Mark's aircraft

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page updated: 2005.11.20

aircraft - early - combat wing

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tyro major multi task combat wing

selection

When these arrived on the scene, they were quite amazing. We had flown control line combat wings with a very similar layout, but that was very 2 dimensional. There's no dihedral, no tail, no sweep. How is it going to fly ? The idea being to trail a crepe paper streamer behind and try to cut it/them. Sounds like fun. Jes had 1 too.

construction

The wing is just a prism of blue foam with a semi (I think) symmetric section with balsa elevons hanging off the trailing edge. twin balsa fins let into the top surface. Hole dug out for radio, covered over with a thin ply hatch. 2 standard servos. No electronic mixers cheaply available in those days, so the aileron servo tray slides back/forward in grooves, driven by the elevator servo. The "fuselage" is just a bit of thick ply for mounting the OS20 engine (no throttle). The fuel tank just straps on the side with rubber bands. Finished in the usual red solarfilm, with black fins and elevons. The engine area painted black and fuel proofed. No other stress skin, the deep blue foam was plenty strong enough on its own.

flight

We flew these quite a bit over at Caludon school. They flew very nicely. Although not actually stable they were very smooth, and it is virtually impossible to stall a flying wing. We didn't manage much actual combat. Getting 2 aircraft into the same bit of sky is a lot more difficult than it sounds. Having no throttle takes us back to the old days where you have to keep flying it until the fuel runs out, and then starts the game of gliding "dead stick" back the pilot area. The ply engine bearer would make a nice landing skid, but ours had to land partly on the engine silencer. Without a silencer those OS20 engines are disgustingly loud.

aerial photography

When I got an instamatic camera, I was impressed by how little it weighed, thinking an aircraft could easily carry it. I made a little bracket and fitted an extra servo to activate the shutter. I only got 1 shot each flight as the film advance was still manual. The engine vibration didn't help. Still, aerial photography. Here are the best 2 photos. Yes, we did go out flying in the snow.

loss

This hung on the wall in my garage at the flat for some time. 1 day I noticed it wasn't there any more. I guess someone (*******) lifted it when I was working in and out of the garage.