flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

Forgive my enthusiam, but sharing news of a great test flight with the family just didn't give me enough satisfaction....they don't understand do they?!

This is my new Insight (Insight-squared) that I built from my own plans. The look of this plane will likely create "lovers" or "haters" of the design. It is mainly a shape that came from what I thought would be a quicker build (notice no fiberglass or plastic parts to mold or buy.....). The square shapes allowed me to cut all of the top and bottom decks from foam (hot wire) and sheet them easily in their shucks (just like wing panels). The only wood building was the fuse-box, which is a 4" tall x 6" wide fuse (think of a giant kaos fuse) made from balsa and small amounts of ply. The wings and tail are again cut from foam and sheeted with contest grade balsa. Apart from a learning curve with the foam cutter, the build was nice.

Some may recognize the landing gear as it is from the Ultra-rc Icepoint ARF.

The good news:
Span: 74"
Length: 78"
Area: 890" (approx.)
Weight: 9lbs. 12oz.
Engine: YS140sport (apc 17x8)
Radio: Futaba

I will make plans available soon (need to detail the drawings) if anyone is interested.

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

Looks positively great! Super building/finishing.... now, we just need a flight report?
What happened to using the OS 1.60 on her?

Looks pretty good, actually....Who said these things had to be "rounded", anyway??

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

Bob,

I would have used the OS, but I had the YS laying around and I sold the OS with last year's Insight. So far the 140sport has been great. I was thinking of going really simple with a 160fx later in a backup INSIGHT (see images).

As for the flight, it flew like a feather...with a 140sport attached! We got two flights in fairly windy conditions, so I will certainly have some more trim flying to do. Takeoff was at half throttle and left Mother Earth as nicely as a Partner. The downlines were straight down for 200+ feet, then only a very slight pull to the canopy. Knife edge required a slight opposite aileron mix, as well as a few % mix of up elevator (barely tucks to the belly). With the mix, (2nd flight) it went very straight in knife with rudder input only. Uplines were very straight with no rudder input...so I guess the right thrust is about right. Rudder is very effective. Stall turns are almost like cheating. It will take some getting used to because my tendency is to feed in rudder input early in a rolling element.

The most interesting thing is how slow this bird will fly. Downlines are slow (but not electric slow) and the bottom radius exits immediately cause a deceleration that has to be seen to be believed....the exits are just amazing. I must inform you though, I am running a 17x8apc, but at this weight, the prop seems perfect. Had plenty of guts going over the top radii, even in today's windy conditions.

Don Ramsey took a turn at flying it and even he was smiling.

Regards,
Mark

www.geocities.com/markhunt_2000/INSIGHT

Doug Cronkhite

My Feedback: (34)

You've just got to applaud people willing to think outside the status quo. I just wish you'd have picked a different name since Insight is the name of my F3A-Indoor design

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

Doug,

Sorry about that...a couple years ago I saw an ad for Solid Edge software, and their line was: "Design with Insight". That's were I got the name...just seemed to fit right....I also comtemplated "Cadence", as in CAD, but that just doesn't sound as good.

I have been contemplating printing my plans in 1/2 scale and cutting up some blue foam or depron to make a foamie to match...if I ever make the time...

I hope to make it to the Nats this year, it would be an honor to meet you.


-Mark

MHester

My Feedback: (1)

Looks great. Stealth pattern! Hehe.

Seriously I like the measurements, how do all those hard angles handle a turbulent cross wind? I'm just wondering, because the plane I'm working on is pretty much a curve from spinner to rudder. I can definitely see how it would be simple to build though. Curves with flat peices of balsa is tricky.

Anyway, good luck and knock em dead!

-Mike

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

Mike,

To tell you the truth, the wind today was nearly right down the runway. I noticed how light the plane felt in the turnarounds. When I got off the gas in my turn to base for landing, the plane slowed down instantly. I kept a high idle all the way in and cut it when I was over the numbers. I think without any wind, this will float by real easily (thin airfoil, light plane....).

I realized too that the edges could be easily softened alot during the template process, prior to cutting the fuse deck cores. It would easily change the look a good bit.

One of my favorite items is the open nose above the spinner. You can look right in there and see your nose ring and YS regulator. Cooling looks like it will not be a problem.

Here is a close up of the front end during the build.... I also angled the inlet of the pipe tunnel to improve header clearance and airflow out of the engine bay (sorry for the low quality pic...).

tph1

My Feedback: (12)

Mark, Are you using the same moments as the last one?
Looks really good and very "insightful"
Tom

wladkummer

My Feedback: (7)

Hi Mark,

Congratulations. Reaaly turned out a very beatiful design. It has inspired me to go on designing my own. BTW have you used the ZDZ drawing that I sent you?

Cheers,

Wladimir

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

tph1,

The moments are the same, but the airfoils are thinner and their areas are different. The fuselage has nearly the same volume as Version 3, which is alot. (See planview image)

Wladimir,

I have the ZDZ40 drawn into a side view of the fuse...when I find it, I will post it for you...it looks good even though I probably won't go that route. I have already ammended the plans and 3D model to lower the belly another 3/4" (see 1st image versus the plans image), so the next one will easily accomodate the ZDZ...even the plug cap.

tph1

My Feedback: (12)

Mark, Are you cutting cores or is someone else selling them?
Tom

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

tph1,

I cut my own cores for this one with the help of a flying buddy. I setup all the core blocks with my templates attached (double sided tape) to each end and called him over. We were able to cut the fuse decks, wings, and tail in about 2-3 hours (learning curve with the hot wire). I have all my templates in CAD (of course) so it is possible that they could be cut by professionals.

