Done sans decoration

Last minute addition to underside of tail - 6mm cf ribbon glued on to stiffen tail as was way too flexible.

Some trimming required obviously as per video.

COG spot on as per plans but have the ability to play with that a little if need be once test flown, via battery position in nose.

AUW 189gms so just over my estimate - for a change!

Looking forward to test flight.

Le Micro Slope Fish - test (0 min 39 sec)

Nice job be careful if you leave it laying out in the hot sun coreflute likes to expand when warmed up. Especially when it is black.

Thanks adrian222

I've already had that experience with another black corflute model. I literally left it in the direct sunlight for a couple of minutes and it was rippled! Assume the air cooling in flight must keep it cool enough.

Cheers

Maiden over the weekend at Lake George NSW.
Wind speed 15km/h approx

A few issues:

-Seems to be some slop in the elevator, may account for the see-sawing motion you see in one of the clips? Dialed the elevator right down to 30% whilst testing.
-tack glue the wing in place at fuse…
-double check cog, seems to be a little out?

I should've headed over to the right more where less trees, seemed to be turbulence.

Main issue was the pilot I'm sure but hoping someone can help give advice from the few scrappy bits of video footage here, not ideal I know, the cameraman was my 4.5 year old!

Le Micro Slope Fish maiden (0 min 44 sec)

That 'see-sawing' as you describe it could be related to the curved plate wing as well as elevator slop - all of my planes that have a similar airfoil do it to some extent, though not nearly as much as your LeFish.

Ok thanks ES.

I'll check out the elevator slop but if all else fails, might try wing taping the bottom wing surface. That stuff is pretty thin/light so hoping won't impact wing loading too much.

You don't think it may be due in part to being nose heavy?

Found the issue with elevator slop, the z bend at servo arm either bent or I didn't bend it to 90 deg so was slipping, enough to create the slop.

Flew at my local hill last night and much better, flew straight and level once tossed. Now to improve the piloting!

Videos to follow once I have some sort of hat cam…

pzanni,

Great job. Thanks for the inspiration. I look forward to more video. I'll be interested to see how light of wind it will fly in.

As I read your thread I wondered too how it would work to close the bottom of the wing with tape or film.

You might find another audience in the Sailplanes Slope forum.

Take care,

Brent

Thanks very much bcarter1234.

It's encouraging that others find it interesting/useful!

I'm an old sailer so feel I have a reasonable idea of the wind speeds I've been flying in.

On all three days flown, the weather bureau forecast about 15km/h winds (approx 8 knots) and I'm sure it was gusting above that at times but also dropped below.

Given pilot skill level and slope quality (both low…) my guess is that this glider could stay up in 6 knots.

Surfimp suggests the Micro Slope Sticks wind speed flying range as "7-20mph at a decent slope" (6-32 knots) and at the low end I feel this is spot on with my version.
By my calcs, the original slope stick, at a AUW of 4.5oz (127gms) would have a WCL slightly higher than the bird I've built, see image below.

I can't say my version would cope with 32 knots well at all but again, could be pilot and/or slope quality.

Anyway, I'll keep experimenting and post video of anything decent/noteworthy.

Thanks again. P

this looks like a cool and interesting build...i cant wait to see a video of it flying now that you have made some improvements... if anything just rubber band whatever you record with: camera/phone to your hat and start filming..

Thanks Flyin Beardo!

Yeah me too! What with no wind, too much wind, rain, distance to decent slope, etc I'm hangin for a decent 2nd attempt too.

I did however get some of this action in this evening… wind power, gotta love it.

Paradise RC Yacht (0 min 21 sec)

Well, seems my local hill is decent in an easterly!

Climbed Mt Painter, Canberra last night.

Winds: probably gusting to 15-18knots here.

Still had some issues with trimming elevator so I've tightened up the fit of push rod at servo and replaced the clevis at horn on elevator, again with a tighter fitting one.

Piloting marginally better… 2nd slope attempt ever.

Trekked out to lake George this morning but of course little/no wind but now seems to be flying more level.

I also tacked wing to fuse with hot glue. Initially I was liking the crash ability with a wing that was able to move on impact but found that it messed with my aileron throws if wing not re-seated properly…

Le Micro Slope Fish Pt 2 (3 min 41 sec)

So here's the final footage of the Micro Slope Fish V1.
Finally managed to get rid of the see-sawing too, but it's pretty much dead now.

Have to say that I'm amazed how well the single plate wing held up. It was the fuse that gave way first.

You'll see in the video the abuse its received, both in wind strength and hard landings. The wings did some serious warping/twisting.

This flight video taken at a hill south of Theodore in Canberra ACT, in a stiff NW wind. Gusting to 35km/hr.

On to V2 I guess!

I'm thinking similar approach but go full size as per original plans, a full wing skin and reinforced fuse, i.e. More foam above and below wing mount in the fuse to prevent the corflute crushing there under load. I realize it'll be heavier but will no doubt fly better in the right conditions.

Any thoughts appreciated.

Le Micro Slope Fish Pt 3 (2 min 10 sec)

I love the flapping wing slo-mo at the end of the last video!
I think it flew surprisingly well considering it was a flat plate.
It's impossible to say for sure, but it looked to me like the wild swings in pitch from nose-up to nose-down was merely due to over-controlling (assuming you were able to eliminate any slop). Were you using exponential in the elevator program?
How's version 2 coming along?

Yes, you're probably right. I did have a little expo.

I'm without a tx at the moment and I've been distracted by rc yachts! Too many projects, not enough time.

I'll get to V2 at some point. Flew so much better than my mugi. A full size corflute fish version will be even more fun!