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Old 12-29-2009, 03:34 PM
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STKNRUD
 
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Default RE: Tomahawk-Design Bae Hawk 1: 3.5

Certainly our models are not designed with the same attention to structural requirements, fatigue testing, etc. as full-scale. Rather they are more likely designed with a lot of 'hindsight' of what worked (or didn't) on the last model. Computerized rudder movement limits that David referred to are required largely because, unless you are sitting in the rear of the airliner, the pilot can not imagine the stress that rudder movement creates compared to elev and ail inputs....he can't feel them because he is only a couple feet behind the nose. If the pilot of an airliner leaves the rudder dampner off during turbulence, the rear of the plane will fill with barf while he's enjoying a cup of coffee. The same is true of our models. We have a sense of the stress induced by abrupt ail and elev inputs but we can't "feel" them and most RC flyers probably believe that side-to-side rudder movements are of no consequence to structural integrity....and they are, even at moderate speeds. Likewise, there is probably less focus by our model designers on the vert fin integrity as there is on the wing and horz stab. I am surprised that we don't experience more vert fin failures considering the weight of our jets and the number of knife-ege passes and other rudder intensive maneuvers that are done with them. This forum through the experience of others, is the best feedback we and the designers can get about the any model's weakness.

George