I dunno about that not carrying ballast bit. Maybe things are different
now, but my experience is that the E205 NEEDS the weight, even if it
isn't all that windy. Maybe not 11 oz./ft^2 in a 2 meter, except if it's
really windy, but 9 oz is fine. I also recall having a lot of fun on a
really windy day with a ballasted model with a 7037. (These airfoils
just approximations, of course. No one has put my particular sanding
swipes and squashed bugs in a wind tunnel.) However, at least with the
205, it was necessary to let it run. Too slow meant sinking.
A properly built Allegro Lite has the performance of a larger plane
except that the handling is different and it's harder to see. True 10mph
is not that much.
5 in the afternoon on a winter day is probably not a good time for
thermals. Wind gusts, maybe. Every once in a very long while, I've
stayed up at times like that. Once in front of Sal himself while trying
out that built up 2 meter he sells.
Date: Mon, 20 Feb 2006 13:33:02 +0000
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: "Ryan Woebkenberg" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Cc: [email protected]
Subject: Re: [RCSE] Wind Question - Not for Sport Fliers
Message-ID: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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RE: Your wing loading seems to come out to 6.65 ounce per square foot. Im taking your 525 sq. in. and the 22.5oz plane flying weight . Thats very light for any wind performance. If those figures are credible, I would suggest trying to fly at a wing loading of 11oz. sq.ft. when your sure that thermals are abundant in those 10 mph wind conditions. So if my math is right, that flying weight using ballast would be 39 to 40 ounces total flying model weight . Geez, that sounds heavy, but your starting out very light! And,,,, 2 meter models dont have stellar performance to start with.
Just a note here, When I get chances to assist guys flying those super light models,,, I find it more difficult to read air even in a no wind condition because the model is milling around, "like cows grazing in a pasteur"; and not covering much airspace, " I prefer to mustang horses galloping on an open range". Specifically, Im talking about those 8 and 9 ounce wing loading types. To make matters worse if thats possible,,,, some of those models are really nose heavy too!
Now a point of interest Ill state here is not all airfoils like ballast. The
airfoils that come to mind are: Clark Y, Eppler 205, SD 7037. I think those
are all higher camber wing airfoils. My experience with those airfoils is the
more you ballast, the faster they come down. I also found that happening to
some extent on the Pike Superior and that is why I dont fly one any more.
Although the v-tail flew, penetrated ,, the wind better than the crosstail!
So, If you are sure that there were thermals that day,,, Is the reason you
werent happy with your acheived performance, the following: 1)your plane set
up, with regards to balancing? 2) your plane set up with regards to coupled
aileron differential and rudder throw. 3) your airfoil? 4)the wing
loading too light? 5)the pilot? 6) There were no thermals? 7)
Or the thermals were not strong enough to support your model? You said
5:00p.m., which is quite late in the day for good thermal organization,,
Especailly at 35 degrees F. 8) It was a 2-meter? Thermals,
Richard Burnoski
********************************
Richard,
OK, you did say you would answer questions if asked...
I just went out to practice. A bit of detail on the plane first. It is an
Allegro Lite 2m. If you are unfamiliar with the plane you can think of it
as sort of a mini Ava. 525 sq inch wing area, the plane weighs about 22.5
ounces in the electric configuration I practice with. Right now, it is my
highest performance plane. It is also very convenient to practice with as
it assembles quick and is electric.
OK, so in southern Indiana at 5:00 today after work it was about 35 degrees
and the weather site says about 10 mph wind from the North. I could
definitely find patches of lift. And at times it seemed strong. I noticed
this both on the climbs and in glide. But it seemed every time I tried to
wrap it I would loose altitude. Sometimes when flying into the wind the
plane would speed up quite a bit and gain altitude, something I normally
associate with entry into a thermal. So I attempt a wrap but that was never
successful. I started to get cold and packed up but on the drive home I
thought perhaps instead I should have just tried to float through those
"patches" or perhaps S turn in it kind of like slope lift. Definitely from
the ground there seemed to be times when a thermal would pass through. Any
thoughts on flying in these conditions?
Ryan
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