For a while I have been thinking about a replacement for the good ol' Zupair Z-1 that so many folks loved.
Recently I reached out to @vanquish to see if he might be interested in helping out with a new project. He was! I then reached out to VP to see if they would be interested in the project, and they were, so now we had a green light. In my mind this model must be vacuum bagged like the Z-1 and no one does better than VP with bagging!! Works of bagged art.
In no time at all Mario worked his magic and we had a new design! He knew the design limits and basic size and ran with it from there. (This is not Mario's first wing design.) I thought the vacuum bagged construction might cause issues for Mario, but he instantly understood what he could and could not do. I figured maybe I'd hear back from Mario in a few months.. or longer. I think it was just a few days later and he had the design fleshed out a with all of the calculations completed. Wow!
We have had great fun on this design and uniting these 3 individuals onto this single project. I think we are all very much enjoying this.
Here is a rendering of the original pure glider design.
It will be getting the VP carbon D-box treatment like all of their models.
After discussing radio gear and wing joiner placement, etc. it was decided to offer a fuselage pod for lower AUW and or electric motor in the nose. Mario then whipped this concept out:
The CG is at the rear tip of the pod.
After seeing this in the carbon, I'm really thinking we need to invest in molds. I was originally thinking we would make the pod a seperate kit and it would either be a wood hybrid construction, or sturdy 3D print, but dang... (VP does super nice carbon layup fuselages!)
I did promise VP it would not use a composite pod, but thinking he may like this too.
Mario designed her to be an all rounder. It will be able to thermal efficiently but also carry good energy on the slope. When in thermal the flaps and elevons will have some reflex for optimal slow flight performance, and drop them down for strong acceleration. The planform allows the flaps to be fully functional as if on a tailed aircraft. I'm sure Mario has more to share on my very short summary.
Wing halves pull apart for easy transportation, and winglets screw on with nylon bolts making her very transport/shipping friendly.
Mario refers to this planform as an "arrow" and had been calling the project AH-Arrow. Seems like a pretty good name to me.
Let me know what you think.
Recently I reached out to @vanquish to see if he might be interested in helping out with a new project. He was! I then reached out to VP to see if they would be interested in the project, and they were, so now we had a green light. In my mind this model must be vacuum bagged like the Z-1 and no one does better than VP with bagging!! Works of bagged art.
In no time at all Mario worked his magic and we had a new design! He knew the design limits and basic size and ran with it from there. (This is not Mario's first wing design.) I thought the vacuum bagged construction might cause issues for Mario, but he instantly understood what he could and could not do. I figured maybe I'd hear back from Mario in a few months.. or longer. I think it was just a few days later and he had the design fleshed out a with all of the calculations completed. Wow!
We have had great fun on this design and uniting these 3 individuals onto this single project. I think we are all very much enjoying this.
Here is a rendering of the original pure glider design.
It will be getting the VP carbon D-box treatment like all of their models.
After discussing radio gear and wing joiner placement, etc. it was decided to offer a fuselage pod for lower AUW and or electric motor in the nose. Mario then whipped this concept out:
The CG is at the rear tip of the pod.
After seeing this in the carbon, I'm really thinking we need to invest in molds. I was originally thinking we would make the pod a seperate kit and it would either be a wood hybrid construction, or sturdy 3D print, but dang... (VP does super nice carbon layup fuselages!)
I did promise VP it would not use a composite pod, but thinking he may like this too.
Mario designed her to be an all rounder. It will be able to thermal efficiently but also carry good energy on the slope. When in thermal the flaps and elevons will have some reflex for optimal slow flight performance, and drop them down for strong acceleration. The planform allows the flaps to be fully functional as if on a tailed aircraft. I'm sure Mario has more to share on my very short summary.
Wing halves pull apart for easy transportation, and winglets screw on with nylon bolts making her very transport/shipping friendly.
Mario refers to this planform as an "arrow" and had been calling the project AH-Arrow. Seems like a pretty good name to me.
Let me know what you think.
