Control Line: Aerobatics
AS the unfaithful husband said to his spouse, "It's best that you hear it from me." Fancher lied to you. The reasons why aren't germane, but in the two columns on handles, I stated that the pull on both lines was equal until full control deflection was achieved. This simply isn't true, and my face was red as soon as I saw it in print. What I should have said was that the total tension on both lines will always be equal to the centrifugal force of the model. As control inputs are given, the line which is being pulled will assume a larger share of the total. The larger share will be equal to the air loads on the flaps and elevators as they are transmitted to the leadouts through the airborne system. If sufficient mechanical advantage isn't built into the system, the entire load will be taken by the individual line at the point that the airloads on the controls are equal to centrifugal force, whether the controls are at full deflection or not.
Control Line: Aerobatics
WOW! I knew we "contributing editors" gained enormous influence as a result of our monthly blatherings, but I never would have guessed that we could bring the dead back to life! Al Rabe, no less, and in mid-season form. (See: "On CL Stunt Design," MA January 1985.) It seems that my toss-off column on P-factor has become almost a cause celebre amongst Stunt aficionados who are proving themselves to be much more sophisticated and "into" the aerodynamic puzzles of our adult divertissements (grown-ups' toys) than I ever would have guessed. Very pleasing and encouraging to me, as it opens the door to future subject matter which is much more interesting to me.
Control Line: Aerobatics
LAST MONTH'S discussion was devoted to the "lowly" control handle and to a strictly mechanical examination of control response rate. It did not necessarily represent what we feel at the handle. To better understand how much work we have to put into flying that beast, we have to check out the handle's overhang and its affects on "control feel." Just to make sure we keep things straight, let's repeat the definition of overhang: the distance from the wrist hinge-point to the outermost point on the control handle where the leadout wires emerge from the confinement of the handle structure. I have assumed the distance from the wrist hinge-point to the front of the handle grip is 3 1/2 in.
Control Line: Aerobatics
BOY, do I have a lot to learn about writing things that can be interpreted a variety of ways and then sending them out to any and all persons of the Stunt persuasion! In my column for November 1984, wherein I discussed my visit with the Pro Stunt group in New Jersey, I teased the readers with a comment as to how I found Windy Urtnowski's lightweight ship impossible to fly. I then left it hanging with a vague promise to explain it "the following month." Well, the last I heard, the Pro Stunt Mafia had put out a contract on my head for suggesting that one of their top hit man's pieces of equipment was less than full Magnum in a rumble. Wrong, wrong, wrong, Godfather! Call off the troops, and I promise that with this column I will rectify all the misconceptions I appear to have sown from ocean to ocean. Listen up, guys, my life depends on it.
Control Line: Aerobatics
WELCOME back, Stunt fans. In the last column prior to the Nats issue, my parting comment was a promise to discuss control handles and the ways in which they affect how your Stunter flies-both the obvious and, in some cases, perhaps, mysterious considerations. As I started to outline the data, it rapidly grew too voluminous to be covered in a partial column. It also became apparent that some illustrations would be necessary. Since I lacked the time this month to prepare the material properly, and since I have some loose ends to cover based on previous columns, I have decided to clean up the leftovers now and to devote most of the next two months to control handles.
