First Glider Build!

[silveronfire]

Summer is quickly approaching and I'm looking to get back into getting back into the hobby with a custom build. I plan on designing and getting the bits laser cut, but i'd love some guidance from the people who know what they are doing! Its going to be a hand launch (gentle discus maybe), but I don't plan on doing any high starts. I know I won't get massive flights out of it, I just want something pretty that I can have fun with. But I do have a few questions!
1. What are the advantages to a V-Tail vs. a standard one?
2. Are carbon fiber spars good ideas for the wings? They're lighter and stiffer than basswood but more expensive.
3. What internal structures have you found is most sturdy with your planes' wings?
I've researched all of these things before, but I'd really value some insight from people who have experience rather than words on a webpage.

Thanks guys!

 

[Joker 53150]

Have you done any balsa building in the past? If not your plan sounds like a tough way to learn.

 

[silveronfire]

Have you done any balsa building in the past? If not your plan sounds like a tough way to learn.

I've done plenty of scratch built boats and models before with balsa so I'm pretty familiar with the techniques. I've never done a plane before. If I screw up, I'll start again and learn from my mistakes. Thats the fun, right?

 

[Joker 53150]

Summer is quickly approaching and I'm looking to get back into getting back into the hobby with a custom build. I plan on designing and getting the bits laser cut, but i'd love some guidance from the people who know what they are doing! Its going to be a hand launch (gentle discus maybe), but I don't plan on doing any high starts. I know I won't get massive flights out of it, I just want something pretty that I can have fun with. But I do have a few questions!
1. What are the advantages to a V-Tail vs. a standard one?
2. Are carbon fiber spars good ideas for the wings? They're lighter and stiffer than basswood but more expensive.
3. What internal structures have you found is most sturdy with your planes' wings?
I've researched all of these things before, but I'd really value some insight from people who have experience rather than words on a webpage.

Thanks guys!

Since you've done balsa work in the past, here's my thoughts on your questions:
1. V-tail is nice if you're landing in grassy areas as there is no horizontal surface to grab the ground. V-tail also looks cooler, but requires special mixing on the radio to work properly. I've heard v-tail isn't as effective as a standard tail, but have no proof either way.
2. I haven't used one for a spar yet, but if it's designed into the plane from the start I'd say "sure". I do use CF regularly for the leading edge as I find it handles the space between ribs much better than balsa and is already nice and round so no sanding is required.
3. For the planes I've built having a good strong spar is key, which normally includes web shearing between the ribs and spars. This stiffens up the wing considerably.

But this all depends on what kind of plane you're building, what kind of performance you expect, etc. It could all just be dead weight if you want an ultra light plane without a motor, or it could be required to handle the stresses of a discus launch. How's that for a vague answer?

 

[silveronfire]

Since you've done balsa work in the past, here's my thoughts on your questions:
1. V-tail is nice if you're landing in grassy areas as there is no horizontal surface to grab the ground. V-tail also looks cooler, but requires special mixing on the radio to work properly. I've heard v-tail isn't as effective as a standard tail, but have no proof either way.
2. I haven't used one for a spar yet, but if it's designed into the plane from the start I'd say "sure". I do use CF regularly for the leading edge as I find it handles the space between ribs much better than balsa and is already nice and round so no sanding is required.
3. For the planes I've built having a good strong spar is key, which normally includes web shearing between the ribs and spars. This stiffens up the wing considerably.

But this all depends on what kind of plane you're building, what kind of performance you expect, etc. It could all just be dead weight if you want an ultra light plane without a motor, or it could be required to handle the stresses of a discus launch. How's that for a vague answer?

No, thats helpful! I think I'll be able to ask better questions once I get down to the actual designing process. Nothing about this is going to be under too much stress though, just a gentle flyer to mess around with on a clear day. Thanks!

 

[JimCR120]

Carbon fiber comes in all shapes and sizes. Since I try to stay underbudget I get the CF strips that fit my purpose. I reinforced the empennage portion of my UMX Radian by slicing the belly open and sliding in the 1x3mm cf strip with glue. I would say the weight is negligible and the performance noteworthy. I chose a thin strip because that part of the plane flexes more vertically than laterally and keeping it thin makes it very quick and simple to install.

 

[silveronfire]

Carbon fiber comes in all shapes and sizes. Since I try to stay underbudget I get the CF strips that fit my purpose. I reinforced the empennage portion of my UMX Radian by slicing the belly open and sliding in the 1x3mm cf strip with glue. I would say the weight is negligible and the performance noteworthy. I chose a thin strip because that part of the plane flexes more vertically than laterally and keeping it thin makes it very quick and simple to install.

Thats a really good idea! Since I'm scratch building, hopefully I can design that cf into the frame. Ill try to knock out some basic models tomorrow, and ill post that here as a build log!