Originally Posted by nuteman

Just a general note regarding this plane and many of the other large planes I've scratch built: I generally try to build the plane as large as the motor/prop I have on hand can handle and still be hand-launch-able. I regularly fly in 15 knot winds gusting to 20 or 25. I also want the Reynolds number to be as high as it can be even at slow speed - to result in better behavior. I have to land in very rough fields, so I want my landing speed very slow (minimum momentum on touchdown) - which dictates low wing loading. I discuss some of this in the discussion video I did.

I build mine because of the plane's coolness factor.......yep, I'm just that simple.

Managed to sneak in a little bit of building last night. Got it glued together and smoothed out the rough edges....need to really cut and fold my kfm wings instead of just gluing on a strip, but it's just quicker and easier for me.....aka laziness. I added some reinforcement strips to the corners and what a difference it made. Of course the overkill of the bamboo sticks help also. A larger version will need more reinforcement but I think since this is such a small one, it will do with what it has. Did a dog toy treatment to it....grabbed it and shook it violently back and forth....seems to hold up well with very little flex. Next up packing tape, servos and horns, then mounting the motor.

Originally Posted by Timbo383

Managed to sneak in a little bit of building last night.

Lookin' good!

I agree! Sweet build, so you decided whether it's going to be a tractor or pusher?

Originally Posted by Dukejet

I agree! Sweet build, so you decided whether it's going to be a tractor or pusher?

Thanks guys. Working on the pusher style, got a stick mount idea that should work well. Most difficult part clearing the prop without putting the motor too low or too far back, I want to avoid adding too much lead up front to balance it.
Just finished taping the most damageable parts on crashing.
This is more or less just a prototype of nutemans design, really needed to make it bigger as he said. Not really gonna pretty it up much, when....if.... it flies I'm gonna make it bigger, about 2/3 nuteman's size and hide all the stiffening, wiring, etc. stuff better.
I want to make sure it flies first, especially since I'm deviating from his plans a little.

BTW, nuteman, where's that video of it flying? My wife doesn't believe it will fly. I need proof to say "told you so" I showed pics of it to a friend at work yesterday and he asked "where's the rest of plane?"He kinda doubts it too, even after watching your videos.

Originally Posted by Timbo383

BTW, nuteman, where's that video of it flying? My wife doesn't believe it will fly. I need proof to say "told you so" I showed pics of it to a friend at work yesterday and he asked "where's the rest of plane?"He kinda doubts it too, even after watching your videos.

I don't understand. The first video in the first post does show it flying (even though it only has a little footage, since I had no camera-man and the camera was on the ground in a fixed position). Not tons of footage, but it clearly proves it flies. As my youtube channel shows, I usually post multiple videos when I can finally get someone to shoot some decent footage.
Anyway, hopefully my neighbor can film it soon, but even if he can't I'll try to get some more footage from a fixed camera tomorrow.

Originally Posted by nuteman

I don't understand. The first video in the first post does show it flying (even though it only has a little footage, since I had no camera-man and the camera was on the ground in a fixed position). Not tons of footage, but it clearly proves it flies. As my youtube channel shows, I usually post multiple videos when I can finally get someone to shoot some decent footage.
Anyway, hopefully my neighbor can film it soon, but even if he can't I'll try to get some more footage from a fixed camera tomorrow.

Sorry, meant to say longer, better footage. When I show people on my teeny phone screen it's hard to see.

I've tried my hand at a box/looped wing design and did two versions - one with the forward wing on bottom and another vis versa.

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show....php?t=1912564

I had moderate success in that they flew fairly decently out if my hand and off grass, but since they were intended to be sea planes, that part was not so successful.

I did notice V1 with the forward wing on bottom did have interference with the rear wing and had the tendency to stall easily when in high AOA. The second version with the forward wing on top flew really well. Not so much off water, but that was for entirely different reasons.... Mainly because I had no experience with sea planes and water proofing. Sea planes also need to have a lower wing loading to get off water than they do just to fly.

Originally Posted by Timbo383

I build mine because of the plane's coolness factor.......yep, I'm just that simple.

If you watch the video below in its entirety, in full screen mode, on a computer monitor, you will see:
1. Multiple launches and landings.
2. Loops and rolls.
3. Power off glide.

Note:
1. I flew it without the vertical stabilizer extensions - to prove it can be done.
2. In the last landing the bottom got snagged in the weeds and it got whipped around pretty violently - yet, it still had no damage whatsoever. I attribute that to the slow landing speed and the light, yet strong CF tube wing spars.
3. Though the video did not capture stalls, I did stall it intentionally at high altitude and the stalls were very predictable, gentle affairs, with easy, immediate recovery. When I get a camera man, I'll have him film those as as well and post them.

I've updated the original post with this video as well.

I suspect this will convince those doubters that this thing flies and perhaps they will even say it flies fairly well:

BoxWing loops and rolls (6 min 1 sec)

Yeah man thats Cooool as! Not fly? You gotta be kidding! It's as stable as... the rolls supprised me, didn't loose any attitude...... loops are crisp what more do you want! ??? Well done Nuteman!

Originally Posted by Dukejet

Yeah man thats Cooool as! Not fly? You gotta be kidding! It's as stable as... the rolls supprised me, didn't loose any attitude...... loops are crisp what more do you want! ??? Well done Nuteman!

Thanks, Duke.
I guess improbable layouts lead some to jump to conclusions about what a plane can do.
Nothing like seeing it in person - it has a certain "presence" in the air that none of my other planes have

Originally Posted by elmagnificado

I did notice V1 with the forward wing on bottom did have interference with the rear wing and had the tendency to stall easily when in high AOA.

See my post #29 on this thread. Also see my updated video in post #40 on this thread.
Bottom line: If the front wing is done right (enough gap between the two wings, etc.), the plane can fly great even with the front wing being the lower wing.

Originally Posted by nuteman

Thanks, Duke.
I guess improbable layouts lead some to jump to conclusions about what a plane can do.
Nothing like seeing it in person - it has a certain "presence" in the air that none of my other planes have

You got know the people that don't believe are not aviation enthusiasts and only know of planes as the airliners they ride in....wings, rudder, elevator. The best part is being able to prove that with a little thinking we all can do improbable things.

Got the motor mounted, now the annoying part of routing wires while trying to hide them. Not going be easy with such a small plane......yep should have made it bigger.