A100h skinning is underway

Things are beginning to move along again. So many projects, too little time. A likely excuse right?

The middle skin is offset about 6.5". This to produce an overlap preventing premature wing failure. You never want to have a seam all the way across a wing panel. Could get real ugly when pulling or pushing hard.

One down, three to go.

A100h ready to skin

 

Here we can see the whole wing joiner system layout on the fuselage.

 

 

This view really displays the high aspect ratio. Next is to begin the skinning process of the wing panels.

 

Air-100h sub-root formers

In setting up the wing panel receiver tubes, I set the cores on the working surface with the top surface down shimmed up .125" on each half at the root. This to allow a slight amont of dihedral eliminating the possibility of anhedral in the wing while in flight. Once everything is lined up equally, the tubes were then tacked in with 5 min epoxy.

Sub-root former placement is now traced onto the cores to allow .250" engagement of the tube end.

Foam is removed, the former temporarily put in place and traced to the airfoil shape top and bottom for final sanding. Excess air space will be filled with foam and final sanded to shape with the former. Former's get lightly epoxied in place.

This view shows the receiver tube dihedral offset.

OXID Planeur au VTPR

Video courtesy Pierrick Ubassy

Recent video of the OXID performing aerobatics in Totale and VTPR. This is a 2.7m glider looking really good in black & white video tone.

Build details and more videos of OXID here.

A100h wing joiner parts

 

 

Sub-root formers are roughed out. They will be traced to the core airfoil than shaped to fit. They consist of .125" spruce ply and .250" balsa laminent. End of receiver tube has .350" deep interference fit. Next step - tack the receiver tubes into the foam cores with proper dihedral. I'm figuring a 1/2 degree.

 

AIR-100h wing rod slot

 

 

Boy where does the time go. Sorry for the delay on this build. The wing joiner rod slot is done. Next is to make up a pair of sub-root formers, slot the foam and glue in the assembly.

Air-100h update 11/02/12

 

 

See some new progress on the Air-100 project here.

 

BIG 4m KOSTEZ

Uploaded by MrRasemotte on Jul 24, 2011

The KOSTEZ is a very large 4m VTPR/Totale glider that is scratch built in France, and designed by Thierry Dubois. This big aerobat is very graceful and agile for its size, and very impressive! The airfoil is the SB96V/VS aerobatic foil that has proven very effective in all glider sizes.

Information on Thierry Dubois Kostez construction can be seen here.

Instant Scoring FREESTYLE



Some modifications to the new VTPR ISC contest. Through some suggestions, they have been inserted in order to have more opportunity for a wider range of flyers, and more fun in the process.

One of the new features which I think will 'add' to the program is a Freestyle round of competition. This is detailed in Part 3. Basically a 3 minute solo round where the pilot may fly figures of choice in one flight. The whole  flight including the transitions shall be judged and scored, and will represent 25% of a pilots total score for the day. The freestyle round should be fun and freely expressive as its title suggests. And it gives the pilot the opportunity to show his or her stuff technically, and creatively.

Other modifications include some new 'figure selections and combinations' that are more user friendly. Stick with us as we continue to refine and simplify it for all.

Eric

Air-100h wing former pockets

The wing formers are constructed of balsa and spruce plywood lamanate. The compound curves on the fuselage pose a problem to cutting the pockets in parrallel and square. A router plate was made up and mounted to enable the router to follow and cut the foam uniformly.

The finished cut turned out very well. Next is to glue in the formers while maintaing square and parrallel positions between them.