The rubber power thread

[FAI-F1D]

Yeah, I'm just starting threads to discuss what interests me. You'll forgive me eventually.

I know several people on this forum build rubber power, so here's a thread for us to all enjoy our arcane sport.

Let's start things off...here's my latest footage of rubber power flying:

Some context for the above video:

I think my next big rubber power feature will be A frame twin pushers. Because the only thing better than playing with mid-1930's models is playing with 1920's models!

 

[FAI-F1D]

If you're looking for a way to get started at indoor endurance flying, I can finally announce that a kit is available that can deliver contest grade performance! My wife built the prototype and it flies better than any of the similar models we've scratch built in the past. Check out the flight demo:

 

[FAI-F1D]

This. This may be the coolest thing ever. I want one.

 

[FAI-F1D]

If you fly indoor, this is an absolutely critical technique:

 

[FAI-F1D]

Next installment in "how to fly rubber power" should of course be the topic of tensioning rubber motors. Or rather, "braiding" them. Here y'all go:

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

I only have a few major assemblies left on my Herr Pitts Special. A few more nights of building and I'll be ready for covering and final assembly!

 

[FAI-F1D]

This model was built by a fellow member of Thermal Thumbers, Georgia's only free flight club. He had quite a time trimming it out, but we finally figured out that it needed a larger vertical tail, and then that said tail needed to be oriented just right. It flies pretty nicely now and I suspect it'll be banging around in the rafters at our next flying session. Enjoy the progression:

 

[sprzout]

This was something that fascinated my father and I at the AMA Expo West this year. I knew people had been doing this back in the day (I remembered the fun of the old balsa gliders with the rubber bands on them and the props, things that my grandfather would hand me as a kid or I'd get them in my Christmas stocking), but I honestly had no idea it was still as big as it is, flying indoors and out.

I watched a guy bring out a penny plane (so called because the entire thing weighed as much as, or less than, a penny) and it flew indoors for over 5 minutes, just looping around in slow flight above our heads, as he talked about the construction materials, and how there are fewer clubs nowadays that are flying them, because they're so fragile and aren't RC controlled.

 

[mayan]

Does anyone have plans for one out of balsa that he can recommend for a newbie?

 

[FAI-F1D]

Does anyone have plans for one out of balsa that he can recommend for a newbie?

Best idea I know of is to buy a Mountain Lion from lasercutplanes.com. Easiest way to tiptoe into rubber powered balsa.

 

[FAI-F1D]

The Hangar Rat is one of the most popular sport indoor models ever designed. I reckon you can find at least one in nearly every free flight club in the US, Australia, NZ, and the UK. It's not uncommon to see ten of these show up to our monthly indoor meets. I'm pretty sure everyone in our club who has flown indoor has built one, and most of us have at least one. They fly surprisingly well and require no special materials.
Here is one version of the free plans: https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=10107
Oh, and a miniature version: https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=4503

And here's one built by Doug DeMasie:

 

[FAI-F1D]

I've had quite a few requests in the past few years for a competitive pennyplane design since that class of models is so often recommended for newcomers to indoor flying. Lasercutplanes.com actually offers a very beginner-friendly "pennyplane" but it's not contest legal and all of the contest legal kits are out of production.

I fixed that by designing my own. Extensive testing has shown that it's a very nice flying airplane and builds out to half the weight of anything else currently available.

Have a look:

 

[FAI-F1D]

One of my contractors has been egging me on to see how far I can go with tiny airplanes. Well, let's try 1" span, and 24 mg. Yes, it actually does fly, albeit briefly so far. But it's stable and does sustain a climb until it's out of juice.

I videoed almost all of the build and trimming. I'll get it uploaded soon enough...

 

[FAI-F1D]

Here's the first segment in building this absurd tiny little thing:

 

[FAI-F1D]

The second installment is here! First flight footage!

 

[FAI-F1D]

This is one of the craziest things I've ever tried. It required several redesigns but finally flew. It needs more work, but seeing it fly is incredible!

 

[FAI-F1D]

I finally compiled footage of the world's smallest airplane flying in a gym. Bad decision making led to disaster, but it's cool footage anyway.