Storm Flyer

[mike.chuanshi]

I'm looking for suggestions and ideas from anyone who may be familiar with an electric r/c plane capable of handling more extreme conditions - specifically high winds that will attempt to toss it around. I'm looking for something that is like a WC-130, WC-130J, or WC-121N in terms of function (I don't need a scale version of one of these aircraft, just something that can take a beating from the forces of nature). I would even consider designing something myself, but need more info on characteristics which will aid in the plane's ability to be stable.

What I'm not looking for is a jet that can "pierce" the wind by going 500 mph - that's not really the definition of stable that I'm referring to.

I'd like something that's more like a cargo plane made to fly through hurricanes: slow, extremely stable, heavy-lifting, powerful... an elephant of a plane. If can carry two or three 4S 3300mAh+ batteries, all the better.

Suggestions? Ideas? Or is this just crazy?

 

[quorneng]

mike.chuanshi
To be practical you need to establish just what you mean by extreme weather.
Although a model plane may be scaled down from full size unfortunately the atmosphere in which it flies is not, so what might be mild weather in full size becomes extreme for a model plane.

It is possible to operate a model plane in a 20 mph wind at ground level but it is likely to be close to its stalling speed. That would be the equivalent to taking off and landing in a C130 in a 100+ mph wind.

On the plus side strength is not so much of a problem for models as the relative strength of a structure rises dramatically as its scale is reduced. Its the matchstick principle. An actual matchstick as a beam can carry many times its own weight but scale it up 100 times and it struggles to support itself let alone carry a load.

What this means is that in practise models already operate in weather conditions that would be considered 'extreme' in the full size world.

 

[RAM]

Overpowered and overweight. Overpowered so you can force it around when the wind grabs it and overweight so it can punch through like a glider. Build it so you can add or remove weight at the CG point like the glider pilots do. They add weight on windy days and remove it as things calm down. The cargo plane idea sounds like your only option if you want powered flight. The cargo bay being most important.

This video shows what I think you are after (50mph gusts and cargo planes). If you look into how these guys build you should be able to come up with something that will work. https://www.aiaa.org/secondary.aspx?id=19939

I asked a slightly similar question in this thread, see the responses http://forum.flitetest.com/showthre...ere-anything-that-can-be-done-to-counter-them

 

[mike.chuanshi]

To be practical you need to establish just what you mean by extreme weather. Although a model plane may be scaled down from full size unfortunately the atmosphere in which it flies is not, so what might be mild weather in full size becomes extreme for a model plane.

Excellent point - I do indeed need to clarify what is meant by "extreme weather." In this context, "extreme" is defined as extreme for the r/c model. As you have noted, 20mph winds are already pretty harsh conditions for a model aircraft, and 25mph is a typhoon. What I would like is something that can handle 20mph winds very well (fly like a trainer) and be able to fly in even stronger winds.

The FT Guinea Pig was a plane that stood out, but I'm not familiar enough with this plane to know if it fits the bill (or could be modified to do so).

On this "Typhoon Conqueror" that I am envisioning, it's a plane that:

- is an ox (not a cheetah): strong, stable, and reliable.
- is slow and flys like a trainer.
- can carry 10,000 mAh or more for long-duration flights.
- can be outfitted with a full FPV setup (with a GoPro).
- can be outfitted with a full telemetry/OSD/GPS.

If something like this exists, awesome. If not, I'm wondering if anyone has come up with a design for something similar. If this is something that has not been created, I'm hoping to find something that could be modified. If all else fails, I'll have to start finding good sources of information so that I can design this plane myself.

 

[ExperimentalRC]

I have only flown a handful of planes, but the one that i thought best was the Finwing Penguin v2 w/2815 motor. It has a fairly large wingspan and can carry a lot of weight. The other day I flew it in a moderate rain storm but i forgot to press record on the GoPro . It was constant 15mph with ~20mph gusts and raining. That was with a 3s 5100mah which still felt somewhat floaty, so 4s 8000mah will weigh it down enough to where the wind wont affect it too much. The 2815 motor is very powerful on 3s, and the 60a esc is rated for 4s so it is possible.