blackshire
05-14-2009, 05:15 AM
Hello All,
This week I found the web site for the "resurrected" company called American Junior Classics (see: www.americanjuniorclassics.com ), which produces unusual "double-folding-wing" catapult-launched gliders that were pioneered by Jim Walker, the founder of the company. (He also invented the Control-Line model airplane and developed sound-controlled gliders years before R/C model airplanes appeared.)
The "Plain Jane" and "404 Interceptor" folding-wing gliders (see: www.americanjuniorclassics.com/ajstore/planejane.htm ) look like they could be readily converted into boost-gliders or rocket gliders. In both gliders, the wings are rotated 90° at their roots, then are folded rearwards (flat against the profile fuselage) for catapult launch. The airflow keeps the wings folded flat during ascent. As the glider slows down, a rubber band first unfolds the wings and then rotates them back into glide position.
For a boost-glider or rocket glider conversion, the pop pod (or motor pod) could have a small "slide-away" clip that would hold the wings flat and prevent them from fluttering during the rocket-powered ascent. When the pop pod separated (or the motor pod slid backwards, in a rocket glider conversion), the clip would slide off the wings and allow them to unfold.
In addition to using motors with shorter delays, it would be prudent to use a stronger rubber or elastic band to ensure that the wings would unfold in the event that the model coasted past apogee (perhaps due to weathercocking) and the motor's ejection charge fired when the glider was falling at a significant airspeed.
I hope this information will be helpful.
This week I found the web site for the "resurrected" company called American Junior Classics (see: www.americanjuniorclassics.com ), which produces unusual "double-folding-wing" catapult-launched gliders that were pioneered by Jim Walker, the founder of the company. (He also invented the Control-Line model airplane and developed sound-controlled gliders years before R/C model airplanes appeared.)
The "Plain Jane" and "404 Interceptor" folding-wing gliders (see: www.americanjuniorclassics.com/ajstore/planejane.htm ) look like they could be readily converted into boost-gliders or rocket gliders. In both gliders, the wings are rotated 90° at their roots, then are folded rearwards (flat against the profile fuselage) for catapult launch. The airflow keeps the wings folded flat during ascent. As the glider slows down, a rubber band first unfolds the wings and then rotates them back into glide position.
For a boost-glider or rocket glider conversion, the pop pod (or motor pod) could have a small "slide-away" clip that would hold the wings flat and prevent them from fluttering during the rocket-powered ascent. When the pop pod separated (or the motor pod slid backwards, in a rocket glider conversion), the clip would slide off the wings and allow them to unfold.
In addition to using motors with shorter delays, it would be prudent to use a stronger rubber or elastic band to ensure that the wings would unfold in the event that the model coasted past apogee (perhaps due to weathercocking) and the motor's ejection charge fired when the glider was falling at a significant airspeed.
I hope this information will be helpful.