My Quest for Flight

[Terrencejones]

Originally Posted by Willi Von Klugerman

Hmmm,I don't have the equipment to film anything at this point but I'll surely have someone take a pic of it during tests and actual flight.What kind of material do I need to make the fabric stiff?

Hi Willi,
Had a quick look on Google, fabric dope is the way to go but that could be expensive and not that easy to get hold off. You might have to experiment a bit with some other stuff, Wall paper paste might work. If you get the fabric on tight enough you might be ok without anything. Trial and error, the stuff of Pioneers.

Do you not know anyone with a decent mobile phone? most of them have a short filming facility.

Terry

[Willi Von Klugerman]

I'll try the wall paper paste and I'll see if one of my friends would hook me up on the filiming.Would it affect the glider if the top wing was lighter with the bottom wing with the wood spars?

[Sagittarius]

Great idea Willi - I admire youre spirit youre putting into aviation!

If you would live in Germany i could have arranged it to record your maiden flight with a pretty decent HD-TV camera and even film a short portrait of you beeing an aviation-enthusiast.

[Terrencejones]

Originally Posted by Willi Von Klugerman

I'll try the wall paper paste and I'll see if one of my friends would hook me up on the filiming.Would it affect the glider if the top wing was lighter with the bottom wing with the wood spars?

Hi Willi,

I wouldn't have thought so. Most of the weight will at the bottom anyway.
It has to be strong enough to support the top and thus a bit sturdier and heavier than the top is my guess. Be interesting to know if the paste works, try it on a spare bit fabric, you might have to try different consistencies to keep the weight down to a minimum. What are you thinking of doing the top wing spars with? Bamboo could be an idea if you can hold of any (Garden center perhaps) its fairly strong and flexible enough to get a decent curve. Wish I was there with you Willi
It would be great to see it fly, hope you can get it filmed


Terry

[Willi Von Klugerman]

I think my sister is getting a cam recorder this Christmas so I think the filming issue is not a problem.The toughest part is connecting the wings together and trying to keep it from floping around (but thats where the wire bracing comes in).If everything goes well I might be the only one at my school to build and fly a flying contraption.Its funny how I tried to make my bicycle fly by stiking a block of wood into the bike frame when I was seven.But when your at that age you think EVERYTHING is possible and don't realize the pros and cons of their actions.

[FOKKERJ]

Hi Willi,

It looks like you're the one that made off with my aerial antennae!
No wonder I can't get good reception!

Really, what did you use for your wing ribs?

great minds think alike: I was thinking of bamboo also, as Terry has already brought up.

I believe that it was Dan-San that brought up using starch for sizing in a dope mixture Thread just recently.

I have to go, I'll be back, Jay

[Willi Von Klugerman]

The wing ribs are those sticks (only thing in my mind to describe it) that you can find in the hardwear section for about a dollar.They are about four feet long and quite flexible.I don't know where I can find bamboo (except China).

[Varese2002]

AFAIK bamboo can be obtained from a 'garden centrum' as bamboo is used in agriculture and farming

Cheers

Kees

[Ian Curtis]

Willi,

Do you have a solid spar along both the leading edge and the trailling edge? If you've just got hardware store dowels laced together, I seriously doubt it'll stay together. If you're just using thread, or run of the mill twine, I'd suggest you switch to waxed cord. Once you knot it, it doesn't slip, and it's really pretty grippy (plus, it's authentic, the Wrights used it extensively).

Have you done any research on how Chanute built his glider? This link looks like a pretty promising start. I highly suggest writing to the NASM archives as well. They say they are willing to answer 1 letter from an individual per month, and I write 1 letter a month, because they are incredibly helpful. (If only they translated L'Aerophile...)

This isn't to discourage you, you've made way more progress on this than I have on pretty much all of my projects. Good Luck!

[Willi Von Klugerman]

Right now Im making the rudder.Its made up of those sticks and a thin wooden board (about 4 X 8 in.).I punched several holes on the wooden board so I can easily wrap the sticks with wire to hold it in place.The idea just popped in my head at school today.It leaves me with little hassle!