RCU Forums - View Single Post - RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS
View Single Post
Old 05-15-2007 | 05:55 AM
  #22  
da Rock
Senior Member
 
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 11,517
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
From: Near Pfafftown NC
Default RE: RUDDER EFFECTIVENESS


ORIGINAL: HO-229

Ed,
What did you start with for your static margin? I am modeling/utilizing 20% is this to high/to low?

Being this is a new planform for me, I am ok with a higher static margin, but I do not wish to have a unresponsive airplane at low speed.

Any info would be of great help.
If you need a readily available CG locator application that figures static margin, try http://www.geistware.com/rcmodeling/cg_super_calc.htm

It's as available as the internet and works really well. And to find out the location for any static margin you wish, simply type it in.

Let me address your question from a different perspective, however.
What makes an airplane unresponsive that pertains to the static margin, isn't what makes an airplane more or less stable. It's sorta related, but only a little.

When you move the CG way forward, the horizontal tail has more work to do simply from having to balance the weight shift. And it uses up some elevator deflection carrying that load. What it uses up simply carrying the "imbalance" is no longer available for pilot requests to pitch the airplane. So the CG shift is actually reducing the effectiveness of the elevator. How do you solve the problem when you elevator is not effective enough? Give the elevator more throw. Up to a point that works.