blackshire
08-13-2009, 12:11 AM
Hello All,
Here is information about a book of patterns and plans for laminated card stock gliders (many of which would also make good boost-glider conversions). It is Norman Schmidt's 1998 hardcover book "Fabulous Paper Gliders" (published by Sterling Publishing Company, New York). Scholastic Inc. also published a paperback edition. The book is available from AbeBooks.com www.abebooks.com , Alibris.com www.alibris.com , Amazon.com www.amazon.com , and Barnes & Noble www.barnesandnoble.com , as well as in public libraries.
The glider patterns are photocopied onto 110 pound card stock. (In the book, Mr. Schmidt suggests that builders should photocopy the patterns onto copier paper, "tack-glue" these onto card stock, cut out the parts, and then peel the copier paper patterns off the card stock parts. With the ubiquity of home computer printer/scanner/photocopiers, and with 8" X 10" sheets of 110 pound card stock now readily available at office supply stores and stationery stores, it is much easier to just photocopy the patterns directly onto the card stock sheets.) These gliders are designed to be catapult-launched as well as hand-launched, so most of them could handle rocket-powered (at least "1/4A" to full "A") ascents.
The book contains plans and patterns (as well as abundant historical information, aerodynamics lessons, and photographs) for White Wings www.whitewings.com - style, flying scale profile models of the Glasflugel Libelle 201, Lilienthal 1895 Glider, 1930s Primary Glider, Orlik, Grunau Baby, Waco CG-4, Colditz Cock, Schweizer SGS 1-26, Schleicher Ka-6, Lark I.S. 28B2, Salto H-101, Rutan Solitaire Canard, Genesis, PW-5 Smyk, and Schemp-Hirth Nimbus 4 sailplanes and gliders. It also includes plans and patterns for a non-scale glider called the Paperwing, which is very similar to the Racer 537 Gull in the White Wings "High Performance Gliders" (Stock No. AG664) 6-glider kit (see: http://tailspinaviation.com/html/white_wings_19.html and http://agi-usa.stores.yahoo.net/higperglid6m.html ).
Mr. Schmidt incorporated two special design features to make his gliders fly well. Because these card stock gliders are very lightweight and thus are more easily upset by air currents, he uses a somewhat exaggerated dihedral on the wings. For example, the Schweizer SGS 1-26 model in his book has a 9.5" wing span with a 1" dihedral (from a tabletop up to the tip of one wing panel, when the other wing panel is flat against the tabletop). All of the 16 models in the book have similar dihedral angles.
Also, all of the model gliders in his book (except the non-scale one, called the Paperwing) are designed so that the Center of Gravity is near the leading edge of the wing (slightly ahead of the Center of Lift of the wing), which gives the gliders a nose-down pitching moment that is balanced by positive trim (a slightly upward-deflected elevator) of the horizontal stabilizer. The non-scale Paperwing glider has its Center of Gravity located farther aft, near the trailing edge of the wing, which makes its horizontal stabilizer act as a secondary wing. (Most of the White Wings www.whitewings.com gliders are also designed this way.)
As with the White Wings www.whitewings.com card stock glider kits, if you spray the completed gliders with two or three light coats of clear lacquer, as is recommended in the White Wings kit instructions (allowing each coat to dry before applying the next one), it will moisture-proof the gliders, protect their markings from getting marred, and strengthen the card stock as well.
In addition, there is a way that these gliders could be flown as boost-gliders without any modifications. The Vashon Industries cold-propellant boost-gliders (which Estes carried for a time in the 1970s) had a different physical arrangement that allowed the use of gliders with normal tail assemblies, and this configuration could also be utilized in solid-propellant boost-gliders. In these models, the pop pod was an ordinary three-finned rocket with one "missing" fin, which was replaced with a glider. While they looked like parasite boost-gliders at first glance they were not, because the two-finned carrier rockets were not aerodynamically stable without their gliders attached.
The glider was mounted "belly down" on the rocket body in such a way that its wings were even with the rocket's two fins, and much of the glider's airframe was located behind the rocket's nozzle. This provided both aerodynamic stability and "trailing-member stability" (like a skyrocket's stabilizer stick). The Vashon X-13 (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/vashon/vashon14.html ), Astro-Gnat, and Baron (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/vashon/vashon16.html ) all had this configuration.
While this arrangement would have a bit more drag during the powered ascent than the common front-motor boost-glider, it might be less prone to weathercocking under power. It would also allow many un-modified hand-launched gliders (and especially catapult-launched gliders) to be used as boost-gliders. (Two low, forward-pointing "L-shaped" wood brackets glued to the rocket in place of the "missing" third fin would fit on either side of the glider's fuselage and hold the trailing edges of its wings during ascent. At ejection, the glider would slide forwards out of the brackets when the rocket body was kicked backwards.)
I hope this information will be helpful.
