Synergy Q&A

[John McGinnis]

Just a place to ask and answer questions related to the Synergy aircraft design or build.

1740

Some links:

http://www.synergyaircraft.com

The main place we post news is on our Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Synergy-Aircraft/112353422181543).

Build photos 1 (http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.1435870654978.2056416.1179309664&type=1&l=cd5c3ad317)
Build photos 2 (http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.2269305930339.2115716.1179309664&type=3&l=9655b74356)
build photos 3 (http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.3061479774190.2131732.1179309664&type=1&l=13573c6895)

Will we be at Oshkosh? Yes, someday! We've never had the luxury to know when as it has always depended on things we do not have in hand. Until then, we push onward.

Another huge thanks to all who have supported and advanced this project in ways large and small. Thank you!

1739

[vondeliusc]

John-
Great pics and descriptive captions.
Any idea how long until final assembly-The shop is looking smaller all the time :-)
-Christian
http://eaaforums.org/images/icons/icon14.pnghttp://eaaforums.org/images/icons/biggrin.gif

[John McGinnis]

Hard to say right now since time is the money we don't have, but assembly is the easy part. We're actually avoiding some of that as long as we can to preserve the ability to put (smaller, workable, storable) parts into vacuum bags, preserve reference geometry, work out ergonomics, etc. Most of the actual work (90%, as you well know) is completely invisible to the observer as it takes place in detail design.

Over the next month we'd like to be sitting on the mains, and that should be possible if we don't have to change the schedule. It doesn't look so good, though... progress is expensive and therefore moving far slower than we're capable of.

Update: No real change since last post... everyone scrambling to meet their needs. I'm putting together a solution that ought to work, though: Kickstarter.com is a crowdfunding platform where people can pledge escrowed support in exchange for specific rewards. Perfect for us. Watch for a link when it goes live. For now, enjoy the video intro below.

[John McGinnis]

http://youtu.be/nebQoMPPqCs?hd=1

[uavmx]

http://youtu.be/nebQoMPPqCs?hd=1

Looking Great! Progress is progress!

Justin

[spungey]

Hey John, two quick questions.

1. What can you tell us about the engine and prop, now that Synergy has them? Any interesting issues with diesel, any new insights on using air pressure as a duct, etc?

2. Anything new or interesting in general to relay? New discoveries in aerodynamics? Patents moving along smoothly? Surprises of any kind?

[John McGinnis]

Hi Richard.

The engine is tiny and light! It is designed to tolerate the fine-carbon soot of a diesel, which makes its brand new oil as black as coal. There are a number of things about it that suggest it has room to evolve toward a slick, high-volume design some day. Right now it's still an aircraft engine(!)

The wake impeller design is still under wraps. The prop we stuck on 'for the heck of it' is a prop I designed for the RV-7.

I'm not sure what you mean by "using air pressure as a duct," but everything looks good to the eye so far in the cooling department. Sometimes things change when you get them out of the computer and into full scale, but I haven't found too much to worry about yet.

As I've been saying for a long time now, there aren't many new discoveries in aerodynamics, just old ones we didn't quite recognize. I remain excited by our prospects, as all of our refinements to details and mass flow seem to be in very good harmony with our preliminary calculations.

Quite a bit of IP is involved in this effort and we are doing fine there. The only surprise is the same one we've marveled at all along, which is how many people would have the gall to insist on things happening 'all by themselves' for their viewing pleasure. Fortunately the core EAA member seems to be a lot more realistic, and many have gone to extreme lengths to help assure this continues at a reasonable pace.

We've been idled for several months now and that makes life a challenge, but the overall prognosis is spectacular in the long term. Too many people are starting to follow along with the premise and the plan now, and when the dominoes we've set start to fall we'll have a truly unique opportunity.

[cluttonfred]

John, it appears that Kickstarter refused the project. Could you explain the reasons they gave?

[John McGinnis]

Their entire first response: "Thank you for taking the time to submit your project. Unfortunately, this isn't the right fit for Kickstarter. We receive many projects daily and review them all with great care and appreciation. We wish you the best of luck as you continue to pursue your endeavor."

We were allowed 500 typed characters in which to make an appeal.

Their entire second response: "We have reviewed your appeal and determined that your project is not the best fit for Kickstarter, as it does not fit our creative arts focus. This project can no longer be submitted to Kickstarter. You can, however, always submit a different project."

