Is my F-86 combat foamie too heavy?
01-22-2004, 04:36 PM
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Is my F-86 combat foamie too heavy?
(I posted a similar message in the 'Combat' forum, but have received no replies, so I'll try again here with a shorter message...)
I've just finished building a Power Slope Scale F-86 EPP combat foamie. I made several modifications that added extra weight (and strength) to the glider, and as expected I'm over the manufacturer's weight recommendation. They claim a range of 20-25 ounces, which is dubious IMO since the raw foam, balsa, and control linkages were almost 19 ounces (no flight pack, no strapping tape, no Super 77, no Ultracote, etc.).
In any event, my glider weighs in at 33 ounces (which includes a 1,400 mah battery required to get the CG to fall in the right place!). The glider has a 48-inch wingspan & a 10-inch chord for a surface area of 480 sqare inches. And relative to PSS gliders from Dave's Aircraft (with 453 square inches of surface area and a weight range of 31-34 ounces) my numbers don't seem out-of-line.
Still, I can't help wondering whether my F-86 (weighing 25% more than the manufacturer's maximum recommendation) is going to fall from the sky like a rock on her maiden voyage this weekend...
Any predictions?
I've just finished building a Power Slope Scale F-86 EPP combat foamie. I made several modifications that added extra weight (and strength) to the glider, and as expected I'm over the manufacturer's weight recommendation. They claim a range of 20-25 ounces, which is dubious IMO since the raw foam, balsa, and control linkages were almost 19 ounces (no flight pack, no strapping tape, no Super 77, no Ultracote, etc.).
In any event, my glider weighs in at 33 ounces (which includes a 1,400 mah battery required to get the CG to fall in the right place!). The glider has a 48-inch wingspan & a 10-inch chord for a surface area of 480 sqare inches. And relative to PSS gliders from Dave's Aircraft (with 453 square inches of surface area and a weight range of 31-34 ounces) my numbers don't seem out-of-line.
Still, I can't help wondering whether my F-86 (weighing 25% more than the manufacturer's maximum recommendation) is going to fall from the sky like a rock on her maiden voyage this weekend...
Any predictions?
01-22-2004, 06:40 PM
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RE: Is my F-86 combat foamie too heavy?
Your wing loading is about 10 oz per sqare foot, that is cosidered light in so cal, although i do not fly combat, i have several pss planes with wing loadings from 13- 32 oz per square foot, I would not worry about the weight.
Bill
Bill
01-23-2004, 11:23 AM
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RE: Is my F-86 combat foamie too heavy?
PSS plane are awesome and a 10 wingloading is light. You could add 20 more oz of ballast to your plane from 33oz to 53oz and your wingloading will be at 16oz per foot.Load it up and be happy. I would fly it like it is and i would make a little area for some ballast like 10-15 more oz in the belly or in the fuse for those windy days. Here is a convenient and helpful wingloading Calc. http://www.andersonparkflyers.org/calc.htm
