How Do Model Airplanes Fly?

 By Victor Epand

Model airplanes are exact replicas of the various real airplanes that fly in the skies. These airplanes are powered by an engine that runs on gas or battery or electricity and some even use jet propulsion for the required power. These planes are normally made up of balsa wood, plywood or may be even composite fiber.
An important aspect to be considered, while designing these planes is the aerodynamic effect their shape would have on their flight quality. It is also very important to consider the center of gravity for the entire body of the plane, to enhance flight quality.The plane is controlled using a remote control. The remote control of the model airplane is similar to the remote control of a T.V. or music System or even a R.C. car. However, these remote controls use infrared waves, while model airplanes use radio waves. When flying the R.C. plane, the remote control acts as a transmitter, which sends radio waves.
A regular airplane depends on the airfoil components of its wings, to help in taking off with the forward motion. Thrust or push is essential, to make the airplane fly and move forward, as this has to be achieved against the wind direction and drag. It is only, when you can get more power against the gravitational pull and drag that your plane will fly. Location of the airplanes wings is essential for its flight. To make it stable, the wings can be designed a little on the higher side, as this would make the bottom of the aircraft heavier and give it better stability. If the wings are placed a little lower, it gives better maneuverability, as the weight is concentrated on the top of the aircraft.
To fly a plane, the aerodynamics is very important. This is where the wings come into play, as they have to get past the gravity and power the lift. It has to be greater than the airplanes weight, in order to help it take off the ground. This cannot be achieved, when the plane is stationary. It needs to get the thrust to move the wings forward, thereby creating the lift. The thrust created also depends on the wing surface, which is calculated in ounces per sq. foot. A light wing is recommended for beginners, as it can be controlled better than planes with heavier wings. The drag depends on the wing thickness. A thicker wing is for slower speeds and a lighter wing for racing and aerial acrobatics.
Dihedral is the angle of the wings, when tilted upwards from the body of the plane. This help in the stability of the plane, when in motion.
The engine of a conventional remote controlled plane is a two stroked engine, that uses glow fuel to power it. There are four stroke engines as well. Engine that use electrical power does not emit smoke and is relatively clean and silent. The range for a remote controlled plane is roughly a mile, which is good enough to be exciting and thrilling flying it.
Victor Epand is an expert consultant for model planes and model helicopters. You can find the best marketplace for model planes and model helicopters by visiting the best sites for model planes, model fighter planes, and model helicopters.

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Electric Model Airplane

By Dwayne Van Den Heuvel
There is a toy enthusiast in every person. Do you have an inclination toward remote-controlled cars, robots, and/or dry cell generated toy guns? Once you have been hooked into it, it becomes your hobby, a sport to be enjoyed more than anything else in life.
Another hobby or sport you should also be interested in trying is the electric model airplane. This is a bigger interest compared to the others exemplified above. Unlike the other model vehicles that require fuel and oil, this one doesn't. It is plainly electric. You need not have to suffer the mess of having oily hands or clothing when changing it's fuel. Another notable thing is that, there isn't any gas engine to maintain. Consequently, it is clean and it's not a tedious job to maintain it. Not only does it simplify your job, it also gives you more time to enjoy your sport and share it with someone of your kind.
Unlike other sport vehicles that can only choose certain areas where it can be practiced or played, an electric model airplane can be flown in almost any environment. On the one hand, glow fuel powered airplanes make alot of noise; electric model airplanes on the other hand make very little noise. Some models create no noise at all. So, you can fly calmly and placidly in the air.
Like other types of sports and hobbies, beginners just starting to fly and develop an interest in the electric model airplane can be easily scared and discouraged. So, starting this hobby can be a little risky at this time, given the start-up time and energy. Nevertheless, there are a number of types and models available to choose from that can help you to overcome your fear, or your anxiety. In addition, in order for you to attain this goal, you have to be adept of the basic knowledge crucial for the hobby or sport. Another point: understanding and adhering to all the necessary instructions are crucial.
Once you have started flying with the electric model airplane, you'll get used to it and you'll absolutely enjoy scrutinizing the ground from above.
If you are looking for more information about electric model airplanes [http://arcticlance.com/toys/electric-model-airplane], or other toys [http://arcticlance.com] please visit our site.

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Flight controls and basic principles

We know that the airplane uses basically three control components: the yoke or stick to the movement of ailerons and elevators, the rudder pedals for movement and handcuffs for the management of the engine. In particular, we know that as ailerons, rudder and elevators operate from cessnino to 777 in the same way (except for certain aircraft using aerodynamic controls implemented by the reaction, such as the MD-80, that is where the pilot does not go directly to move the control surface by hydraulic power, but moves a little flap on the surface and due to the aerodynamic control surface is set in motion), the helicopter operation is similar but takes place through different mechanisms.
We start from the yoke. Aircraft, so we call it, helicopters are called cyclic pitch lever, and is situated between the driver's legs, as many yoke. This joystick is acting up on pot through the servo control, and together with the collective pitch lever, working on the rods exchange step.

