bearweasel
Flying officer
illegitimus non carburundum
Posts: 25
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Post by bearweasel on Aug 28, 2007 4:06:43 GMT 1
Hello, my name is Kennen. I used to scratchbuild every plane I flew, but got tired of scratchbuilding. Love the SC because it's so simple. You get to just FLY. In addition to scratchbuilding rc planes, I'm also an amateur astronomer and am getting into building my own telescopes, mounts, and accessories. I fix up, modify and drive old VW's. I'm an aircraft mechanic with an engineering education. Can't stand driving a desk, though, so I went back to wrenching.  |
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Post by mississippiflyboy on Aug 28, 2007 14:38:08 GMT 1
Welcome aboard Kennen! Congrats on getting a Super Cub they are a blast to fly....even though mine's in the hangar til parts from Cali arrive ;D As an aircraft mechanic, i'm sure you'll be able to add all kinds of great tips on repair and improvements to the airframe and such. Amateur Astronomer huh? So is there REALLY life on Gilese 581c?  |
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bearweasel
Flying officer
illegitimus non carburundum
Posts: 25
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Post by bearweasel on Aug 29, 2007 0:35:58 GMT 1
Only improvement I can think of that I haven't seen on any of the forums is drooped wingtips. I think when I add ailerons to my Cub I might also add stall fences.
I'm sure Gilese 581c has life on it, but maybe not as we know it! *cue Twilight Zone theme*
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surjer
Squadron leader
Posts: 168
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Post by surjer on Aug 31, 2007 16:29:24 GMT 1
Whats a stall fence? Flipped up wingtips like the C-17? lol
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Post by kalnaren on Sept 1, 2007 2:16:06 GMT 1
Whats a stall fence? Flipped up wingtips like the C-17? lol A strip arranged along the chord of the wing to keep the airflow going straight across the airfoil and not inward or along the leading edge. They help prevent the entire wing from stalling at once, similar to wash-out. |
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bearweasel
Flying officer
illegitimus non carburundum
Posts: 25
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Post by bearweasel on Sept 1, 2007 2:24:33 GMT 1
Indeed. The C-17's wingtip whammies are known as winglets, ie "little wings". Or would those be wingitos?  Stall fences help with control during stall by keeping the spanwise airflow to a minimum, directing it instead over the ailerons. Winglets and drooped tips do the same. |
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Post by kalnaren on Sept 1, 2007 2:51:39 GMT 1
I thought winglets were designed to control wingtip vorticies and have little to do with the stall characteristics of a plane?
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bearweasel
Flying officer
illegitimus non carburundum
Posts: 25
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Post by bearweasel on Sept 1, 2007 3:38:21 GMT 1
Winglets do control wingtip vortices, which are caused by spanwise flow. Too much spanwise flow = not enough chordwise flow. They help the stall characteristics, but indirectly. Sorry, wasn't clear enough. Just came off a week of hell-bent-for-leather aircraft maintenance! (like there's another kind...) so my brain is a bit fried. Then again, there's a reason I gave up the engineer's chair for the toolbox.
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Post by kalnaren on Sept 2, 2007 1:57:28 GMT 1
Winglets do control wingtip vortices, which are caused by spanwise flow. Too much spanwise flow = not enough chordwise flow. They help the stall characteristics, but indirectly. Sorry, wasn't clear enough. Just came off a week of hell-bent-for-leather aircraft maintenance! (like there's another kind...) so my brain is a bit fried. Then again, there's a reason I gave up the engineer's chair for the toolbox. lol, no problem. I was just curious. |
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Stall fences help with control during stall by keeping the spanwise airflow to a minimum, directing it instead over the ailerons. Winglets and drooped tips do the same.