Vulcan: L1 cert glider

How did it feel in flight, Ari? Did you need the extra control surface area that you grafted on to the flaperons?

Mike

I was wondering the same, looks like it ran out of pitch authority as you got slow toward landing...typical in a slightly nose heavy delta I've found.

It feels as comfortable in glide as any of my models. Working out trim response accounts for some of the bobbing up and down early in the glide. It also seems to need a bit of right aileron trim (you can see it rolling left in the video) but I haven't put it in during the glide--too busy getting to know a new model. The hard landing is indicative of my flying skills more than Vulcan's aerodynamics. My chief difficulty with that landing is total energy management. With a high-drag airframe, losing altitude dissipates your potential energy. With a lower-drag airframe, losing altitude simply converts potential energy into kinetic energy--speed. So you need to dissipate both altitude and speed before touchdown, or you do one of these high-energy landings. I remember having to make the same mental adjustment working on my (full-size) glider rating. Just getting to the runway in the right attitude isn't enough--you need to bleed off that airspeed.

As for the size of Vulcan's flaps, the larger ones seem to work with plenty of authority and reserve. The smaller ones might be fine as well--I never ran out of elevator on this flight, nor came close to running out.

Ari.

Gidday Ari,

You are either too kind or my video belies my flying skills. Spoke to the local distributor today about E motors, no luck! So your suggestions are most welcome. Just thinking that mobile C of G may work against me, will just have to check with wings back motor loaded & again with empty motor and wings forward. I'll go spend some money and start a thread. All the best for the L1.

Blue skies
Planecrazy

I make two additions to the project.

One, I address complaints I hear from some quarters about the harsh transition from white nosecone to red coupler. I add white laser-cut flames to the coupler, blending the colors. New flames echo ones on the wing, but in reverse colors.

Two, I make a gizmo to keep the glider from rotating on the launch rod. It's annoying when a gust of wind swings the glider one way or another just as I'm waiting for launch. I'm so much happier when I know where the glider is going to go when it lights. Since I plan to fly Vulcan off my own launcher as well at least two clubs' launchers (LUNAR and TCC), I want a doodad that I can mount on a rod quickly and with minimal tools. I use a 5/16 wire-crimper u-bolt and two 5/16"x8" bolts from which I cut the heads. To mount this prong on a rod, I simply need to tighten two nuts. The prong also allows me to control how high the glider sits on a rod--I find that 4.5 to 5 feet is the optimal rod length for Vulcan.

Ari.

That sure beats the old 'stick two extra rods in the ground' trick to keep HPR gliders centered for take-off. Yes, take-off, since they are aircraft (sorta).

Looking forward to this next weekend to fly one or three of my own HPR gliders, since I just got in a 38/600 motor and 480 case.

Ari,

Still planning to be at October Skies with the Vulcan? Any particular day or the whole weekend?

Mike

Friday. Looking for a ride? :=)

Going to be there Saturday too--I have my daughter Saturday and I'm taking her there.

Ari.

Sure, can you drive down to the central coast and pick me up?? That would be awesome!!

Naw, I was just curious when you were going to be flying the Vulcan. I'd love to see it in person. Unless my plans radically change in the next few days I'm only going to be up there for the day on Saturday.

Mike Mc.

I plan to be there Friday and Saturday. Looking forward to seeing you there!

I'm going to have m 3 year old with me on Saturday--what I fly and when largely depends on her stamina :=) This is my purpose in coming there on Friday by myself, so that I can take care of certs and paperwork without taxing her attention span.

Ari.

Understood. I'll keep an eye out for you on Sat. Good luck with the L1 cert on Friday! (I'll keep my fingers crossed for a successful flight while I'm stuck at work all day.)

Mike Mc.

Big day tomorrow.

Ari.

Good luck on your cert!

Thank you guys!

Ari.

yes, anxious to read about the successful flight!

Frank

yep yep!

Hope you have a good flight!

Perfect flight today, much smoother landing than first flight.

I now have NAR L1 certification!

Thank you Steve Sawyer for the video. I can hear SLR shutters going off in the background--I'm looking for the photographer!

[video=youtube_share;-2NGnNFEE9Y]https://youtu.be/-2NGnNFEE9Y[/video]

Ari.

Very nice, boost looked nice and gentle, congrats!

That was "chill-bump inducingly" cool.

Congrats.

-- Roger

Woo hoo!

Congrats on the great flight and the L1 Ari! I hope we get to see this one in person (either Snow Ranch, or Moffett)

I was thinking the same thing as the spectator. I'd have expected you to land it closer, too.

So today I try to land closer and break the glider. It's only a sacrificial piece (a $1.20 coupler), but I think I'm going to choose landing long rather than short going forward.

I recall a number of people taking photos today, and saying they are going to post them here, maybe their photos illustrate the coupler failure.

Ari.

jadebox said:

That was "chill-bump inducingly" cool.

Congrats.

-- Roger

Click to expand...

Wow, that's saying something! Thank you Roger.

One of today's other flights is the Castaway on a 2-grain skidmark (G80). Thank you again for the parts for that--it's my and Leah's favorite "straight" rocket now. These are your parts flying in it! Maybe someone has pictures of it that they can post here as well.

Ari.

Ari,

Great to meet you yesterday and see the Vulcan in person! It's much more impressive in real life.

I thought your flight was great, the glider is really very graceful and floaty in the air! Reminded me of a big vulture or condor just circling over the field. I got some shaky-cam iphone video and my wife has a few still pictures that I will post once I get them downloaded from her camera.

I got really nervous when you made your last turn for landing because I had a feeling you were going to drift back into the flightline. I think because of that I subconsciously stopped filming just as it landed since I didn't really want to film the carnage of a broken glider! I'm glad there was no serious damage. I hope to see it fly again soon!

[video=youtube;q5Fk8XjnliY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5Fk8XjnliY&feature=share&list=UUm5-HtDa3Y5xbJh7SnCdvZw[/video]

(FYI, The video looks better in 720p on youtube. I can't seem to change the default quality on the embedded version.)

Mike Mc.

Pictures! Thanks to my wife Linda for taking these:

And more:







These are all reduced in size 75% for uploading but otherwise unedited. Enjoy!

Mike Mc.