r/c dan

My Feedback: (1)

Does anybody know or has anybody ever taken the top wing off of a bi-plane and flew it?

I have an old one I am playing around with and I want to eliminate the top wing.

If I do is there anything special I have to do ...or just balance it on the spar and go for broke? (no pun intended)

Anybody?

outdoorhunting

I've never tried it, but I seen the upper wing fall off of a buddy's plane------ it crashed.----- He said the 1 wing wouldn't generate enough lift. That made sense to me, so I didn't question it any further as that was his favorite plane..

khodges

My Feedback: (1)

I knocked the bottom wing off of a Stearman once. It flew great. Unfortunately, I also knocked the landing gear off, so landing wasn't pretty.

But I pushed the red button, and all was perfect in the world again. Just gotta love G-3

macdona

My Feedback: (3)

Lost the upper wing one time. After playing around with the slow speed in the air, made a landing about rwice the normal speed.

MustangRay

My Feedback: (7)

Your c/g changed so figure out a new c/g and maybe add some dyhedral on the bottom wing and it should fly! Ray.

Grampaw

Why would anyone Not want to own and fly a biplane in the first place?

LDaba

My Feedback: (2)

Dan:
I have gone the opposite route, taking off the lower wing and making a bipe a parasol. It did change the flying characteristics a significant amount. In thinking on your question, several factors come to mind.

* Wing area / wing loading
* CG location *** mucho importante!!
* Decreased aileron area (if it had them on upper & lower wings)
* Center of weight, ie the center of weight on a low wing will be above the wing as opposed to between the wings of a bipe
* Possibly engine down thrust angle. Some bipes use opposed angles of incidence between the upper and lower wings. Taking off
the upper wing would change that balance.

If your adventuresome spirit is in gear, go for it. Just balance the plane so that the fuselage is level or slightly down.
Here''s wishing you happy landings, Tony.

LDaba

My Feedback: (2)

Dan:
There are real life comparisons to what you want to do, Two examples come to mind.
The conversion of the Hawker Fury to the Hurricane and the Grumman F3f to the F4f Wildcat.
If you plan to build a new lower wing, you could use similar proportions or use the TLAR premise. (TLAR = that looks about right.
If you do proceed with the conversion let us know how it worked out.
Once again here''s wishing you happy landings, Tony.

outdoorhunting

It''s complicated enough flying a plane with 2 wings, let alone 4!!!!!!!!!!! When I crash I only have to fix 2 wings not 4 !!!!!! When I drop the plane from my workbench only 2 wings can get broken not 4 !!!! When I have my plane hanging from the shop ceiling , I only bump my head on 1 wing not 2 (it hurts less)!!!!! That''s why I don''t own a biplane !!!!!!

Grampaw

Some years back RCM ran a construction article on a model named "Mono-Bi." The plane was just what it''s name implies, both a Monoplane and a Biplane. It was designed to fly with two wings, or one. If memory serves me right, it was a simple Sport type design, with a slab side fuselage and flat tail surfaces, no fancy stuff there. The wings were built up rib and spar types. I believe both wings were equal in span and chord. Several were built with success according to the letters and photos received. Try RCM Plans Service (I think its still around) for more info, and more than likely a photo.

On another tac, I remember seeing photos and reading reports of British Hurricanes during WWII, modified to Bipe configurations with the addition of a top wing. The extra wing provided additional wing area thereby giving heavily loaded Hurricanes more lift. The idea was to get them off the ground while carrying the extra weight of more weaponary, or fuel (?) Once at altitude the top wing was jettisoned and the Hurricanes reverted to their monoplane configurations and continued on their mission, whatever that was. The idea worked and was put into use, at least for a short while anyway.

There was no mention of the shape of the top wing used on these Hurricanes, if it matched the tapered contour of the Hurricane''s original wing or what? Maybe somone will come up with a photo and we''ll find out.

LDaba

My Feedback: (2)

GramPaw: What you mentioned about the Hurricane sparked a memory. [sm=idea.gif] After some research I came up with the following.
This biplane conversion was undertaken in the early days of WW2. Nazi U Boats and long range patrol craft were attacking supply convoys, killing sailors and inflicting ever increasing losses to desperately needed merchant vessels and equipment.
Thr Brits were short of escort vessels and could not spare any carriers for escort duty. It was proposed to build a small flight deck on some merchant ships and tankers. What was needed was a plane that could take off from the limited flight deck. It was not necessary to land it. After combat it would fly to a land base if within range or (more likely) ditch and hope that a ship would stop to pick the pilot up.
Enter the Hurricane. It was fitted with a second wing to facilitate this. It went through flight testing. It was side lined when the catapult launched version proved to be successful and more feasable (and less dangerous).[X(]
Happy landings, Tony.
.

Grampaw

Hey Tony!

Thanks for the follow up on the British Hurricane Bipe Program of WWII. I never saw any of the photos you posted, but they answered my mention of the top wing configuration. It seems to be the same as the bottom wing. Also note there is, or was, no Stagger" in the positions of the wings. And with regards to that Top Wing, its probably the angle of the photo, but in the side view it looks as if the top wing had a thicker airfoil than the bottom wing. The Hurricane in that photo appears to be flying well enough.

I''m sure a lot of Hurricane pilots slated to fly those bipe versions only to face a ditching upon return breathed a huge sigh of relief when the word came out that the cataupalt version would be used. Frankly I never could see any success in releasing the top wing while in flight, as the chances of destroying the tail surfaces were just too great a risk. I stand corrected on the Hurricane Bipe stoy.
Thanks again for the input, and many Happy Landings, Grampaw

P.S. It would make a great subject for a Scale Bipe. Don''t see many of those around.