Good Things To Know
First off, let's talk about "Wing Loading". In plain, everyday terms, this is what will determine whether your plane will fly good, not so good, or not at all!
When we ask "What's the wing loading" an a plane, we are asking how much "weight" is loaded on each square foot of the wing. An airplane like a Trainer, who's wingload is around 18 to 22 oz.(per sq. ft. of wing), will fly very stable and can fly extremely slow, due to the small amount of weight the wing has to carry. An the other hand, a "True Scale" warbird, with a wingload somewhere around 46 to 48 oz. can be extremely unstable, and has to fly and land fast in order to prevent stalling (loose it's ability to fly.
A plane with a wing load of 20 to 30oz.per sq.ft. will fly great.
From 30 to 40oz., where most planes fall, including my 'Extra 300' that you see me holding, will still fly good, but will require a little more experience then you have at the moment. After a couple of months though, you should have no trouble at all moving up to this type of plane.
One with a wingload of 41 to 49oz.per sq.ft. is going to have to be flown and landed "HOT"! Leave this one to the "Top Guns"!.
Over 50oz., well....Good luck!...wouldn't wanna be ya!!!
Here is a very easy formula for figuring the windload of an airplane. I'd suggest that you write it down and save it. It will come in handy when you go shopping for your second airplane.
IF YOUR PLANE HAS A WING MEASURING 84in.x15in., AND WIEGHS 20lbs., HERE IS THE FORMULA FOR CALCULATING THE WINGLOAD...
1. 84in x 15in. = 1260sq. in.
2. 1260sq.in. / 144 =8.75sq.ft.
3. 20lbs. x 16oz. = 320oz.
4. 320oz. / 8.75sq.ft. = 36oz per sq.ft. wing load.
SCALING YOUR AIRPLANE
Wondering what scale your airplane really is? Easy...here's the formula...
The full size plane's wingspan is 24ft..& yours is 4ft...then divide 4ft. into 24ft. = 6th scale.
if yours is 6ft....then divide 6ft. into 24ft.= 4th scale scale. Get it?
SCALING YOUR PILOT
For example: you have a quarter scale plane, and you need a quarter scale pilot. Since a man is 6ft. tall, and one fourth of 6ft. is 18 inches, you need an 18 inch tall pilot. If your going to make your own pilot, here's a few figures worth knowing.
A 6ft. man measures from the top of his head to the top of his shoulder...12in., to his elbow...2ft., to his butt...3ft., from his elbow to his wrist...12in.
IF ANYONE HAS SOME GOOD STUFF THEY WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US, E-MAIL IT TO ME. I'LL PUBLISH IT HERE AND GIVE YOU THE BY-LINE.
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