Re: Cliff Charlesworth Olympia build in Bishop, CA.
Posted: 29 Sep 2020, 23:10
Well, I'm just waiting for the canopy and ducts for a Tony Nijhuis Jet Provost before I finish that as my first foray into ducted fan. Meanwhile, the wings of the Olympia are complete, the ailerons fitted and covered, so wing covering is next. The ailerons are my remaining Solartex, the wing will be Oratex, which gets good reports, but is an unknown quantity for me. Down at the local field I have also persuaded a member to get involved in aerotowing, so we're doing that with a foam ASK-18 rather than risking any of my beautiful real scale gliders, which have sat in the garage now for years, due to lack of slope or tug...
My wife was away for a few days, so I took the opportunity to put everything together on the Olympia, and fit the rear 'joiner' rods and tube. I'm using 7/32" aluminium tube inside 1/4" (OD) tube for the rear joiner. Took two days to get everything literally 'squared away' and balanced, the idea being that it'll fly off the board, as there's no other way to do it...
I would like to get incidences right before flying: even though it's probably good, because off the plan and laser cutting, I'm wondering if anyone has figures for the exact relationship of incidences between tailplane and wing. Theoretically, if the CG is right, lateral balance is good, the incidences are correct and nothing's too warped, it should fly, right? Do I get the title of slowest build in the West yet? If November goes the wrong way, I may be pining to return to English slopes!!!
Ha! I just saw elsewhere Peter's advice about putting a little strip along the false L.E. for the L.E. sheet to sit on. Wish I'd done that. Filler doesn't work well when it has nothing to adhere to. Too late.
My wife was away for a few days, so I took the opportunity to put everything together on the Olympia, and fit the rear 'joiner' rods and tube. I'm using 7/32" aluminium tube inside 1/4" (OD) tube for the rear joiner. Took two days to get everything literally 'squared away' and balanced, the idea being that it'll fly off the board, as there's no other way to do it...
I would like to get incidences right before flying: even though it's probably good, because off the plan and laser cutting, I'm wondering if anyone has figures for the exact relationship of incidences between tailplane and wing. Theoretically, if the CG is right, lateral balance is good, the incidences are correct and nothing's too warped, it should fly, right? Do I get the title of slowest build in the West yet? If November goes the wrong way, I may be pining to return to English slopes!!!
Ha! I just saw elsewhere Peter's advice about putting a little strip along the false L.E. for the L.E. sheet to sit on. Wish I'd done that. Filler doesn't work well when it has nothing to adhere to. Too late.