Help with first RC build!

[canderson4]

Hi everyone, I’m working on my first RC plane build for a school project and was hoping to get some feedback before I go too far, mainly just want to make sure it’ll actually fly .

If anyone has any tips on making sure my general proportions and size is reasonable, or if there a good guidelines to follow for a simple, stable trainer I would really appreciate it. I am currently doing a wingspan of 77cm with a fuselage length of 57cm. I used calculators to help with other dimensions but I changed them a bit because they didn't seem right. I am also aware that 77cm might be a bit short. Would any of this deeply effect performance? Or will it still be able to fly if I get the balance right? Basically, how bad does a design actually have to be before it straight up doesn't fly, should I spend more time working on a guaranteed design, or just get into building and figure it out as I go?

I am also not doing an elevator or rudder, I am going to double the ailerons as elevators, if anyone has any tips for this type of design, or things I should keep in mind, I would really appreciate some tips. The calculators I used all included elevators and rudders, so how does the combined ailerons and elevators change the design? Should they still be toward the end of the wing, or closer, shorter? wider? etc.

Finally, whats a good way to get a well balanced plane, most of the advice I have been given so far is to make sure I balance it right, general tips or advice on this would be helpful.

I included a picture of my rough design below, does it look right proportionally? Any tips at all will be deeply appreciated! This is very new to me.

Thank you!

 

[Mike4xdriver]

Getting a rc plane to fly is much easier than the real deal. A lot depends on the engine power to weight ratio. Here's a cool example of how outside the box you can go and still fly

 

[WickedFog]

@tudordewolf @GBLynden
They might be of some help.

Getting a rc plane to fly is much easier than the real deal. A lot depends on the engine power to weight ratio. Here's a cool example of how outside the box you can go and still fly

We took one of those 3 ft wingspan styrofoam planes from a gas station and crashed it numerous times in a big airport hanger, just seeing how far we coud get it to fly. By the time we were getting all the way across the hanger, it was more box tape and carbide inserts than styrofoam. We added wing spars, arbide inserts in various places etc. I bet a couple pounds of weight, including a 3/4" x 8" long steel bar shoved into the nose. It was crazy how all the weight and stiffness made it glide forever. But as you said, power to weight... you had to Nolan Ryan that thing to get it to have enough air under it.

 

[tudordewolf]

Hi everyone, I’m working on my first RC plane build for a school project and was hoping to get some feedback before I go too far, mainly just want to make sure it’ll actually fly .

If anyone has any tips on making sure my general proportions and size is reasonable, or if there a good guidelines to follow for a simple, stable trainer I would really appreciate it. I am currently doing a wingspan of 77cm with a fuselage length of 57cm. I used calculators to help with other dimensions but I changed them a bit because they didn't seem right. I am also aware that 77cm might be a bit short. Would any of this deeply effect performance? Or will it still be able to fly if I get the balance right? Basically, how bad does a design actually have to be before it straight up doesn't fly, should I spend more time working on a guaranteed design, or just get into building and figure it out as I go?

I am also not doing an elevator or rudder, I am going to double the ailerons as elevators, if anyone has any tips for this type of design, or things I should keep in mind, I would really appreciate some tips. The calculators I used all included elevators and rudders, so how does the combined ailerons and elevators change the design? Should they still be toward the end of the wing, or closer, shorter? wider? etc.

Finally, whats a good way to get a well balanced plane, most of the advice I have been given so far is to make sure I balance it right, general tips or advice on this would be helpful.

I included a picture of my rough design below, does it look right proportionally? Any tips at all will be deeply appreciated! This is very new to me.

Thank you!

View attachment 272179

Start with a thorough understanding of the theory of how a typical plane flies: The tail pushes down, using the fuselage like a lever with lift from the wing as a fulcrum to lift the nose of the plane.

At a glance, you'll probably want a bigger tail, and skipping the elevator isn't an option. You can combine elevator and ailerons, but they'd have to be at the back of the plane, and usually this is done with a delta wing.

77cm is viable, for a plane that size I'd aim for somewhere around 400-500g, ~70-100 watts of motor power however you divvy it up.