Here is information about a book of patterns and plans for laminated card stock gliders (many of which would also make good boost-glider conversions). It is Norman Schmidt's 1998 hardcover book "Fabulous Paper Gliders" (published by Sterling Publishing Company, New York). Scholastic Inc. also published a paperback edition. The book is available from AbeBooks.com www.abebooks.com , Alibris.com www.alibris.com , Amazon.com www.amazon.com , and Barnes & Noble www.barnesandnoble.com , as well as in public libraries.
The glider patterns are photocopied onto 110 pound card stock. (In the book, Mr. Schmidt suggests that builders should photocopy the patterns onto copier paper, "tack-glue" these onto card stock, cut out the parts, and then peel the copier paper patterns off the card stock parts. With the ubiquity of home computer printer/scanner/photocopiers, and with 8" X 10" sheets of 110 pound card stock now readily available at office supply stores and stationery stores, it is much easier to just photocopy the patterns directly onto the card stock sheets.) These gliders are designed to be catapult-launched as well as hand-launched, so most of them could handle rocket-powered (at least "1/4A" to full "A") ascents.
The book contains plans and patterns (as well as abundant historical information, aerodynamics lessons, and photographs) for White Wings www.whitewings.com - style, flying scale profile models of the Glasflugel Libelle 201, Lilienthal 1895 Glider, 1930s Primary Glider, Orlik, Grunau Baby, Waco CG-4, Colditz Cock, Schweizer SGS 1-26, Schleicher Ka-6, Lark I.S. 28B2, Salto H-101, Rutan Solitaire Canard, Genesis, PW-5 Smyk, and Schemp-Hirth Nimbus 4 sailplanes and gliders. It also includes plans and patterns for a non-scale glider called the Paperwing, which is very similar to the Racer 537 Gull in the White Wings "High Performance Gliders" (Stock No. AG664) 6-glider kit (see: http://tailspinaviation.com/html/white_wings_19.html and http://agi-usa.stores.yahoo.net/higperglid6m.html ).
Mr. Schmidt incorporated two special design features to make his gliders fly well. Because these card stock gliders are very lightweight and thus are more easily upset by air currents, he uses a somewhat exaggerated dihedral on the wings. For example, the Schweizer SGS 1-26 model in his book has a 9.5" wing span with a 1" dihedral (from a tabletop up to the tip of one wing panel, when the other wing panel is flat against the tabletop). All of the 16 models in the book have similar dihedral angles.
Also, all of the model gliders in his book (except the non-scale one, called the Paperwing) are designed so that the Center of Gravity is near the leading edge of the wing (slightly ahead of the Center of Lift of the wing), which gives the gliders a nose-down pitching moment that is balanced by positive trim (a slightly upward-deflected elevator) of the horizontal stabilizer. The non-scale Paperwing glider has its Center of Gravity located farther aft, near the trailing edge of the wing, which makes its horizontal stabilizer act as a secondary wing. (Most of the White Wings www.whitewings.com gliders are also designed this way.)
As with the White Wings www.whitewings.com card stock glider kits, if you spray the completed gliders with two or three light coats of clear lacquer, as is recommended in the White Wings kit instructions (allowing each coat to dry before applying the next one), it will moisture-proof the gliders, protect their markings from getting marred, and strengthen the card stock as well.
In addition, there is a way that these gliders could be flown as boost-gliders without any modifications. The Vashon Industries cold-propellant boost-gliders (which Estes carried for a time in the 1970s) had a different physical arrangement that allowed the use of gliders with normal tail assemblies, and this configuration could also be utilized in solid-propellant boost-gliders. In these models, the pop pod was an ordinary three-finned rocket with one "missing" fin, which was replaced with a glider. While they looked like parasite boost-gliders at first glance they were not, because the two-finned carrier rockets were not aerodynamically stable without their gliders attached.
The glider was mounted "belly down" on the rocket body in such a way that its wings were even with the rocket's two fins, and much of the glider's airframe was located behind the rocket's nozzle. This provided both aerodynamic stability and "trailing-member stability" (like a skyrocket's stabilizer stick). The Vashon X-13 (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/vashon/vashon14.html ), Astro-Gnat, and Baron (see: http://www.ninfinger.org/rockets/catalogs/vashon/vashon16.html ) all had this configuration.
While this arrangement would have a bit more drag during the powered ascent than the common front-motor boost-glider, it might be less prone to weathercocking under power. It would also allow many un-modified hand-launched gliders (and especially catapult-launched gliders) to be used as boost-gliders. (Two low, forward-pointing "L-shaped" wood brackets glued to the rocket in place of the "missing" third fin would fit on either side of the glider's fuselage and hold the trailing edges of its wings during ascent. At ejection, the glider would slide forwards out of the brackets when the rocket body was kicked backwards.)
I hope this information will be helpful.