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/...token=b1927e6d (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/353953048/1565079153?token=b1927e6d)

Some of the commenters on our Facebook page offered their insight into the politics of this decision, but it is what it is. I felt certain the project would have gone ballistic due to the low profile we've had until now and the millions of viral-posting Kickstarter followers. For those less jaded, it remains an intriguing and worthy project. We'll get it done regardless, but not fast enough without backing.

Howard Handelman is heading up an effort to overcome this setback. (http://www.n17hh.net/Synergy) It cannot and will not work unless people get other people to pass it along to their networks, so that is all we're really asking. Donations passed $1000 on the first day, and we're back at it. Thanks everyone!

[rpickell]

John,

My first post here. I have been following the Deltahawk for awhile via the net. Have you got all the plumbing mounted yet?

Any idea when you will be firing it up for the first time?

On another note, I love the look of 1/4 model. As strange as it may sound when I see the vid of the 1/4 flying and buzzing the field the profile reminds me of the original flying wing back in the 40's of Jack Northrops design. Seems with your design of non planner and box tail you solve all the control issues of that original flying wing.

Here is wishing you the best on your full scale and I hope it exceeds your expectations, but most of all I hope you get LOTS of data from it.

Robert Pickell

[John McGinnis]

Hi Robert, and welcome.

Our engine is mounted up but not running. This is a part of the project I want to share with more qualified people as it will free up more of my time to handle the bottleneck design details. It can get underway any time.

Flying wings with double box tail controls are definitely a hot combo and I agree with your assessment.

As to flight test data, we will probably be buried in it. Since the use of power to reduce drag invalidates a large number of time-honored principles and equations, it will be necessary to present a large portion of the data in raw form, or we risk being attacked for the incompatible conclusions that open thermodynamics can expose. To use just one example, one of the reasons that it is popular to use 'equivalent flat plate drag area' is that normally it allow an apples to apples comparison between designs of differing speed ranges. Within a powered drag reduction system, this will become a useless and misleading term, as the value obtained will vary depending on the speed, dropping as you go faster.

[spungey]

... one of the reasons that it is popular to use 'equivalent flat plate drag area' is that normally it allow an apples to apples comparison between designs of differing speed ranges. Within a powered drag reduction system, this will become a useless and misleading term, as the value obtained will vary depending on the speed, dropping as you go faster.

Just this morning I was thinking that a powered drag reduction system will make a great speed brake when you need it, too. :-)

[rpickell]

John,

With all that data you collect be sure to give us 'power plant' types some first hand info on that engine. I believe it may have great potential.

Thank you for all your efforts to really try and move GA forward in a fundamental way.

[vondeliusc]

kickstarter is now on my extreme BLACK LIST...
With all the other crap they support, it is beyond me why a worthy project like this would get rejected.

BOOOOOOOOO! kickstarter idgits...

-Christian

[spungey]

John will undoubtedly weigh in on this, but Kickstarter relented. :-) I just got this not about 30 minutes ago.


[QUOTE]
It's finally happened. *Kickstarter changed their mind, and we've been
given approval to launch!
*
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/353953048/1565079153?token=b1927e6d


Friends of Synergy like yourself will get everything associated with the
Kickstarter reward descriptions. We'll go live tonight!


The only way the campaign will truly be successful is if it reaches
hundreds of thousands of people, and that means that everyone needs to
get their networks to forward it along to their networks. I'm
concerned that we've asked too much of our supporters already,
especially those who have helped from the beginning, so please help us
reach new backers and spread the load.


When this flies, and it will, it will change the world. Thank you for
joining the effort.


Sincerely,
John McGinnis
[/QOUTE]

Help spread the word!

[John McGinnis]

from our facebook post:

Congratulations, Synergy fans, you have been heard!!! Tonight this Kickstarter project WILL GO LIVE!!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/353953048/1565079153?token=b1927e6d

After Kickstarter.com rejected our original application and appeal, Howard Handelman and Pat Panzera formed Friends of Synergy. Brian Wendt and Dean Sigler, among others, threw a polite online hissy fit about it, and AVWeb told Everyone the bad news. Emails were sent, EAAers stepped up far and wide at every level, and somewhere in all of that hubbub Kickstarter had a change of heart.

I received an email from a human being with a name, Callan Lamb, explaining that he "wanted to reach out and let you know that we've reconsidered your project submission...this is an incredibly ambitious and creative project that we'd be excited to see on Kickstarter."

Kickstarter has now greatly improved their project guidelines for design and technology submissions.