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:::Rodent::: ::: Higgin's T-38 Talon
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Plane: Rodent 
Span 55.5" weight 4.5 lbs wing loading 25-26oz/ft^2 unballasted Purpose - High lift speed and aerobatics.
Wing - Blue foam cores, 1/32" ply, bagged with 1.4 oz w/ primer Construction Mods I'm not getting into the details of construction. This is a sloper kit. This kit comes with the parts - build, set the CG at 3-1/8", fly. Before starting this project I sought the advice the person who has the most experience building the kit - Scott Hewett. His suggestions were the following to make this baby bullet proof: 1) Take a bunch of kevlar and reinforce the fuse from just behind the nose cone to a few inches behind the rear bolt block, then add some more. 2) Use 1/4-20 blind nuts in the bolt blocks. Add thick 1/4" washer over the part that protrudes up out of the bolt block. Epoxy the washer in with micro balloons and add a wrap of cloth under the blind nut. .3) Reinforce the ends of the turtledeck with plywood. In addition I did the following: 1) Vaseline the nose of the fuse, add silicone to the tip of the nose cone and slide together - allow to dry overnight. This prevents the nose cone from jamming onto the fuse 2) Reproduced a bellcrank out of brass plate. Soldered in brass tube bearings. 3) Put 2" of dihedral into the wing - I like a little dihedral, it make me look like a better flyer ; ). 4) Used 3/16" music wire torque rods run with brass tube bearings run 11" out into the wing. Note lump in aileron where bearing was inserted. 5) Tape and silicone hinges. Flying I only have a few (<10) flights on the plane in good conditions. It is very predictable, stable and is easy to fly. As with my other planes I'll update as things go along and I learn more. At the 3-1/8" (Dave Reese's recommendation) the plane is stable enough to do low high speed passes right on the deck without any concerns but still needs to be lead with aileron at the top of stall turns to avoid a nasty flop. Energy retention is as good as the F-20 but the Rodent has much more elevator authority on landings (flying stab). My aerobatic test maneuver is the cuban-eight. If there is a weakness it will be exposed with this maneuver (plane or pilots). Dives are stable, said that. Loops track well and carry energy (for a low cambered foil) both upwind and down wind (one day was glancing) . Very little push is required to establish the 45 deg downline. This makes for easy nice straight rolls to upright, especially on the turn to your weak side. Rolls are crisp and clean which makes them easy to place in the middle on the downline. More to come.. |
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All Content © Craig Toutolmin |
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