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Looking forward to spring....

Stuka Stunt Main Forum · 11 of 11 known posts recovered · the forum listed 15 replies

norvaldo · Mar 08, 2004 04:24 PM

#0 source
Posting some pictures.
Two of these models are designed by Windy Urtnowski & George Aldrich
so they should stand a fair chance of beeing flyable.
The third one is my own. Since i am in kindergarten class compared to a Harvard student in this company, the first flight of my own designed model will be an interesting experience.
Norvald Olsvold

The Kiwi · Sep 05, 2000 08:58 AM

RE: Twister Mods#1 source
Ted Fancher featured a Twister in several of the monthly columns he wrote when he was the Stunt Columnist for Model Aviationm; the term "Fancherized" came to be used to summarize the modifications. Personally, I think that the fuselage dimensions are reasonably good as designed, and if just one change were made that would most drastically improve the plane, it's a thicker (and bigger) stab, about 3/8" to 1/2" thick, with the elevator the next size thinner (1/4" for a stab 3/8").

Just in the past year, the subject has been gone into quite throughly at a couple of the C-L forums on the net; I suspect at least one of those is at that RCO joint, where no such thing as an archive exists, so the thread has been discarded.

No matter whether the choice for a power plant is a modern .25 or an old vibrator of a 35 (it's too small for a modern 35/40), almost all profile-fuselaged models benefit from greater rigidity in the nose, however obtained. Triplers have been popular, but carbon fiber mat sandwiching is also good. I've been extremely well impressed with the fuel feed improvements imparted by using a "well" sunk into the outboard side for the tank to nestle down between the motor mount beams.


Kiwi

LNeumann · Sep 05, 2000 09:50 AM

RE: Twister Mods#2 source
Although the plane will fly fine "as is", a few mods can make it fly better. I agree with Kiwi in making the stab thicker and wider and longer (stronger, less flexing, more area). I would, also, increase the tail moment if I am going to increase the area. Butt joint a 2 inch piece of balsa to the back of the fuselage and move the stab back accordingly. The stab will hold things together and you don't need any other reinforcement. Bring the motor mounts all the way back to the wing, and use 1/16 inch Birch doublerson each side at least back as far as the middle of the wing, and I would bring them back as far as a couple of inches behind the wing, bringing it to a point, or rounding it so that you don't leave a shear point for the fuselage to break at this spot. A total tail area of 22 to 23% of the wing area would be good, although this is always a point of difference. I would not recess the tank. It weakens the nose and does not allow for adjustment up and down. You need to add an adjustable tank mount, adjustable leadout guide and adjustable tip weight. There are a number of variations of these and it becomes your choice.

As to power, we built one using our modified 35 and 40 FP for power turning a 12 x 6 BY&O prop. No problem, and it flew thrugh the wind. Just remember, power does not mean you are flying faster. You use pitch to determine lap speed, diameter for thrust. It is like the large tires used on a dragster. You need traction to pull through the wind. Of cocurse, you can get too big a prop and reach a point where the prop stops and the wing turns (a little extreme). But we have never found a 12 inch prop on a 48 inch wing to be excessive--especially when you are running it slow. As such, I would opt for the 40H over the Enya. The weight will be the same, but you will have more power (and probably turn an 11 inch prop with this one.)

If you have heavy wood or warped wood, replace it while you are building the plane. Heavy planes are called "Bowser".

Leonard Neumann

Brett Buck · Sep 05, 2000 11:18 PM

RE: Twister Mods#4 source
>Gentlemen:
>
>I've read several old posts related
>to lengthening the fuse for
>this plane approx 1-1/2 inches.
> lately I have heard
>about an article regarding the
>"Fancherized" Twister. Can someone
>share the essence of the
>article?? What other mods
>should I be planning on?
>
>
>I have an Enya .35 scheduled
>for this project--but also could
>try the OS Max H
>.40 but I think that
>would be too much.


The gist of the article was to lengthen the tail about 2" and to enlarge the tail area. I don't have a copy of the articles right now.

The Enya or the OS will fly it well enough. But they fly best with a stock 25FP swinging a 10-4 prop at ~11000 rpm. Bob Hazle has built 3 of them so far and they are far superior to most full stunt planes I've flown.


Brett

bkruger · Sep 06, 2000 10:40 AM

RE: Twister Mods#5 source

> The gist
>of the article was to lengthen the tail about 2"
>and to enlarge the tail area. I don't have a
>copy of the articles right now.

I've sent off to Muncie for copies of the articles, but for the sake of curiosity does anyone have the numbers, e.g. square inches of the stab, elevator, and thickness of each.

Once the articles get here, if anyone wants a copy I would be happy to oblige. It will probably take a few weeks...

Regards - Bob Kruger

Brett Buck · Sep 06, 2000 02:25 PM

RE: Twister Mods#7 source
These are what I did to
>the kit and they worked
>well. I also added
>a modified GMA 4 oz
>fuel tank changed to uniflow
>with muffler pressure, carbon fiber
>tape on the main wing
>spars, and fiberglass pushrods.
>

Tom, what engine/prop are you using?

Brett

Tom McClain · Sep 06, 2000 06:45 PM

RE: Twister Mods#8 source
Dear Brett,

You may not believe this, John Sunderland didn't either when I offered to let him fly it in Expert at the Brodak 2000, but the ship has a McCoy Thunderbolt Redhead 35 with an OS 40 NVA and a 10/6 EW RevUp prop. It is great to fly. John placed 1st in Expert Profile with it.


Tom McClain, Arlington VA

Brett Buck · Sep 06, 2000 09:11 PM

RE: Twister Mods#9 source
>Dear Brett,
>
>You may not believe this, John
>Sunderland didn't either when I
>offered to let him fly
>it in Expert at the
>Brodak 2000, but the ship
>has a McCoy Thunderbolt Redhead
>35 with an OS 40
>NVA and a 10/6 EW
>RevUp prop. It is
>great to fly. John
>placed 1st in Expert Profile
>with it.

I beleive it, but it might be just a little tough for everyone else to emulate!!

Brett

Alan Hahn · Sep 07, 2000 08:43 AM

RE: Twister Mods#11 source
As I recall, the Ted Fancher MA articles don't change the stab-elevator. Simply lengthening the fuse gives the tail more authority for the same size (torque=lever arm * force, and force is more or less proportional to area and amount of deflection).

I can't speak to any questions on whether a larger stab/elevator gives improved stability. For that discussion I'll refer you to the Rabe/Fancher Fireside Chat over on RCOnline.

Alan- whose Fancherized Twister is almost coming out of its perpetual construction phase.

bkruger · Sep 07, 2000 12:43 PM

RE: Twister Mods#14 source

>stab-elevator. Simply lengthening the fuse
>gives the tail more authority
>for the same size (torque=lever
>arm * force, and force
>is more or less proportional
>to area and amount of
>deflection).

My thanks for the info.

>I can't speak to any questions
>on whether a larger stab/elevator
>gives improved stability. For that
>discussion I'll refer you to
>the Rabe/Fancher Fireside Chat over
>on RCOnline.

I wouldn't venture into that one even if I was wearing kevlar.

Regards - Bob Kruger

Tom McClain · Sep 07, 2000 01:18 PM

RE: Twister Mods#15 source
Leonard, I have the articles at hand and Ted used the original horizontal stab. By lengthening the fuse by 3 inches he reasoned he would have more stab authority. My experience with my Twister II shows he was right.

Tom McClain