elenabuz

I have this question: do jet models fly like the real planes ? Suppose one builds a model of a F-16 very accurately and gives it a turbine such that the thrust/weight ratio is identical to the real plane.
Will it fly the same as the real plane or there are other factors involved ?

In practice I believe people do not care about matching the thrust/wight ratio. Do models fly at leat remotely like real planes ?

KFalcon

My Feedback: (18)

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_19...tm.htm#1901863

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ajcoholic

My Feedback: (10)

It depends upon who is piloting the Model. Most pilots probably fly a bit more "sporty" than the real thing, but I just saw an F15 fly at a jet meet that you would swear was the full size at an airshow, if you didnt know it was a model.

Whether a jet or not, a scale model can indeed be flown in a scale manner if the pilot is so inclined and has the skills to do it, IMO.

AJC

Glorfindel

Hummm...Physics law are not scalable, so i would say no But it should be close

Woketman

My Feedback: (6)

The short answer is no. Due to Reynolds number effects, the aerodynamics are not scalable. That is not to say that it can not be close. Also, the strength of structures also are not directly scalable. In other words a model may be able to pull way more Gs than the full scale (or way less), therefore the min turn radius may be totally different.

Glorfindel

You're right i should add 'aerodynamics law' some are scalable.

S_Ellzey

In the case of an F-16, nope. The full scale F-16 is unstable by design, it takes a computer to keep it in the air, this is part of what makes the F-16 so maneuverable. This also what makes an R/C F-16 use up extra runway on take off. We have to move the CG forward to make it stable, so if the main gear are in the right place it is harder to get the nose up. You run it to the same problem with many other modern fighters that have "relaxed static stability".

Steven

mair

My Feedback: (2)

An F-16 when loaded for an attack mission with all or most of the hard points stored up actually becomes a little nose heavy and a very stable platform to deliver a weapon. After it drops everything, that's when it becomes a tail heavy mean dogfighter. I think an F-16 is a hard aircraft to convert to a model because of the small wing area and high wing loading. What I find interesting is that in a high G maneuver and/or high AOA, a full scale fighter will have “cottage” or visible vortices from the low pressure on top of the strake and wing. I believe that models are missing the dynamic to squeeze moisture out of the air like that. A model might be able to do it, but I’ve never witnessed it. Does anyone know how well leading edge slats work with the models?


Gary

Doug Cronkhite

My Feedback: (34)

Actually Steve.. I think they took out the dynamic instability after the prototypes. I'm pretty sure the F-16 today is more stable than the YF-16 and F-16A was.

GrayUK

Models are real planes!

Just small ones.[>:]

Laura H

Alot more on the full size!

Paul,
Having a discussion with my darling sister, over where to go on holiday. She wants to go away in July. I wonna go to Florida Jets. She reckons we are aload of train spotters but the model areoplane type.

Laura

Marcin

If I may add my two cents…
It depends on what you mean by FLY LIKE A REAL PLANES. If you want to predict the speed characteristics of a real plane at the low angle of attack, derived from flight test of scaled model, errors could be unacceptable, but if you consider dynamic characteristics (dynamic stability, maneuverability, spin characteristics), generally HIGH ANGLE OF ATTACK, correlation between scaled down model and real airplane will be very good. The situation is even better if you consider aircraft with strakes, because in this case at the high angle of attack lift is generated by strakes vortex which are Reynolds number undependable. But…. Scaled down model does not mean only scaled geometry, but also scaled mass and mass distribution. Its called dynamically scaling and IT’S A MUST if you want to have similarities between model and real airplane. The mass scale factor is equal to the third power of linear scale factor. This mean if you have 20% dynamically scaled down model of F-16 (1/5 scale), length of the model will be about 10 ft but a weight (model) will be 0.2(linear scale)^3*35000lbs( weight of real F-16)=280lbs!!!! You will say impossible, but such models fly and are used for research purposes. The F-15, F-18 or Su-27 and... had their little brothers (pictures below)
That’s it.
Marcin

GrayUK

Not to worry.

How are you feeling?

Laura H

Recovered properly when i woke up yesterday morning.
I will never eat another duck as long as I live!
Back to me 2 weeks

L