Gnome 2M glider

[Lost_Dawg]

I'm sure there must be some guys out there who have flown this plane. How does it stack up as a beginer's (been flying an Easy Star and I'm doing OK) plane? I have a chance at an older but new, in the box, unstarted kit for a reasonable price.

Thanks!

[prodjx]

It's a very well known by alot of people kind of glider, I built one from plan's and wound up selling it before I got a chance fly it. If you have a kit that's great. BTW it can handle most winches with ease, in a good wind you could put a lb. of ballast in it, and fly with confidence. I don't think you could go wrong with it. Dave.

[tinkrerpilot]

Ah c'mon Dawg. Thats an easy no brainer. Unless you don't like building. Great glider to play with. Excellent flying. You won't be disappointed. You got the Easy Star going, so step up.

[Lost_Dawg]

Thanks for your input guys! I made the purchase and the Gnome kit is about to get built.

[Curare]

Gnomes are pearls, everything from the baby gnome to the 3m, they're all nice ships.

[prodjx]

I have this idea of building a 2m Gnome that has a canopy that fit's the Roaming Gnome getting a winch launch on video. Dave.

[tinkrerpilot]

cool idea! Can't go wrong with a gnome. Build two fuselages and use on for e-power.

[prodjx]

Sorry tinkerpilot, I wouldn't dare put a prop on a perfectly shaped glider nose, I'd consider it avain flu. Nytol, Dave.

[Thermaler]

I would use the kit as patterns to cut new parts and save the kit for "OOPS". I am glad I did it with my 60" Gnome (on it's third fuse) and plan on it when I get to my 3M Gnome.
Now if I can just find a 2M Gnome to complete the set.....plans would do me just fine.
I have "tapped" the 60" off a winch and no that is not how the first two fuse died, that was done catching it.
Joe

[tinkrerpilot]

prodjx, yeah I would have to agree with you on that one. They did make an electric version 2m I thought.

[lincoln]

You could do a lot worse than a Gnome 2M. I've flown one a bit. It's faster than one of the flat bottom gliders like the Gentle Lady or Olympic (either one). The wing is pretty strong, although I wouldn't full pedal it. In my opinion the tail could be a bit longer and/or the fin a bit larger. Longer is probably better than larger. The other thing you can do about this is to keep the tips light. Make sure all the balsa in the tips (except if the spar is balsa it has to be heavy)is the light stuff, like 6 to 8 lb density. You could also taper the spar as it gets out toward the tip. I guess if I was building one I might add a couple of inches to the rear fuselage. I'd try really hard to build the tail light so I didn't have to use lots of nose weight or a longer nose. But you have to be careful because the tail does need a certain amount of strength. So probably the tail ribs can be really soft but the l.e. and t.e. need to be harder.

I did some investigation on Xfoil. (As I recall, it's supposed to be an Eppler 205 thickened to 15%, but I'm not sure anymore.) Seemed like it did a bit better with a turbulator at 30%. So I put a couple of layers of automotive striping tape there on the top surface of the wing. This may not actually do much except at the sheeted center section and the spoilers, because on the rest of the wing the edge of the d-tube is just behind the tape. I'm thinking the jog in the covering as it goes over that spot might turbulate things anyway.

Don't try to make it too light. This kind of airfoil needs a bit of speed to work well. So 35 oz. would probably be good. That means you don't have to use special servos or a special receiver, and the battery pack can be 4 AA nicads.

You would probably find the spoilers useful. I think they're a bit small, but adequate. Put some extra care into the spoilers so that when they go back in the wing, they sit flat and don't hang up on anything. Also make them fit snugly (as long as that doesn't make them stick) and consider sealing up the area underneath them. (Spoilers make you come down faster when they're open. They also make you come down a little faster when they're closed. How much depends on how carefully you build them and set them up.)

I think if you are comfortable with the Easy Star and can land it somewhere close to where you want it, you'll have no trouble with the Gnome. Don't worry if you don't want to stretch the tail, it'll still fly ok. But it will have a funny little wiggle. Other than that I think it handles pretty well and is easy to fly. I'm not sure why that is, because the other glider that I've flown that has a tail a bit too small/short is the Spirit. And that one doesn't handle very well.

[Lance Prior]

If I remember correctly it was an E205 thickened to 12% which by RC sailplane standards is still pretty thick.

http://www.rcmmagazine.com/store/store-plans-catalog-tem.html?sid=0001gQVYqDYg1JYvyw6L954&item=plans:pl-955

[lincoln]

I think you're right. Just measured mine and got 12.2%, which is closer than probable measurement error. Sometime I should compare it to the venerable Clark Y in Xfoil.

[prodjx]

Thermaler, I'll send you a copy of the 2m Gnome plans if you send me a copy of the 60" Gnome plan's PM me.

[Jim Deck]

First, let me second all of the good comments about the Gnome 2M. I had a 2M Gnome and it was the best two meter plane I ever owned. I now fly a Gnome 3M and like it as well. I had a 60" Gnome, originally designed as a hand-launched sailplane. That little beauty was never hand-launched as it would take a winch launch. It was histarted and hand-towed but its most unique flight occurred early one Summer Saturday. There was a hot-air balloon meet held nearby and I'd gone out late Friday afternoon to watch. I noticed that the balloonists had two-way radio communication with their ground crews and an idea was born. I talked a balloonist into taking the little Gnome up with him and tossing it out of the balloon above 800'. He did so and I enjoyed flying the little Gnome back to me. Sadly, that little Gnome was destroyed in an automoble accident (even my Zagi was no match for tumbling luggage) a few years ago. I recently acquired another 60" Gnome kit so now my big Gnome will have a little brother.
Jim Deck

[lincoln]

I think you're right. Just measured mine and got 12.2%, which is closer than probable measurement error. Sometime I should compare it to the venerable Clark Y in Xfoil.
I did. It's a little bit faster, but not as good slow. Needs a turbulator at maybe 30%, which then makes it pretty close to the Clark Y except the stall is probably sharper, and there's possibly a tiny advantage at really low lift coefficients. (This is setting the program up for the equivalent of a glider that's at Re=100k at Cl of 1).

[Peteohms]

I'm going to list a Gnome kit on ebay today. NIB If anyone is interested.

PETE

[gliderr2]

How did your gnome turn out? how does it fly? would you make any changes? Thanks

[machild]

How did your gnome turn out? how does it fly? would you make any changes? Thanks

Flew one for years. If you follow the plans and build it right, it'll be built like a tank. No need to wrap the spar in Kevlar thread. You could add some carbon strip to the bottom of the bottom spar, but it's a little overkill. Build the spar according to the plans and take your time, and you'll be able to launch it as aggressively as you care to.

A word of advice: before starting on the wing, make sure to pre-glue the shear webs using yellow carpenter's glue. Thin the glue a little with water then brush a thin coat on the end grain of each web and allow the glue to wick and cure. Brush (or smear with finger) a second coat and let wick and cure. Then proceed with the wing build per plans, using the yellow glue (full strength) to glue the webs onto the spar. Pre-gluing prevents the glue from wicking away from the joint.

Once you have the plane flying and have become comfortable with how it performs, you can ballast up to about 38 oz., and the plane will fly even better.

Consider spoilers, too. They're easy to add during the build, and they'll give that much more control.

Mark C.