Making Progress in E36

I remember reading the book by Frank Zaic, “Circular Airflow” not really understanding it but amused by his struggles designing a glow powered free flight that would not loop or crash after launch. It really is amazing to me that a free flight airplane can climb so quickly under power and transition smoothly to a slow glide, but not always. My first attempts at a fairly fast powered free flight were when I installed the electric power system I had purchased from Texas Timers for e36 class in an old ½ A glow powered Starduster.  The balance was guessed at and tweaked from test glides but the airplane flew pretty well although I did not build this model.

Pearl E202 at North Branch

The intended model for the electric components was the very popular Pearl e202. As locally I had a very small flying site I added rudder control RC to the model for the first flights. With my inexperience I did not have the stab incidence adjusted correctly and managed to crash the airplane even with the ability to steer it. With enough incidence it flew fine but I needed to fly it as a free flight model. Just before going to the 2016 Free Flight Nats in Muncie Indiana I removed the RC gear thinking I would have plenty of room to fly and many people to help me.  I did have the room and help but a recurring problem was that the plane had a tendency to dive to the right after the top of the climb. 

Lots of Help at 2016 Nats

After returning to Minnesota I flew the plane before two contests near North Branch Minnesota. At the first contest there were some less than perfect power patterns that barely avoid crashing. For the second contest I launched to the left which should not work but it did for some strange reason. The plane was launched to the left for many flights but on occasion there was a small stall on top of the climb. A couple of weeks ago I was flying the Pearl from some farm land and I noticed a crack in the stabilizer leading edge, the trailing edge was warped also.  More flights launching to the left were made after the repairs but then I thought I will try launching to the right with a short DT. That looked pretty good with no dive. Awhile back the plane came down so fast launching to the right that the wing folded in half as it DT’ed just before hitting the ground. I tried more launches to the right and the transition was great.   DT dethermalizer a method for bringing airplane down from thermal air current. 

Wing Folded on DT after Dive

DT over Farm Land

I sure hope I have permanently found and corrected the dive to the right issue. Most everyone with EXPERIENCE have told me launching to the left is going to cause a crash. For me there is no reason to try to prove them wrong. Hopefully I can have many more great flights launching the airplane the way it should work.  E36 is really fun and I will be building a different model a Starduster E36 which should launch to the left because of the high thrustline.

Bill Kuhl
http://www.ideas-inspire.com

Related Articles

http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2016/08/flying-my-e36-at-2016-nats.html
http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2016/05/much-to-learn-about-e36-free-flight.html
http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2015/12/electric-free-flight-test-model.html
http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2016/10/oktoberflug-free-flight-contest.html
http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2016/08/minnesota-free-flight-contest-near.html

Vendor Websites

http://www.texastimers.com/
http://www.pearlfreeflight.com/Buy.html

Testing New Dethermalizers

As I am advancing from building and flying free flight model airplanes purely for the fun of watching the models fly to flying in competition, I am trying to find out what works for me.  This includes improving my building skills and the products used in completing the models. Recent blog articles have been about the Gizmo Geezer propeller system but I have also been experimenting with dethermalizer systems trying both old and new technology. 

BSD DT Only Electronic DT

In addition to bringing the plane down from a thermal, because of the small flying sites I fly from at times the DT is used to terminate the flight before the airplane flies off the field into a tree. The first DT’s I used were viscous timers on discus launched gliders, for short flights I was able to control it fairly accurately.  When I installed a viscous timer on a P30 model that was making longer flights I found that a lot of adjusting needed to be done to get over 2 minutes before the DT released. It is not just a matter of winding the dt farther as that puts more tension on the spring resulting in the DT running faster. By a lot of trial and error with adjusting spring tension I could get 2 minute DT time but not that accurately.

Fuse DT Guillow's Lancer

From the free flight contests I have entered this year, it is apparent the use of a burning fuse is very prevalent. It is light and relatively inexpensive; with some experimenting it might be fairly accurate. To get some idea how long the fuse would burn for a given length I did some tests burning the fuse hanging out of a tube with a rubber band at the edge of the tube, like how the snuffer tube would work in an airplane. I timed the burn times and found it fairly predictable, so I modified a rubber model I have been flying the Guillow’s Lancer to use a fuse to release the front of the wing bringing the airplane quickly. Some short test flights with the Lancer and the fuse DT looked promising.

