It has reached Florida, after a minor screw-up at UPS.

http://site.nitroplanes.com/silverbobcat6.jpg

Now to see how long it takes to get here, and how much it will cost to set
it up the way I want it!

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Amarok: 17,459 tracks from 1,238 albums by 1,349 artists, but none playing.
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Re: New toy
By: Angus McLeod to Digital Man on Wed Mar 19 2008 04:16 pm

It has reached Florida, after a minor screw-up at UPS.

http://site.nitroplanes.com/silverbobcat6.jpg

Now to see how long it takes to get here, and how much it will cost to set it up the way I want it!

It looks like another fast-one!

digital man (xbox-live: digitlman)

Snapple "Real Fact" #33:
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Re: New toy
By: Digital Man to Angus McLeod on Wed Mar 19 2008 19:48:00

http://site.nitroplanes.com/silverbobcat6.jpg

It looks like another fast-one!

There have been several reports of radar-measured speeds in the 110-120
MPH range, and even the smallest engines (45s) are getting speeds over 90
MPH. Guys running the 55 engines are getting 100-110 MPH by levelling out after a dive. There are even claims of 150 MPH with *really* oversized
engines and big, three-blade propellers.

A friend in Canada has just finished one with fixed gear and a 46, and he
says you have to fly 400 feet ahead of the aircraft!

Most of that is on the older version of the airframe with the fixed gear.
Mine is the newer model designed for and (eventually) to be fitted with retracts, which will clean up the airflow and give less drag. The older version has thinner (less draggy) wings, but the newer version with the
wheels pulled up will have a net gain in the drag department.

Some guys are even fitting Wren turbines to them and they don't fall apart
in the air, which is pretty damned good for a $99 aeroplane!

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showatt.php?attachmentid=1010910

The one scary thing about it is that you need every inch of runway to get
it back on the ground. I'm thinking of spoileron mixing to allow a high
angle of attack on approach, and programming the two rudders to deploy outwards to act as air-brakes.

It's a bit scary to contemplate, actually...

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Playing loud: "Star" by "Elysian Fields" from the "Bleed Your Cedar" album.
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AM³
AM³ The one scary thing about it is that you need every inch of runway to get
AM³ it back on the ground. I'm thinking of spoileron mixing to allow a high
AM³ angle of attack on approach, and programming the two rudders to deploy
AM³ outwards to act as air-brakes.
AM³
AM³ It's a bit scary to contemplate, actually...
AM³

Quite scary, considering the possible consequences of asymmetric
deployment.
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Re: New toy
By: Weatherman to Angus McLeod on Thu Mar 20 2008 10:09:00

AM³ The one scary thing about it is that you need every inch of runway to g
AM³ it back on the ground. I'm thinking of spoileron mixing to allow a hig
AM³ angle of attack on approach, and programming the two rudders to deploy
AM³ outwards to act as air-brakes.
AM³
AM³ It's a bit scary to contemplate, actually...

Quite scary, considering the possible consequences of asymmetric
deployment.

Asymmetric deployment doesn't worry me any more than assymetric flap or run-away ailerons. If it causes problems when I switch it on in early
tests, I will immediately switch it off again. What scares me is a 120
MPH aeroplane on a 400' strip.

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Playing loud: "Hello" by "Oasis"
from the "(What's the story) Morning glory" album.

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AM³ Re: New toy
AM³ By: Weatherman to Angus McLeod on Thu Mar 20 2008 10:09:00
AM³
AM³ >
AM³ > Quite scary, considering the possible consequences of asymmetric
AM³ > deployment.
AM³
AM³ Asymmetric deployment doesn't worry me any more than assymetric flap or
AM³ run-away ailerons. If it causes problems when I switch it on in early
AM³ tests, I will immediately switch it off again. What scares me is a 120
AM³ MPH aeroplane on a 400' strip.
AM³
AM³ ---

Arresting cables?

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Re: New toy
By: Weatherman to Angus McLeod on Fri Mar 21 2008 10:54:00

AM³ What scares me is a 120 MPH aeroplane on a 400' strip.

Arresting cables?

Various ideas:

* Spoilerons. A bit of reflex on the wing should allow approach more
like a delta, with a nose-high attitude to give high drag and low
approach speed. Deltas can almost do a point-landing if set up right.

This might be the best solution.

* Flaperons. Increase wing camber to allow slow-speed aproach withOUT
the nose-high attitude to give a conventional touch-down and rollout.

By all accounts, flaps make this aircraft difficult to get down and
keep down.

* Air brakes. Twin rudders, thrown out to 50% travel when the model is
on aproach on wheels-down, to cut the rollout to a minimum.

Considering this as an adjunct to Spoilerons.

* Tight wheels. Surgical tubing over the wheel-collars, rubbing against
the wheel hub. Full throttle on takeoff will overpower the friction,
but chopping the throttle on landing, the friction should impede the
rollout.

Cheap and easy -- May implement if first flights prove dicey.

* A servo-driven brake shoe that bears on the nose-wheel to reduce
rollout.

I've seen it done but only on fixed gear. And it adds an extra servo.

* Actual in-hub air brakes on the nose or two on the mains.

One wheel hub would cost approximately 2/3rds the cost of the basic
airframe. I would have to be very desperate...

* Fly when the strip is only half mown. The mown area will allow rapid
accelleration for takeoff, but on landing the latter part of the
rollout will be in taller grass, thus slowing the model.

That's as close to arrestor cables as I'm willing to go, and even that
worries me. Don't wanna rip the retracts out on each landing! Let's
hope it doesn't come to this!

Biggest problem is figuring out how to run the servos. I've only got an
8-ch. Tx/Rx. Servos are:

Aileron ---- 2
Elevator --- 2
Throttle --- 1
Rudder ----- 2
Steering --- 1
Retracts --- 1

One channel each for throttle and retracts. Two channels for the two
aileron servos to allow Spoileron mixing. Two elevator servos need to
rotate in opposite directions, so that means two channels instead of one,
*or* a reversing-Y for twenty-odd bucks, *or* some reversing of the leads
to the servo motor and pot. Two separate channels for the two rudder
servos and a third for the nose-wheel steering *if* I go ahead and
implement the air-brakes. Total: NINE channels.

Since I really want to implement the air-brakes on RUD, I will have to go
with the reversing-Y or modified servo on ELE to drop the count to eight.

Or buy a 12Z for more than I paid for my *car*...

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Playing loud: "Eleanor Rigby" by "The Beatles" from the "1962-1966" album.
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