Help needed with Paragon.

[sa-woody]

I am building a Paragon fuse from RCM plans and I need a winch tested bolt hold-downs in lieu of the rubber band arrangement shown on the plans. Any help would greatly appreciated.

[histarter]

My Paragon is now 9 years old. :)

After one histart tensioned crash, the rubber bands saved the wings during the violent cartwheel, so I am still sold on them.

With a bolted on wing the weak Paragon (that can handle gobs of ballast) fuse would have been shattered along with the wing! :eek:

I am a nut on simplicity, and enjoy the lesser complexity of rubber bands - that yields great ballast capacity. Just got back from flying the big P today and had to add 20 ounces to handle 13 mph winds. Flopping in 32 ounces lets me fly in 20 mph breezes comfortably. Launching was done with a sport winch - and Paragon with 7 each # 64 bands is strong enough for the Club winch (under similar circumstances). Winds greater than 20 mph are simply avoided for this old design with its 12% profile. :rolleyes:

[rdwoebke]

Good call in building one.

I built mine with wing bolts. I mounted 2 1/4 inch dowl rods in the LE of the wing (the part that is wrapped with fiberglass and then extended the fuselage former at the rear of the canopy and drilled 2 holes for those rods to slide into. The rear of the wing I have 2 10/32 nylon bolts. They screw into blind nuts in a horizontal plate of plywood I made from scrap from the fuselage formers.

I also built my Paragon with a removable tail. This has proven handy because now I have built a second fuselage for it with an electric motor for those days when I don't have the time to setup a high start.

Ryan

[jrgospod]

I had someone at this weekends contest tell me of a good way to make and install ballast. If you make lead shot ballast bags out of old women nylon hose (I guess that a sock would work ok also). Then place then between foam blocks, over the CG, between formers. When you have a less than perfect landing the shot will give deform and the foam will absorb most of the shock. Result; less damage.

John

[rdwoebke]

If you don't like working with lead or touching old foot apparel, you can also use clay bars. These bars can be aquired at your craft stores (Hobby Lobby for example). They come in 4 4 ounce bars in a pack for a few bucks. The clay bars are just the right size that they fit nicely under the wing between the fuselage sides and that hard wood beam the tow hook mounts too. I have been using these, and like them a lot. I go with 2 bars for medium wind and 4 bars for high wind. Be sure to get the grey or "natural color" bars and not the red color bars. The red clay tends to leave it's color over everything. I leave the clay bars in the wrappers they come in. You can kind of press the bars in place and they fit snugly betweent the bar and the fuse side.

I have been flying my Paragon with an electric fuse recently, and it is about like flying the glider Paragon fuse with 2 bars.

Ryan

[Sparky Paul]

Clay melts in heat.
Mice love to eat it!

[rdwoebke]

I have had my bars in quite a bit of heat. Nats in July. The plastic wrap seems to do a good job of keeping it all together. It does get more "mushy" when it is hot. That is actually a good thing because it is easier to push tight into the space between the high start beam and the fuse sides.

Can't comment on the mice. If I ever see Mickey trying for a ride in my Paragon, you will be the first to know of it.

[Sparky Paul]

I have some in a book shelf, several shelves up from from the floor, with gnaw marks on it.
When I set out a trap and it worked, the gnaw marks didn't increase any more. :)