Aquila

[Brianswood]

I see that the Aquila is quite popular still after all these years. I am happy to say I have 2 Aquila kits and one with a FG fuse. I am about to cover the wing for the FG fuse kit. I look forward to flying this plan since it has such a positive history. I will have some extra parts from these 2 kits ....a fuse and a canopy( I have 3) as well as 2 sets of plans. Is there any tips on the Aquila before I get any farther??
Brian

[ferincr]

Hi Brian,
At the moment I'm building ( for the second time) an Aquila Grande I bought like twenty years ago.
I flew it a couple of times , then I crashed it and that was it ... until now.
I would say (even though I'm not very experienced) that the construccion is very straight forward especially if you have a kit. I'm building it pretty much from scratch.
I just found out that the stab (and pretty sure than the winga too) was pretty croked and anyway used to fly like a dream.
I'm really looking forward to finish it.

[xtc]

do a search [top] under aquila,,there was a thread concerning the rear hinge as i recall

oh,ya,,get a big hat and lawn chair!

xtc

[charlie hepler]

You lookin to get rid of the extra canopy and set of plans? I have a partial Aquila Grande kit but it did not have the plans nor a canopy. Let me know! :)


charlie

[Keith Johnson]

Consider adding the 'Miller Mod' to the bottom of the wing (if you have the original flat bottom airfoil). It allows the sailplane to penetrate the wind a little better. It did not seem to alter the ability to thermal at all on mine. I was very pleased with the improved wind penetration with the mod.

Also, consider adding about a quarter inch washout to the wingtips if you decide to experiment. I found it helped my plane hang in light thermals and still have very good turning control and a mild stall. I am aware that the plans originally called for no washout at all, which I originally tried. I later added the quarter inch of washout at the wingtips and liked it.

[ejett]

Brianswood:

The Aquila thread mentioned above was my thread when I started building my Aquila.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=234003

Maybe there is something in there that you can use.

I used a 1/16" sheet on the bottom of the inner wing panels (i.e., D-tubed), 3/8" wide spars and a 5/16" joiner for my plane. Other than that it is stock.

EJ

[ferincr]

[QUOTE=Keith Johnson] consider adding about a quarter inch washout to the wingtips if you decide to experiment.

Keith, I'm building an Aquila Grande.
Do you think I should put some wash out on the wings too?
If so, what should I do? ( I mean lift the TE 1/4" over the original line when joining the outer wing panels?)
I'm sorry I'm (as I signed off) quite an ignorant in this matter. (and many others, but I'm still trying...)
fernando.

[Esprit2]

(Snip)... Is there any tips on the Aquila before I get any farther??
Brian,
The fiberglass Aquila fuselage has a tendancy to crack across the top about 1.5 inches behind the trailing edge. It happens on hard landings or nose spikes. The tail's inertia causes a bending moment in the tail boom, puts the top surface in compression, and they all get an identical Aquila-crack. This applies to both the Aquila and Aquila Grande' FG fuselages.

I don't have a picture of my own to show you, but an eBay auction just ended today that included an Aquila fuselage with just such a crack. Go to auction #5961617891 and check out the fuse on the right with the amber tint canopy. You can clearly see the crack line and the internal patch through the translucent fiberglass.

I've had to repair two Aquila FG fuselages and have seen others. So now I just apply a reinforcement layer into a new fuse before I build it up. That stops the problem before it occurs.

Okay, so the real solution is not to land on the nose. I hear ya.

Regards,
Tim

[Keith Johnson]

'ferincr':

I flew the 100'' Aquila. Generally I would suggest that you follow the original design and try it out. On the original 100'' Aquila there was no washout suggested. So the center panels and the tip panels were designed to have no twist at all (no washout). I originally flew the plane like that. I later decided to try some washout on the Aquila 100''. To do this I simply set the wing on the table so that the outer panels were flat on the table. Then raised the rear edge of the outer panels (just where the wingtip touches the end of the outer panels). I placed a 1/4'' shim there. Then I pressed down on the Polyhedral ribs and the outer panel leading edges so that the front edges of the wings touched the table, the polyhedral rib was completely flat on the table and the back edges of the outer tip panels were held up by the 1/4'' shim. This introduces the washout, which is a gradual twist in the rear edge of the outer panels. Then I used the Monokote heat gun or Monokote iron to remove any wrinkles in the Monokote, and then I let the Monokote cool completely as I continued to hold the wings. Once the Monokote was cool I removed the shims. There was now visible washout. I made sure there was the same amount of washout existed under each wingtip.

Even 1/8'' washout is probably fine. What I noticed was that the plane then had a very gentle and predictable stall. Many times I was able to recover from an approaching stall by a gentle blip of down elevator. And it guaranteed that there was never any washin, which causes bad handling problems. So if there was any twist it was in the direction that helped.

So you can put the washout in after the wing is covered. And remember it can also be taken out again if you do not feel any advantage. Also, check the washout every week before you head for the field to make sure the washout is there and that it is the same under each wingtip. Over time it is possible that the washout will change due to the environment in which you fly.

[ferincr]

Keith,
Thanks for the detailed explanation. I was a bit worried today as I was on the prossess of sheeting the wings and I thought that was the time to put the wash out.
So, it's good to know that it's done with the covering, I thought I might need to do a second set of wings (which I probably will after the first crash).
Fernando.

[ejett]

Fernando:

Be careful. The AG is D-tube and it is a lot harder to put washout in with covering on a D-tube wing. The 100" wing is not a full D-tube so it is a lot easier to add twist with the covering. If you want some washout, you should build it in. You don't need much.

EJ

[ferincr]

thanks Ed,I thought that I read somewhere that should be done in the sheeting prossess.
Too late now. I guess regular wings will do to start with.
Eventually I might build a second set.