Fly to the sky, all you have to do is grab it at the bottom, and throw it straight ahead, but make sure you allow some speed to build up prior to making a turn. If you're a fan of RC helicopter,I have a great site for you to check out. It's called rcroll.com, and it has lots of good information on micro rc planes and unusual rc helicopters. One in particular is the star ship enterprise rc plane which can be built using the free plans available here. Just imagine the look on peoples faces when you fly this one at the park.
If you're interested in rc helicopter, you can visit the website mentioned above. Just type in star ship in the search box and you'll be taken to the appropriate page. All parts needed are covered here, so you can boldly go where no rc plane has gone before.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Four aerodynamic forces at play on a model
The four aerodynamic forces at play on a model are lift, drag, thrust and gravity.
1. Lift ?The result of airflow over the curved upper and lower wing surfaces. It is the force that keeps the model in the air.
2. Gravity - This is the force exerted on the model that pulls it down.
3. Thrust - Thrust pushes or pulls the model forward.
4. Drag - the opposite of thrust, drag is created by the friction of model against the air as it moves forward.
Discover the best models for getting started in rc planes.
1. Lift ?The result of airflow over the curved upper and lower wing surfaces. It is the force that keeps the model in the air.
2. Gravity - This is the force exerted on the model that pulls it down.
3. Thrust - Thrust pushes or pulls the model forward.
4. Drag - the opposite of thrust, drag is created by the friction of model against the air as it moves forward.
Discover the best models for getting started in rc planes.
Flight Control Suggestion
Flight RC airplane just like the real airplanes, models depend on control surfaces to maneuver and fly, the basics being the elevators, ailerons and rudder. Some of the more sophisticated ones might have spoilers and flaps and leading-edge wing flaps.
Elevators - control nose up or nose down attitude of the airplane. This, in a nutshell, is how it works. When the pilot pitches the nose up (pulling back on the stick), the wing angle is changed as related to the RC airplanes forward movement. As the angle of the wing is increased,more of the lower wing surface is revealed to the oncoming air and an increase in engine power will cause the airplane to climb. Increasing AOA too much without a corresponding power increase will result in a stall situation.
Rudder inputs are used to counter the effect known as adverse yaw when turning the model. This is the tendency of the right extended (down) aileron to produce drag on a left hand turn causing the model to want to turn to the right.
Ailerons ?These are located on the trailing edge of the wings near the wingtips. These surfaces will roll the model to the left or to the right. If the aileron stick is moved to the right, the model will roll to the right because less lift is produced on the right wing. This can be explained as follows. When a right roll input is intoduced, the right aileron will move up into the airstream and the left aileron will move down. Therefore the airflow rushing over the right wing no longer flows smoothly, creating less lift on that wing causing the model to roll to the right. It works the same way for the left wing.
Elevators - control nose up or nose down attitude of the airplane. This, in a nutshell, is how it works. When the pilot pitches the nose up (pulling back on the stick), the wing angle is changed as related to the RC airplanes forward movement. As the angle of the wing is increased,more of the lower wing surface is revealed to the oncoming air and an increase in engine power will cause the airplane to climb. Increasing AOA too much without a corresponding power increase will result in a stall situation.
Rudder inputs are used to counter the effect known as adverse yaw when turning the model. This is the tendency of the right extended (down) aileron to produce drag on a left hand turn causing the model to want to turn to the right.
Ailerons ?These are located on the trailing edge of the wings near the wingtips. These surfaces will roll the model to the left or to the right. If the aileron stick is moved to the right, the model will roll to the right because less lift is produced on the right wing. This can be explained as follows. When a right roll input is intoduced, the right aileron will move up into the airstream and the left aileron will move down. Therefore the airflow rushing over the right wing no longer flows smoothly, creating less lift on that wing causing the model to roll to the right. It works the same way for the left wing.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Soar with an RC airplane
The blue skies above invite you to fly your RC airplane to your heart's content. You can choose from something like the micro X-EC-Diversion below, small enough
to fit inside a briefcase, or something larger like a semi scale F-16 Fighting Falcon...complete with everything you need to race down the
runway!
