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[Joe Wotton]

Hi Tom,just wondering if you have had any more flights with the model,am very interested in how it is coming along.
Cheers Joe

[Thomas David]

Hi Joe,


I've had 40 flights with it now. It seems more promising the more I fly it. Biggest complaint is probably the snaps, you need to let them off a bit early, generally not very crisp. I think on a windy day it could do with a bit less drag too, but I haven't flown it on a windy day to be sure.


I think I'll build a new wing over the next few weeks with a thinner tip section, sharper le at the root, and slightly bigger ailerons at the tip. If that works I'll think about more updates and hopefully build a whole new one with more minor modifications ready for next season. I need a spare plane for the Europeans so must be a little industrious.


Cheers,


Tom

[Thomas David]

Hi


I've had about 70 flights on it now. I think its pretty good. I've now updated the design, reduced the root and tip section thickness (from 11% to 10% at the root and 16% to 12% at the tip), changed the sections (max thickness further back at the root, forward at the tip), increased aileron tip chord and extended it right to the tip, taken a lot of meat off most of the ply parts and a few of the balsa parts. Hopefully this will make it a bit less draggy and make snaps a bit more snappy in the F sequence.


Just in case anyone fancies building one I've shared all the dxf files ready for cutting here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1hOAvlCXIPwTVFGkvrd2VK21hugyZUIvv/view?usp=sharing


You'll need:
about 70 sheets of 3/32" x 36"x4") contest grade or light balsa
5 sheeets of 1/16"x900mm x 300mm birch ply
some 1/4" light balsa stick for the wing spars
some 1/4" light balsa sheet for the hinge lines and LE stock
some 3/8" sheet, I think for the fin LE stock and hinge line
a wing and tail tube and matching sleeves. I got them from Engel. Holes are 26mm and 13mm in the wing and tail ribs respectively.
some 8mm and 6mm dowel for anti rotation pins.
an undercarriage, I use the longest falcon one from Bondaero.
A hacker Q80, unless you want to modify the firewall.


enjoy,


Tom

[Peter Jenkins]

Well done Tom!  Impressive.

[Thomas David]

Started work on the updated wings.

[Thomas David]

Wings sheeted, LE and hinge line stock next.

[Thomas David]

Covered the wings and started work on the fuselage.

[Thomas David]

I had a good weekend flying the new wings. The changes seem to have the desired effect so now I just need to finish the new fuselage and start on a third set of wings to go on it.

[Thomas David]

The second fuselage is coming on nicely now. I also found a photo of me with my chilli breeze, about 20 years ago.

[Mike Wood]

Looks good Tom, just wondering who the other two in the photo are?

Mike

p.s. Just wondering how that colour scheme works in the air, with the "bold" orange at the angle and the
"slightly disappearing" silver?

[Thomas David]

Hi Mike,


The other two are pat vaudin and nick vining, they were in the Guernsey club. Pat did a few F3a comps around then, or perhaps a little earlier. You might remember John ogier too, who used to compete in f3a with electric canards in the 90s.


The scheme works ok I think, hard to judge objectively whilst flying it though. It's definitely easy to see. I'm considering removing the white on the bottom part of the fuselage on the next one, so it's just orange and grey, to show off how deep it is a little more. Slight problem that hobbyking covering is unavailable, I'm going to take the risk with easycoat but the orange won't match.


Cheers,


Tom

[Keith Jackson]

[font=]I also found a photo of me with my chilli breeze, about 20 years ago.[/font]

Now we are talking! Chilli Breeze / Irvine 36... fantastic!

[Mike Wood]

> " ... John ogier too, who used to compete in f3a with electric canards in the 90s..."

If he flew them at Barkston, then I do remember seeing them fly. One could say he was way
way ahead of the curve, with electric 

Fingers crossed for the EasyCoat.

Mike

[Thomas David]

Nearly finished the second one now, it's at artf stage so hopefully test fly it next week.

[sbarrow]

Just building one and was wondering if you have any photographs of the canopy and any structure you used for the top and bottom sheeting?  It looks like we might need supports for the fuse sides behind the wing and it is a long run without formers.