Hi guys,
So, as you might have heard, in other countries, Asia in particular, the 3/16" DTFB does not exist. What we do have is 3mm and 5mm un-papered foam, which I've been tinkering with using Experimental Airlines's tape-covering technique.
Now 3/16 of an inch is 4.7625 millimeters according to Google, and it has indeed been enough of a difference to make it difficult to use the base plans. But we also drive around on scooters here in Asia, so that means I need smaller planes, and can't simply scale up the plan an make a plane even larger.
So what I'm wondering is, what are some of the issues one might run into if they, for example, took a FT Bronco pattern and scaled it -down- to fit 3mm foam, which would be... *quick math* 63% of the original size? Would a 63% Bronco be expected to fly at all, or does it completely toss the lift area to weight ratio out the door? Has anyone ever tried scaling down the full size plans by this much? I've heard of 20% reduction elsewhere on the forums, but this is a 37% decrease. Let's play a quick conjecture game of "Will It Fly?". What obstacles should I anticipate if I try to do this?
So, as you might have heard, in other countries, Asia in particular, the 3/16" DTFB does not exist. What we do have is 3mm and 5mm un-papered foam, which I've been tinkering with using Experimental Airlines's tape-covering technique.
Now 3/16 of an inch is 4.7625 millimeters according to Google, and it has indeed been enough of a difference to make it difficult to use the base plans. But we also drive around on scooters here in Asia, so that means I need smaller planes, and can't simply scale up the plan an make a plane even larger.
So what I'm wondering is, what are some of the issues one might run into if they, for example, took a FT Bronco pattern and scaled it -down- to fit 3mm foam, which would be... *quick math* 63% of the original size? Would a 63% Bronco be expected to fly at all, or does it completely toss the lift area to weight ratio out the door? Has anyone ever tried scaling down the full size plans by this much? I've heard of 20% reduction elsewhere on the forums, but this is a 37% decrease. Let's play a quick conjecture game of "Will It Fly?". What obstacles should I anticipate if I try to do this?