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PROGLIDE BF


ThermalBoy

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ThermalBoy

PROGLIDE BF

For anyone thats interested here are a few pics and some brief details of the latest version of the Proglide that Kevin Beale and I (Colin Paddon) have been developing/building over the past 3-4years.

We try to do something slightly different with each new Proglide we build in order to learn from it and so it is with my latest one. This is my 3.8m windy weather BIG FLAP (BF) version that is built with a strong layup/spar and our new slimmed down fuselage pod and boom.  I've used a lot of 3D printed parts in this one. I was hoping for a finished RTF weight of around 1500-1600g with provision for 500g of ballast. That idea went out the window when the RTF weight including the 1000mah 4 Cell Lipo came in at 1325g RTF. Im not really sure why its so light after all the additional strengthening I put into it but it is.  I think we're just getting a little better on the lay-up's with each one we build.  Found out late in the day that with our new fuse pod I could only get a single ballast tube into the fuse so at the moment I'm limited to adding 350g of ballast. Need to look at this again some time. There may be a way to increase this.

Everywhere we looked for info on the Synergy section that we now use (which has proven itself to be a stellar performer in a wide range of conditions), indicated that a big flap version shouldnt really work but I fancied giving it a go. It's the kind of thing you can do when a complete wing only costs you £170 in materials. Its the large amount of manhours to build a plane like this that is the real hidden cost. If it doesnt work though, just build a different one!

So how does it perform. Well its early days but so far I'm extremly pleased with its performance. It placed first in its debut competition having only had one test flight before hand. The BIG FLAPS definately seem to add another dimension to its performance particulary when scratching in light lift. I wont know what its like in wind until we go to a windy comp. So sometime soon no doubt! One slight issue is that I now know for sure that if you go with big flaps you'd better have a big elevator to compensate for it when using crow.  Its not a major issue but do I need to re-design the tailplane to help with this. So what next? Im seeing an awful lot of Eurotour F5J pilots flying big V Tails on their planes so I'll probably try that which as I have removable booms on all my Proglides shouldnt be a major job.

Colin

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PeteMitchell

Very impressive model Colin, well done. And the finish is a step up on your earlier models.

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Colin & Kevin,

Well done, on a great looking plane, with the BF version did you go with the usual flap servos or did you go for something slightly beefier ? Oh and the orange canopy really messes with the OCD in me 😉 But seriously impressive achievement chaps you should be proud.

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ThermalBoy
15 hours ago, PeteMitchell said:

Very impressive model Colin, well done. And the finish is a step up on your earlier models.

Thanks Pete.

We've arrived at the conclusion that  if you want a really nice surface finish/shine like the professionaly manufactured models you do have to use more epozy during the lay-up. The small amount of weight it adds is pretty insignificant and you end up with a nicer surface finish. Kevin's latest wings are mega shine! I still managed a few very slightly dry patch's on the BF.

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ThermalBoy
13 hours ago, Bob Dickenson said:

Looks great, Colin (& Kev). Hope to see it perform at RG

Bob

Thanks Bob.  Looking forward to seeing you all at RG.

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ThermalBoy
1 hour ago, timboiow said:

Colin & Kevin,

Well done, on a great looking plane, with the BF version did you go with the usual flap servos or did you go for something slightly beefier ? Oh and the orange canopy really messes with the OCD in me 😉 But seriously impressive achievement chaps you should be proud.

Thanks Tim. 

One of the things I try with each PG is to find and test economically priced "alternative to mainstrem" makes of servo's that really perform. The first rate Emax3352 from Bangood for Aileron's is now pretty well known about.  At around £7-8 a pop you simply swap in a new servo if you break a gear which I havn't managed so far.  Im sure this servo could also be used for flaps which are of a more normal size compared to the PG  BF. So for the flaps I went with a servo I've used before which has proven to be up to the job, the Power HD 1810MG. You have to make your own mounts for these but at 17g and 12mm thick they have so far been very good with a strong geartrain.  If you have a 3D printer servo mounts are not a problem! Around £12 a pop from HobbyKing. Having said this Flightechs new range of Kingmax servo's are great quality at a very reasonable price and have a wide range of commercial mounts available. No one here had ever heard of Kingmax servo's till the entire German F5J team used them excusively at last years F5J Euro Champs. They didn't do too bad as a team!!

Re the slightly non matching canopy on this PG I didnt have a fleuro yellow one to hand so I just used what I had. I'll lay-up a matching one sometime soon.  Your OCD will not be a problem then😄

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John Wighton

Colin, can you pass on some more details of the 3D printed parts?   I have been experimenting with 3D parts for RC and for my Europa full-size.   Using PETG and or ABS gives a useful increase in strength (over PLA) or slightly lower weight (if you thin the wall size).  

Can you share your servo mount models for the Banggood servos?

cheers

 

 

 

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ThermalBoy
On 25/05/2019 at 10:12, John Wighton said:

Colin, can you pass on some more details of the 3D printed parts?   I have been experimenting with 3D parts for RC and for my Europa full-size.   Using PETG and or ABS gives a useful increase in strength (over PLA) or slightly lower weight (if you thin the wall size).  

Can you share your servo mount models for the Banggood servos?

cheers

Hi John

3D printed parts used are: 
Motor Mounts (Carbon based PETG), All control Horns (Carbon based PETG), Servo mounts. Mpx Green Connector Housings, Wing Panel(s)) End Ribs and a few other minor other bits, all from standard PETG. I'm not a 3D Modelling guy so I simply use TinkerCAD which so far has worked out fine. It does help though if you have some graphics background to draw in 2D  that can be imported into TinkerCAD. I'm hoping though to get on top of Fusion 360 at some point in the future.

Re the servo mounts for the Bangood servo's, they are screwless. Servo's are held in place by 2mm dia carbon pins that slide through the servo and mount.  Has worked 100% for us.  Or you can of course do the more conventional thing of putting a small screwed brace across the top of the servo frame pillars. to restrain the servo from moving vertically but this of course adds to the overal depth of the depth of the mount.  (Not good in thin wings) All holes in the parts are printed smaller than required and then drilled out to the exact required size. As you do 3D printing you will understand why. Happy to send you the .stl file for the Bangood servo's. (Please PM me your email address.)

Have found that ABS is strong but smelly to print and was prone to warping so moved on to PETG based Carbon which has proven itself to be very good  and easy to print (Use a hardened nozzle though!) .

Cheers
Colin

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  • 2 weeks later...
John Wighton

Colin,

Thanks for the reply. I was away for 10 days, hence delayed response.

Email is john@wighton.net

I came across a picture of you, Roy Bloomfield and a few others at the Canvey Sea Soar circa 70's.  The photos were bundled with some period bits and bobs - A Graupner Mosquito electric motor and gearbox, moulded towhooks, etc amongst them!

The .stl will be handy, thanks.  

My business focus is on stress analysis, so we have FEM and CFD tools, our CAD usage covers some high end products depending on the client at the time. CATIA, NX, Solidworks but also some lower end software like nanoCAD.   We use Cura to generate 3d print files.

Regards

John

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