Gwen's Arkmodel 1/48 scale RC Type VIIC build log

[Gwenydd]

[mapuc]

You have passed the modelling builder with an A+.

Only little setback is the weathering-It somehow looks logic in where you have added the rust to the sub. a more chaotic approach.

Nevertheless
You can be darn proud of you build.

Markus

[Gwenydd]

Thanks Markus. As for the rust, believe it or not I looked at photos of real u-boats and mostly put it in places I saw in the photos. Though I agree it could look better.

[ET2SN]

Gwen, its looking really good and I'm not saying that just because I'm jealous.

Have you thought about being able to "set" the dive planes for surface trim? You'll need to putt around in a pool or small pond to find the best balance, but I'm wondering if you could set up a couple of null zones with your controller for surfaced and dived trim on the planes?

BTW, how about that other "model"? Some vids of the 7/8ths (?) scale Fokker Eindecker would be appreciated. What is turning the prop? It doesn't sound like a Rotax.

[Gwenydd]

[Gwenydd]

Originally Posted by ET2SN

Gwen, its looking really good and I'm not saying that just because I'm jealous.

Have you thought about being able to "set" the dive planes for surface trim? You'll need to putt around in a pool or small pond to find the best balance, but I'm wondering if you could set up a couple of null zones with your controller for surfaced and dived trim on the planes?

BTW, how about that other "model"? Some vids of the 7/8ths (?) scale Fokker Eindecker would be appreciated. What is turning the prop? It doesn't sound like a Rotax.

I'm not really sure what you mean about the dive planes. I can easily adjust the plane trim during operation. As for trimming the boat (ie. adding ballast and bouyancy) I do need to put it in the water to adjust that.

My airplane is actually a 3/4 scale replica. The engine is a Volkswagen 1915cc 69 HP flat four with a custom aircraft carb and electronic ignition. It has a 2:1 reduction belt drive turning a 72" custom made replica wood prop.

Here are a few videos for you taken during my 2007 test flights, note the guy talking is my friend and former flight instructor Bill. He was talking to the camera really and not directly to me since I didn't have a radio in the airplane when I was test flying it.



https://youtu.be/6XIPPYdKIdU






Gwen

[Onkel Neal]

Wow, that's cool, Gwen. Something I would never do, I don 't like heights

[Gwenydd]

Originally Posted by Onkel Neal

Wow, that's cool, Gwen. Something I would never do, I don 't like heights

I love to fly. I first soloed when I was sixteen back in Ohio. I was lucky enough to be friends with a National Guard helicopter pilot who was also a flight instructor and he taught me.

[ET2SN]

Originally Posted by Gwenydd

I'm not really sure what you mean about the dive planes. I can easily adjust the plane trim during operation. As for trimming the boat (ie. adding ballast and bouyancy) I do need to put it in the water to adjust that.


Gwen

Woo... OK, I'm trying to avoid a reply that looks like a twelve paragraph thesis.

For the record, I have ZERO experience with bow planes. Both of the boats I was on ran fairwater planes and fairwaters don't effect trim, they only provide linear up/down movement.

Anyway, when the boat is on the surface (rigged for surface) the planes tend to get locked at a certain amount of upward trim. This makes the hull more efficient in terms of how it planes through the water. In other words, you want the bow to be riding high. When you dive, you want the boat to remain mostly level. I was wondering if you could program your planes for a surfaced condition?

[Gwenydd]

Originally Posted by ET2SN

Woo... OK, I'm trying to avoid a reply that looks like a twelve paragraph thesis.

For the record, I have ZERO experience with bow planes. Both of the boats I was on ran fairwater planes and fairwaters don't effect trim, they only provide linear up/down movement.

Anyway, when the boat is on the surface (rigged for surface) the planes tend to get locked at a certain amount of upward trim. This makes the hull more efficient in terms of how it planes through the water. In other words, you want the bow to be riding high. When you dive, you want the boat to remain mostly level. I was wondering if you could program your planes for a surfaced condition?

Ah I see what you mean. I don't need to worry about that. My boat is set up so that the forward dive planes are used to primarily control depth and the rear dive planes to primarily control the pitch of the boat. Each set of planes has a controller board connected to the servos for it. The aft plane controller board automatically controls the planes to keep the boat in a level attitude unless I override it with control inputs. While the forward plane controller board uses a barometric pressure sensor connected to a hose that samples outside water pressure. The board automatically controls the forward planes to hold the depth last commanded with the forward plane controls.

If you look at the waterline on the type VII U-boat you see that the bow is naturally riding a bit high when the waterline on the boat matches the actual waterline - and that is the pitch level the aft planes will seek.

Makes sense?

PS - Hope you enjoyed my test flight videos.