PaperModelers.com

Go Back   PaperModelers.com > Card Models > Found it on the internet

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #1  
Old 07-26-2008, 10:16 AM
Leif Ohlsson's Avatar
Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
Posts: 2,640
Total Downloaded: 54.96 MB
Fauvel AV36 glider 1:33 by Philippe Rennesson

Just a month ago Philippe Rennesson added another superb 1:33 free download model, this time of the Fauvel AV36 flying wing glider, at the French site "Maquette en cartons - Card models" (with English translations). Read more about the model, and download it, from this page.

Philippe Rennesson has two earlier absolutely excellent models to his credit, the Pou du Ciel HM14 - Flying Flea, and the Dalotel D165.

The Fauvel comes with two pages of 3-view drawings, two pages of b&w parts for laminating, and three pages of coloured parts. In addition you can download instructions, and a parts list. Both of the latter are in French only. The model is marked "for experienced builders".

Philippe has kindly saved the models in a PDF format which allows you to open and edit them in a vector programme. This is a most commendable practice, since it means you can modify and recolour the model into any version you'd like without losing quality.

On the download page, there is a link to a page full of construction photos. Philippe has also given an internet reference, which is highly readable in itself, for all the Fauvel aircraft, and the AV36 in particular.

Incidentally, if you pursue the original of that page, you will find a most excellent source page for ALL tailless aircraft & gliders, including the Hortens; see the Nurflügel page (in English, except for the Fauvel sub-page).

I attach four of Philippe's own photos of the build.
Attached Thumbnails
Fauvel AV36 glider 1:33 by Philippe Rennesson-approche.jpg   Fauvel AV36 glider 1:33 by Philippe Rennesson-differents_elements.jpg   Fauvel AV36 glider 1:33 by Philippe Rennesson-habitacle.jpg   Fauvel AV36 glider 1:33 by Philippe Rennesson-vue_de_dessus.jpg  

Last edited by Leif Ohlsson; 07-26-2008 at 10:49 AM.
Reply With Quote
Google Adsense
  #2  
Old 07-26-2008, 10:33 AM
Leif Ohlsson's Avatar
Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
Posts: 2,640
Total Downloaded: 54.96 MB
Some reflections on the Fauvel glider

Stumbling through the French text on the reference page, I note that the prototyp is dated 1951, the wingspan was 11.95 meters, and empty weight an unbelievably low 120 kg! Yet it was rated for 12G at full weight of 215 kg (allowing 95 kg for pilot & misc.). The width disassembled was 2.38 m, which allowed it to be transported legally on ordinary roads with no restrictions.

Since the length assembled was 3.17m, the aircraft seemed not to need disassembly for transport after all; a slight angling might suffice to bring the width down to under 2.40m. Compare for this photo of an AV36 in its transport cradle (and note the close relation to the subject of Philippe Rennesson's model - CBRU instead of CBRO!):



The prototype was certified in France, Canada, and Germany, also for mild aerobatics. Minimum speed was 58 km/h and max speed 83 km/h. Best glide was 1:26 at 83 km/h, which is comparable to ordinary gliders of the era. Minimum sink speed was 0,87 m/s. Numerous flights of 300 km and 500 km were registered by Fauvel AV36 glider pilots.

The AV36 was followed by the AV361, with slightly larger span and a more modern (laminary) wing profile, which increased best glide to 1:30 at 85 km/h, and a minimum sink speed of 0,74 m/s.

Several AV36 & AV361 were later modified by builders to carry a small two-stroke engine and a prop at the rear of the fuselage, between the fins. That would seem to be the dream of that era - build the aircraft in your garage (or perhaps better, club work shop), go gliding without having to be towed up, and - even better - get out of that impossible sink and return safely home, without having to call for a team and a truck from the middle of some god-forsaken cow pasture (yes, I've been there). Here's a photo:



For those really interested, the page of Fauvel photos at Airliners.net is worth perusing. And finally, I can't resist this see-through image of the Fauvel - note the all-wood construction; little or no welding seems to have been required (apart from a wing centre section, and some push-rods)


Last edited by Leif Ohlsson; 07-26-2008 at 10:47 AM.
Reply With Quote
  #3  
Old 07-26-2008, 10:54 AM
Alcides's Avatar
Alcides Alcides is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Buenos Aires - Argentina
Posts: 1,278
Total Downloaded: 2.09 MB
Very nice. Really a very interesting glider. Thank you very much to share the data and links.
Reply With Quote
  #4  
Old 07-26-2008, 10:56 AM
Don Boose's Avatar
Don Boose Don Boose is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Carlisle, Pennsylvania
Posts: 20,702
Total Downloaded: 424.90 MB
Bravo, Leif -- This is another superb example of aviation history research. You have once again built a thread that I hope will become a source of much useful information. Don
Reply With Quote
  #5  
Old 07-26-2008, 11:13 AM
cjwalas's Avatar
cjwalas cjwalas is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jun 2007
Posts: 2,326
Total Downloaded: 14.54 MB
Wonderfully curious aircraft! I really like it. Thank you so much, Leif, for finding and sharing this one!
Chris
Reply With Quote
Google Adsense
  #6  
Old 07-27-2008, 03:57 PM
Leif Ohlsson's Avatar
Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
Posts: 2,640
Total Downloaded: 54.96 MB
Difficult to edit in vector format

I should make a caveat to the statement above about the Fauvel being possible to open in vector programmes. The model certainly is vector designed, and the files will open in vector programmes.

