Is this a potential RCBG?

[gpoehlein]

I was checking out some new paper models, and I came across this website - this thing looks utterly cool. There is a link at the bottom of the page that gives you a paper model of the Ares, but I can't imagine that one couldn't scale this thing up for an awsome RCBG!

https://marsairplane.larc.nasa.gov/platform.html

Greg

 

[Silverleaf]

Can someone say ... pop-glider

8)

 

[Micromeister]

Wow! What a great link! just what the doctor ordered!
I don't see why not as a mid power rc/rg.

The paper model is fantastic! I've been trying to produce a Micro pop pod BG for awhile now but only had a above left photo to work from, the tail boom and V feathers were way off This is exactly what I've been looking for.
Thanks for the link!

 

[flying_silverad]

Maybe it's me, but what kind of atmosphere is there on mars to support actual flight. How do we know what the presure altitude would be? It's one thing to assume certain varibles for a "Vectored Thrust" vehicle, but an airplane? That's reaching.

 

[shockwaveriderz]

they tested this at 100,000 ft altitudes to simulate the thin mars atomsphere and it worked fine........

 

[brianc]

I caught a piece on NASA-TV the other night about the ARES Mars plane.

First thing I thought was- Wow! Just think of all the bonus mission points if I could
make an ARES glider pop out and unfold from the aeroshell... HOW COOL WOULD
THAT BE?!?!?

So, I go poking around the NASA pages and read up a bit. Download the paper glider
model. Then I figure I'll search TRF and see if anybody else is thinking along the same lines.

So, OK. This is an old thread, somebody must have done something
besides think about it by now... Anyone build one yet?

 

[GuyNoir]

Originally posted by gpoehlein
I can't imagine that one couldn't scale this thing up for an awsome RCBG!

Given that the principal designer is Bob "Parky" Parks, formerly of the MIT Rockety Society, a former NAR National Team Champion, US International Rocketry Team member, ace RCRG pilot and all around "hail thee, well met, goodly fellow", who's surprised? (grin)

 

[Nerull]

One quirk of flying on mars is the increased speed needed to sustain lift, due to the thin atmosphere. The lower drag and high speed also makes it difficult to turn against intertia.

If you want to try it yourself, X-Plane lets you fly on mars. Orbiter too, but its atmopspheric flight model isn't nearly as realistic.

 

[TWRackers]

Originally posted by Nerull
One quirk of flying on mars is the increased speed needed to sustain lift, due to the thin atmosphere. The lower drag and high speed also makes it difficult to turn against intertia.

If you want to try it yourself, X-Plane lets you fly on mars. Orbiter too, but its atmopspheric flight model isn't nearly as realistic.

All true, but add to that decreased gravity. Helps offset the thinner atmosphere, you wouldn't need as much lift as you would in Earth's gravity.

 

[Nerull]

Originally posted by TWRackers
All true, but add to that decreased gravity. Helps offset the thinner atmosphere, you wouldn't need as much lift as you would in Earth's gravity.

Yes, but not near enough to offset the thin atmosphere.

"The average air pressure at the surface of Mars is 6 millibars (compared to 1013 millibars on Earth)"

Gravity is about 1/3rd Earth gravity.

 

[Damage...]

brianc,

Not exactly the same - but the UK's Mike Francis won S8 rocket glider world champion with his own design, see photo:


They are available as a kit, but made of CF so are expensive.

I've seen him fly this and it is superb!

Damage

 

[George Gassaway]

gpoehlein wrote:
>>>-->>>
I can't imagine that one couldn't scale this thing up for an awsome RCBG!
<<<--<<<

Mark Bundick replied:

>>>
Given that the principal designer is Bob "Parky" Parks, formerly of the MIT Rockety Society, a former NAR National Team Champion, US International Rocketry Team member, ace RCRG pilot and all around "hail thee, well met, goodly fellow", who's surprised? (grin)
<<<

Bob Parks built and flew an R/C RG model (It was something like 3-4 years ago, maybe longer). It was an early proof of concept model, around 6 feet wingspan or so, carried atop a R/C model airplane to a few hundred feet, then released. After release, a special 32mm Reloadable engine was ignited to provide thrust for a few seconds of horizontal flight (I don’t recall if it burned for over 10 seconds or less than 10, but it was not a G12). Got to see a nice printed photo of the model during powered flight (whatever the propellant was, it produced some smoke, and I think some notable flame, unlike Blue Thunder G12 reloads). Unfortunately no public photos of that model exist.

Nerull wrote:
>>>
One quirk of flying on mars is the increased speed needed to sustain lift, due to the thin atmosphere.
<<<

IIRC, Bob said it would fly at over 300 mph just to maintain altitude. And after the liquid propellants were used up, it would glide to a crash-landing at around 300 mph (since the plane's stall speed in the Martian atmosphere is around 300 mph).

It’s supposed to be able to fly for around an hour. The engine will have a bit more thrust than needed for horizontal flight, so it will be cycled on and off repeatedly. Even if it had the perfect thrust level at first, as the plane got lighter due to fuel burnoff then they’d need to cycle the engine on/off anyway for efficiency. That was seen as more practical for efficiency and reliability (and also cost) than trying to throttle the engine.

- George Gassaway

 

[Nerull]

300 mph is better than I expected - the aircraft in X-Plane that are designed for mars have stall speeds near 600 mph.

In Orbiter, the Delta-Glider, which is a flying brick even on earth, has a stall speed above mach 1. Makes runway landings interesting.