CEF speed contest Design Discussions

I've spent a lot of time looking at pictures and blowing them up to see how they look.

The only thing I find more tedious than slotting hinges, is joining a split-elevator...

Looks Great !!!!

I spent time blowing up drawings yesterday, should be cutting wood Monday.


Jim

I DO believe that we're gonna have an interesting field of competitors !!!!

This and Ron's Flight Contest ought to make for some exciting articles in Bernie's next "Cox Engines Quaterly" !!!

Kim wrote:I DO believe that we're gonna have an interesting field of competitors !!!!

This and Ron's Flight Contest ought to make for some exciting articles in Bernie's next "Cox Engines Quaterly" !!!

As of right now I'm planning on running my contest engine on my speed plane.

Jim

So how scale does it have to look? I found a plane I really like, but the fuse is different. It still looks like the plane though, sort of. They made it I'd say more modern looking for todays modeling. I think it looks faster. 

duke.johnson wrote:So how scale does it have to look?  I found a plane I really like, but the fuse is different.  It still looks like the plane though, sort of.  They made it I'd say more modern looking for todays modeling.  I think it looks faster. 

It needs to look enough like the subject to be recognizeable. If you build a P-40 you should be able to put next to a photo of a P-40 and say "oh yeah, that's a P-40" without having to tilt your head and close one eye. I would like scale outlines to be as close to accurate as possible with minimal tweaking to fit the contest parameters. Does that answer you question?

Jim

Kim wrote:Looks Great !!!!

Thanks Kim! The F8F-2 has been interesting so far... My model's dimensions/proportions have been calculated by eye... it's more of a challenge to me than scaling a drawing. I "did" end up lengthening my wingspan to 17" from 14.

The 3/4" x 7" x 1/8" dark-wood strip (walnut) centered on the l/e, is the mount for the 2 gear struts (1/16" m/w) which will be raked forward and will have .010" sheet alum. gear-doors fitted.

These are some wheels I made on a CNC router years ago. Not sure what size I'm going to use yet. Probably the smaller ones, which will be about 1-1/8" dia. once o-ring tires are fitted.

This is what I was thinking of. I think this is a real plane.

duke.johnson wrote:This is what I was thinking of.  I think this is a real plane.

If that's a real plane go for it! It looks like a modified Nemesis:

I was going to build one but I can't find a way to make it hit the rules without looking way out of proportion or ending up with a twenty inch fuselage and a twenty five inch span.

Jim

Any biplane takers? Minimum span is only 12.5 inches. I have one in mind for a second build.

Jim

Not sure about the biplane game. I think they look cool but I have never gotten a biplane to fly right.

I just moved my motor mount 1/2 inch back, and loped 3/8 inch off the nose. It still balances in front of the wing. No paint, no controls yet.

I ended up cutting out a section of 1/16 balsa and putting in 1/16 birch ply so I have a place to put my bellcrank. Now to find some safety pins for tip guides and I am ready to start painting...except for teh weather.

Phil

That is a Gee Bee R-3 which, as far as I know, exists as a model only and has been built as an RC model for a number of years. I did not locate a full size prototype through google, just a couple of forums stating "someone" was building a full size version.

http://www.homebuiltairplanes.com/forums/hangar-flying/5567-gee-bee.html

I am OK with planes from fiction (such as the above), as long as they are similar to existing planes.

Phil

I am going to disallow a "model of a model". The first line of the rules is "models will be of an actual aircraft type".

Jim

I can't find a real one either. Just talk of some thinking or trying to home build one. That sucks! 

duke.johnson wrote:This is what I was thinking of.  I think this is a real plane.

Duke, I think a Heston Type 5 with the right paint would be damn close:



32 foot span, 24 foot length. Scale that down to a 15 inch wing and the length comes out to 11.28 inches. Stretch the fuselage 3/4 inch in front of the wing to make room for the motor and there's your airplane.

Jim

Thanks. That is close. I don't know, that R-3 concept is just cool looking. I'll keep shopping around and keep the Type 5 in the back of my mind.

duke.johnson wrote:This is what I was thinking of.  I think this is a real plane.

If you don't build it then I sure will. That thing looks beyond cool!

Ron

I've got mine picked out. I just have to figure out how to make the graphics for the sides. I was gonna pass on this contest, as I been kinda poorly the last few weeks, but a challenge is a challenge. I spent about an hour last night thinking about how I'd do it. Soon's I finish the project I'm working on now, I'll draw it out and start cutting wood. I think I'm gonna try something a little different with the engine this time. If it works, I'll post build pics of the plane. If it don't work, well, forget I ever made this post.

The Under Wraps Mark

Here's my first cut:

I think it was Roddie that said this already but man these things are small. I think we'll see some good speeds with this!

Jim

Cribbs74 wrote:

duke.johnson wrote:This is what I was thinking of.  I think this is a real plane.

If you don't build it then I sure will. That thing looks beyond cool!

Ron

Ron,
Unfortunately that plane only exist as an RC model so it's not eligible.

Jim

Ron- if it were allowed I would have built it. I might still build it for fun. I have the drawing ready.