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This is my attempt to make a R/C "flying saucer". The image was taken right after the 1st flight attempt.
It just flipped over and the propeller mauled the reciever antenna.
The engine kept running, and becouse of the spinner touched the ground it sorta danced around.
The part of the antenna stuck in the propeller acted like a weed wacker, wacking the balsa stationary vanes.
I finally managed to get a grip on the wild thing and tried to kill the engine (MDS 40) by pinching the fueltube.
I thinked that I finally was in charge here, but it ran for 30 seconds more, destoying even more balsa.
I did not give up that easily, Tried again and my friend got this picture, showing the "wild thing"'s highest moment (literally speaking!) in its short life.
It flipped again, what a surprice!!
How it (should) worked:
The task of the 8 stationary vanes was to stop the rotation on the air-collum from the propeller. (To cancel out the tourqe from the engine)
A servo-operated vane below the stationary ones contolled the pitch. (connected to the elevator channel)
A two part vane mounted 90 degrees on the first one controlled the bank and rudder. (two servos in a V-tail mix)
I am sure this will work if lowering the CG well below the vanes and adding some gyros!!
This is another of my experiments. Its rather small and equipped with a 12 engine.
The wing is made of two 1/4 in balsa sheets with their edges glued together. (In other words: a _flat_ airfoil!)
There is only one aileron operated by a micro (HS 80) servo. (It worked fine!)
The tailplanes are balsa sheets too, and the elevator is moved with a HS 80.
The Trottle is controlled with a (guess?) HS 80 too. (l like those for the small size, yet fast and stong!)
It flew rather bad!!
I learned that flat airfoils is only usage with a high AoA (Angle of Attack). Higher speed caused the plane to suddenly pitch up or down, depending on a negative or positive AoA.
The reason for this in my opinion is:
With a high posistive AoA there is clean air under the wing. Over the wing there is turbulent air. (like a deltawing with high AoA)
When speed increases and AoA approaches zero, the whole thing swaps (clean air over an tubulent air under), and causes a strong pitching moment in the other direction. (down)
When I try to compensate it just swaps again.
Just my opinion!
Over to someting more
This "fighter" was made in styrofoam cutted with a hot wire. Its equipped with 12 engine, later changed to a 25 for better performance. Note the recycled tailplanes from the flat thing described above!!
This design actually flew very well!!
On the ground at the field.
*In* the ground, atleast the engine is!