E36 in Flight

After using the Texas Timers electronic DT in my e36 model, electronic DT seemed like the ultimate solution. At the Nats and one of the local contests I talked to people using an electric band burner DT on rubber powered models. I ordered one from Starlink for the Wilbur old time rubber model I am building. BSD Micro sells some really lightweight electronic timers that I wanted to try so I ordered one for the E20 event which controls the motor and has a tiny built-in servo to DT the model. There is a rotary dial programmer box available to set the times so I ordered that as well.  In addition I ordered the DT Only unit to try on rubber powered models; this unit only weighs 1.5 grams without 
battery.

Starlink Band Burner DT

Charger for Band Burner

BSD Micro E20 DT

Programmer for E20

DT Only

Watch for additional blog posts as I install and the test the various DT methods. I also have the Texas Timers - Micro DT that I will be installing in a hi-start glider. http://www.texastimers.com/timers/texas_micro_DT_timer.htm


Bill Kuhl
http://www.ideas-inspire.com

Vendors Related to this Article

http://www.bsdmicrorc.com/  BSD Micro RC  - E20 and DT Only
http://www.gizmogeezer.com/  Gizmo Geezer – rubber propeller systems
http://www.guillow.com/  Guillow’s  - Lancer sport rubber model
http://www.jimoreillymodelplans.com/ Wilbur rubber model
http://www.discuskid.com/Pages/BUddenbohmProducts.aspx Discus Glider with Built-in DT
http://www.pearlfreeflight.com/Buy.html  - E36 Pearl e202
http://www.starlink-flitetech.com/  Starlink Flitetech – band burner
http://www.texastimers.com/  Texas Timers – electronic system for e36

Related Articles

http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2016/09/i-have-short-fuse-on-guillows-lancer.html
http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2016/10/flying-with-gizmo-geezer.html
http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2016/09/gizmo-geezer-review-part-1.html
http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2016/08/flying-my-e36-at-2016-nats.html
http://scienceguyorg.blogspot.com/2016/05/dynomite-tip-launch-free-flight-glider.html

Flying With the Gizmo Geezer

This past weekend I had the chance to fly my NJAPF P30 rubber power model with the Gizmo Geezer installed on a large field in a contest. It worked well with the exception that apparently I didn’t have the shielded sleeve connected properly and it came loose right after winding. The rubber retracted in a hurry back to the rear peg. Luckily damage to the fuselage was just some ripped tissue and I continued to fly the airplane.  I am worried about losing the winding attachment and need to connect it permanently to the blast tube wire.

My P30 using Gizmo Geezer Propeller

Covering Ripped When Connector Came Loose

Inside the Blast Tube

The airplane climbed out well although other P30 models were greater performance designs with rolled tube fuselages. Just the same it placed about halfway in the standings, with one flight the timer lost sight of my plane just as it made a max. I notice Clint Brooks includes the Gizmo Geezer in his Monarch and Boomer Mk III P30 model kits. 

http://www.cbmodeldesigns.com/  I also noticed many of the scale models at the 2016 Nats in Muncie Indiana had Gizmo Geezer propellers.

Gadfly with Gizmo Geezer

Nose Block Sold by Volare Products

I had emailed George Bredehoft of Volare Products http://www.volareproducts.com/BUY/
 with a couple questions about the Gizmo Geezer and the nose blocks he sells, I had purchased the generic one but he has special nose blocks to fit certain airplanes. The main purpose of the nose blocks is to get the perfect fit for the nose button which has three bumps sticking out of the round hole. George sells just the Gizmo Geezer nose buttons because some customers want just the ability to easily adjust thrust angles. 


Gizmo Geezer is located in Canada and the company consists of Orville Olm and Marcy Green. There is a lot of information on their website, a good place to start is at the sitemap. http://www.gizmogeezer.com/sitemap.htm

Nose Might Come Out on Landing

Nose Stays on in Glide

As far as testing out the desirable features so far the nose has always remained inside the fuselage of my plane without the rubber band fastener I had over the nose before installing the Gizmo Geezer. Many times the nose will pop out when the plane hits the ground. I have not had a need yet to try adjusting the thrust line.  As far as I can tell the rubber unwinds smoothly and the propeller free wheels easily.

I have more Gizmo Geezer propellers on order.

10-24-2016 Update

Spinner Model

Received another 9.5" propeller with the spinner and also 7" propeller.


Bill Kuhl
http://www.ideas-inspire.com

Related Articles

Gizmo Geezer Review Part 1

Oktoberflug Free Flight Contest

Oktoberflug Free Flight Contest

At the last minute I decided to make the drive to North Branch Minnesota for the final outdoor free flight contest of the year. It was chilly as witnessed by frost in the grass when I arrived but the wind was darn near still.  This gave me a good chance to test fly my Pearl e202 electric free flight, it flew really well but it is not adjusted how it should be for this type of model.