However, they seem to be saved in a way that they are not readily editable. Colours, grey tones, and text do not open as uniform fields or fonts, but as some very tight linear pattern. This results in an unamanageably large number of groups or paths, difficult to get rid of. The programme also works very slowly.

The same goes for all of Philippe Rennesson's models, unfortunately.

Does anybody know the cause of this? I could of course write to the author - and will do so - but I thought I should ask first in order to educate myself somewhat...

The models are of course still editable in any pixel-based programme, like Photoshop. But that will result in less precision, and much larger files. Since working with Nobi's Spitfire, I've got spoiled with the precision of vector designs.

All the more credit to Nobi, whose models always will open in a vector programme, and thus allows for easy and precise recolouring!

Leif

Last edited by Leif Ohlsson; 07-27-2008 at 04:00 PM.
Reply With Quote
  #7  
Old 07-27-2008, 04:34 PM
RyanShort's Avatar
RyanShort RyanShort is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Texas
Posts: 920
Total Downloaded: 71.39 MB
Send a message via Skype™ to RyanShort
Quote:
Originally Posted by Leif Ohlsson View Post
I should make a caveat to the statement above about the Fauvel being possible to open in vector programmes. The model certainly is vector designed, and the files will open in vector programmes.

However, they seem to be saved in a way that they are not readily editable. Colours, grey tones, and text do not open as uniform fields or fonts, but as some very tight linear pattern. This results in an unamanageably large number of groups or paths, difficult to get rid of. The programme also works very slowly.

The same goes for all of Philippe Rennesson's models, unfortunately.

Does anybody know the cause of this? I could of course write to the author - and will do so - but I thought I should ask first in order to educate myself somewhat...

The models are of course still editable in any pixel-based programme, like Photoshop. But that will result in less precision, and much larger files. Since working with Nobi's Spitfire, I've got spoiled with the precision of vector designs.

All the more credit to Nobi, whose models always will open in a vector programme, and thus allows for easy and precise recolouring!

Leif
Leif - I have recently learned that Inkscape is capable of converting bmp models to vector! Basically, you want to find a way to extract the pdf image to a png file, then open the png file with Inkscape and use the Trace Bitmap function experimenting until you get a good solution - which is possible.

Ryan
__________________
Certified Flight Instructor in Dallas, TX
Websites: www.doolittleraid.com & www.lbirds.com
Papermodels at: www.scribd.com/TexasTailwheel.com
Reply With Quote
  #8  
Old 07-28-2008, 05:31 AM
Leif Ohlsson's Avatar
Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
Posts: 2,640
Total Downloaded: 54.96 MB
Thanks Ryan,

My problem was somewhat different, though. Converting bmp (or any pixel format) to vector is a way I'd really like to avoid, since that too (I think...) will create a lot of superfluous paths.

What we have here is something that obviously is vector to start with, than saved as pdf, though perhaps in a way that's not retained the vector format. In many cases, like Nobi's models, and most of Lech's from Mikromodele, vector editing is possible also of their saved pdfs.

I guess I'd have to write to Philippe Rennesson, the designer. Although this complication sort of put me off the Fauvel for the time being.

Just didn't want anybody else getting frustrated in vain. And the model "as is" is still beautiful!

Leif
Reply With Quote
  #9  
Old 07-28-2008, 01:25 PM
B-Manic's Avatar
B-Manic B-Manic is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Shangri La
Posts: 4,321
Total Downloaded: 19.54 MB
Leif, I looked at the files and they are a combination of vector and bitmapped layers. It would appear the coloured portions are vector objects filled with a bitmap. This is a common way of applying textures in vector drawings.

~Douglas
Reply With Quote
  #10  
Old 07-28-2008, 01:41 PM
Leif Ohlsson's Avatar
Leif Ohlsson Leif Ohlsson is offline
Member
 
Join Date: Jul 2007
Location: Göteborg, Sweden
Posts: 2,640
Total Downloaded: 54.96 MB
Thanks Douglas,

I thought so too, but when I open the files in Illustrator the coloured fields aren't preserved as bitmaps, but the programme sees fit to scan it in some queer vector way. That's my problem.

In other similar files, the pdfs have always opened exactly like you described, as vector objects plus bitmap files.

Have you actually been able to open the files the proper way in a vector programme? If so, I'd be very much grateful for any version (svg, ai, or a pdf saved to preserve vector + bitmap editability) that I could try my hands on.

I would like to enlarge it, and possible recolour it, you see, and I don't want to go the Photoshop way when the vector possibility is so close...

Leif
Reply With Quote
Google Adsense
Reply

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 03:04 AM.


Powered by vBulletin®
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.

Parts of this site powered by vBulletin Mods & Addons from DragonByte Technologies Ltd. (Details)
Copyright © 2007-2023, PaperModelers.com