As many of you know, I am a Europa wannabe. Looks like next summer before
I can start one.......So, I am doing the next best thing - building a 40%
scale model of one. The model will be over 7 foot long and have a cavernous
space in the fuselage. Plan to be putting a GPS and laptop computer on board
for data collection. The model will be used to try out various modifications
before committing them to a full scale airplane. Some of the things I want
to investigate are:
1. The mono wheel is a logical solution to the original design objectives.
I want to investigate other options. The tail wheel has grown to 8" and
the wheels on the outriggers have grown also. How does the drag of an RV
style, faired and spatted two wheel conventional gear with a usual size
conventional tail wheel and no outriggers compare to the drag from the
partially exposed monowheel, enlarged tail wheel and trailing outriggers?
Ground handling should be very typical tail dragger.
2. Effectiveness and handling characteristics of spoilers added to the top
surface of the wing. Location would be behind the point of laminar boundry
layer detachment, i.e. around the 50% point. This should help reduce the
Europas tendancy to relaunch it self after a wheel landing. Tests won't be
totally predictive of full scale handling characteristics due to the
turbulent flow airfoil being used on the model but should be a good indication.
3. Evaluate different cowling configurations.
4. One of the main reasons for building the model is to work out the details
of vacuum bagging the flying surfaces. I have constructed a vacuum pump
---From the compresser of a discarded refrigerator. The templates I am making
accurately duplicate the coring on the Europas foam wing sections so the
methods and techniques developed should directly apply to the full scale
wing constructon.
As this project is just getting underway I am open to any suggestions and
any areas that others would like to see investigated. Construction is going
to be as close to the full size plane as possible. Fusilage will use wet
lay up epoxy glass in female mold. Flying surfaces will be vacuum bagged
hot wire cut foam. Engine used will be a Zenoah G-62. Because of the
difference in Reynolds numbers the Airfoil used will be the Eppler E197
section rather than the laminar flow Dykins airfoil.
Steve Eberhart
newtech@newtech.com
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