rockets and gliders

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lektric.dan@gmail.com - 27 Aug 2010 10:11 GMT

I'm still playing with the basics of rocket-assisted gliders. Here's
a question: which is better (or easier) - boost gliders or rocket
gliders? Boost gliders seem the most straightforward because they use
an essentially "box stock" glider and haul it up behind a boost pod.
Rocket gliders, on the other hand, have the advantage that they are
one piece; easier to track and maintain.

Right now, I'm working on hand-launched glider construction. My plans
are to first build it light (and make it fly!), then build it strong,
then make it into a boost glider. I'm also building rocket gliders at
the same time, but I have to follow other folk's designs. I've
started with Geo. Gassaway's Xebec (and similar - plans from JimZ),
but will start on some sliding-wing designs next month. I'm also
limiting *most* of the engines to 14mm. I've flown several 18mm
powered boost pods, and they did well, it's just less stressful when
you get a ground loop instead of a vertical boost. I followed one of
George's recomendations and went with a much longer boost pod when I
made a Flat Cat. It weather-cocked slightly, but was fairly
vertical. Glider did great (I've found that a little nose-light on
first flights is a good thing!), but lost the boost pod (tall grass).

Anyone else enjoy the delights and frustrations of gliders?

(btw - you folks need to review the links on your pages - a whole lot
of them are dead now - all of the Geocities links are, certainly)

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Joe Pfeiffer - 27 Aug 2010 19:47 GMT

> I'm still playing with the basics of rocket-assisted gliders. Here's
> a question: which is better (or easier) - boost gliders or rocket
[quoted text clipped - 18 lines]
>
> Anyone else enjoy the delights and frustrations of gliders?

Yes, years ago I designed a canard configuration boost glider which was
a lot of fun -- really need to dig out my plans and do it again....

I don't think I'd bother with building, then strengthening, then adding
boost: just build it the way you want to fly it.

One of my back-burner ideas is a canard rocket glider.

> (btw - you folks need to review the links on your pages - a whole lot
> of them are dead now - all of the Geocities links are, certainly)

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lektric.dan@gmail.com - 27 Aug 2010 20:45 GMT

> "lektric....@gmail.com" <lektric....@gmail.com> writes:
> > I'm still playing with the basics of rocket-assisted gliders. Here's
[quoted text clipped - 25 lines]
> I don't think I'd bother with building, then strengthening, then adding
> boost: just build it the way you want to fly it.

One of the sayings of the local club (usually said in a very loud
voice) is "You just reached the speed of balsa" (or paper and plastic,
or ...). I'd like to *avoid* this particular for of (gentle)
ridicule. The wings are big, long, draggy cantilevers. One thing
I've done to increase strength is to glue craft paper strips to
reinforce the glue joints. Might try this w/Tyvek (plastic paper), if
yellow glue will bond it. That stuff seems almost impossible to tear!

> One of my back-burner ideas is a canard rocket glider.

I'd like to see the plans for that! One of the gentlemen in the local
club makes big "delta-wing" rocket gliders that have a pop-up canard
on the engine tube. He calls his design the "BORG" (Big Old Rocket
Glider). With a 29mm engine, they are a sight. I can email you a
short video if you want to see one (unfortunately, the engine didn't
pop out and it did a nose dive). The entire video is an .asf but I've
edited it down to just the flight into an .avi file - but lost the
audio in the edit.

Since the binaries newsgroups have essentially died, how can we
exchange designs/drawings/pictures?

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Alan Jones - 01 Sep 2010 16:33 GMT

You moght want to review the RMR Boost Gllider FAQ. Bob Kaplow has a
lot of experience with composit material reinforcement of boost
gliders, so you might look for additional tips from Bob.

>Since the binaries newsgroups have essentially died, how can we
>exchange designs/drawings/pictures?

The alt.binaaries.models.rockets NG is still working. I posted a
Superoc R&D report there a few weeks before NAMRAM-52. As it turned
out, there was a high qualification rate jin F-SR, but a very high DQ
rate in DEL. But yes, rocketeers do not seem to use the mewsgroups as
much as they could.

Alan JOnes

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lektric.dan@gmail.com - 01 Sep 2010 17:51 GMT

> On Fri, 27 Aug 2010 12:45:07 -0700 (PDT), "lektric....@gmail.com"
>
[quoted text clipped - 3 lines]
> lot of experience with composit material reinforcement of boost
> gliders, so you might look for additional tips from Bob.

I have a copy of that. Some good stuff, a lot of dead links too.

> The alt.binaaries.models.rockets NG is still working. I posted a
> Superoc R&D report there a few weeks before NAMRAM-52. As it turned
> out, there was a high qualification rate jin F-SR, but a very high DQ
> rate in DEL. But yes, rocketeers do not seem to use the mewsgroups as
> much as they could.

I'll have to see if I can find a way to pick the binaries back up.

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Bob - 02 Sep 2010 14:31 GMT

On Sep 1, 11:51 am, "lektric....@gmail.com" <lektric....@gmail.com>
wrote:

> > You moght want to review the RMR Boost Gllider FAQ. Bob Kaplow has a
> > lot of experience with composit material reinforcement of boost
> > gliders, so you might look for additional tips from Bob.
>
> I have a copy of that. Some good stuff, a lot of dead links too.

Alas the auto distribution of the RMR FAQ seems to be frozen in the
past, and no one knows how to update the antique files.

The latest version of the glider FAQ can be found at
http://eisner.encompasserve.org/~kaplow_r/glider.faq

If there are dead links, please let me know, and I'll do what I can to
fix them.

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plano-doug - 03 Sep 2010 20:57 GMT

On Aug 27, 4:11 am, "lektric....@gmail.com" <lektric....@gmail.com>
wrote:

> Anyone else enjoy the delights and frustrations of gliders?

I like to play with them some. I have some more ambitious glider
projects ahead, but up to now, mine have been pretty simple.
Interestingly enough, I just posted a little section on gliders to my
website: http://www.doug79.com/gliders/ Comments/feedback welcome.

I have several of the Edmonds Thunder kits, all of which I think are
good subjects for RC conversion. My Ecee Thunder is set up for that,
but it's been in the unfinished pile for years. I need to get it
finished and get over the hump.

Doug

.

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lektric.dan@gmail.com - 04 Sep 2010 08:15 GMT

Thanks for sharing, Doug. I'm part of a NAR group up in Norman (OK).
Great stuff on your web pages. If you're ever up this way, give a
shout; our weekly meetings are on Sunday morning at a local Mexican
food spot. My brother lives in Dallas, and we've spoken about making
it out to a DARS shoot. Maybe we can get a few folks from up here
interested in heading down too.

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Model Forum / General / Rockets / September 2010

rockets and gliders