Experience with flat plate balsa wings ?

[ChrisP]

I've been drooling over the Buccaneer model on the Scale Modelling patch. It's based on flat plate balsa wings.

I built a few free flight sport models many years ago with flat sheet wings for diesel/glow (anybody remember the Ebeneezer ?), but never for R/C electric.

What span limit is advisable 30'', 36'' ? How thick ?

Are we basically looking at something small and fast i.e. sort of like a 400 powered pylon racer, or are there other approaches ?

[steve lewin]

Hi Chris,

Haven't you seen all the discussion about the Tucano/Hawk/Hunter from RCME ? They all have sheet wings though you're allowed to sand a bit of an airfoil in them ;)

The Tucano is the only one I really know and while that's no "slow/park flier" it's not too wild (unless you seriously overpower it).

BTW Ebeneezers are still going strong, there's a mass launch organised every year (and every year I somehow miss it).

Steve

[ChrisP]

Steve

Great information ! I didn't know that the Tucano had flat balsa wings. I'm out of the RCM&E loop these days.

I've just been over on the Nexus website and there is a review of the model including size and weight data.

Thanks !

Chris

[Bill Glover]

Flat plate wings work fine even at quite large sizes, you must have seen display models of national flags, tea trays, magic carpets etc. powered by up to .60 IC motors? These are just flat sheet foam and fly nicely, despite probably not being the most efficient aerodynamic devices in the world!

I've done various .34-.46 size deltas in bare white foam, and a couple of 'flying saucer' circular wings .. they all went well, even with 1" thick square-cut LE and TE! In fact one of the 'flying saucers' won a open pylon event with a .40 plus tuned pipe on it, the film hinges on the elevons were a bit 'floppy' by the end of the day though :D

[ChrisP]

Bill

We've got a flying STOP sign in our club out of Depron with a Hacker brushless in it. Flies great ! And I had a flat foam delta with a 40 in it myself some years back.

It was just that I had a gut feeling that solid wings are a viable option up to about 36'' but then quickly become unproportionally heavy (due to dimensions cubing ??).

It's all down to the fact that I'm a lazy sod and never got to like building wings !

Chris