Figure 1 - Oscillating plate and drive, connecting rods and compasses antitorcenti exchange step.
(Unfortunately you can not see very well the swash plate fixed to the rotating underneath, you can just replace the picture)

. So, to bring the nose of the helicopter to push forward, turn left to push the left to pick up the nose shot towards the seat, and so on. I said that the dish is that the control plane on which you'll see the servo (the pulse of the pilot) and the connecting rods (links to the blades). Well, this dish is divided into two dishes identici.Un flat wheel with the group and a pale-rods, the lower one, does not rotate, being part of the actuators, which are fixed. So the movements of the actuators are transmitted by contact between the two work plans. However, the rods are not subjected to any transverse load: only deal with the impact of changing blades. That said, we pretend to be in flight, with steady state, and with a certain speed. At some point I have to turn left. I push my bar cyclic left through
levers (the fly by wire is not yet widely used rotary wing), the command comes to servos that "amplify" the hydraulic mechanical impulse and transmit it to the swashplate, making it tilt. As the top plate (rotating) connected to the lower (usually by double bearings) also will move the connecting rods. Will move in cycles. That is, as the rotor turns, the rod that occurs in the sloping side of the plate will drop by varying the incidence of the blade attached (in this case down). Clear, no? . Bene.C 'is another thing, I will tell you in a very immediate: The blades of a rotor, when they are subjected to a modification of their importance, they act as a gyro-free, and as a result of gyroscopic precession effects (reactions) occur at 90 ° with respect to actions .. look on the internet "gyroscopic precession" and you'll understand what I mean, otherwise we do at night.
Let us return to our flight control. We said that in addition to the cyclic pitch lever is also a lever called the collective pitch., Which is the type handbrake lever that you hold with your left hand. Here the issue is very simple: pulling up the lever all the swash plate (fixed and mobile) salt. So all the blades increase their incidence. As a result, the helicopter gains altitude.
We talked about cyclic and collective, it lacks the foot pedals. Also this is quite simple, if I move the helicopter around its vertical axis (yaw) acts just like on the plane: left foot, yaw left and vice versa. The poor tail rotor slap works under the third law of motion: it is in the air, the body of the helicopter is forced to rotate in the opposite direction of rotation of the pedal rotore.Con different then the collective pitch of rotor blades tail, increasing or decreasing the rotation effect caused by the main rotor induced.
Before talking about the engine, there are other interesting details that I want to introduce. The first concept is that the blades of helicopters are all warped. As the fusilli. Why? Simple: we pretend to slice the blade in multiple sections. We add up the lift in these sections, and we have the total lift of the blade. We know that from the root to the tip of the blade radius aumenta.La angular velocity remains constant (in rad / sec) The peripheral speed will therefore increase in proportion as I get closer to the tip of the blade. Consequently also increase the lift. The result would be a disk rotor lift than outward, and inward to a minimum. In terms of mechanical and kinetic is not the best of life. It would therefore take the twist of the blade: to have a uniform distribution of loads, the blades are warped around their longitudinal axis, in order to have a pitch angle decreasing from the root end. This does not prevent a phenomenon called "angle of taper "as the center of pressure of the blade is about half the blade, and assuming in theory that the center of pressure and center of gravity coincide (almost never the case) it creates a bending moment given by the force (in this case the lift) for the arm (the distance between the axis of the transmission and the center of pressure). 's why you take the hinges flappeggio: in this way the blade can "flappeggiare" without triggering dangerous reaction forces . We introduce another important aspect: the asymmetry of the disk rotore.Questo aspect is very significant in the motion passed. Let me explain: If my helicopter moves forward, we will have half the disk with blades advancing against the wind and half the disk with the blades downwind receding. This difference causes an asymmetry of kinetic portanza.Crediateci or not, is a known problem, which is held as it is. The interesting aspect is that the speed Vne (failed) helicopter will always be associated with this phenomenon: the dissymmetry of lift is very dangerous when you approach the supersonic regime (obviously speaking of the blade): If you travel as well as a risk that some half-speed disc is transonic and supersonic disk half, with disastrous consequences dynamics.


Turbine engines

 The vast majority of helicopters in use is equipped with a turbine engine. Compared to the piston engine know that it has advantages in terms of power to weight ratio, reduction of vibration and behavior at high altitude.
In the family of turbine engines, we can distinguish two main categories:
- Free turbine engines;
- Turbine engines tied up.
The free turbine engines are the category most popular and modern, in fact, tied the turbine is characteristic only of a few engines (for example, the Turbomeca Artouste II and III) and this type of engine has marked disadvantages than advantages: the benefit is time Fast response and simple construction, the disadvantages are that the engine has no chance of assembling "building blocks" (ie having only a tree on which all components are seated have many limitations in terms of maintenance practices ) and a chance to use envelope rather limited.
Then analyze how a turbine engine is free on a helicopter, taking as example a very common pattern: The PT6 Pratt & Whithey

