SixPapaCharlie
May the force be with you
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- Aug 8, 2013
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Sixer
I have a pet project in my brain and I am trying to figure out how to attack it. Essentially, I want to get a balsa kit that is a simple trainer. Flat bottom airfoil, 172 clone type deal.
I want to make it fly backwards.
Here is what I think I have to do:
1. Reverse the wing structure so leading edge is on the back and tapers out toward the tips. Trailing edge will be in the "front" and straight. so the shape looking down on the wing will be identical it is just that it will be rounded on the "back" and control surfaces on the "front"
On the ground it will look strange from the profile view. In flight, it should look normal
2. Pusher prop. That's straightforward
3. I would reverse the elevator such that the elevator is fixed and the horizontal stab. actually moves to make it slightly less squirly. Or possibly convert to a flying stab.
4. Same with the rudder but might just build it to be fixed.
5. Steering / rotating back on the "front" wheel is going to be interesting
Now what to do with the CG?
My initial thought would be to move some weight back to put it under the first 1/3 (on the main spar) which would now be in the rear of the wing but then I got to thinking that CG is about balance from tip to tail and maybe it should be left in the same place as intended as that how the plane with its intended weights would be balanced in the air.
I have a throwaway plane in the garage that I am going to test by simply putting the pusher on and reversing the wing and reducing the servo throws just to try it but I am thinking about getting a Goldberg Eagle 2 or something similar and trying to re-engineer it to fly backwards.
Anyone know if this has been done before or anyone can give an obvious reason it won't work. Ideally, I would like to have scale model that looks meticulously like the original but flies backwards.
There are many RC canards so to some extent this is just a redesign of that.
Thoughts?
I want to make it fly backwards.
Here is what I think I have to do:
1. Reverse the wing structure so leading edge is on the back and tapers out toward the tips. Trailing edge will be in the "front" and straight. so the shape looking down on the wing will be identical it is just that it will be rounded on the "back" and control surfaces on the "front"
On the ground it will look strange from the profile view. In flight, it should look normal
2. Pusher prop. That's straightforward
3. I would reverse the elevator such that the elevator is fixed and the horizontal stab. actually moves to make it slightly less squirly. Or possibly convert to a flying stab.
4. Same with the rudder but might just build it to be fixed.
5. Steering / rotating back on the "front" wheel is going to be interesting
Now what to do with the CG?
My initial thought would be to move some weight back to put it under the first 1/3 (on the main spar) which would now be in the rear of the wing but then I got to thinking that CG is about balance from tip to tail and maybe it should be left in the same place as intended as that how the plane with its intended weights would be balanced in the air.
I have a throwaway plane in the garage that I am going to test by simply putting the pusher on and reversing the wing and reducing the servo throws just to try it but I am thinking about getting a Goldberg Eagle 2 or something similar and trying to re-engineer it to fly backwards.
Anyone know if this has been done before or anyone can give an obvious reason it won't work. Ideally, I would like to have scale model that looks meticulously like the original but flies backwards.
There are many RC canards so to some extent this is just a redesign of that.
Thoughts?
