2015 Contest Entry - Glow Class - Bell X-1
 

Here is my entry into the 2015 Design Contest: the Bell X-1

I have had this idea in the back of my mind to build for quite some time - CAD plans started but I have never progressed past this stage. This contest gives me the push forward that I needed.

It will be of balsa construction (of course orange) and powered by a Cox TD .049 / .051: aileron, elevator and throttle (Ace throttle sleeve). Thinking plenty of room inside for fuel, servos, receiver and battery.

My goal is to not make it an all out speed demon but rather a model that can be relatively fast at full throttle and slow down at low throttle to a decent glide characteristics. Breaking the sound barrier was already solved with the original X-1. :)

Specs, sketches and plans to follow... I need to dust of my calculator and power up AutoCAD LT.

Brian

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2098653 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2098652

SWEET! Looking forward to this one. :)

Best,
Tony

Only one of my most favorite "things I want to model" .... Cool!!

The design is clean and so straightforward that with decent power and wing loading you should have a great flier.

Pretty challenging...!

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2060038

Was it Jim Ryan who did a speed 400 design that got published?

Oh man you got me all stoked about X-1's again.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2098819



I have the Aerofax datagraph 3 book on the X-1 and variants. Got some pdf scans I can send you if wanted.

The 3-view is lousy, not sure where that came from.. [aha, it's an X-1E I think]

Here's the book. Good factual read and good photos.

http://www.amazon.com/Bell-X-1-Varia.../dp/094254840X

The RC demo flight was terrific..!
It's strange how those "line drawings" make it look less refined than the rendering does.

It's way out of proportion - the wing is too short and squat. Might be an early design iteration or a lousy drawing - it was just in my X-1 file so I attached it.

Nice. Should be an interesting build.

Hmm.. solder up a 1-into-4 exhaust that exits through fake nozzles? Maybe run about 30% castor for effect..

About 4 yrs back I saw a large depron floater with a DF hidden inside the tail.
If I recall right it was set up on 4S / 2,700 kv inrunner 90mm fan - it actually went fairly fast considering.

Thanks for the 3-views MJD. I built a 1:32 plastic kit from Monogram a couple of years ago for motivation. The instruction manual seems to have some good 3-views as well.

Hoping to start shortly on the CAD plans...

Brian

Send me a PM with an email address, and I can send some scans out of the book if you want. The one thing it does not have is a dimensioned 3-view line drawing however.

Build it Guillows Style...?

If the bulk of the main body is circular I'd be tempted to mount a hunk of foam on a dowel and turn the shape on a lathe, then either paper mache it or glass it.

CP-

I had thought about your concept of turning a foam block... especially since the majority of the fuse is round. I love the looks of balsa stringers and am tossing around the idea of using transparent orange monokote so everything is visible = always a cool look. Wish I knew more about tissue / dope covering which could probably lead to a very similar transparent orange appearance as well and be just as light, if not lighter. Guessing this is adding thinner to the orange dope or similar.

In terms of building sequence, thinking of using the concept of building a half of the fuse at one time, i.e. bulkheads cut in half and then install the balsa stringers. Final step would be to attach the fuse halves to make the final fuselage.

Still need to work out how to install the horizontal on the vertical tail so that it remains strong... it is very thin in that area.

Brian

Orange tissue and clear dope might look more consistent in color and would be lighter.

Since it is a rocket airplane with a big hole in the arse end - you could fixture all your formers to a central rod or tube for assembly. But fuse halves is cool too.

Re your tail surfaces - built up or sheet? If sheet, maybe narrow 1/64" ply doubler strips up to the stab (i.e. not the full fin chord width - too heavy) plus small tristock fillets.

Cool project.. did I say that already?

Good input MJD. This is what makes this type of contest fun... thinking how to design / build our planes, sharing ideas and learning new building methods. Of course teasing is inlolved in there somewhere... :)

Av8rsodt

Orrrrr, you could always go this route in bendable foam:

http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/models/...t/Bell-X1.html

Makes that odd fuselage a lot easier.

ZZ.

MJD - thanks for referencing that thread you thought was Jim Ryan's X-1. Great for getting some ideas on structure.

Also cool to see it rocket powered.

I am going to try to layout the X-1 this weekend, so I should have some specs on wingspan, fuselage, etc.

Brian

Well, I have been crazy busy with work and the kids camps over summer. It appears to be a little less busy over the next couple of weeks. I am traveling this week for work, but should have some time in the evening to finalize my overall specs on the X-1 so I can start in on the plans. I brought along my handy dandy Andy Lennon book "Basics of R/C Model Aircraft Design - Practical Techniques for Building Better Models." A great resource for learning the nuts and bolts on airplane design. I would highly recommend this to others, if anything to have for reference. It covers: choosing airfoils, wing loading, CG location, basic proportions, aerobatic design, etc.

Andy has designed many models around the O.S. .46 SF to "try out" what he learned over time. He seems, in particular, to like models with slots and flaps. His book has been summarized in a way not to bore you with complex formulas, but rather simplified versions so you just plug and go.

Brian

Xs-1
 

I built a XS-1 a couple of months ago to be dropped from a B-29. I had a rocket motor in it, when dropped it didn't light and it landed in a field with stickers, ticks, and Poison Ivy, so it's still there. The B-29 and the profile XS-1 are my friends, the XS-1s have 13" wing if I remember correctly, very quick little things.

That is great Soarrich! Always amazes me that one can still see the scale models by just being profiles - they look good and kept simple. Would to see your B-29 fly and launch the Bell X-1 with rocket motor working.... cool stuff.

Brian