I thought I would share my sucessful twin project. It is a rather interesting 2548 or 2610 legal ME-410. I fly with the NC combat group near Raleigh. Anyway since I have a pair twins at home (1 yo boy and girl) I knew twins were more difficult but a worth while project. So my first attempt at a twin was a P-38. I had a few nerve racking flights of which only 1 had a sucessful ending. Design was weak with nasty snap tendancies and not enough speed to be stable. So my second attempt had a more standard fuse and tail group with alot more area.

I put it for the first time yesterday. Two trim flights and it was ready to tie a streamer on it. It scored a cut on it's first sortie. Second sortie it got cut but mixed it up well.

Let me know if anyone needs any advise on twins (not just planes)...

Twins eh? Never built any for combat. But, I have a pair of 13 year old twins. They were 8 years old in the pic below...

D

That thing looks great Bill,
I hope to see it next time out!

FredD

I am sorry I missed her maiden flights - and her first blood particularly. Say Bill, whose plane did you get that first cut on anyway? You don't have to mention any 'real' names but one of our pseudonyms (such as Ripper) would be sufficient - because I'd hate to embarrass anyone we know .

I think that would be Bonsai? His plane looks like the Pearl Harbor movie with nice teeth painted on the front (and now a bite out of the A__ )...

Nice job on the 410! I have a 110 for 2548, and it flew well at the NATS. I use a single bladder tank for the fuel system. What are you using? How does it compare, performance wise, to other fighters you flown against? How much does it weigh? Sorry for all the questions, I'm jazzed that other folks are flying twins in combat!

Ed

It has a standard 4oz tank on each enging in each naccele. Power is by a pair of stock magnum 15 XLs turning MA 8x3 prop at 17K. Weigh is 3.5lbs. It would have been just over 3lbs but I had to increase to a 1700mAH flight pack is the very front of the nose to get the balance right. Everyone who has seen it fly thinks it is pretty quick. I think it sounds faster than it is. I think it is only slighly slower than the fastest planes in our group (JKA TA152 and FW190) if it is any slower. I think it would be legal for 2610 or 2548 since it has a 54" wing with ~400sq in. area. My first attempt at a twin was a high unstable P-38 that needed about 20mph more to be stable and it snapped when an engine would sag. The 410 flies great. In a test flight last weekend I had one throttle linkage to come loose that stuck one engine at full power. I could bring the other engine back to idle and it still tracked fairly straight. I ran the controlled engine at half throttle for a few minutes. That way the stuck engine ran out of fuel first. Then I cut the remaing enegine and landed at my feet. I usually either cut both engines high and dead stick or if one quits I cut the other immediately and dead stick. Is this how most people fly/land twin combat planes?

How many needle valves do you have on your plane? One before each engine between engine and bladder, etc.? Post a pic of your ME-110

I just saw your ME-110 in the "show us your homebrew designs" thread. It looks a little big - what is the span, cord, area? How did you secure the twin tails to the horizontl stab? Seems that I have too many mid-airs for a twin tail. My last mid-air left me at 150' with half a horizontal stab, no elevator, and no alierons.