03-04-2011, 07:23 PM
I started building this a while back but I took photo's with my iphone at various stages so I could look back at it after a while.
The object of the build is to end up with something practical and usable that flies with little vices and is simple compact and above all tough, aesthetics have taken a back seat.
What could be more simple than a flying wing ?
We used to fly these slope combat wings over on the North shore after work when ever the wind was right, some years back. At places like Newport, (which is banned now as it's so close to the road). Long Reef and Doberoid head and some times near Monaveil hospital, and once or twice from the cliffs off west head, in a westerly it produces usable lift but one mistake and that's it.
It's not just my propensity for recycling that made me decide to use this wing but the fact that I remember it flying so very nicely as a slope soarer. It had almost no vices and was very tough, and could be happily ballasted by using masking tape to hold on sizable strips of roofing lead to the upper side of the wing. This one survived many many missions and the covering was rather sad looking so it was stripped back to the foam core. you can see how yellow it is from UV exposure. This is from exposure while flying as it was never stored in the sun. So well worn was the core that the leading edge needed to be trimmed back and replaced with balsa.
Here's a pic of the core having it's leading edge replaced.
The pic shows the core being held down with weights some of which are positioned behind the trailing edge, holding the core from moving back and some more weights pressing the new balsa L E against the front of the core. the glue used to bond the new balsa LE to the core is west system's epoxy mixed with micro light filler. You can see it in the mixing tray in the background of the pic. I really like this stuff for gluing foam and balsa you can use it as a glue or a bog just depends on how much filler you put in.
The object of the build is to end up with something practical and usable that flies with little vices and is simple compact and above all tough, aesthetics have taken a back seat.
What could be more simple than a flying wing ?
We used to fly these slope combat wings over on the North shore after work when ever the wind was right, some years back. At places like Newport, (which is banned now as it's so close to the road). Long Reef and Doberoid head and some times near Monaveil hospital, and once or twice from the cliffs off west head, in a westerly it produces usable lift but one mistake and that's it.
It's not just my propensity for recycling that made me decide to use this wing but the fact that I remember it flying so very nicely as a slope soarer. It had almost no vices and was very tough, and could be happily ballasted by using masking tape to hold on sizable strips of roofing lead to the upper side of the wing. This one survived many many missions and the covering was rather sad looking so it was stripped back to the foam core. you can see how yellow it is from UV exposure. This is from exposure while flying as it was never stored in the sun. So well worn was the core that the leading edge needed to be trimmed back and replaced with balsa.
Here's a pic of the core having it's leading edge replaced.
The pic shows the core being held down with weights some of which are positioned behind the trailing edge, holding the core from moving back and some more weights pressing the new balsa L E against the front of the core. the glue used to bond the new balsa LE to the core is west system's epoxy mixed with micro light filler. You can see it in the mixing tray in the background of the pic. I really like this stuff for gluing foam and balsa you can use it as a glue or a bog just depends on how much filler you put in.
“The knack of flying is learning how to throw your machine at the ground and miss.”
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your thoughts turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return." ~Leonardo Da Vinci