Living Room Flyer #1; Not So Fantastic
Posted on November 7, 2009 by aaronredbaron
I have to admit it is difficult to admit defeat, but my first attempt at building a living room flyer is simply not so fantastic. I decided to go with a more unconventional route, and used the “TLAR” method (That Looks About Right). After drawing a lifting fuselage design with outboard panels tilted up for stability, I proceeded to build it over the course of a few hours. At first I used fixed tail surfaces and a quarter and two pennies to test the glide characteristics and center of gravity. With no electrics on board, the model was able to glide slowly and stable across the room, and I was excited about installing my gear!
Another few hours into my build, and I had my tail surfaces operating, and had extended the nose to house the motor. With a bit of down thrust and right thrust to account for torque, I ventured into the living room to give it a go. With a 15 inch span and nothing but lift, I figured the 25 gram all up weight would not be a problem. The model will fly, but it will not climb. It will turn, but it seems to loose all its speed in the process and nothing provents it from decending… In short, its pretty much a failure. I have one more idea to try which may help, but I am not holding my breath. I intend to try again with a blank slate right away if my remedies don’t go anywhere.
