New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

Hi!

I have just started on a new mod for my four star.. this modification is more to increase the visual aspect, then the performance of the plane, but with that in mind, I really need to know, how it will affect my plane's performance and aerodynamics.

The fourstar's fuselage, is flat on the sides.. this gives it a very plain look.. sort of like a box.. only the top is curved a little for the eye...i want to curve the sides also.. so the fuse has a more rounded look to it.. check out the picture.. i'm not a good drawer.. but this is just to get a sense of what i'm doing...

My question is.. how will this affect the planes aerodynamics.. and will there be any noticable changes in it's flight charecteristics?

thanks for your input..

-eugn

P.S... it won't add a lot of weight, since i'm curving thin balsa over thin little ribs that i'll glue to the sides of the fuse.. same technique as used for the top of the fuse..

:(
 

how come nobody is answering? :(

:)
eugn

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

I don' t think you'll see any change in performance.

The only thing I could picture your change affecting would be something that relies on airflow being stifled as it "tries" to flow around the flat-sided fuselage -- so knife-edge might suffer, but the 4*'s not really a great knife-edge plane anyway is it? The plane may have a little less drag with the rounded sides, but I really doubt that it would be enough to notice.

While you're at it, you can probably also change the shape of the tail and wingtips without affecting performance (if you have a mind to). Just keep the same areas and incidences. A nicely kit-bashed 4* can produce a better flying sorta-scale version of an awful lot of low-wing full size planes, too.

Bashed 4-Star
 

A bashed 4-Star flies just as well as the original. Mine knife edges all day long. Magnum .91XLS with Ultra Thrust muffler

thanks
 

thanks guys..

i didn't think it would make any difference either...

i've got another question.. about the weight.. how will the extra weight affect it.. but i'll post that in a seperate topics..

nice looking plane ed_moorman.. it looks amazing!

-eugn

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

You may be making this sound easier than it is. Blending rounds into flats is not as easy as it sounds. Give it a try, but be prepared to either do a lot more work than you think, or rip it all off and go with the original idea.

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

Ed,

I LOVE what you did with the wingtips, exactly what I had in mind to do for mine. Got any tips or pics on how you did it?

Thanks,
Heath

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

To MinnFlyer:

Actually.. I already did it.. it took me about 3 hours.. the result is amazing!!!

and it wasn't hard at all..

frankly.. i don't find building hard..it's a very simple process actually.. as long as you are very carefull.. slow.. and follow instructions carefully..

as for the mods.. i used the top deck as an example to make the sides.. my sides are oval from top and bottom.. more oval at the cowl.. less oval by the trailing edge of the wing.. .. AND also.. thin in the beginning and become thicker towards the cowl..

believe it or not.. but when i wet that balsa down.. it bent very easily...

-eugn

here is how it look
 

it looks a little better in real life..

my 640x480 webcam doesn't really show that much detail...

this is what I ment by my explanation above..

is this not too much weight?

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

here is the uncompleted side

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

from top...

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

from bottom..

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

Nice Job! I am impressed.

Welcome to the Builders Brotherhood!

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

I agree, nice job. The rounding should really "dress up" the Four Star.

Al, I would have to disagree with your comment about the knife edge of the Four Star (at least the .60 size). With the stock dihedral, mine is actually one of the best knife edgeing planes I have. However, I did clip the wing one bay on each tip and also have a YS .91AC on it, along with very tight pull-pull hardware on the rudder. That may have something to do with it!

Y'all have fun now!

Lee

New mod on 4*60 (Have Pics Now)
 

thanks..

that was the whole purpose.. to dress it up...

when you look at the plane below.. standing at it's side.. the fuse looks nice and proportional.. but when you stand right above it..
its very thin...compared to the span of the wings..

by rounding the fuse.. it automatically becomes more like a real plane..

i used the extra 300 as my example.. it's fuse is nice and round.. and that's how they should be..not square..

-eugn