Pearl e202 e36 in Flight

Frosty at the Start

Next I got out my NJAPF P30 rubber powered model which was an event I entered along with HLG and CLG. Setting up the stooge still takes me awhile and then I was winding with the Gizmo Geezer propeller system for the first time. I apparently didn’t get the parts connected properly and the rubber part pulled back into the fuselage at a high speed.  Luckily it didn’t break the fuselage but ripped some holes and I made more before getting the rubber pulled out. More careful after that, the model flew well with the new propeller but the wind was coming up.

Ripped some Holes When Rubber Retracted

P30 Flying

On my final P30 flight I put in a few more turns, the viscous DT was set for hopefully 2 minutes. I started running towards it right after launch but it was drifting downwind too fast for me to keep up with it. The last I saw of it the plane was still going up.  I got to the irrigation ditch which was full of tall grass, someone warned me about trying to jump over it but I got wet anyway. No sign of my plane but I walked the soybeans for a time and gave up figuring the plane was lost. Someone returned it later but before that someone on a motorcycle had picked it up and broke the wing in the wind, I was just happy to get it back.

P30 Returned

My DLG Drifting Fast

My last flights were CLG and HLG gliders, I was almost happy when I had a short flight after so much walking. My last flight of my Dynomite DLG with a flight that was on the edge of visibility the time was only 45 seconds. That is probably where I set the DT but any longer and it would have been in the soybeans.

Young Lady at Contest

Large Rubber Model

Between the Nats week long contest and two times to the North Branch contest I am really getting excited to fly free flight models and have started building for next year. It can be harder than it looks to get some types of models flying well and to be competitive at contests really takes the effort.  Super group of people at the contests that will help you anyway they can.



Bill Kuhl
http://www.ideas-inspire.com

Related Articles

Minnesota Free Flight Contest near North Branch MN

Comparing Free Flight and RC Sailplane Contests

Electric Buses and New Technology

I have to admit that I do not always embrace everything about change and new technology. For sure I think the music from the 70’s and the 80’s was much better but I have always had a fascination with alternative energy.  Clever ways to approach engineering challenges have fascinated me as well.  In 2012 I had purchased a hybrid automobile the Toyota Prius and the primary reason was because the combination of technology combined to make a vehicle that was so fuel efficient was intriguing to me.

Electric Bus

My Hybrid Car

All Electric Car

Electric Powered Model Airplane Pearl E202

Although the hybrid technology has worked well I have also felt that a pure electric vehicle was the engineering goal. For models, flying and surface based (planes, multi-rotors, cars, and boats) the new lithium batteries and brushless motors have put the performance level equal or exceeding the more conventional alcohol-type fuel engines. For transportation large enough for people to ride in the problem of not enough range between recharging has been a legitimate concern.  Recently I was passed on the highway by a Nissan Leaf which is an all-electric vehicle which has good range for most trips, but not enough for long trips.

Overhead Charging of Electric Bus

While watching a business related TV show they were interviewing the CEO from Proterra a manufacturer of electric buses. The number of cities with some electric buses operating is constantly growing as is the practicality of putting the buses in place. Although the initial cost is higher than a diesel powered bus, the cost to operate these buses should be less not just because of the price of fuel but maintenance should be less also.  Many approaches have been used or have been thought of to solve the limited range issue. Besides better batteries and lighter buses, technology for fast charging the buses while operating the bus routes has been used so that the bus can drive the route continuously. The charging station can be either above or below the bus and the driver doesn’t even have to get out of the bus to do the charging process.

Many Buses use Composite Construction that includes Balsa Wood

Another approach to powering the electric bus is very large capacitors, a capacitor is an electronic component that will quickly take an electric charge and then release it.  Some toy free flight model airplanes use a capacitor to power the electric motor in place of batteries such as the Flash Fighter. The Science Olympiad competition had a trial event to build a model airplane powered by a capacitor which I had mentored a student far away to successfully build airplanes for the competition.

SO Capacitor Plane Built by Student

Finally I want to especially Thank Eric Williams: Vice President, Academy of Model Aeronautics,District II who is running for AMA president. He provided me with all of the images of electric buses.

Bill Kuhl
 Http://www.ideas-inspire.com

Electric Bus Videos

 

https://youtu.be/qrwdGFKC-rE  Proterra Battery Electric Bus Endurance Test King County Metro 2016

 https://youtu.be/6iebFA4UWo4   ELN - London trials first all-electric buses  


https://youtu.be/xV6JOGowK8o  Introducing HIGER Supercapacitor (UCAP) Electric Bus