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blackshire
03-13-2009, 01:22 AM
Hello All,

Judging by the postings, there is a resurgence of interest in "old school" boost-gliders such as the Falcon http://www.dars.org/jimz/k-13.htm and Sky Slash II http://www.dars.org/jimz/eirp_12.htm . A scaled-down, mini motor powered version of the Falcon (and/or the Sky Slash) would be an economical-to-fly model that would be well-suited to flying from small fields.

For a Mini-Falcon or Mini-Sky Slash, the scale factor is 1/1.3604436. For a Mini-Falcon, the motor mount pylon could be made of 1/8" balsa, while the wings, fuselage boom, and tail assembly could be made of 1/16" balsa. Some of the dimensions are:

Overall Length: 8.821"
Wing Span: 7.351"
Motor Mount Tube Pylon Length: 2.021"
Motor Mount Tube Pylon Height: 0.368"
Motor Mount Tube Length: 2.021"

The BNC-5V nose cone would be a good "scaled-down match" for the original Falcon's BNC-20A nose cone (and an even better match for the Sky Slash II's BNC-20B nose cone). Also, the 13 mm mini motors would make a near-flush fit (with just 0.042" protruding) in the motor mount tube. If desired, a 13 mm motor thrust ring could be glued into the front end of the motor mount tube (up against the shoulder of the nose cone) so that the motor would protrude more from the motor mount tube.

I hope this information will be helpful.
barone
03-13-2009, 07:42 AM
Hhhhhmmmmmm.....wonder how well these would convert to MMX? :confused:
mikeyd
03-13-2009, 04:40 PM
Many Years ago I did a 3/4 scale Falcon for 13mm. It is a bit heavy, so does not glide as well as the original. I do not recall what weight Balsa I used.
Bob H
03-13-2009, 10:45 PM
Hhhhhmmmmmm.....wonder how well these would convert to MMX? :confused:They convert very nicely.
blackshire
03-14-2009, 05:22 AM
Aww...them's is cute little boids! For these mini motor and MicroMaxx powered versions it might be possible to reduce their weight by making them out of Kent paper, which is used in the Whitewings (see: www.whitewings.com ) paper and balsa/paper glider kits.
Bob H
03-14-2009, 06:19 PM
Aww...them's is cute little boids! For these mini motor and MicroMaxx powered versions it might be possible to reduce their weight by making them out of Kent paper, which is used in the Whitewings (see: www.whitewings.com ) paper and balsa/paper glider kits.I don't need to make it any lighter.

I've already lost the one in the picture. It had a nice straight boost and setttled into a nice flat glide. The only problem was that it was a nice flat straight glide and it flew into the trees. Not a hint of turn.

I made a replacment but it doesn't perform as well.
blackshire
03-15-2009, 04:21 AM
I don't need to make it any lighter.

I've already lost the one in the picture. It had a nice straight boost and setttled into a nice flat glide. The only problem was that it was a nice flat straight glide and it flew into the trees. Not a hint of turn.

I made a replacment but it doesn't perform as well.

On the Aerosente Glider Workshop web site (see: http://www.aerosente.com/?gclid=CLq89-6HhJkCFRwpawodaDInmA ), they describe and illustrate a number of subtle modifications to make a glider circle, such as gluing the horizontal stabilizer onto the fuselage at an angle of "bank," with one panel slightly lower than the other.
barone
03-15-2009, 09:18 AM
On the Aerosente Glider Workshop web site (see: http://www.aerosente.com/?gclid=CLq89-6HhJkCFRwpawodaDInmA ), they describe and illustrate a number of subtle modifications to make a glider circle, such as gluing the horizontal stabilizer onto the fuselage at an angle of "bank," with one panel slightly lower than the other.
Actually, I slightly cant the vertical stab. Another method is adding some clay to the wing tip on the side you want the model to turn. I prefer the canting since it doesn't add any weight.
o1d_dude
03-15-2009, 02:58 PM
What Barone said. Wingtip weight and stab tilt are fairly standard hand launch glider turn methods.

In addition, one can also mount the wings and stab ever so slightly off the centerline of the fuselage. By this I mean the rear of the dihedral joint of the wing is mounted on the centerline while the front of the dihedral wing dihedral joint is mounted a millimeter or so off the centerline in the direction of the desired turn. Same thing with the horizontal stab except that the offset is in the opposite direction.

These things all go back to the Frank Zaic book "Circular Airflow". See Circular Airflow (http://www.amazon.com/Circular-airflow-model-aircraft-Frank/dp/B0007FPCU6) at Amazon.
Bob H
03-15-2009, 10:42 PM
I have a nice turn built into my full size Falcon, but I figured it was Micro Maxx and it wouldn't go that high nor glide that long.

I should have figured it out when I was getting consistent 70 - 80 ft glides from a shoulder high hand toss in no wind conditions.
Bob Kaplow
03-16-2009, 08:47 AM
Many Years ago I did a 3/4 scale Falcon for 13mm. It is a bit heavy, so does not glide as well as the original. I do not recall what weight Balsa I used.

Long time ago NIRA published plans for Bunny's Millennium Falcon. I'm pretty sure it's in one of the NARTS NIRA reprint series on gliders.