How many (stalled) Genie projects around?

[Nico Peursum]

With the latest post from Harley Michaelis in mind ( link (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=869110) ) I was interested to know how many Genie projects are currently underway, or stalled.

While it is not really the 'building season' here in Emmeloord, the Netherlands we have just started to build two Genies. They will be slightly different than standard, as we will build the Big Genie, with the smooth fuselage. Also the wingtips will have some forward rake, as with the pro. Right now all woodparts for the fuse have been cut, so we can start building. The support from Harley is really great!

[Wazmo]

I've got cores and most of the composite supplies for my LT/S. I hope to get started on mine within the next couple months.

[dougalert]

I just finished putting a repaired Pike Perfect wing on a Smooth Genie Pro fuse. Turned out to be a great flying plane! I would suggest doing the full size stab/rudder. Have fun!

[John Lueke]

I am slowly working on a Smooth Genie Pro. Have stabs, fin and rudder and part of fuselage complete. Been busy flying and repairing my Genie LTS - anybody else have their stabs fail downward on launch at the start of a zoom?

[dougalert]

Telll us more about your failure. How hard a launch? How much wind? Where did it break? Did you get the plane down? How hard was your "hard balsa" spar? We need to know. I have launched with tails made to Harley's plans quite hard. Should I make them stronger?

[John Lueke]

It was a hard launch, but not much wind. The tubes for the wires in the stabs just broke out of the top through the layers of balsa. There was no spar failure. While the stabs were drifting downwind from about 500 ft high, the plane tucked and eventually went inverted and was actually stable. Putting flaps down( reflex when inverted) made it like a flying wing with a rudder on a long arm. Reflex kept the speed down and the ailerons and rudder gave roll and directional control. Another flyer at the field said he had seen this many times. When it happens at 500ft you do have some time to sort things out before it gets down to the ground, but it is still a bit exciting. I landed it about 50 ft in front of me with only a crack in the upper fuselage behind the wing. The stabs were intact except for the tubes, so I put everything back together drilled a couple of small holes near the inner and outer ends of the tubes and wrapped the tubes to the spar with some carbon tows that I had. Then I put a layer of Kevlar over the top of the balsa at the root. Four days later they held up in hard launches in 15-25 mph winds.

[dougalert]

Thank you for the info. Sounds like it might be a good idea for me to strip the covering and throw in a bit of kevlar and carbon. Must have been very exciting. Good job saving the plane.

[Vulture]

I confess I barley got started. Bought all of the wood and all of the carbon and fiberglass. But only got as far as cutting out the fuse sides before I stalled. :o And right now I'm having a hard time squeezing in the time to finish up a DLG for the Polecat Challenge in a few weeks.

Doug

[IwantaJet]

Mine is still in my head. Haven't even started gathering parts yet. I have two or three projects ahead of it.

I think I win.

As long as we're talking Genies, which one should I build? It will be my first large thermal glider. I'd like to use it off a highstart, for light days at the slope and for alpine soaring. I hope to use it to learn to winch launch someday. I'm thinking LT/S.

[greyhound flyer]

After the weeklong flu in February and nursing the rest of the family back to health over the last couple of weeks, and tending to my 600+ head garlic crop, well, you know. :D I built the rudder, stabs and SGP fuse and it needs glassing. It was the first time I attempted a Genie fuse from scratch, and it was a real sense of accomplishment to start with plywood, triangle stock, and planks of balsa and plane and sand it down to the beautiful profile that it is now. Nothing compares!!

As to which Genie to build first, the Big Genie (which I built first) is quite a bit of airplane and can be very gentle once it's launched, but it's a lot of airplane to launch if you're by yourself with a highstart, like I was. The LT/S or the easy LT/S, imo, are better choices, since they're fairly compact, light, and very agile. They don't land with the same impact, and seem to be easier to get used to.

In my case, my LT/S was Harley's personal plane for a while, so maybe, just maybe, it was set up right when I got it. :rolleyes:

Thermals and motivation to keep building,
--Byron.

[Nico Peursum]

I would suggest doing the full size stab/rudder. Have fun!

That's what Harley suggested too. I understand that the original big genie can be a bit of a handfull during launch. Maybe the longer -smooth- fuselage will give it a bit more directional stability. My decision to go for the Big Genie was mainly because the higher aspect ratio will give it a better L/D in the generally windy conditions here.

It's nice to read there are serveral projects underway. I will consider strengthening the stabilizer as well.

[harleym]

Regarding the tubes in Genie stabs pulling through the balsa laminations, I've not experienced that with the stabs on some 70 similar airframes. It would be important for the grain of the laminations to run at right angles to the spar as plans show and as detailed in File 2. Also the tubes should be well secured with CA glue.

File 2 details how builder Chris Boultinghouse chose to reinforce the stabs on his big Genie with CF tow applied top and bottom on the hard balsa spars. It is an easy way to further strengthen the stabs. Since the stabs are inexpensive (like 2 bucks) and easy to make, it's no big deal to have a spare set ready to go and with such reinforcement if the flyer is one of those "full bore in heavy wind" leadfoots.

[gklimber]

I can second the recommendations re the Big Genie being a handfull. Once it's up, however, it's lovely.

I have all the makings for an SGP in the shop and probably will start on it when OLY 3 is done -- real soon now. If I can get up the energy, I may do another build thread.

Cheers,
jer

[soholingo]

Add me to the club. I am pretty much in the same position as Doug (Vulture).

I cut my sides and then had a friend cut sides for me, but I am not a good enough builder to do the plane justice. So I took a break.

I think the biggest reason for my break is because I don't really want a TD plane. I want a big electric plane. I am a bit better using composites than wood. Its still in the back of my mind, and here is what I am doing until the Genie bug hits me again.

1. Building a 2 meter chrysalis. (I am glassing the fuse ala Harley's methods).
2. I am thinking about doing a lost foam fuse for the genie (I am building an EZ/LTS).
3. I want to build an electric version of the plane so I need to figure that out.

I took on the Genie adventure because I wanted to learn how to build, and I have learned a lot so far, but I must get back to it...

j

[Nico Peursum]

Well, I got a to a milestone; the fuselage is ready for glassing

http://i36.tinypic.com/6nulc9.jpg

[ViktorF]

And one more LT/S fuse/tails. Has taken me only one week ready for glassing.
The wing will be done later. Yet not decided wish, Easy LT/S balsa skined or full carbon LT/S.