Glider and Tow Plane

[Aviator08]

After a lot of contemplating I have decided to build a Tow plane and Glider combination to increase my skill set. ( If you have never tried towing an RC aircraft, it is MUCH harder then it looks, and requires both pilots to fly well). For the tow plane i am going to use the 5' "FT Super Cub" with a bigger motor/battery combo. For the glider , I am going to build an 8' foam board Schweizer 2-33 complete with spoilers.

This Iconic glider was a top performer in the two-place category and was used for training by civilian and military.

I will post plans for the Schweizer 2-33 when completed.

 

[Aviator08]

Saved for future use

 

[Aviator08]

Saved for future use.

 

[Aviator08]

Saved for future plans

 

[Tench745]

About a month ago my wife and I visited Elmira, NY, home to Schweizer at the National Soaring Museum. They made a lot of neat planes. Looking forward to seeing how this one turns out.

 

[Figure9]

After a lot of contemplating I have decided to build a Tow plane and Glider combination to increase my skill set. ( If you have never tried towing an RC aircraft, it is MUCH harder then it looks, and requires both pilots to fly well). For the tow plane i am going to use the 5' "FT Super Cub" with a bigger motor/battery combo. For the glider , I am going to build a foam board Schweizer 2-33 complete with spoilers.
This Iconic glider was a top performer in the two-place category and was used for training by civilian and military.
I will post plans for the Schweizer 2-33 when completed.

Thanks for posting this. Fremont CA had a glider field in the 60s with winds from the bay providing lift along Mission Hills. I took a ride in a Schweizer 2-32, the instructor took the back seat. He did the tow take off behind a Super Cub, turned the 2-32 over to me on release, him knowing I had arrived at the field in a J-3. The instructor even let me land it but he controlled the spoilers & I’m sure he had his hand on the stick, just in case. I had stick control in the front seat but kept reaching for the throttle that wasn’t there, the same way you stomp on the non existent passenger brake pedal when your kid’s driving. I just wanted a place to rest my left hand because the 2-32 had plenty of lift on final, so I followed the instructors spoiler input with my left hand. That’s about the same place a Cub has its throttle & believe it or not, deploying spoilers by pulling back on the spoiler knob feels just like reducing power in a Cub, advancing it back forward to retract the spoilers feels just like you added power in a Cub.
Great build for an RC experience. I hope you video the maiden & share it with the forum. Having started this RC hobby (& the forum) has given me many great memories of my youthful flying experiences, as I spent my entire working life in general & airline aviation. Eventually, I hope to build some of the RC models of full scales I’ve actually flown.

 

[Piotrsko]

Gonna want to use a nose hook instead of the CG hook. You can use the CG hook but get too high and it will rip everything apart on both planes unless your towline is sewing thread.

 

[Aviator08]

Some pictures of progress.

 

[Andrew]

I saw this indoor plane towing a glider yesterday on Facebook, I thought it was amazing.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/626401977506260/permalink/2067944453351998/

 

[Aviator08]

More progress.

 

[Jackson T]

You are doing EXACTLY what I dream of doing! I'll hopefully build a scale Discus 2 sometime, but I don't have any flying buddies to tow me up . It'll be really cool to see how this turns out, good luck!

 

[The Hangar]

Watching for sure!

 

[Aviator08]

Here’s what it looks like in the laser software.

 

[Aviator08]

The wing will be just over 8’

 

[BATTLEAXE]

Watching with interest. I like how you are doing the glider first, great job on the forming and shaping. But i am interested in seeing this Cub you speak of.

 

[Aviator08]

Watching with interest. I like how you are doing the glider first, great job on the forming and shaping. But i am interested in seeing this Cub you speak of.

Thanks. Cub is completed, ready for maiden. I will post some pictures tomorrow.

 

[Jackson T]

The wing will be just over 8’
View attachment 164868

Nice! What's the average chord?

 

[BATTLEAXE]

Thanks. Cub is completed, ready for maiden. I will post some pictures tomorrow.

No vid of the maiden it didn't happen you know

 

[Aviator08]

Super FT cub 140% tow aircraft

 

[BATTLEAXE]

Super FT cub 140% tow aircraft
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I like the wooden 3 blade, how big and what motor is spinning it?