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Posted by jbarnhardt | Sep 12, 2013 @ 02:59 PM | 6,535 Views
This is a second wing I made to fit on my XXLite fuselage. It is ZoneV2-based. Half-molded (top surface), 61g Samurai skins, CF pre-facing on flaps and wing, CF/Kevlar LE, 60lb XPS foam core, and a very beefy CF uni spar. It came out at 125g after joining, installing peg and torque rods. A little heavy but within 5g of my stock XXLite wing. Still working to determine optimal settings and assess performance.

Update 5-30-14: This wing was/is great structurally and cosmetically; the construction holds up to full launches, very very thin/narrow flaps don't flutter, etc. It was a good validation of the build approach. However, performance was a bit of a letdown. While launch and penetration were similar to my XXLite, this wing falls out of the sky much more quickly in turbulent conditions. This was my impression as well as that of another pilot who received an identical wing. I believe the issue is with foil selection (this was my first ground-up XFLR design) - not meaning ZoneV2, but meaning which specific ZoneV2 foils were used, in what blends, and in which locations along the span. Further investigation in XFLR now that I have better idea of what to look for supports this conclusion. An all-new high-AR wing, using Synergy foils and a substantially different planform, is nearly complete. Pictures and results will be posted as soon as available.