Looks great!
FT Explorer biplane conversion (pictures)
- Thread starter Hippogriff
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Hippogriff
New member
So I'm about a week late in getting video put up, but I've flown a couple times in non-horrible weather. My conclusions:
Roll rate is actually not that great.
It's an pretty good slow flier, once you trim out the engine.
Skis can alter your trim a bit, but that's neither here nor there.
I still can't get a loop out of the Explorer without things going literally and figuratively sideways.
I didn't reinforce the bottom wing spar from the wing root to the skis, but I should have. It's developing some wrinkles.
So it's generally about like the regular explorer, but slower and jankier. With a bit of re-engineering in a scratchbuild, I think it could show some potential; I feel like it would benefit from shorter coupling and larger elevators, and in a scratchbuild, you could combine the tail root and the battery tray, maybe work some excess mass out of the core. All in all, it was an interesting experiment, though I think next time, it'd be worth it to just design something of rough size from scratch, given that these proportions are known to fly passably.
Though maybe with its less weird thrust angle, the otter would be viable for a biplane conversion, with the second wing being attached at the engine pod?
Hippogriff
New member
No, that's how it is here as well.
SoylentGreen4579
Member
I am thrilled to see the follow up.
I think you're right about your elevator and rudder being a little small for the job.
A little re engineering and an airfoil transplant from the FT 3D would be my course of action.
But that's the purpose of the Explorer ... it is a platform born into the world to take the ritual abuse of our imaginations.
I think you're right about your elevator and rudder being a little small for the job.
A little re engineering and an airfoil transplant from the FT 3D would be my course of action.
But that's the purpose of the Explorer ... it is a platform born into the world to take the ritual abuse of our imaginations.
Hippogriff
New member
I've already got the tail pushed in a couple inches to account for a weight imbalance from the monoplane days, so that's not helping the tail any.
You could very well be right, but I think I'll move on to other designs when this finally falls apart, but the chassis worked very well for the experimentation; that I managed to pull this off using spare foam and only poke four new holes in the fuse speaks well to the plane's versatility.
You could very well be right, but I think I'll move on to other designs when this finally falls apart, but the chassis worked very well for the experimentation; that I managed to pull this off using spare foam and only poke four new holes in the fuse speaks well to the plane's versatility.
SoylentGreen4579
Member
you could glue strips to the elevator to add some moving surface ... that'd probably help it manage a loop
might as well let some ugly happen to effect if it's coming apart on you.
if it gets closer to an objective ... its a win and worth a revisit:applause:
might as well let some ugly happen to effect if it's coming apart on you.
if it gets closer to an objective ... its a win and worth a revisit:applause:
Hippogriff
New member
Okay, so last week, having acquired a pair of FPV goggles for Christmas, I opted to stick a camera on this plane, which has been gathering dust in the guest room. Figured I'd see if it crashed, then if it did, I'd have a receiver free for something else.
Once the camera is on, and I'm not having to fight my own view angle, this is a pretty fun plane. Loops still escape it, but the roll rate is about two seconds. Slow flying is what you'd expect from half again the wing area of a regular Explorer - very high drag, but the sink rate is really nice. Engage flaperons, and you float gently like a leaf.
When the sun gets low and you can see your shadow skimming along the ground, that's possibly the best thing about the plane. There's just something about how a biplane looks.
Still some structural issues; if I did this again, I'd add to my list of changes permanently affixing the wings, probably with some arrowshaft struts way up high. The plane fits in the trunk of a sedan, so it's just not necessary to take it apart, and removability just makes it harder to spread the wings apart and keep them from getting out of alignment. Also, best to fix the skis in place. It's just not worth having them be articulated, especially if one picks up a little more snow than the other.
Once the camera is on, and I'm not having to fight my own view angle, this is a pretty fun plane. Loops still escape it, but the roll rate is about two seconds. Slow flying is what you'd expect from half again the wing area of a regular Explorer - very high drag, but the sink rate is really nice. Engage flaperons, and you float gently like a leaf.
When the sun gets low and you can see your shadow skimming along the ground, that's possibly the best thing about the plane. There's just something about how a biplane looks.
Still some structural issues; if I did this again, I'd add to my list of changes permanently affixing the wings, probably with some arrowshaft struts way up high. The plane fits in the trunk of a sedan, so it's just not necessary to take it apart, and removability just makes it harder to spread the wings apart and keep them from getting out of alignment. Also, best to fix the skis in place. It's just not worth having them be articulated, especially if one picks up a little more snow than the other.
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