This type of engine (figure shows the PT6A) is essentially two parts: the first goes from the first stage of axial compressor to the turbine power of the compressor (N1), and the second part is the free power turbine up to the output shaft (N2).
Using a rotary engine in the wing is essential to consider the basic rule according to which the speed of the rotor must remain nearly constant. We know that in the case of piston engine maintaining the rotor speed is assigned to manual control by the pilot or the aircraft it is fitted by the automated system known as the "governor".
In the case of turbine-powered (and always in the case of PT6, particularly PT6C-67C installed sull'Agusta Westland AW-139) power control is obtained by two main components: The EEC (Electronic Engine Control) and FMM (Fuel Management Module). The EEC is basically an electronic box that contains all the necessary components for automatic control of engine speed and consequently those of the rotors (main and tail). The FMM (in Figure 1 is the first component from the right, in front of the accessory box) all'EEC work together to control the dosage of the fuel usage throughout the engine. The way to use "automatic" motor is therefore through a network of sensors to detect deal with the speed of two shafts (N1 and N2) of the main rotor (Nr) of torque on the output shaft (Q) the engine temperature (in this case is going to ITT Interstage Turbine Temperature, ie the temperature difference between the two turbines) and the outside temperature (OAT). The mass of information coming from these sensors, coupled with the transducers of the collective pitch lever, converge in the EEC, which processes them and transmits them as impulses to the mechanical components of the FMM. In case of failure of the automatic pilot can govern the EEC manually using switches located on the FMM of the collective pitch lever, then the channel of "backup" of this type of equipment is always represented by human intervention.
Always talking about the engine, we face a problem that is easy to put on, and that is what happens when the engine is affected by a disaster.
In the case of a helicopter equipped with two engines, if flight conditions permit you are not forced to land but you can continue with the remaining engine. In the case of a helicopter equipped with one engine we will proceed with an operation called "autorotation". The particularly interesting from the point of view of the engine is that in the general case of a malfunction, the engine does not drag with it the transmission, but through a component called "free wheel" enables the transmission to disengage from the main motor. Basically it works like the freewheel of the bicycle: the pedals in a forward direction motion, another free themselves automaticamente.Senza this device would in fact have a direct link between engine and transmission, in case of mechanical blockage of the latter thereby blocks the entire transmission dll'elicottero, with easy to understand consequences.

Flight controls and engines

In the previous part we talked about how they interact with the flight control surfaces control the helicopter. In this part we will talk about piston engines used for helicopters, small, mostly for school activities, reconnaissance and shedding sostanze.Si These motor units to the public in general aviation: an example is in the Hughes 300, using the Lycoming HIO 360 (H = I = injection helicopter O = opposed, since the drive unit configuration using a 4-cylinder boxer, with double switch). This engine is almost onniprsente: cessna 172, PARTENAVIA P68, Piper Seneca, and many others. The difference between the models mounted on helicopters and those mounted on aircraft consists mainly in the cooling system (for air because we think the propeller, the helicopter is designed for a forced air system). Returning to the helicopter and the dynamic operation of the airplane, the acceleration of the engine behind a demand for power can be done in two ways: manual or via "governor". In manual mode the pilot to increase or decrease the speed of the engine by manually by rotating the knob of the gas. E 'instinctive, try this: put your left arm vertically with the closed fist. Pretend to challenge the collective and rotated by lifting the wrist to the knuckles approach to the seat. Conversely, when lowered, rotate the wrist to the outside, removing the knuckles. So, in summary: If I have to raise the helicopter, I must raise the collective pitch lever, collectively, by varying the pitch of all pale.Aumenteranno then the angle of incidence of the blades and the torque of my overall rotor. In short, as if with a car going into the mountains. Then I'll have to balance the power demand (increased resistance) with an opening of the throttle (power increase). Conversely, if I have to lose altitude, my collective will subside, and my throttle will rotate toward the minimum. This is where my helicopter piston has no "governor." If our helicopter is equipped with this device, I do not moves with the throttle, we automatically think about a series of levers and mechanisms. We are talking about piston engines, and for the referral of power we will talk about MAP, that is, Manifold Air Pressure: The air pressure in the intake manifold of the engine.

In figure (taken from a simulator, but fair enough) we can distinguish:

1) An instrument MAP (top left, in inches of mercury);
2) A double-lap, where the long hand lower, with the inscription "E" screen occupies the outer scale from 0 to 3500 rpm and the short hand of the rotor speed is on, bearing the letter R and its values range from 0 to 600 rpm. Note that the green band (the indicator has two rounds, but the lower to the ground and is valid at least) is very narrow? Well, to stay in the air, you have to stand in principle that the hands spazio.Questo idea was to make the in flight is a little more complicated affair, especially given the need to coordinate the hands, feet, wrists and head . Many drivers say it's like riding a bicycle understood the trick is not that difficult.