crashbuilder

Not sure if this is the right forum but I get the impression that you guys are familiar with the ace foam wings ..... I’ m in the process of building a 50” span slope soarer using one tapered wing with a constant cord centre section. I’m kind of concerned about the thickness of the airfoil and if it was appropriate for slope use ..... Any ideas .... Do you 1/2A guys add washout to the ace wings ..... is it necessary .... if so how do you do it?

William Robison

My Feedback: (3)

I wouldn'tthink the Ace airfoil was suitable for a sailplane, but I could be wrong going on the slopes.

Washout? Can't do it once the core is cut. The core has to be cut with the washout in it, the foam is too rigid to twist.

Also, the Ace wing is fairly dense, intended to be used without sheeting. It may be heavier than you want.

Bill.

PeterH

This has been very successfully done. RCM has a set of plans for a sloper using Ace wings, 'Soar Ace', plan 1124, it uses the tapered wings with a straight-chord center section, originally sold as the Ace 'Pacer' wing set. I have this project sitting in the basement to build 'someday'. Folks who have built it and encouraged me said the product works surprisingly well, considering its modest origins. I sugest buying the plan, you'll get the construction article, and see whether you want to continue.

crashbuilder

Hey thanks PeterH
I probably should order that plan, but I must admit that my project is progressing rapidly and I should be done pretty soon .... end of the weekend. I’ll post pics if anyone is interested. Actually here’s a view of the plans I drew up. I just need to get my head around this "covering foam wings with brown paper" concept .... it's making me a bit nervous!

Arbie Sliger

My flying buddy used to like flying the Ace 1/2A Pacer. It was very durable and you could easily trim a lot of weight from it if you were to consider it as a slope R/C in itself. The fuselage is little bulky/blocky, reminiscent of the F-4 Phantom fighters. That might be a negative factor on the slopes for speed, but it would be an excellent handler. We never got to try it on the slopes though.

Clean

You can put the washout in the wing by making a diagonal cut on the top of the wing, then gluing and pinching the cut together. Sanding or sheeting if you want. I know a guy that did this on a little racer back in my Modelnet days.

Japanman

My experience of 'scaleish' planes on the slope was just that- the fuselage acts like a gaint air brake, and you cannot go forward. Penetration into the wind is really important in a slopey if you are going to fly in more than very gentle breezes. I suggest thinning out your airfoil if you are going to be flying in a bit of a wind.
I strongly recomend 'mylar' (actually, I doubt that most are made from mylar.. but the very thin and stretch free stuff) packingtape as a covering over foam- you can get it a range of colors- but be careful some use a different type of plastic film that is thicker and softer.
The advantage here is that it is super strong and immediately repairable- on the slope! It is also water proof and fast. It is a very practicle covering.
one thing about slope soaring is it is very difficult to land in a breeze- typicly you have to be super aggressive and that mean ground contact. The tape will just bounce, but paper covering will get tears and dents from even minor contact with the ground.- and that may make your first day flying a REALLY short one.

J.M