Continuing in the light duty free flight fun theme so far this thread will be to present a series of smaller all sheet "Garden Gliders".

Why you ask... someone?... .Anyone? I'll tell you anyway.... As a youth building my first models small gliders from 4 to 12 inch span that I could fly easily in my backyard were a great way for me to experiment with all sorts of layouts like flying wings, delta wings, "flying saucer" round wings and canards. Plus they were easily built from just a few cents worth of balsa. So I've always had a soft spot in my head... er... HEART for small gliders that are easy to make and fly up a real storm.

The first is one that I drew up some time back but it fits in here as you'll see. It's the Backyard Jet which is now alternately to be known as the Garden Glider #1.

EDITED- The prototype didn't work out well for the flying wing seen. The files below show a new airfoil which has been tested and works. Sorry, but that's aerodynamicing for ya.


And number 2 in this Garden Glider series is now a sketch which was supposed to be a really quick thing to illustrate how one could learn about reflexed airfoils for plank style flying wings.... .I got carried away....again.....

I'm hoping to add to this thread with more designs now and then Each will be something different. And something at least a few of you find to be fun.

If you build any of these please share pictures. And if there's a smiling young'un holding said model then all the better!

Thanks Bruce !

Downloaded and will convert to a cad drawing (should be quick) and will probably

make out of 3mm foam. Will call it the "BMGG 2" ! But first I have to finish up on another project.


Thanks.

Hi Bruce, had some time so I drew it up and made an A4 size parts drwg.

I can email you a PDF or a DXF file if you like.


Thanks.

And here's the "crash test dummy" that led to some design changes.

As a youth building my first models small gliders from 4 to 12 inch span that I could fly easily in my backyard were a great way for me to experiment with all sorts of layouts like flying wings, delta wings, "flying saucer" round wings and canards.

Sounds good. How much does it weigh?

Originally Posted by Designer2010

Sounds good. How much does it weigh?

Sorry for the late reply. The prototype you see is 9 grams. That's with nose weight. It flies quite slowly so it could easily be up to 12 grams without hurting things too much. It would fly faster but still give a lot of smiles to a child to see it fly.