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Build Thread, Page :  1   2   3  [ 4 ] (78 posts, 20 posts per page, 4 pages in total) [ < Prev ]
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3910525 Jul 17 19:56

Went flying today too - 30 second flights on 2 strands of 3/16" rubber, each strand is 12 " long, (prop hook to rear peg length is 6.5") , 495 winds.
LASTWOODSMAN, Comment for image # 3908122 Jul 17 15:54
I meant to say 40 turns on the crank handle of my 15:1 Winder = 600 winds of the rubber, and the rubber broke.
LASTWOODSMAN, Comment for image # 3908122 Jul 17 15:19
And this is why the rubber-powered free flighters like the transparent tissue, and even transparent decals ... the beautiful framework shows through ...
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3908222 Jul 17 15:15

CLOSEUP snipped from the below pic - only one good shot this am - two flights, then I tried winding over 40 turns into two strands of 1/8" rubber, each strand 6" long - very old three year old rubber - broke the rubber, this time in a big twisted knot in the back of the fuse - easy tissue repair - but cutting out that knot of that "angry diamond back rattlesnake" knot, that is always snapping and striking at you, and trying to cause more damage, is another story ... Now I am all outof rubber - I hope that big order from Volare gets here soon ...
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3908122 Jul 17 15:11

Two more pics fram this AM and that is it . HIGH IN THE OVERCAST SKY
Don C, Comment for image # 3908022 Jul 17 08:59
Looks nice.
jgood, Comment for image # 3908021 Jul 17 23:13
Nice shot!
LASTWOODSMAN, Comment for image # 3908021 Jul 17 21:09
You can actually see the propeller arc in this shot.
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3908021 Jul 17 20:24

Went back out at 8:30 PM - Best shot of the day and best shot ever - only had one flight as I broke the rubber winding for the second flight ...
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3907921 Jul 17 13:24

The little "Gypsy" Air Camper was really "camping" up there in slow flight against the wind, and running its rubber out right to the very end! I'm starting to feel like the early flight pioneers, discovering the nuances of the physics of aerodynamics ...
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3907821 Jul 17 13:21

I had several perfect flights, then I cut another small balsa shim, and added it to the other one (just stuck it in behind the top of the nose plug - the rubber pressure held it in place), in effect DOUBLING UP the DOWNTHRUST, and wound in 900 turns! Got the BEST flight yet !!! 46 seconds of flight going VERY high and turning !!
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3907721 Jul 17 13:14

Bad windy weather was forecast for the next several days, so I went out again this morning at 11:00 AM, wind 11 mph gusting to 17 mph, 74 % humidity, 77 deg F feels like 91 deg F - but NO saggy wet tissue ...
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3907621 Jul 17 13:11

18" AIR CAMPER - I went flying last night in the dark at 9:30 PM (they were playing Cricket all day), with NO wind, 79% humidity, 79 deg F feelslike 97 deg F. Only flew once - a perfect circlling left flight of 26 seconds on 600 winds and with soggy saggy tissue.
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3907520 Jul 17 12:52

And my little plane was happy too - quite the valiant flights by that little Gypsy girl!! She really gave her all in that wind ! - reminds me of my exes. I think I will now call her "Nancy", or "Sandy", or both ... depending on the mood swing of the plane at the time... LOL Oh, how I miss the touch of a woman ... a little bit of female affection would really cap off a great day of flying !! But I digress ... LOL
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3907420 Jul 17 12:48

I had put in 40 cranks on the winder handle = 600 winds on the rubber, and LO AND BEHOLD!! - a 29 SECOND BRAVELY FOUGHT FLIGHT TURNING LEFT, in 8 mph wind, gusting to 15 mph. The temp was 83 degrees F, feels like 103 degrees F, and humidity of 73%. It was getting too windy and the tissue was getting wet and starting to SAG ! But I was a "HAPPY CAMPER" flying my "AIR CAMPER" !!! So I went home before smashing it up ...
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3907320 Jul 17 12:44

Back in my balsa dust-filled apartment woodshop, I ended up sticking about one gram of modeling clay under the fuse rear end, and around the wire skid (for a tail wheel), and balanced it out perfectly. The total weight was now 26 grams, including 2 grams of two strands of 1/8" rubber , each strand of rubber 12" long (the prop hook to rear motor peg mount was 6 1/2" ), and including the one gram of ballast modeling clay. I then went back out to the Cricket Wicket, and I was only lucky enough to get a 12 second flight, because it was climbing too much and was "porpoising" too much. Then I followed the fantastic Dumas instruction segment for flight trimming, titled "FLYING THE MODEL" ( I had photocopied the page, highlighted the important sections, and brought it with me), and then "added down thrust by placing a small balsa shim behind the cowl at the top". I had also brought a sanding block, a permanent marker, scissors, and a small piece of 1/16" balsa plate. I sanded it to a sharp acute angle, traced the edge of the top half of the male (tenon) nose block {that plugs into the female (mortise) hole in the forward fuse bulkhead former}, cut it out with scissors, and stuck it behind the nose block at the top, after winding with a 15:1 winder, and a winding stooge.
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3907220 Jul 17 12:40

I picked the poor thing up, after languishing on the shelf, so lonely, for so long, and grabbed my backpack, stooge and gear, and headed out to the "Cricket Wicket" grounds in Jackson Park across the road, for some test glides (without even checking the balance). It test glided OK, but dived down at the end - too nose heavy. I then put 100 turns by hand on the rubber motor that was in there almost 3 years, which gave about 4 or 5 seconds of power, and it climbed OK with a natural left turn, but again dived down. I then returned to the apartment to adjust it.
LASTWOODSMAN, Image # 3907120 Jul 17 12:37

Dumas 18" "AIR CAMPER" kit # 231 scale 1:19 (not the big 36" kit #1803) With my SIG 22" broken wing 'Cabinaire' under repair for tow glorious flying days, I still have the uncontrollable urge to go flying ... This is my 18" Dumas "Air Camper". I've only just looked at her posing there, on the shelf, since Nov 21, 2014. I previously had doubted that it would fly because of that inline 4 cylinder model A Ford engine Radiator, sticking up there all high and mighty, causing drag, and blocking the wind ! The poor thing was just sitting there in heartbroken, spirit-destroying, soul-killing, muted silence and sadness , desperately yearning to fly for almost 3 years, in quiet solitude ...
Build Thread, Page :  1   2   3  [ 4 ] (78 posts, 20 posts per page, 4 pages in total) [ < Prev ]