I got two more flights on the plane today. I actually flew the 402 a few times and it will take some time to get used the plane's slow abilities. I mentioned before that this plane slows nicely on bottom radius exits. In flying the sequence the advantage of this is much more apparent, as I now have more time to setup and draw a straight horizontal line entry into the next manuever.


-Mark

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

Wladimir,

Here is your ZDZ40 sketched onto the nose of the Insight. The plug cap will protude out the bottom, but otherwise should fit just fine.


Sorry about the low quality image. I would model the engine in 3D if I could get my hands on one for an afternoon.


-Mark

tph1

My Feedback: (12)

Mark, Did you cut an airfoiled vert. stab also?

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

tph1,

Yep. Just like the wings and stabs...very thin though, and alot of taper. Here are pics of the core and the sheeted fin/rudder.


-Mark

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

With 12 flights now, I can honestly say, I no longer have any mis-givings about the shape of the fuselage. It does not appear to have any bad habits, whether it be at cruise, very slow, in heavy cross-wind approaches, or even slow knife edge. It will crab on a cross wind landing just like any other pattern plane and no surprises.

I have received a number of inquiries about the plans. Sorry, this version will not be posted for free download, but the cost will be resonable...not here to make a living, just want some fuel money for my work. At this point, I have sheet #1 finished, showing the fuse and all formers. It has been plotted/printed and I am going over it for mistakes. I am currently working a second sheet that will have the wing and stab layout, along with all of the foam templates for cutting the foam cores. I am trying to keep it to just two sheets to keep the cost of printing down. Once these are done, I will also take the CAD files for the foam templates and send them out for quote from a foam cutting service. I understand that many of you would prefer to be able to buy the cores and the plans and get at it. Obviously, I cannot supply that many cores cutting them by hand, besides, the quality will be much better if cnc cut.

I also have kept notes from the build and that will be included as a reference to go along with the plans.

Sorry, it is taking so long to finalize the drawings, but I want them to be right....and that just takes time. For any interested in what they will look like, the version 2 plans are available to download on Joe's Model Plans site. Below are images of sheets 1-3 from that set of plans.


Thanks again for your patience..

-Mark

P.S. Thank you Mike Hester for inspiration as well.

tph1

My Feedback: (12)

Will the plans have the formers for the foam turtledeck etc. or will that be included to the place that cuts the cores for you?

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

tph1,

I plan to include all the fuse formers and foam end caps (wood) and all the templates for cutting the cores. If you prefer to cut your own cores, then you will have all of the templates (wings, stabs, v.fin, fuse decks) there on the plans.


-Mark

Erik Johansson

Mark,

Do you intened to work out any of the coupling issues before releasing the plans, or leave it they way it is?

I think this looks like a great design for people like me, who want a good pattern plane that is easy to build. Also since there are no composite parts, it could easily be scaled down to say 75% size to make a very nice .40 size practice plane. I´m quite interested in doing that myself and build the full size one later on.

If I would buy the plans (which I´d really like to do), will you supply them "as is" only or will you supply them in CAD format as well if requested? The reason I ask is that I have access to free printing of plans of any size.

/Erik

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

Erik,

I do not intend to make drastic changes to the plans (lower belly, very slight changes to wing and stab position). I will be building another Insight using the updated plans and I expect it to fly as well or slightly better.... if it still requires a bit of mix, I will gladly share that information. The mix that I have, I can live with. Also, I have found the cause of the slight roll coupling and that is already ammended on the plans. I am going to speak with an aerodynamics friend today about this and other ideas for future designs.

I can certainly supply CAD files if you prefer.


-Mark

Erik Johansson

Mark,

That sounds great. I can´t wait.

It´s the roll coupling I was wondering about more than anything, so I´m glad you found a way to improve that.

/Erik

flyintexan

My Feedback: (1)

I now have the plans completed, which comprise of 2 large sheets (34"x80" & 34"x60" ). They look good and provide all parts, formers, foam templates, and a couple isometric views of some of the sub-assemblies. I have compiled some notes from the build that I would like to also include, just as a reference....I'm working on cleaning it up into a word document that is twenty-some pages so far... I am also still working on pricing for having all the foam cores cnc cut using the cad file templates. I would like to be able to provide a nice set of plans and allow the builder to decide if he/she would like to buy the cores directly from the cnc cutter...hopefully, I can get someone to provide all the cores at a reasonable price for all of you.

Plans and notes rolled in a tube within the US $40
Outside the US, please PM or email me for shipping cost of the tube or folded plans
Paypal: [email protected]
PM or email me for mailing address if you prefer to use check or money order.

I have to now admit to the world my own lack of building skills. It seems that we have found some extra dihedral built into my wing panels (about 1/2" at each tip in the top surface of the wing). Not sure yet how I let this happen...still searching. This would explain the slight proverse roll that I have mixed out in knife edge. However, to prove that theory, new wings must be built. I had planned to build another Insight at some point using the new plans with a slightly lower belly, so I guess now is a good time to start. To experiment with the one that is now flying, I will be adding a bit more to the rudder counterbalance and flight test as soon as time allows me to do so. If it works, great, if not, I can live with the minor amont of programmed mix....besides, my sequence flying is starting to show I'm getting very comfortable with the plane. I hope to post some video in the next week or two.


-Mark