T.W.

Hi All,

During the coming Winter building season (thinking ahead here) I want to build a model which has an u/c on top of the fuz, as well as the normal under-hanging u/c. Yep, I want to try some inverted take-offs and landings. I've seen this done previously on a couple of web-pages but, now that I've decided to build my own "upsydownsy," I just can't find any information - can anyone point me in the right direction?

In the meantime, here's what I'm thinking: I want to use one of my Saito engine (probably the .72, maybe .82 . . . . but have larger ones if this turns-out to be necessary) and I guess that mounting the engine sidewinder makes a lot of sense for this kind of desing. I need the model to have a wide cord FunFly-type wing and I plan on making it a tail-dragger. Of course the upside-down tail-wheel will need some thought. Perhaps halving the height of a normal v-stab, and then building half of it above and half of it below the fuz would help the anticipated tail-wheel-fixing problems? Or, on the other hand, perhaps the lower u/c could be tail-dragger and the top-side one could be tricycle . . . . did I mention that "odder is better" where this particular model's concerned!

Any ideas/thoughts will be appreciated

Tony

Jburry

I'd suggest building with symmetrical airfoils, at 0-0 incidence. Aim for mid wing and mid stab. 0 downthrust, 0 right thrust. I'd make it taildragger upright, and trike inverted, then a normal fin can be used, but use a fin that's like that of the ultrastick, wide, not tall. Clearance for the trike gear, ya know.

I'd be suggesting a fin top and bottom, but there comes a time when orientation suffers.

Alot of the 3d, funfly and profile planes would be good wing donors.

Whatever ya build, be sure you can tell top from bottom even in silouette.

J

T.W.

Thanks for the good advice J - I think you're right with all of that. But do you know where I can find reports of a similar project on-line? I know I've seen them (unless I just dreamed it up!) . . . . but I can't find the web-sites right now!

Tony

Ed_Moorman

My Feedback: (1)

I saw one once. It was a profile that was a P-51 on 1 side and an Me-109 on the other. The vertical tails were smaller than usual for RC, probably more true scale. It might have been made from the Tower Fun-51 profile. It looked pretty good and flew well.

It had a tail dragger gear on both sides and tail wheels on the rudders. .46 power.

T.W.

Thanks Ed. What a great idea - two different types of plane. I haven't seen that done, but I know that I've seen a FunFly-type "upside-downy." I think those that I've seen just had the extra set of wheels on-top though. I'm pretty sure I saw a couple of them on the 'net, but I just can't find them now that I'm interested in building one of my own! I'm almost sure that one example I saw was in a video too

Tony

huggins

I used to have one of these. I modified an old Tower Hobbies Uproar 40. Put a second gear on the top, just opposite the main gear. Had to be a little taller than the main to allow clearance for the fin. The hard part is the tail wheel. I added another to the top of the fin, attached to the rudder for control. I was concerned about the strength of the fin, so I added a couple of "tail wires" between the top of the fin and the end of the stab. Worked pretty well. If I had it to do over again, I would probably just put a skid wire on the top and forget the tail wheel. I played with it a few times, but did not keep it very long. Sold it at a swap meet and have not seen it since. Unfortunately, I do not have a picture of it.

Mike

T.W.

Thanks for this Mike. How did you get-on with inverted take-offs and landings? Good idea to add the "tail-wires" for strength - I'll remember that one for sure. However, I'm thinking that splitting the v-stab and having half on top of the fuz and half underneath seems like it might be the best way to go

I'm still looking for some pix on-line

Tony

huggins

I did pretty well with the takeoff and landings. I am pretty used to flying inverted and the Uproar can be slowed to a crawl on landing and be made to jump off the ground on takeoffs. The biggest problem for me was keeping the rudder straight (in my mind) while on the ground since it too is backwards. I am not near as good with the rudder while inverted as I am the elevator. Hence the quick takeoff and landing cheats. If you are building something up specifically for this, the splitting the fin top/bottom sounds like a good idea. This will make the landing gear issues easier to deal with. Good luck.

Mike

T.W.

Thanks Mike. I too fly lots of inverted and know how difficult it is to move the rudder the right way "every" time. Can't wait to start building this model - but I have two other models on the board at the moment so it's going to have to wait. In the meantime I'm still looking for pix and videos of models with up and down u/c

Tony

Charlie P.

Yeeps!

I recall a lot of shoulder wing Ugly Stiks were built with the fuselage on top and converted into semi-scale Piper Pawnee and "squint-scale" warbird models. But dragging three extra wheels around at all time? To each his own, I guess. ;-)

Should allow you to be pretty daring in the Limbo competitions.

T.W.

I've got to do what I've got to do . . . . . and I seem to have do lots of different things. It keeps me interested I guess

Tony