Originally Posted by
redball8
I used one of Jeff's kits as a pattern, but modified it a bit - light ply sides and inner ribs, carbon fiber wing tube...
...Same with the film - have enough Silkspan and dope to do it up right and especially like sewn hinges...In the end I settled for a Cap'n Eddie pilot as a nod to Kazmirski.
Bill
I needed the painted, authentic look for the magazine article, but I'm wasn't all that experienced with epoxy paint, and it added a lot of weight, (but looked great--especially from a distance.
As far as sewn hinges etc goes, Ed was past that by the time the Simla was designed. I'm pretty sure he sued some kind of plastic Mylar or sheet material the same as he did on his later Taurus that was built earlier. That plane didn't have sewn hinges, so I'm sure the Simla didn't as well.
For the prototype I used a CF tube. Jeff couldn't afford to put one of those into the kit, so that is the prerogative of the builder, and I consider it a good idea to use one. Although the wood of the kit is pretty good quality and lightness, I didn't use the wing sheeting in the kit and substituted it with contest balsa in an attempt to save weight.
As for flying, I don't remember wind being much of a factor because of the plane's size, (although I never flew it when it was excessively windy.) The Simla flys "simla" to a Taurus, (as Ed used to say.) The thing I noticed most was that it was a bit slow in rolling maneuvers--largely because I was in such a hurry to finish it that I didn't seal the ailerons. The Model Aviation editor pointed out the gaps in the ailerons, (and even mentioned it in his comments if you read the article.) Be sure to seal up those gaps--especially those in the ailerons which are almost four feet long in the 108" version. Once I sealed them the plane responded much more quickly and the roll rate was much more predictable.
The Simla has many qualities of a "motorized glider", as Burkhard used to say. The plane will float, and glide a long way-even at over 10 pounds as mine is. The engine quit on me once in the hands of an expert pilot I let fly it. The first thing he said to me was that he wouldn't be able to get it back to the runway as my heart sank. A couple minutes later it managed to touch down just inside the cement pad we used as a runway with a nosewheel high attitude, (see attached.) Those last few yards were exciting!!It looks like a big airliner coming in on final approach.
I'm sure you'll love the way it flies. Please get some pictures in the air, and let us know how it goes
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