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Old 01-27-2020, 01:03 AM
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mbauer mbauer is offline
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Rubber Band Power

Hello,

Starting off on a new project. But first a little back ground:
Last year Aaron Murphy designed a new model around the paint job I was creating for my airplane. The airplane is a Vans RV-6 homebuilt.
Rubber Band Power-dscn2523-copy.jpg

The model Aaron created was incredible, it got me to wondering about using a rubber band to power it.

I emailed Aaron and he gave me permission to use his design to "morph" into a rubber band powered model. It just would not work. Too many glue joints on the fuselage, extra weight and possible weak connections if not glued correctly.

Last week was sitting here looking at the little "box" type model I created to test the paint. Thought to check it out and see if it could be hot rodded by adding a propeller and rubber band system.

Aaron's model and my simple box design:
Rubber Band Power-pict0296.jpg

Aaron's model a little beat up from the 7.1 Earthquake we had on 30Nov2019, fell from bookcase and book hit it breaking off the landing gear, was not able to get it to back on correctly.

The other rubber band models I have designed, use the rubber band and stick to catapult them.
Rubber Band Power-pict0057.jpg

Someone a few months ago was asking me about when a propeller design would be done. Had no desire to do propellers planes, most have been done over and over.

Then the bug hit to do this rubber band power project.

So here goes.

More to follow.

Best regards,
Mike Bauer
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Old 01-27-2020, 04:01 AM
SteveB SteveB is offline
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Hi Mike

if you're talking about a 'traditional' type of rubber powered plane, the first thing you'll need (as you'll probably know) is a pretty strong core to contain the rubber. I've only ever built one rubber powered model - many years ago from a commercial balsa and tissue kit. First flight veered to one side so needed trimming. Second flight a bit better. Third flight - maybe a few more turns on the rubber. Oops. Loud crunch as back end shot forward to meet front end. The crumpled mass was way beyond repair, but it was fun while it lasted!

This'll be an interesting challenge - designing a structure that's strong enough to handle the forces involved, yet light enough to actually fly. Good luck with it, will be following with interest.
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Old 01-27-2020, 06:03 AM
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southwestforests southwestforests is offline
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Hmm, going to have to follow this and see what develops.
Used to have a lot of fun with those stick and tissue aircraft, loved Comet's kits.
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Old 01-27-2020, 09:09 AM
Willie1914 Willie1914 is offline
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Same here -- grew up building Comet and Guillow's kits.

Will definitely be following this thread.

Willie
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Old 01-27-2020, 01:25 PM
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Zakopious Zakopious is offline
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YouTube has a video about making a rubber powered paper airplane.
A strong central beam or tube is needed to oppose the pull of the rubber band and the rest of the plane must be very light.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FB2g_q0n8mI
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Old 01-27-2020, 02:35 PM
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Don Boose Don Boose is offline
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You also will want to have a tightly-fitting removable balsa nose plug with some way to adjust the thrust-line of the propeller.

If you can find any of the old books by Don Ross, Bill Warner, and Bill Hannan, you will find them very useful.

Bill Warner's book on building the classic Flying Aces Moth deals with a specific model, but the techniques are applicable to all simple free-flight stick-and-tissue rubber-powered airplane models: https://www.amazon.com/Building-Flyi.../dp/0830625100

Bill Hannan's books may still be available here: Plans and Things

Don Ross's books seem to be available through Amazon : https://www.amazon.com/Rubber-Powere.../dp/0938716190

This is one of several stick-and-tissue sites with a lot of information: https://www.stickandtissue.com/cgi-b...num=1355704183
https://www.stickandtissue.com/links.htm

And for more complex, 1/24 scale warplanes, Dave Diels' site is one good place to go. I suspect that you can also contact Dave for advice and information: https://dielsengineeringinc.com/

Others will have more up-to-date info (I haven't built stick-and-tissue for about a decade, but retain a deep-down interest).

Keep 'em flying!

Don
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Old 01-27-2020, 06:15 PM
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If I were to build a rubber powered prop job from sheet paper as opposed to stick and tissue, one thing I'd engineer in to the model is a model rocket body tube, something like a BT-20 (roughly 18mm diameter) as the fuselage core.
It is light, sturdy, and can take thrust forces.
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Old 01-27-2020, 09:59 PM
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I wonder how hard it would be to add a thin-walled tube, like a straw, inserted into the body. And you can get straws made out of just about anything: paper, plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, chocolate, vegetables, rice, etc.

I work with all kinds of aluminum tubing at work, and the really thin-walled stuff is practically weightless.
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Old 01-27-2020, 10:28 PM
bob neill bob neill is offline
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I have not heard of a plan's tail kissing it nose before. I vaguely remember from a past life, many years ago, a photo in one of the model airplane magazines of two winding power into a Wakefield(?) type model. The photographer snapped the shot at the exact moment (not the right moment) when the rubber split. The middle of the bird was a cloud of tissue and balsa shrapnel.

The magazine that had a monthly centerfold of peanut size was always interesting. Ah, the things we dream of!


Bob Neill
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Old 01-27-2020, 10:43 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by bob neill View Post
I vaguely remember from a past life, many years ago, a photo in one of the model airplane magazines of two winding power into a Wakefield(?) type model. The photographer snapped the shot at the exact moment (not the right moment) when the rubber split. The middle of the bird was a cloud of tissue and balsa shrapnel.
Brings to mind a page in a book by Don Ross, ahh, page 90, to be precise.
Quote:
"My UK Friend, Jeff Anderson, totally destroyed a 55" span unlimited model this way. The only thing he had left when the smoke cleared was the terrific color picture his son snapped at the critical instant."
Cause of this rapid unscheduled disassembly is given as the motor climbing off the propellor hook.
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