steve-kerry

Just kicking an idea around...

I'd like to build a PSS flying wing, say a YB-49 or a B-2, but my nearest slope is a fair distance away so I'd want to fly it at my local field on a bungee as well. It wouldn't need to perform like a competition glider, but obviously the choice of airfoil would be more critical than usual (many slope airfoils are still eyeballed).

I'm sure someone has done this before - how well did it work?

TFLG

Flying wings make horrible thermal ships. That's the reason you don't see any. However if you don't expect it to thermal then you have no worries.

THe EH series of airfoils are popular ones for flying wings. The EH 2.0/10.0 is used on many of the slope wings. Very few slopers are using the side of their Nike's anymore. Airfoil programs are readily available on the net so most guys are using appropriate airfoils nowdays on thier slope designs. I do remember the old nike9.5 days though

TFLG

Tall Paul

A handful of Speed 400 motors, and the thing will carry its own thermal!

surfimp

I think a Me-163 Komet with an Estes rocket motor could make for AWESOME tailless flat field flying, in a suitably non-flammable environment, of course. Check out this really cool X-1 design for inspiration

evlwevl-RCU

I have an EPP F80 from mmglidertech and I have since stopped sloping it because I have a new composite that I really enjoy now. I was going to just hang it on the wall because it looks scale, that was until I found a new use for it. A guy at the field made a bungie, 25' of surgical tubing, 25' of string. He bungies a Me 163 Komet. We just pull it back to where you can barely hold it and let it go. It launches horizontal to the ground, straight and fast like a rocket and then pull up on the controls as it comes off the hook and it zooms up wicked fast. At that point I can do maybe about 2 highspeed flybys with acrobatics depending on the conditions but I do notice his ME tends to stay up a little longer then mine, even if it is only about 30 seconds more. just make sure you have a good plywood hook base taped to the bottom of the wing to handle the launch because it is very hard on the plane.

steve-kerry

That was another consideration - a catapult plane

Smaller planes survive catapult launches better than big ones, unless you have a bulletproof CF wing. But once they are up there, big planes stay up longer than small ones.

There are two safety factors to remember with strong catapults - the hook must be firmly attached to the plane (built in from the start is best, and glassed in to make sure); and the other end has to be very firmly anchored to the ground. If it comes loose, the guy holding the plane won't have time to dodge out of the way!

Something like a YB-49 would be dead easy to build, say EH 2/10 section with just a couple of degrees of washout, about 48" span with a catapult hook tied into the centre rib and/or spar. I'll put it on my list of things to build...

StormGald

i have been thinking of that too I found a thing to do. Get a park flyer/ glider and use it a epp one. If it says standard use Smaller like Mini cuz this Zagi 400x I bought has 2 mini servos and well... Someone here said wings don't thermal well they DO BIG TIME I can do loops and roll and thermal and yea if you want one look at the Zagi HLG wing its a wing for hand throws but.... a few upgrades and you got a bat out of hell. My friend has one at the Field like it its all black with red bat wings :P and well he taped his up really tight and everything and he puts it on a Hi start and then dives it a few feet and well he can do what my 400x does but his is slower and thermals alot better. Mine thermals great and thing is mine has more speed for 2 reasons a speed 400 :P and its BIGGER I mean like 3 times his wing!!! But.... its sad that thing is not for Combat... some reason it all ways kicks my ass lol Well hope this helped.