2013 "G" Challenge

[kittyfritters]

Hi Everyone!

The 2013 "G"Challenge will be a one design challenge for the Guillow's #703, Edge 540, to be flown free-flight with rubber, CO2, or electric power.


Here are the rules for the 2013 Guillow's "G"Challenge

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1.Eligibility:

a. The "G" Challenge is open to any one in the world.

b. There is no entry fee.

c. You must have a Yahoo login ID and join the group Guillow's "G" Challenge.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/guillows_g_challenge/

d. This group and the Challenge were created and are maintained by its moderator for the enjoyment of Guillow's model enthusiasts and has no official connection with Paul K. Guillow, Inc.

2.Prizes:

a. There are three first prizes for 2013, Flying, Best Appearance and Craftsmanship, and Overall Combined score.

b. A Guillow's kit prize will be awarded to each first prize winner

c. You may enter more than one model, but only the highest scoring model will be considered in each category.

d. All models will be judged for Appearance and Craftsmanship. A model is considered for the Flying prize simply by posting a flying time in the entry database.

e. The Overall Combined Score ranking is the combination of the appearance points and the flying points.

3. Eligible models:

a. This challenge is a one design challenge for the Guillow's #703, Edge 540, laser cut model.

4.Structure:

a. The model must be built with the kit wood . You may order replacement sheet wood from Guillow if a sheet that came in the kit is too heavy. (You may have to pay for it.)

b. A model is considered built with the kit wood if the primary structure, ribs, formers, and sheet wood outlines came out of Guillow's laser cut sheet wood and the plastic parts from the kit are used. The kit wood may be lightened by any method, and other, reinforcing structure may be added if desired.

c. The nose may be modified to make the prop bearing more stable and adjustable.

5.Landing Gear:

a. This model has fixed landing gear.

b. If desired, the landing gear may be made to disconnect from the model in event of a crash landing.

6. Power:

a. The model may use a two or three-bladed propeller.

b. The prop may be of larger diameter than the prop supplied in the box and may be made of wood or plastic. If the model is rubber powered complete front end assemblies,such as the Gizmo Geezer, are allowed.

c. Any replacement thrust button may be used for rubber power.

d. The model may be powered by rubber bands, a CO2 motor or an electric motor.

e. CO2 and electric motors will be limited to 30 seconds of run time for flight timing.

f. If the model is rubber powered the motor peg may be moved from the kit position.


7. Covering:

a. The model must be covered with tissue or plastic film.

8. Finish:

a. The model may be finished as any any Edge 540 that exists or might have existed. Imagination is encouraged.

b. If finished as an actual aircraft a photo of the aircraft modeled must be posted along with the required entry photos to qualify for extra points.

9. Time Limit:

a. The Challenge starts with the posting of these rules.

b. The deadline for finishing the model and posting pictures

and flying time is October 31,2013.

9. Judging:

a: Appearance and Craftsmanship judging will be on the basis of 100 possible points for appearance. An additional 2 points will be added to any score when the model is a representation of an actual aircraft. The photo of the actual aircraft must be posted with the required entry photos to get the additional points.

b. The Flying points are awarded on the basis of the best three flights made by the model before the Challenge deadline.

The time of each flight is entered in the database and the points per flight are awarded as a straight total of the three flights in seconds. An official flight is a minimum of 10 seconds. Entry is on the honor system.

Flying points are awarded as follows:

1 to 40 seconds.......each second = one point.
41 to 93 seconds.......each second = one half point.
Over 93 seconds...no additional points...bragging rights.

Maximum possible overall flying points = 198 (3 flight total).

Actual maximum flight times will be used to rank flying times in event of a tie.

c. The Overall Combined Score ranking is the combination of the Appearance and Craftsmanship points and the Flying points. The maximum possible Overall Combined Score is 300 possible points. Actual maximum flight times will be used to rank Overall Combined Scores in event of a tie.

d. The staff at Guillow has kindly volunteered to do the appearance judging from the posted photographs. Their scores are final.

e. When all the appearance point scores have been received by the moderator the results will be posted in a database, 2013 Challenge Results.

10. Posting:

a. An album, 2013 Challenge Entry Photos, will be set up for the required entry photos. Post a 3/4front view and 3/4 rear view jpeg image of the model, with your name + 1 for the front view and + 2 for the rear view. The image should have at least 720 X480 resolution with 1024 X 768 desirable. A database, 2013 CHALLENGE ENTRY, will be set up for the flight times and short comments about the model.

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Let the Fun begin!

