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Thread: Norm's Flying Boat UL Flight Test Progress

  1. #41
    Norman Langlois's Avatar
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    I want to share something with all of you that may be interested in foam composite creations. As I stated above I had need of additional floatation . Exiting the plane at any time would result in flip over tail first. So I have created a new float wing to resolve my problem . That is part of the story.

    For all of you I have been using a new adhesive to build with .Its from a company called Fomo Products,Inc. I build with styrene and urethane. In the past I was using urethane expandable crack filler. It worked very well there are many formulas. All those I used took many hours to cure and usually require a days time per step.This product requires a dispenser. The product is not mine ,but has been in use more than a year .The dispenser has never clogged. It allows one to inject between when insufficient foam has been applied. MOST of all it cures in about 20 minutes enough to continue working and building I constructed the wing float in one day. What would have in the past taken 3 or more. I only stopped because I was tired.

    A few pictures of my new float and how it will be applied to my planeName:  rear float wing 015.jpg
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Size:  96.3 KB The float is still open but will be closed and glassed over . Yes it is an airfoil and being applied inverted.

  2. #42

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    Quote Originally Posted by Norman Langlois View Post
    Yes it is an airfoil and being applied inverted.
    Norm,
    I think applying the airfoil inverted like you propose will create problems both on the water and in flight. I suspect you are still into the tail down load theory. The wing should be considered a biplane and needs to have the correct incidence angle. This is a major change and needs to be engineered. Call me.

  3. #43
    Norman Langlois's Avatar
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    I should have supplied the link to the product I was referring to so here it is. its called Handy Stick Its awesome . http://www.fomo.com/products/construction_adhesive.aspx

  4. #44
    Norman Langlois's Avatar
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    new rear float

    Taking a week to construct and now bad weather. I have not had a chance to try it out. Setting it up in this way is certainly a gloom on . I need to see how well it works before I add permanence to it. I am expecting full tail floatation and some additional flight behavior. The later will be a time away yet.
    The most important thing is that I will be able to handle the plane alone to and from the water.Name:  rear float wing 001.jpg
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  5. #45
    hydroguy2's Avatar
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    How's your flight training progressing? did you ever get any formal instruction?
    It's just one dam job after another

    Brian C.
    Sport Air Racing League http://www.sportairrace.org/
    Race 155

  6. #46
    Norman Langlois's Avatar
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    All is well . I missed two week ends unable to go to the lake. The last week end was nearly a disaster. I took the plane to the lake for the first time alone. After all the system must be able to be handled by me alone in the end. I had made a resent change to the transport dolly . This turned out to be a big problem when I tried to unload from the trailer it behaved unexpectedly and collapsed prematurely nearly falling off and over into the road side and down into a wooded embankment. It would have been destroyed. Accept for a lady jogger passing at the time and offed her help .Witch a graciously accepted . With her help it was saved and even returned it to the trailer I returned home shaken and sore ,but undamaged. The revisions have since been made proper and I have added a capture rail to the trailer the plane can no longer behave contrary to my wish at least until it is on the ground and ready to be moved to the launch siteName:  trailer and wheel mod 003.jpg
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    the roller on the front wheel is captured under the rail preventing any tilt backward or to the side. the front wheel load is only 100 # the high and rearward center of gravity caused both when I tried to off load the tail came down hard on me and it rolled right the wheels are on a colapsable strut I did not have a lock on it, I do now. the rail is split and a portion lowers with the elivator.

  7. #47
    Norman Langlois's Avatar
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    Saturday and the testing today was very poor. the float mod did support the plane well. That was all it did . Out on the move I can not even get on step drag and adverse low speed roll makes that nearly impossible certainly dangerous.
    Here some pictures .Don't be mislead by how the static position lies.With pilot aboard it is lower and fallows the blue water ine. Water flows over the tip holds me down and recovering from the roll is very difficult , so its back to the drawing board .
    Attached Images Attached Images    

  8. #48

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    Longitudinal stability

    Norm, you might consider rerunning your stability margin calculation using the new wing sponson area, its possible you might actually be "too" stable.

    http://www.geistware.com/rcmodeling/cg_super_calc.htm

  9. #49
    Norman Langlois's Avatar
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    Mark
    You may well be right on there.

    First an update Saturday again 6/23 . Taxi test today was again less than desirable. Last week it was the cut off sponson and float wing diving under. Since adding back the lead portion of the float. control is back . Now it is all about drag. exactly where and what to do about it is going to be trial and modification till I get it right.
    Water is flowing along the inside of the sponson piling up under the float wing at the attachment point as well as trailing edge of the wing adding its drag. here is a picture of my first attempt to reduce this . A return to the water will be as soon as I can find a helper . Help is scarce for me.Name:  float changes 003.jpg
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    Last edited by Norman Langlois; 06-23-2012 at 12:58 PM.

  10. #50
    rosiejerryrosie's Avatar
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    Norm, have you ever thought of just putting wheels on it? Or is there no room for a runway other than the lake?
    Cheers,
    Jerry

    NC22375
    65LA out of 07N Pennsylvania

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