Converting the Mini Bomarc to Glide

[zog139]

With the new BMS clone Mini Bomarc kits out, is there any info out there on converting it to glide like the citation version did ?

[Micromeister]

Yep!
May 1986 American Spacemodeler had a 2 page build article on converting the Mini Bomarc for glide back in the day.
Let me know if you need a copy, I can give it to you at our meeting and show you my model if it'll help.
Truth be known, it's very difficult to get any kind of decent glide out of the thing, You have to built it super light and NOT do much finishing. The model unfinished glides like a brick!

[zog139]

Yes John bring me a copy of the article. I figure if I'm gonna build it just as well try something different

[MarkII]

Well, since you mentioned it, how well did the Citation Bomarc glide? I would think that anything based on the actual CIM-10 Bomarc's design would have too much drag and too little lift to glide (unpowered) very well. At the very least, you would need to delete the ramjet pods and increase the wing area, wouldn't you?

MarkII

[dwmzmm]

You can do it if you want, but I'd recommend you recover your Bomarc via
parachute (both the Mini and, if you have it, the larger cousin Estes also had). I remember seeing the Citation version flying way back in the early
1970's, and the glide was, well, quite scary. I got the parachute recovered
version myself (haven't built it, yet). Remember, these babies want to be
handled g-e-n-t-l-y

[mikeyd]

I have an orginal Citation, and an Original Mini-Brute(converted to glide), and while they may not have the longest duration glide, they do have a nice stable, flat glide. Build as light as possible. On the Mini, I made a pop-pod setup, basically like the bigger Citation version. Here are some old polaroids of it, and its pod, then next to the Citation series.

[hcmbanjo]

I wouldn't say the original Citation Bomarc had a great glide. But it did return horizontally. It was more like a "lifting body" return. The wings weren't big enough to provide lift. The airflow over the raised rear elevons lifted the nose enough to make it horizontal. If I remember correctly, no airfoil. The leading and trailing edges were just rounded.
When the stuffer tube ejected out the back it activated and flipped up the elevons, much like a Space Plane or even a Gyroc. It was simple elastic attached to the elevons and looped over the rudder.
All considered, it was still a great build and fun to fly.

Hans "Chris" Michielssen
Old/New NAR # 19086 SR

[burkefj]

If you aren't hung up on wood fins and cardboard tubes, you can build a bomarc large enough and light enough to fly on E-6 type of boost glider composite motors that will glide quite well.

Frank

[snuggles]

I had a Estes BOMARC B/G back in the mid 70s.
My recollections are that it was not a great glide. It just kinda pancaked in.
(you really had to test glide it every time) Unhook the elastic cord when you were done
My 2 cents
Mark T

[NAR29996]

I had 2 of the gliding versions. I had more problems with boost than with the glide. My last one flew away about 10 years ago.