Horizontal Stab thickness (WW1)

[170flyer]

I found a beautiful set of plans for a BE2 but looking at the plans and a set of three views, I have noticed that the Horizontal Stab is way to thick.
If I make the stab thinner, what are the consequences?? do I change the incidence of the stab? All thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.
Thanks.....

[vintage1]

Just make it thinner.
It will be OK.

[Brandano]

Hmm, why would it be too thick, though? A thicker stab will stall later, perhaps this was the intended behavior all along.

[Murocflyer]

Isn't that called a flying tail or something like that?

Frank

[170flyer]

Brandano- I just don't like the scale look of it. it is much thicker than the airfoil on the wing.
Vintage1- if I make it thinner, you don't think I'll have any control problems?
Thanks again for the inputs.

[JetPlaneFlyer]

Most sports models have simple flat plate stabs and they fly just fine... Dont worry about it, just make it as close to scale as possible but make sure it's got sufficient rigidity.

Only reason (other than an error) that I can think that the original design uses the thick airfoil is to make the tail stronger so the the bracing wires become non-functional. Aerodynamically it really makes no significant difference.

Steve

PS.. Murocflyer; No, a 'flying tail' refers to an all moving tail where the whole tail pivots rather than having separate elevators.

[Altitude]

Have you ever seen the stab on a Telemaster?? Its an airfoil like the wing itself.
Make it thinner and stronger.Maybe reinforce behind the leading edge with some Carbon fiber or steel rod.

[170flyer]

thanks for all the help, the 3 view shows that whoever designed this used a non-scale
stab. I'd like to make it more scale.
thanks again, i'll make it thinner....

[Murocflyer]

Steve

PS.. Murocflyer; No, a 'flying tail' refers to an all moving tail where the whole tail pivots rather than having separate elevators.


Thanks for the response Steve. Lifting Stabilizer is what I was thinking of, like the TM.

Frank

[MCarlton]

What size is the model?

I don't think a thinner stab would need beefing up all that much to be honest, I think a decent diagonal truss construction with a central spar would be just fine.

The stab on your plan is symmetrical, so there won't be a trim issue.

A nice laminated bamboo strip outline would be good on this model too. Or a few laminations of thin balsa.

[hoppy]

170 Flyer,
The stab looks pretty thin to me.
http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2110.htm

[JetPlaneFlyer]

Thanks for the response Steve. Lifting Stabilizer is what I was thinking of, like the TM.

Frank

This talk of 'lifting stabs' (when refering to the airfoil used on the stab) is a bit of a fallacy.
Stabs can 'lift' upward or downward, or produce no lift at all. In which direction lift is produced (if any) is to do with the location of the aircraft's CG relative to the wing's centre of pressure and the airspeed the aircraft is trimmed for. The airfoil used on the stab has no bearing at all on if the stab will produce lift or not. On most non scale freeflight models the tail is large so the CG is well aft therefore the tail will be 'lifting' regardless of the airfoil used.
What using an airfoil that's well suited to the trim condition that the tail flies at can do is reduce drag a bit, so they do have their place. However using such a tail on a model that has a well forward CG (most scale models) would usually be a mistake.

Sorry for going off on a tangent from the original thread...

Steve

[170flyer]

hoppy, nice picture of the BE2. even in that pic and in the 3 view (on the plans) you can see that the stab is thinner that the wing. the model has the stab almost twice that of the wing.
BTW the plans are 1/6 with a wing span of 73".

[MCarlton]

http://www.kwmairpl.com.ph/pdf_files/RC-11GB.pdf

Might help generally :)

[170flyer]

Thanks!