One of the beauties, and advantages, of a micro RC airplane is that it's small enough to be flown indoors, making a school gym or auditorium a suitable "fly zone". These RC planes can be divided into two different
categories: indoor models with wingspans of up to 30 inches (75 cm) and
weights up to 6 ounces (180 grams), or a Park Flyer micro RC plane with spans from 30-48
inches (75 cm-120 cm) and increased weights up to 22 ounces (660 grams).
A perfect example of a micro RC plane is the IFO (Identified FlyingObject)above from Wild RC...I guarantee you've never seen or flown anythinglike it before! You can view some excellent flight videos on their site too. Note: special order item, call me for details 1-250-727-9793 Pacific
There is definitely an RC airplane to suit the flying ability of anyone. For
instance, if you're a rookie pilot then I highly recommend that you
start with one of the simple RTF (Ready-to-Fly)
RC electric planes
from Megatech. They're an all-in-one package, very easy to operate and can withstand plenty of unintentional landings!
This type of inexpensive electric RC plane has a simple 2 or 3 channel radio that makes it very easy for beginners to operate and they're built of tough plastic making them very good value. Most come fully equipped with radios, clean, quiet electric motors and affordable price tags.
If and when you're ready to step up to a gas RC airplane there are certainly lots to choose from. Some people prefer the full-throttle sound of the gas motors and increased size too but of course along with those comes an increased price!
For me, one of the coolest things about radio control is imagining that I'm the pilot of the real thing because of the truly realistic scale models we can buy like the Megatech P-51 Mustang below. While certainly not a rookie's RC plane, it's still durable enough to give you many years of flying fun!
Plus, when we crash while learning to land on a simulator, there are no broken
parts to replace so they can actually be a very wise small investment!
to fit inside a briefcase, or something larger like a semi scale F-16 Fighting Falcon...complete with everything you need to race down the
runway!
One of the beauties, and advantages, of a micro RC airplane is that it's small enough to be flown indoors, making a school gym or auditorium a suitable "fly zone". These RC planes can be divided into two different
categories: indoor models with wingspans of up to 30 inches (75 cm) and
weights up to 6 ounces (180 grams), or a Park Flyer micro RC plane with spans from 30-48
inches (75 cm-120 cm) and increased weights up to 22 ounces (660 grams).
A perfect example of a micro RC plane is the IFO (Identified FlyingObject)above from Wild RC...I guarantee you've never seen or flown anythinglike it before! You can view some excellent flight videos on their site too. Note: special order item, call me for details 1-250-727-9793 Pacific
There is definitely an RC airplane to suit the flying ability of anyone. For
instance, if you're a rookie pilot then I highly recommend that you
start with one of the simple RTF (Ready-to-Fly)
RC electric planes
from Megatech. They're an all-in-one package, very easy to operate and can withstand plenty of unintentional landings!
This type of inexpensive electric RC plane has a simple 2 or 3 channel radio that makes it very easy for beginners to operate and they're built of tough plastic making them very good value. Most come fully equipped with radios, clean, quiet electric motors and affordable price tags.
If and when you're ready to step up to a gas RC airplane there are certainly lots to choose from. Some people prefer the full-throttle sound of the gas motors and increased size too but of course along with those comes an increased price!
For me, one of the coolest things about radio control is imagining that I'm the pilot of the real thing because of the truly realistic scale models we can buy like the Megatech P-51 Mustang below. While certainly not a rookie's RC plane, it's still durable enough to give you many years of flying fun!
Plus, when we crash while learning to land on a simulator, there are no broken
parts to replace so they can actually be a very wise small investment!
