Sailplanes builds

[Knife]

After the build was complete, I decided I might as well add cockpit details. The real aircraft has a 15 meter wingspan, same as the Mucha Standard. So here are the two together, and you can see the Wampire II is larger, and longer wingspan. It's about 10% oversize. So I think I will put this up on the shelf for the time being and work on another model.

[Isaac]

Interesting comparison of the flying wing vs a conventional glider design.


As for the real sized flying wing glider, I am looking at it as an engineer and see a much heavier and more complicated construction glider. I wonder other than why not, what was the motivation for a flying wing glider?


Keep up the good work


Isaac

[Knife]

The motivation for any flying wing is simply to reduce weight and drag. No tail weight, no down force from tail surfaces, no tail surface drag. But usually wing washout and wing camber reflex required to make the flying wing stable enough to fly adds drag and reduces efficiencies so it's a wash. Unless you fly a B-2 bomber.


When the canopy is cut off the Wampire II, the wings just tend to drop. Basically the instrument panel in the model is carrying the tension to keep the wingtips off the floor. The real aircraft must have needed a very sturdy structure to carry the stresses around the cockpit tub.

[Knife]

Next in the line up is the SZD-25 LIS. The SZD-25 is basically a SZD-16 with new wings based on the Mucha Standard. Apparently the wing on the SZD-16 had bad performance. Since it is based on the SZD-16, construction of this model is about the same as the previous SZD-16 build. I used this model to test my idea that the nose cone is best made by cutting it up and gluing it to the fuselage, and not by using it as a separate part. I think it comes out much better this way. The wing structure has a wing spar, with a 3 sided box structure glued onto it to form the shape. I kind of liked the spar/box construction from the SZD-16 build better. The internal structure fits much better in this model than the SZD-16.

[Knife]

No real problems building the SZD-25 LIZ kit. Everything mostly fits. The nose cone and glare shield has the same fit problems as the SZD-16 kit. Looking forward to the unbuilt GPM kits, looks like they fixed this design flaw in later sailplane kits. Anyway, here are the final photos for the LIZ. You can see the similarity with the SZD-22 Mucha Standard.

[Knife]

6 GPM sailplanes completed, 6 to go (with tow plane). But most of the kits left actually have both 1/50 and 1/33 scale planes in the same kit. So 10 sailplanes and one tug plane left to build.

[Knife]

Next up is the GPM model of the DFS Meise-Olympia. The glider was designed to be a common type aircraft to complete in the 1940 Olympics. But darn if the Polish didn't convince the Germans to occupy their nation in 1939, cancelling the games. After WWII, the design was picked up by the English. Series production restarted in 1956 in Germany and France.


The model appears to be well designed. The kit comes with both 1/33 and 1/50 scale models. I started with the cockpit, which goes together nicely and looks good. Then I built up the nose section. You have the option to have the Olympic logo on the nose if you want. After building the exterior of the nose, I glued in the interior side panels. So far everything is fitting well.


I found a knitting needle makes a great tool for closing up the aft fuselage section. It's rigid and thin enough to extend through the aft opening.

[Knife]

Continuing the construction of the DFS Oylmpia, the tail surfaces have an internal box structure to give them shape. The tail skid fits well. The landing skid is a little over designed, but looks well. I think I may have discovered a non-ending supply of windshield plastic. The window off a Walmart pie takes Aleene stye PVC glue well. It works well for flat plain windows like on the Oylmpia. I hope to get this project finished up tonight. I start a new job on Monday so won't have much time for modeling.

[Isaac]

I got face shields with face masks built-in years ago ( before covid ) from a dentist office ( new ones ).

Just cut the plastic sheet and discard the face masks.



I still have some and just used a section for my F-104C Starfighter rear transparency which is a one curve flat plate.






Isaac

[Knife]

Nope, I would rather eat apple pie than go to the dentist. But to each their own.