Mike Powell Posted January 29, 2021 Share Posted January 29, 2021 I wouldn't worry about fragility. If you kick a Cessna 152 at your local airfield, you'll leave a dent, but it will still be flying in 30 years, but try that on a Simprop Excel and you'll break your toes. We make everything too tough so we can slam the car boot on them, not for ability to survive hitting a thermal. We also over power them. You won't see an Airbus climbing vertically or hovering above the runway, they just don't have the power to weight our planes have. So go ahead with your light and low-powered planes, you'll have a great deal of fun. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssexBOF Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 On 29/01/2021 at 19:32, Mike Powell said: I wouldn't worry about fragility. If you kick a Cessna 152 at your local airfield, you'll leave a dent, but it will still be flying in 30 years, but try that on a Simprop Excel and you'll break your toes. We make everything too tough so we can slam the car boot on them, not for ability to survive hitting a thermal. We also over power them. You won't see an Airbus climbing vertically or hovering above the runway, they just don't have the power to weight our planes have. So go ahead with your light and low-powered planes, you'll have a great deal of fun. Lot of truth in that statement, of building light to take flight loads, which is valid for sport flying. Dave Platt had a saying "build light & lightness" as you can add weight, but cannot take it out.Comp flying, when the red mist descends to go for a spot landing, then shows the downside of light construction. In the 60's when Single Channel radio was the main route for all types of model aircraft( yes I know Multi Channel was available to a select few of wealthy flyers) models became stronger and so heavier, to survive the many failures of the problems associated, with this type of flying, being many. Chief among them being the rubber driven escapements, failing, with what was called "stick on's", where the escapements would fail to release, so holding the rudder on resulting in a spiral dive into terra firma. Happy days, learning to fly radio, looked on now with great affection., by me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin Church Posted February 1, 2021 Author Share Posted February 1, 2021 Well the Slite Vll is finished & awaiting lock down end so it can be flown. 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Powell Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 "when the red mist descends to go for a spot landing, then shows the downside of light construction." Ha!! True enough, we've all been carried away. The rules say, though, 'if the plane is stuck in the ground, the points are cancelled' So it needs to be drier than in the field at the bottom of my garden this morning where I speared the ground at almost every landing, and I wasn't even trying for a spot. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Powell Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 Of course, that might be an opportunity to vary the rules for snow or muddy conditions, a point for every millimetre of hole made. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssexBOF Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 3 hours ago, Martin Church said: Well the Slite Vll is finished & awaiting lock down end so it can be flown. Hmm, unfortunate name, if it does not live up to expectations 1 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cirrusRC Posted February 1, 2021 Share Posted February 1, 2021 Looks very nice Martin. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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