Rubber Band RC Plane Challenge

[dmedlock4rc]

I'd love to see David, Chad and Josh B. each design a rubber band powered rc plane, maybe with a given set of materials like "Iron Chef." You get two sheets of foam board, four nine gram servos, a battery, some rubber bands... maybe a length of surgical tubing instead... make a rubber band plane that can:

Pylon race?
Do an aerobatic pattern? Say a loop, a roll, and inverted?
Endurance flight? Fly as high as you can and glide down?

I think that would be a kick.

-David Medlock

 

[zev]

I like the Idea, +2.

 

[glydr]

endurance would be the easiest comp.

 

[CrashRecovery]

you have to add a creative aspect to it

 

[Metalbat]

This could be very interesting

 

[Black Knight]

that sounds like an awesome idea

 

[pgerts]

I dont think that anyone of them except David would manage to make a RC rubber band powered model ;-)
Have any of you above any experience of rubber band powered models?
2 sheets of foam board and 4 9 gr servos dont seem to me to be the best materials.
Convert a Sleek Streek might be fun. The gears from a Kyosho minium or a Parkzone ultra micro will do the job.
You will get 3 times the flight time with RC then free flight but the weight will increase with 6 grams.

 

[Tritium]

Great idea BUT I do not believe that a direct drive rubber band powered plane would have enough "stored" power for any maneuvers or even power to get an electronics package consisting of battery, receiver and servos / linkage aloft for more than seconds at best. Now with some sophisticated gearing and multiple bands it might be possible but I still have reservations as to the viability of the challenge.

Thurmond

 

[FlyingMonkey]

I'ld love to see this happen!

 

[earthsciteach]

This is one of those challenges that would perhaps be better received if there was some kind of cool badge or logo that would be added to the successful members' user name.

 

[dmedlock4rc]

Done and done

This is one of those challenges that would perhaps be better received if there was some kind of cool badge or logo that would be added to the successful members' user name.

Bump.

 

[StrutMonkey]

That sounds like a lot of fun!!

 

[rcspaceflight]

Some one built a car, yes, a full sized car, that was rubber band powered.

Ha-zah! I found it! http://www.popularmechanics.com/cars/news/vintage-speed/4278559

Although it's not the best information about it. Actually, there is no information about it, just a couple of pictures.

 

[StrutMonkey]

Well two ways I see to increase the duration of power output would be to create a geared motor system so that the propeller will spin "x" times per wind of the rubber band. The second option is a bit simpler. Pick a propeller with a large diameter and an increased blade angle. There would be no gearing in this one because the size and bite of the prop would force a slower rotation for the same amount of force. However the power drop off for the second design would start earlier.


Or you could gear a big prop with a high blade angle and get both!