Radio Controlled Soaring Digest February 2005 Issue
Issue Contents:
Dave gives a full description of what exponential travel of a servo is (both + and deviation from linear response. Having more precision in the center of the control option is provided with lots of full surface movement. 3D power pilots may want the reverse. The sensitivity you want depends on your preference of planes type of flying and the weather.
Lee describes the history of RCSD and the databasing he did since 1984 when the publication began under Jim Gray. Changes in format and Logos were listed.
Gordy describes his experience of becoming a soaring pilot and the difficulty of getting to LSF Level V. The second part of Gords articles is about taking care of your transmitter antenna. Precision Electronic Cleaner was evaluated. TX antenna needs to be full length. Templates for a number of servos is provided to aid in construction.
The Proxxon 10 Inch variable speed disc sander is reviewed. It permits rapid sanding of dihedral angles and other fine adjustments. Face run-out is 0.005 Inch at the outer edge and 0.003 Inch half way out. The pivot angles are +15°or -50 degree and are set with a pointer and a protractor like scale. Changing paper requires removal of the table. And you need to attach it to a wood base. Belt-driven$200 Available on the web at proxxon.com and by Micro Mark Tools micromark.com
Column has focus on rear-swept designs as opposed to planks or forward swept designs. Bill describes plans to take the 8 degree sweep of the Blackbird and reverse the sweep. The new model called the Redwing and will be built in a 2M and XC version.
Greg recounts how he lost a Wizard Compact molded sailplane due to battery problems. He was comparing a new version with a cruciform tail to a V-tail version. In a rush to get to the slope a new untested battery was put into the Wizard. After a few minutes it went flat causing the model to dive into Lake Michigan at 100 mph. The moral of the story is to test every battery you are going to use in a nice model a couple times a year.
Dennis is providing a way to plot airfoils with AutoCad. Data files format can be .dat .cor .vec and text. Very fast and simple based on a 1995 program downloaded from the Internet. Airfoils.exe will also work on MAC OS Release 12.
Steve Richman is added to the list of RCSD columnists who will write about tools. Greg Smith is invited back as a columnist. More contributions from named sources is experienced.
Toms valentines sloper is shown on front cover. Article follows. The shape is that of a giant heart. Dom describes the steps taken on converting foam and cardboard valentines hearts from a display into RC models. The determination of the CG took many steps.
Radio Controlled Soaring Digest February 2005 Issue
