There is certainly an advantage in respect of drag if you use a pusher installation - or a camera plane with a forward-looking camera. Neat, clean and efficient!
A world-record holder in endurance that has the FAI record used indeed this arrangement, as does the famous Altantic-crossing Aerosonde! Many rocket planes use it, for sure. If you plan to break speed records think again, as even if the aircraft is flying in undisturned air the propeller isn't! For speed propeller efficiency is very important, for slow endurance, less so! The powered long endurance glider I mentioned above has been sold as a kit called Sunriser, I think - available in Germany, at least! If you plan to use an IC engine you might need to have swept wings to get the CG right, or a lot of lead in the nose! If you plan to build an electric plane with a great folder prop you need to see to that the propeller folds and unfolds correctly, else the motor and prop might get ripped out of the fuselage due to assymetric opening - both blades trying to open up to the same side, with the associated extreme loads. GC is less of a problem as the battery can be stoved in the nose! I love twin-tailed aircraft, but they are not the most efficient around! The Aerosonde needed a pullutant-free nose for their sensors, thus the engine had to go in the rear - had it been possible to use electric I am pretty sure the prop had ended up in the nose! Tord S Eriksson www.tord.nu RCSE-List facilities provided by Model Airplane News. Send "subscribe" and "unsubscribe" requests to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
