but a landing approach akin to a spacecraft re-entry.  The right wingtip touched the ground during the rollout and broke the aileron servo horn so that was it for the day - no damage to the servo luckily.  I'm thinking of adding wingtip skids as the horns are pretty vulnerable on our rough field.  Here's a picture prior to the maiden.

 

Second flight was last Sunday - I'd dropped the prop from a 9x6 to a 9x5 to try and bring the landing speed down to something less scary but couldn't get a reliable idle below 3.8k.  I'd like to try a 10"diam prop to get more of a flywheel effect in an attempt to get the idle lower but will need to bend up a new set of undercarriage legs first to give more ground clearance.

Climb out

 

low pass

 

 

& in the opposite direction

 

landing approach

 

and taxi back

Cheers all, Rob

[Barry W]

Hi Peter

Have you ever thought of making a plan for the Vans RV12. It also has an all flying tail.

It has a straight hershey bar type wing with flaperons. It should be quite an easy model to build.

Their are a couple of full size ones being built in the UK at the moment  and will no doubt be approved by the LAA.

 

[Peter Miller]

Havne't thought of that one. I have briefly looked at the RV8.

 

At the moment I have two designs to build, when I start looking for inspiration I might have a look.

[Peter Miller]

Anyone building a super scale version might like to check out this website

 

http://www.luciole.co.uk/index.html

 

The Gallery shows the construction in great detail, all the small bits as they are built.

[WOETC (Rob)]

Hi all - finally got around to posting some video of the Wankel powered Luciole on our local club site - anyone interested can see a takeoff and landing (warp factor) here http://www.freewebs.com/wpmac/apps/videos/channels/show/1475519-general-wpmac-flying-at-mulgoa.

 

Feel free to have a look around and leave a message (decorum please) in the Guest book.

 

Rgds, Rob

[WOETC (Rob)]

Hey Peter, saw your comment on our website.  Yes, it was pretty scary however all is tamed down now - have just gotten home after a brilliant mornings flying.  The weather has been terrible here, raining over the last 3 weekends so this was the first outing for the Luciole in nearly a month.  During that time I've managed to get a nice managable idle after fixing an airleak due to a hardened carby O ring and installing a new glow plug and a 10x4 prop.  Landings are much more scale like now.  It tootles along nicely on around 1/3 throttle but if you open it out during a low flyby it's spectacular.  I'm flying it myself now and am having no troubles at all.

 

Thanks again for a great design - now you've got me thinking about breaking out my control lines again.  I just love that Curtis Hawk styled Supertrooper and happen to have a little 4 stroke sitting in a box that should do the trick nicely.

 

Cheers, Rob

[Peter Miller]

I am glad to hear that you have her tamed. Have you tried the flaps yet.

 

Super Trooper on a .40 Surpass should be nice.

 

I have just finished the drawings for a 48" 1/6th scale Wittman Tailwind.

 

I have two models waiting for flying pictures before I can send them off. Two Saturdays have been perfect and then Sunday turns lousy. I will probaly end up with three waiting for the flying shots.