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Progress on Phil Lardner's All-carbon CD? (Part 2) 03 Sep 2018 02:06 #1203

Phil Lardner wrote:
I did not experience the odd stick forces in roll that you described after your first flights (the stick wanting to fall left or right of center when rolling), so that must have been an artifact of your build. The stick force in roll on mine are smooth, left and right, with slightly increased resistance as you reach the extremities of roll. Did you check your roll bell-crank and push rods against the plans after your first flights? The spring loaded rod-end ball fittings are at a slight angle to the push rods themselves - I wonder if that may be contributory - or is there any flexing in your push rods? I made mine from aluminium tube with a continuous length of 6mm threaded rod bent to shape inside. They're heavier than they need to b, but stiff and stable in profile!


It is possible that the CF CD (Carbon Fiber Carbon Dragon) wing/aileron is much stiffer than the original and not subject to as much twist when rolling.

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Last edit: by Don B.

Progress on Phil Lardner's All-carbon CD? (Part 2) 20 Nov 2018 19:53 #1210

Hi Folks,

I finally got down to editing (if you can call it that!) one of my thermal flight videos.

After releasing from the tow, I boated about staying local to the airfield for quite a long time, so feel free to skip through the boring bits (ie - most of it!) There is one good climb starting at around 30m30s.

Throughout the flight I was flying much faster than I should have been and was not getting the best out of the glider... but it was pretty rough in the thermals and I wanted to keep a bit of extra speed for security until I tuned in to how the glider handles and responds to both me and the air.

On my 1st thermal flight the previous day, I got comprehensively spanked out of a thermal I was playing with when I wasn't paying attention. If it wasn't for the strap across my lap I would have been chucked out of the glider - scared the bejeezus out of me!! :-)

Anyway, enjoy!
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Last edit: by Phil Lardner.

Progress on Phil Lardner's All-carbon CD? (Part 2) 21 Nov 2018 20:46 #1212

Great !!!
Congratulations for this beautiful Carbon Dragon.
it is a great thrill to see your flight over Aspres.
Yeeah !
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Progress on Phil Lardner's All-carbon CD? (Part 2) 21 Nov 2018 22:47 #1213

Hi Phil,
Great video!!!! Watched it 1,5 times now and really understand the ****ses, when I see your cap beeing lifted by a rollercoaster thermal! It is impressive that you hold your smile at these occasions. It really is a test for man and machine! I know the thermals there and they are alredy hefty under a hangglider.
Very inspiring, but the thought of those southern French thermals in my hometinkered glider .......

I will return quickly to see Shaun circling below you!

Thanks for sharing it and a pitty the landing was not on it. I am curious to see how your kitchen door hinged brakes work. Are they effective?
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Progress on Phil Lardner's All-carbon CD? (Part 2) 21 Nov 2018 23:30 #1214

Cheers Erik!

Despite the colourful language when I get whacked by thermals (apologies - I edited most of it out!), the glider was always very responsive to my control inputs and recovered quickly... unlike when I fly in that area in the hang glider, when I often have to quit struggling to stay in a thermal, resign myself to getting spat out and then attack it again from a different angle!

I was very nervous of every creak, bonk, crack and rattle that came out of the glider during the first thermal flight, but I quickly got used to that once I realised the glider wasn't going to fall apart! Towing up behind the C35 was quite a different experience to towing up behind a trike at 70-75kmh. All my farings (front and back) rattled outrageously in the higher airspeeds required to stop the C35 from stalling out of the air - it was a relief to ping off and return to almost silence!

I didn't use the air brakes during landing as the pull-cord that opens them was not well located. Pulling it fully open required wrapping the cord around my hand several times, making fine control a bit of a faff. I did open them 50% and 100% during the test flights, and my sink rate went up to about -1,5m/s and -3m/s respectively - so pretty darn good! I have the pilot pod back in the workshop at the moment and have re-worked the air brake cord system. It is now attached to a pivoted lever and can be partially or fully opened with very easily now.

I also added a pair of bicycle brakes to the main wheel which are actuated using the same lever once the air brakes are about 90-100% open. Thanks again for the wheel! I'll post up some photos once I've got it all working perfectly and tidied up a little. I had to remove the old wheel box and make a new one to accommodate the bicycle brakes.

All the best,

Phil.

PS - I posted a small package of goodies to you today - hope they arrive in one piece and are useful!
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Last edit: by Phil Lardner.

Progress on Phil Lardner's All-carbon CD? (Part 2) 24 Nov 2018 18:47 #1215

Well Phil.....now you really know the thrill the Carbon Dragon is to fly! I remember as I watched your two vid-eez what the experience was like on the two or three dozen flights I made in my Alnair.....many a scary moment but as long as I stayed with it the plane had plenty of performance to give me some support all the way to the ground. It is a Superplane! I have no doubt you are going to have a big load of fun flying yours and that you have there a plane that will help you become a better pilot than most!

Curious what the planes empty weight is? Figure it is probably in harmony with the use of carbon throughout. Guessing about 140 lbs. And you....maybe 180. That's about what I weighed on my first flight. Me....not the plane. The plane was about 228 as I recall.... empty.

I have not had time to work on my Realm for more than 3 years now. Keep her hangered 65 miles from here. Hanger is dry and each month I make a check of her. She is great and hopefully when I finish and go to market with my present idea I will see my way to finishing her. Me and my spouse can together enjoy travel and just hopping about in Realm after all these years (12) of putting the bits together and dreaming of the flying!

Enough....fly well and blow our collective minds with more Vid-eeZ~ and thanks Phil !

Gus

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