Howard

[Mitch]

Just looked at this "NEW KIT" on there website... This looks great... This kit looks fun to build... I'll be in this year! Mitch
UPDATE:

Got my team picked out... Powered with rubberbands and Red Bull Mitch

[kittyfritters]

Mitch,

One way to get the logos right would be to unroll a can and scan it into a scalable graphics program. However, I'm sure there are examples on the Internet.

Howard

[Bill Gaylord]

I noticed this is a FF contest, so maybe I'll have to try FF one of these days. Probably not for this one though. Oh well, I'll have to buy a second kit for that.
Just found the kit at the LHS yesterday, which is an easy pick-up for $26. I imagine these kits are showing up at the hobby shops now. No Pilatus Porter as of yet, but probably when they get one I'll buy it also.

[Bill Gaylord]

Finally attempted flight with this plane, and have a bit of adjusting to do. Also flew the Beaver, which will need rudder mixing as a first. I wasn't happy about breaking the float mounts and repairing them, but it could have been worse. Back to the Edge, the first issue was that the plane required up elevator to maintain level flight. I don't believe this is a fault of the plane, with the first adjustment being a thrust angle change. When the prop angle is set to match the molded cowl face, it will appear to have considerable upthrust. I now believe this is intentional, with the designer doing their homework in determining the thrust angle. This model uses a symmetrical or nearly symmetrical airfoil that is a bit different from a typical "clark y-ish" section. My prop angle is now changed to more closely match the cowl face. I also use a conservatively forward CG for an initial launch which can contribute to nose dropping, and will experiment with moving it rearward a bit. The few short flights were stable and indicated that the CG could be moved rearward. Being an rc model, it is heaver than a FF version and is not exactly overpowered, but I believe it should maintain level flight with the available power, once adjusted properly. I've also ran an additional cell (3s) on this setup in the past, which would add considerable power if really necessary, although it is beyond the specs of the gear.

I anticipated some adverse aileron yaw, but had more than expected. In fact, the adverse effect was so perfectly balanced that the plane would maintain perfect level flight, throughout the entire aileron travel range. I had to shut it down and land, thinking it was a radio problem at first. This in not unusual with large ailerons, and can be corrected by several methods. The control horns were offset rearward of the hinge line to provide positive aileron differential, but apparently did not provide enough. The ailerons can adjusted such that both are moved slightly upward when in neutral aileron position, but I would consider that crude and unorthodox for an aerobat. With the individual ailerons, a micro 6 channel receiver would be ideal, so that aileron differential can be programmed. This is eventually what I plan to do, and had intentionally used individual aileron servos specifically to have differential programming ability. For now, I used the non-orthodox method for an aerobatic plane, and mixed the rudder to the ailerons, which has always reduced adverse yaw to a manageable level in the past.

[kittyfritters]

Bill,

Obviously, I have never tried to do an RC conversion of this model, but I have seen other mid-wing designs of similar size that suffered from adverse yaw unless the aileron servos were set for up only actuation. Could this be another one?

Howard

[The Cameraman]

Hi Bill,

do you have any shots of the Beaver?

Regards

Reggie

[Bill Gaylord]

Howard this definitely seems to be a model where you would want considerable differential, with more up than down aileron. I believe that a rudder mix will make it flyable, but a 6ch micro receiver would allow for differential aileron setting and be the best solution. I should order one of these while they are still around. https://www.bphobbies.com/view.asp?id=C ... d=E1704723 They have proven to work well, and are less expensive than the Spektrum micro receivers. I have more faith in them than the low cost knock-off micro Spektrum receivers.

I was wondering if you had noticed the plane liking a high thrust angle, matching the prop angle to the front surface of the cowling? I believe the prop angle change that was made will help, as the angle of cowling front surface seems to indicate that the prop should be set for up thrust, in order to make the spinner mate well with the cowl. I now believe that the cowling front face was intentionally angled to represent the ideal prop angle, but have not heard confirmation on this.

The Beaver photos are in a complete build thread on the forum. The floats have been reattached after being ripped off from a spin and look terrible, compared to the initial painstaking attachment where they were perfectly aligned. Short chord planes at it's size seem to have spin issues when they are not feather light. I had the same issue with the Storch, where it has to be flown fairly fast and carefully. I should have waited and put it on the radio that I now have, where I can mix rudder and use less aileron input on the small ailerons for a turn. Long story short, when a small plane starts getting away you will turn in one direction. When it doesn't respond well, you tend to turn a bit hard in the other since it is getting out of sight, and do not expect it to turn hard in that direction after not turning well in the other direction.