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Thread OP
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Discussion
Composite Vs EPP / EPO etc for PSS
Not trying to start a fight here but genuinely wondering whats the big advantage of glass over epp when it comes to a PSS sloper. I have seen the carbon planes which look pretty cool but Im not really into those at the moment.
I have built several epp gliders and am now in the process of building the F4u Corsair with a fibreglass fuse / foam core balsa sheeted wings. I do like the build process with this short kit but unfortunately my landing areas are not suitable for this type of plane. So, I was wondering if its possible to have a fibreglass fuse with an epp wing? What would be the point? A faster plane? Lighter? Enlighten me please. |
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EPP bounces so it is more durable. But some of the glass PSSers are pretty damn durable if built correctly too. However, overall EPP will fair better if you crash a lot.
Composite or built up planes will be faster. Especially as the planes age. EPP gets wrinkled and it's easy to warp or bow the wings if not stored correctly. So EPP gets draggy real quick. Constant attention like ironing out the bubbles and wrinkles before each flying session can help. But composite planes remain fairly clean as they age so they fly just as well after 100 flights as they do when new. Can't really say that about EPP. A really really good builder can get an EPP plane to be almost as fast as a glass plane. But it takes a lot of work to do it and after a few flights the EPP plane will start to show the wear and it will slow down. And of course there is looks. It's really hard to make an EP plane look anywhere near as good as you can a glass plane. They can be made nice but again it's WAY more work than is involved in making a glass plane look good. |
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Thread OP
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So composite planes are faster and can be made to look better.
When you say look better I guess you mean the fuse mainly as detail can be added to the mold that makes it look more scale. If you discount the speed advantage of a balsa/glass wing then an epp wing could be just as good because there doesn't seem to much detail added to the wing. So, has anyone made a glass fuse PSSer with an epp wing? I would love to have one of those huge grass slopes nearby but I have trees, rocks, dirt etc to land on and I see my Corsair lasting 5 mins here. |
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Quote:
You have to make planes that fit your conditions. If composite isnt gonna work then you don't have a choice. Our slopes here in SoCal are far from "grassy". Our terrain is very similar to Spain. We manage to fly glasss stuff just fine. |
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Thread OP
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Here's my landing zone. Glass or foam?
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Most people learn to fly, very few practice and learn how to land. Get yourself a foamie and practice landing. Learn to land, practice different landing techniques. Learn the hover landing, inverted landing, the pop and drop etc. If you become good at landing you don't need a large smooth area. And you're planes will last a lot longer too.
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I think this vid (at the end) is an example of a hover landing but this plane has flaps.
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Last edited by rockbus; Nov 01, 2010 at 05:14 PM.
Reason: better link
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Thread OP
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Hovering a plane down can be done if there is enough wind. You basically hold full up elevator and keep the nose pointed into the wind. If the plane wants to go up you can flip inverted. It takes loads of practice but it can be a cool trick. The pop and drop is when you dive way down the slope, fly steeply up and try to time your stall with the edge of the slope. The idea is to have the plane just pop above the edge then drop at your feet. Again this takes loads of practice.
At the end of this video you can see a hover type landing. The wind was really howling and the plane didn't want to come down which is why you see me sliding it back and forth behind the slope. Same technique as the other video but with flaps you don't need to hold full up elevator.
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Tflg
Has the smoothest flying I have ever witnessed. True talent in how he works the air and manages the energy of the plane.
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JartsQuote:
Still does'nt matter what size the model is , the landing is all about the pilot and his ability to read the conditions and understand the hill he is flying from . Brian's a damn fine pilot and knows the site he's flying on like the back of his hand ,But I can bet money on the fact that what he knows about one site he quickly applies to another and then works out the problem area's on each site , such as where you are going to find the rotor or which direction affords the best approach path . Or how am I gonna land knife edge between all those trees .The Best way to learn to land ??? simple really its called "Practice" learn to land a foamie as if it was glass instead of just arriving and then move on to crunchie, work out your landing before you launch ,watch what others are doing on their landing even someone's mistake can be a lesson you learn IMHO. Personally I would not class my self as a great pilot or mr smooth but I am a well praticed one SteveW |
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