ORIGINAL: wind junkie
Really? Is that really worth anything? I'm not looking to get every last mph out of this bird. If I need to choose I'd rather have a good handling one. I thought it was better to blunt the TE's (ie, 3/32 to 1/8") for two reasons:
1) easier to trim
2) adds weight leading to flutter
comments?
I have several high perf gliders with really sharp (ie, be careful not to cut yourself) TE's, but I always thought that was a no-no for powered birds with vibrating fire breathers up front.
It sounds like this NASA web page is saying blunt trailing edges cause drag and turbulent air that could promote flutter.
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/airplane/shaped.html
None of my planes have blunt trailing edges and trimming is not a problem.
Some Q-500 kits come with 1/64" (not 1/16") ply to put in a slot in the trailing and leading edge of the tail surfaces. This allows sturdy sharp edges without adding much if any weight. I usually just sand the balsa trailing edges to a semi sharp point and cover.