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Carbon fiber rods, tubes and strips
How-to Info for Carbon Fiber Rods, Tubes and Strips
If you're looking for information on carbon fiber rods and tubes, then you've come to the right place!
Carbon fibre, which can refer to carbon filament thread or to felt or woven cloth made from carbon filaments, is a polymer which is a form of graphite and graphite is a form of pure carbon.
In graphite molecules, the carbon atoms are arranged into large sheets of hexagonal aromatic rings which resemble chicken wire. The carbon fiber graphite sheets are long and thin, almost like ribbons and they like to pack together.
The filaments themselves are stranded into a thread and carbon fibre thread is rated by the number of filaments per thread, in thousands. Therefore, 3,000 filament carbon fiber is 3 times as strong as 1,000 carbon fiber, but is also 3 times as heavy. This thread can then be used to weave the above mentioned carbon fibre cloth.
The appearance of this cloth generally depends on the size of thread and the weave chosen. Carbon fibre is naturally a glossy black, but recently colored carbon fiber rods have become available.
The ribbons mentioned above are then combined with epoxy resins to form reinforced composites which are very light and very strong for their weight. In fact, carbon fibre composites are often used to replace metals in airplanes, tennis rackets and golf clubs!
Carbon fiber rods and tubes are made by pulling or wrapping carbon fibers and epoxy resin to a specific diameter which in turn forms a densely reinforced carbon composite.
How to Work with Carbon Fiber
Here's a handy tip: did you know that CA or "Krazy Glue" debonder (acetone) dissolves CA glues but does no damage to carbon fiber rods? This means that you can re-use old rods and tubes by soaking the part in acetone for a couple of hours and then wiping it off!
Cutting rods: use an abrasive cutoff wheel chucked in a Dremel tool or else a very fine 32 teeth-per-inch hacksaw. Do not use a band saw. However, to cut small rods up to 3mm in diameter you can also use a bicycle braided-cable cutter available from many bike stores. The V-shaped jaws prevent the ends from splintering. If you work with a lot of carbon fiber they're well worth buying.
If you're looking for information on carbon fiber rods and tubes, then you've come to the right place!
Carbon fibre, which can refer to carbon filament thread or to felt or woven cloth made from carbon filaments, is a polymer which is a form of graphite and graphite is a form of pure carbon.
In graphite molecules, the carbon atoms are arranged into large sheets of hexagonal aromatic rings which resemble chicken wire. The carbon fiber graphite sheets are long and thin, almost like ribbons and they like to pack together.
The filaments themselves are stranded into a thread and carbon fibre thread is rated by the number of filaments per thread, in thousands. Therefore, 3,000 filament carbon fiber is 3 times as strong as 1,000 carbon fiber, but is also 3 times as heavy. This thread can then be used to weave the above mentioned carbon fibre cloth.
The appearance of this cloth generally depends on the size of thread and the weave chosen. Carbon fibre is naturally a glossy black, but recently colored carbon fiber rods have become available.
The ribbons mentioned above are then combined with epoxy resins to form reinforced composites which are very light and very strong for their weight. In fact, carbon fibre composites are often used to replace metals in airplanes, tennis rackets and golf clubs!
Carbon fiber rods and tubes are made by pulling or wrapping carbon fibers and epoxy resin to a specific diameter which in turn forms a densely reinforced carbon composite.
How to Work with Carbon Fiber
Here's a handy tip: did you know that CA or "Krazy Glue" debonder (acetone) dissolves CA glues but does no damage to carbon fiber rods? This means that you can re-use old rods and tubes by soaking the part in acetone for a couple of hours and then wiping it off!
Cutting rods: use an abrasive cutoff wheel chucked in a Dremel tool or else a very fine 32 teeth-per-inch hacksaw. Do not use a band saw. However, to cut small rods up to 3mm in diameter you can also use a bicycle braided-cable cutter available from many bike stores. The V-shaped jaws prevent the ends from splintering. If you work with a lot of carbon fiber they're well worth buying.
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