UNORTHODOX FREE FLIGHT MODELS SECOND PAGE

Continuing with the unorthodox theme, I wonder exactly what is meant by unorthodox? Looking around me at the last Middle Wallop meeting in August, 2003, I feel that to some it could mean anything that is not a high wing monoplane. Whereas to others it would have to be at least a little more unconventional, ie canard, or annular.

What does unorthodox mean to you, and have you built or flown it? Send me an e-mail and let me know what you think, and, if you can, include pictures. E-mail to Colin

Project Parasol

Designed by Ron Moulton and published in Aeromodeller, August 1962, this flexible-winged aeroplane can be flown as a glider, or powered by rubber or ic.

The Parawing, developed by Francis Rogallo at NASA, provides the lift, but must be flown at a positive angle of incidence at all times, and it must not be overpowered. Like the early hang-gliders, if it is flown too fast the fabric starts to flap at the trailing edge, and eventually the flapping will destroy the lifting ability of the wing. According to Ron Moulton this happened to their model when they used some hot fuel, the Parasol falling out of the sky from about 500 feet, but not doing any serious damage.

I asked my son to hold the Parasol in the air so I could take a picture with the wing inflated, but the wind kept blowing the wrong way, then the wing fell off, and my son got fed up?	The three power systems: Cox Pee Wee 020, Glider and rubber (Gizmo Geezer free-wheel system), all held on by two small rubber bands

It has taken quite a lot of time for me to trim the Parasol so that it flies reasonably well, and reasonably reliably. The problems being that the centre of gravities were not in the correct place (my fault), and it is a very short, squat flying wing that cannot help but be unstable! There are two C of G's on this model, the usual horizontal one, measured about a third back from the front of the wing, and the second, a vertical one measured up from the bottom of the front wing support. Simple really, if you follow the instructions you will not usually go far wrong.

I had the chance to try the newly balanced Parasol on Salisbury Plain, and was amazed just how well it flew. The first flight was short due to the small amount of fuel I put into the tank, but encouraged by that flight I filled up and launched into a mild thermal. The flight was great reaching about 400 feet altitude after several lazy right-hand circuits, followed by a wandering glide and a very gentle landing. WOW.

Excellent, now what can I build next?

Sorcerer

Well, the answer to that is the Sorcerer, designed by John Taylor. Although the plan was published in the Aeromodeller, John was never credited, although I believe he was paid the princely sum of £25. The simplicity of the design, combined with the unique and entertaining shape meant that it was very easy and quick to construct. I spoke to a modeller who used to fly free flight on Epsom Downs, and he said that the week after the plan appeared in the Aeromodeller several examples appeared on the Downs. They cavorted in all directions making it look, for all the world, as if the Martians had landed.

The DC Dart is the pefect engine for the Sorcerer, but must be throttled back a little for a controlled climb and glide.

A complete circle	Note the reflex

Flight trials at first proved that there was too much reflex, causing the Sorcerer to loop continually if the engine leaned out after launch, so that had to be reduced. Subsequent flights in very light winds proved just how well the Sorcerer flies, with a steady climb followed by quite a good glide for such an unusual wing shape.

Great fun. I would recommend the Sorcerer to everyone. Now, what about a double size version, blow up the disc to 36 inches, fit a low-powered 1cc diesel, and that should blot out the sun quite well!

Cekoadon

The Cekoadon, designed by Pierre Dupin in 1986. It is undoubtedly one of the most extreme models in any unorthodox collection, and yet is remarkably stable. It will fly happily in winds when most other modellers have put their planes back in their cars.

I wrote to Monsieur Dupin in 2004 to ask about the Cekoadon. He replied saying that the design was based on a number of styles he had seen over the years, but included his own ideas and interpretations.

This one belongs John Close	My copy is slightly smaller - oops!

As to the rather strange name there is a simple, if rather convoluted, explanation. Monsieur Dupin actually based the name on a French game show, in which the contestants had to correctly identify a strange object. The show was "Cest quoi donc" which means, "So what is it then?". He thought it would be original to name it after the show, but modified the name to Cekoadon. As it such a bizarre design I think this is very suitable.

There have also been r/c versions of the design. Monsuieur Dupin sent a shot of an r/c version which you can see below. Looks like it is two channel on rudder and elevator, with that perennial favourite Cox 049 for the power source. Apparently it flies very well.

You can just see one of the servos on the crescent wing

Flying Hankie

As the well known expression goes: "Now here is something comletely different". So different, in fact, that it can hardly be called a plane at all. It is more akin to a flying saucer than a plane, and flies in a similar way to the Cox flying saucers.

Although the whole thing is somewhat unstable, the power of the engine is enough to pull the hankies upwards, sometimes to several hundred feet altitude. The spinning propellor makes the whole engine counter rotate, but the hankies slow this rotation down enough to allow the Cox Babe Bee to pull upwards. The ends of the hankies tend to flare out, giving the contraption the look of an unstable, and demented, inverted flying T-shape in the sky, or as one of my flying pals put it, " A flying sperm!!!!".

The idea was that of an American guy, who obvously had plenty of open, people-free, space to fly in. This is definitely not a model to launch where there are lots of other people, as the glide is a plummet, and the powered flight is highly unreliable.

However, at a recent free flight meeting I was able to fly the device to a reasonable height, and, as there was little breeze, was then able to catch the falling Hankie before it hit the ground.

The pictures below were taken by my friend Peter, on Salisbury Plain, on the first really good flying day of 2007. As you can see the weather was very warm, although there was a 5 to 6 mph breeze that caused the Hankie to veer off downwind.

The Launch	It's off	Going, going	Nearly gone !

As far as unorthodox models are concerned this is probably the most unorthodox model I will ever build, and so the next one is likely to be quite normal by comparison!