Category: Gliders
Moon
Test flights of both Zawlade and Gemot.
Getting close.
Paper laminating some of the styrofoam milled shapes. Paper laminating works so bloody well. Josh, you legend for the info! Ta.
Mill Gemot – take 2,
A 90% successful mill. Both sides lined up perfectly. Will just have to make the tabs a little more sturdy next time and change the angles of the wing tips in the material. The trailing edge of the foil is obviously too thin as can be seen in the video, but that was more because of the initial 3D model I made. I’ll probably stick a 2mm thick square trailing edge on it so that it’s a clean cut.
We’ll laminate this one and give it a test fly anyway. Hopefully I can edit the 3D and make the next one in the next few days.
Dion.
First attempt at CNC milling Gemot.
We managed to mill both sides OK, but misregistered the second cut. It still flew somewhat. The video shows the wings starting to yaw sideways, but there’s no vertical stabilizers, so it’s to be expected.
NC paths for Gemot
Slowly but surely we are getting the NC paths happening. Hopefully soon we’ll have a computer milled flying wing.
Another test flight of Zawlade.
I’ve not upgraded the control surfaces as yet, so it’s still a bit wobbly in the sky. More just a fun flight than anything.
Test flight of Zawlade.
Hmm, flying with one hand and recording with the other takes a bit of concentration, but is doable enough.
Nutting out the wobbles.
Flew again this afternoon with Zawlade. Probably about a 20kt wind on the cliff tops at Skenners in an easterly. Flew way better with an extra 90g in the nose. The COG must be about right as it powers through turns easily. However the wobbles still happen a ljttle. Personally I think the control arms are a touch springy and the control horns need redoing as they didn’t come together the way I’d hoped. Using plasterboard anchors as control horns is fine for spoilers, but not really for ailerons. I was also a bit too excited to get it in the sky, so they were a tad rushed.
First I’ll make that part of the construction way more rigid and reasses from there. On the up side of the wobble issue, when left to fly straight, the wing stabalises. Also when the control surfaces are under load the wobbles disappear and it flies perfectly.
Wobbles.
Took Zawlade for a fly just then. It flew ok, but wobbles like crazy half the time. Got 5 x 50 cent peices on the front now. I think the outer wings are a bit heavy for it’s size. When it was windier or on high speed passes, it seemed to settle down.