Wing tip counter weight  
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All Forums >> Radios, Batteries, Clubhouse and more >> Control Lines >> Wing tip counter weight
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Wing tip counter weight - 11/2/2003 9:13:24 PM   
JumpinBean



Posts: 19
Joined: 9/19/2003
From: Grand Junction, CO, USA
Status: offline 		How much is to much weight on the outside wing tip. I dont want it flipping over toward me in flight and i dont want it to heavy on the outside either. How would I know with out first test flying the plane.

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/2/2003 11:39:42 PM   
William Robison



Posts: 20269
Joined: 11/10/2002
From: Mary Esther, Florida, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Bean:

I have never known any particular "Formula" for determining tip weight - too many variables.

My generality is that if I hold the fuselage and it rries to fall to the outboard side, but not so much that I can't hold it with the one hand, it's in the ball park.

The tip weight is not supposed to be the thing that keeps the plane from coming in on you. It is just to be a counterbalance to the weight of the wires on the inboard wing.

To keep the plane out the engine is set with a little out thrust sometimes, rudder offset is used on almost all c/l planes. Another is having the inboard wing a little bit bigger than the outboard, and if the plane has flaps then differential, with the inboard flap having more travel than the outboard tends all by itself to turn the plane out of the circle in any maneuver.

Hope this answers a question or two, if it raises any feel free to ask.

Bill.

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/3/2003 12:02:26 AM   
rw Guinn



Posts: 462
Joined: 1/9/2002
From: Fort Worth, TX, USA
Status: offline 		ah- remember when the correct amount of weight was the empty glue tube it took to build it??

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/3/2003 12:36:13 AM   
JumpinBean



Posts: 19
Joined: 9/19/2003
From: Grand Junction, CO, USA
Status: offline 		I do remember when the empty glue tube was listed in the instructions. The instructions for this one say......Use 6 inches of solder!...but it doesn't say what size solder to use.....figure that one out.

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Dont Be Cheap With The Glue!!!!!!!!!!

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/3/2003 12:52:35 AM   
William Robison



Posts: 20269
Joined: 11/10/2002
From: Mary Esther, Florida, FL, USA
Status: offline 		Bean:

Most likely means the old standard 1/8" wire solder.

Bill.

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Real Airplanes have Two Engines
AMA 25139 - More than 40 years.

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/3/2003 1:44:22 AM   
downunder



Posts: 3171
Joined: 10/10/2002
From: Adelaide, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		For a model that won't be doing any violent manoeuvres the tip weight isn't critical. In effect you just need enough to balance the weight of the lines (plus a little just to be on the safe side). Remember though that the weight of the lines is held equally between the model and your hand. About 1 ounce should be sufficient and if you use the stick on wheel balance weights then you can play around with the weights until you find something you're happy with then glue them permanently to the wing. With more weight than really necessary the model will just fly around with the outside wing low all the time. All of this of course assumes there's no warps in the wing and if it uses flaps then they're perfectly aligned.

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/3/2003 2:30:25 AM   
BMatthews



Posts: 8895
Joined: 10/4/2002
From: Burnaby, BC, CANADA
Status: offline 		I'm sure they mean the 1/8 plumbing solder. 6 inches of the thin electronics stuff doesn't weigh much at all.

I've always used pennys. Since I'm in Canada I bring all your US pennies home so I'm not defacing my own currency, which is a crime after all.... But if I take my model back to the US will they arrest me at the border?

That's it, no more transparent coverings for ME. No way I want to spend time in the hoosegow for gluing pennies into my wing tips...

PS: Almost forgot. If it's critical to your own sensibilities that your model fly dead even with the lines then have a buddy watch your model to report on it's attitude and adjust it so the model is dead level when you're flying shoulder high.

< Message edited by BMatthews -- 11/3/2003 2:31:54 AM >


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Bruce-
Proudly wasting balsa since 1965.

Free Flighters go that extra mile........

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/3/2003 2:34:40 AM   
Clean



Posts: 990
Joined: 4/19/2002
From: Parkville, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Build in a tip weight box so that you can adjust the weight as needed. Changes in line length, engine offset, leadout position IF you put that ability in, prop size, many things will affect how much tip weight goes in the box. During hard inside manuevers, if you see the top side of the outboard wing, you need a little more weight. See the bottom, take a little out.

3/4 to an ounce for the average 35 size bird on 60' center 15's.

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William Crane (aka Mr Clean) Rever Brother #168 Time Man of the Year

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/3/2003 2:55:09 AM   
Jim Thomerson



Posts: 2792
Joined: 10/9/2002
From: Austin, TX, USA
Status: offline 		I have used pennies, which I think run 9 to the oz. but I have gone to to BB's because I can make weight changes in smaller increments. Generally I do build in an adjustable weight box. One time I didn't and got too much weight in the outside wing. The airplane would hinge badly on square corners, so I added weight to the inside wing until I got the hinging down to a very small amount. Not an optimum solution.

Jim

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/3/2003 4:44:54 AM   
JumpinBean



Posts: 19
Joined: 9/19/2003
From: Grand Junction, CO, USA
Status: offline 		I was wondering about the weight differences using dacron line or wire line. Ive got a good off set on the rudder. I did make a weight box in the wing tip and im trying different amounts of lead weights to make the adjustments. It seems to be about right with 1/2 to 5/8 of weight. The only thing about the box is it will be covered with tissue when i finish the wing. Sharp knife and a patch will work if i need to get back into it...I have used nickles and quarters in the past. Just glue them on the bottom of the wing and called it good. This is not a real small plane with just a wing and a sheet fuslage. Its all stick and tissue built up fuslage and wing, and different than anything ive built before. I have put a lot of hours into it and i want to get it right. Ive got an old combat cat to build and it calls for an ounce of weight on the wing tip, but its a different beast altogether.

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Dont Be Cheap With The Glue!!!!!!!!!!

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RE: Wing tip counter weight - 11/3/2003 2:00:47 PM   
gcb



Posts: 2385
Joined: 10/24/2002
From: Port Ewen, NY, USA
Status: offline 		JumpingBean,
Add a couple of pennies and see if the outboard wing drops if you support it by the fuselage center. If you really want accuracy you will need to keep that weight box accessible.
The difference in flying between Dacron and wire is more drag than weight. The wire has much less drag.
Beware of lots of engine and rudder offset. This will cause more pull sometimes but when the power cuts, what do you do then. The ideal situation IMHO is to have little or no offset on either. Remember you are already pulling on the plane when it tries to fly straight.
Good luck with it.

George

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       Post #: 11

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