bracesport DLG

FAI-F1D

Free Flight Indoorist
Beautiful build, but we've got to get you using a little lighter setup to make the model fly better and launch easier (heavy tails make for messy launches).
1. Instead of basswood, use thicker balsa for the tails. 1/8" balsa sanded to an airfoil is far better than bass, and much easier to repair.
2. Pushrods are evil on full size DLGs. Your setup is perfect for pull-spring, and I recommend switching to that. It'll save a lot of weight and eliminate all of the slack in your linkages. If you lock the strings into the servos by winding them around the servo horn screws, you can adjust them at will.
3. Tape hinges. Less fragile, and lighter. When you're learning DLG, the tails take a beating. Tape hinges will keep you from having to constantly replace the hinges every time you make a less than perfect landing.

By the way, the 3-D printed pod and tail mounts look awesome!
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
Beautiful build, but we've got to get you using a little lighter setup to make the model fly better and launch easier (heavy tails make for messy launches).
1. Instead of basswood, use thicker balsa for the tails. 1/8" balsa sanded to an airfoil is far better than bass, and much easier to repair.
2. Pushrods are evil on full size DLGs. Your setup is perfect for pull-spring, and I recommend switching to that. It'll save a lot of weight and eliminate all of the slack in your linkages. If you lock the strings into the servos by winding them around the servo horn screws, you can adjust them at will.
3. Tape hinges. Less fragile, and lighter. When you're learning DLG, the tails take a beating. Tape hinges will keep you from having to constantly replace the hinges every time you make a less than perfect landing.

By the way, the 3-D printed pod and tail mounts look awesome!

You have any pictures of your pull-spring setup? Sounds interesting.
 

flyboa

Elite member
I agree with Josh, light weight easy builds are great to practice flying. He designed the "Spinster" DLG from DTFB.

Spring mounted and another spring sitting on top to show how I bend it. @bracesport
20190718_184211.jpg
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
I did print off the wing plans, well first I turned it into one page for both pieces so poster print will work slick and less pages used.

How much flex do you have using the FB , remember I am going to be using 6mm XPS foam. I was thinking of adding a 3mm cf strip down the cg point.
 

Attachments

  • DLG Wing Bracesport.pdf
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bracesport

Legendary member
@Wildthing - with paper on the wing is super stiff (but I have never tried it paperless) - because the lamination is curved front to back there is some internal structure created - but yes, for Depron you may need to experiment - I also put the drywall tape full length in the lamination for both wings.

flyboa is the master of lightweight DLGs with the FB wing - my ships are 50% heavier than his!
 

bracesport

Legendary member
@Wildthing - on A4 at 100% the tips are correct - the tip should overlay the blanks print - they are a cutting template that fits over the wing blanks once laminated - let me know if you have questions - the wings are flat with 13 deg dihedral.
 
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Wildthing

Legendary member
Strange, the wing section stayed scale, just the wing tips are oversized. Usually the pdf files don't care what paper you use or format.
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
I see what you are doing. I have to ask is this something you need to do because of the FB because otherwise I would just cut the exact pattern
 

bracesport

Legendary member
@Wildthing - it depends on how you shape your halves before laminating, but I would shape the tips after glueing - I imagine you will be forming the tapers with the iron (or hand sanding) - I taper the bottom blank from the CG line to the TE, and the top blank has two tapers, one from the CG line to the TE and another from the CG line to the LE - then I laminate them with the bottom blank flat on the table - followed by the tip shaping.

I don't think I will trim the LE to add the front caps as I used Gorilla glue which sands well - the front caps is a trick flyboa uses to remove the horizontal glue line from the LE.
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
@bracesport , let me see what I can come up with LOL. If I iron it all it maintains the weight but if I hot wire the tapers I lose weight, HMMMM .
Now you have a line there for the ailerons, how far back from the LE is the cg line?