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Build Log
THERMALPLEX - SHARP FEATHER 1.5M (Flying Wing Based DLG) Official Thread
Will it's time to continue this peace of work I started almost 1 year ago.
I finished a lot of details and have applied a new set of knowledge into the airfoils design and optimization testing in XFLR5. So, I'm confident this design in these CAD renderings is ready to go and will hopefully surprise me and others in terms of it's performance. I hope at best it will be circling with the other 1.5M conventional DLG's and be quite interesting and fun to fly. So, after some airfoils analysis and Wing/Plane Design analysis I believe this is going to have an impressive sink rate. I went for float over L/D as I have learned the significance of that from GT.. It's L/D is quite good enough. Depending on the weight it will have more penetration or more float or with ballast the best of both worlds.. The target weight is 165 grams. It might be lighter, it might be heavier. There are benefits to both. So, I will be milling the foam cores soon. All the CAD work is done for milling the foam cores and the wing beds. I will be vacuum bagging this one and if all turns out well, I will have a new CNC machine soon to mill out molds. I now have a TX that will be able to do the mixing I need for this DLG.. So, here continues the Thermalplex Sharp Feather 1.5m Flying Wing Based DLG... Robert ImagesView all Images in thread |
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Some xflr5 shots..
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The way the servo's are in the CAD drawings was just for testing placement for proper balance. I'm going to do top drive setup for all the servo's. Since the wing is divided into 4 sections I'm going to use d-47's or equivalent. I see no reason to use bigger servo's..
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The only part that might cause an increase in weight is how I go about the reinforcement of the area where your fingers will launch the glider from the rudder. I have to try to keep that light and strong. So that could effect the weight a bit. But I will figure that out later on after everything is assembled. Might mold a launch peg part that matches the shape of the wing to rudder transition just the size of any regular launch peg.. I'll put them on both sides.. I'll have to do a more accurate weight prediction soon. It may do better at just over 165 g. It might like 180 g for all I know at this point. Should be interesting none the less.
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Long Awaited Action is Taking Place...
Here are the foam cores. I am almost done with the wing beds. 1.5m Flying Wing DLG.
This DLG is influenced by the "little Wing" DLG. New airfoils were designed over a very long tedious period of time to make them more stable, possibly more re-flexed. "Little wing" used about 4 degrees of twist. This design uses about 2 degrees of twist. I believe it has slightly more wing area. With camber I hope to get some efficient float out of this design. The airfoils are thinner then those found in "little wing".. Also, this should end up light. I will be using a lot of carbonweave CW30.. I'd like to vacuum bag this in 1 peace... |
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Last edited by RHX138; Jun 12, 2016 at 11:39 PM.
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more up to date xflr5 with 2 degrees flap, elevon up..
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I am surprised that nobody else has chimed in on this yet. I am very excited by the project! I realize we don't know how it will fly compared to a DLG yet. Assuming someone wanted to fly one of these in a DLG contest regardless of how competitive it would be, Would it be allowed by the rules?
I wonder how well this would handle crashes too. |
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Quote:
Just would be funny to show up with this to a contest and simply tell everyone, "Yeah, I'm to cheap to pay for a fuselage and elevator".. What might happen is all the work that went into the design, may pay off, and it just might be able to compete with traditional DLG's. We will know the answers soon. At least if this does well compared to a traditional air-frame, it only opens the door for further exploration and further optimization. |
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Wing bed is pretty much done. I machined out the Mylars. Tomorrow I will prepare everything for the vacuum bagging process and prepare the wing cores. I have to route servo wires in the cores before I vacuum bag them.
After all preparations are made, Wednesday I hope to vacuum bag the wing as one peace.. |
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Following with great interest. Not qualified to comment on anything other than its good looks.
Keep at it... |
Latest blog entry: Paying for Purchases by PayPal
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Looks like it has some anhedral, or is it upside down? Did that help its stability in launch in your xflr5 calculations? Can't wait to see it fly.
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