Robbe "Geier" Flying Wing

Built from the long out-of-production Robbe "Geier" kit, which I found on eBay. Used the ribs etc. from the kit as patterns to cut pieces from balsa stock. Built-up fuselage instead of using plastic pod from kit, also using the transmitter's electronic V-tail mixing instead of the mechanical mixer from the kit.

Wingspan	1.5m
Area	46dm2
Weight	925g
Wing Loading	20g/dm2
Engine	OS-15

Flies slowly, but can also go fast, very easy to handle. Motor runs for about 5 minutes. Typical flight time is 8 minutes unless it catches a thermal. Lands in grass. Not a great glider, but fun to race around the sky. When up high and only a black silhouette, it looks just like a bird.

KCRC Model-of-the-Month August 2010.

Chipsair Wackeltest

A scratch-built airplane for testing the OS 'Wankel' rotary engine.

Wingspan	150cm
Wing Area	34.5dm2
Airfoil	Eppler 197
Elevator	6.25dm2
Stabilizer	3dm2
Weight	1700g
Wing Loading	49g/dm2

A basic high-wing design with a slight old-timer look. Building started with the wing, using the E-197 outline printed with Profili. The rest was designed ad-hoc based on which pieces of wood happened to be available and what 'looked about right' with maybe a little inspiration from the DeHavilland Beaver to get the stabilizer outline and some 'round' windows on the side. Details of the front were determined after the rest of the plane was already covered to locate the engine such that the CG would be at 25% of the wing cord.

To reduce stress on the wankel engine, full-throttle runs are limited. In addition, the oil content of the fuel is raised by adding 2oz castor oil per gallon.

The plane flies great, like a trainer, but with more than enough power for vertical climb-out after takeoff. Most of the time I fly at 1/3 throttle. At full throttle it can flip and roll like crazy. On landings, it bounces easily if still at 'floating' speed.

KCRC Model-of-the-Month July 2010.

The Ultimate AL-811 Tuneup Checklist

Overall Tuneup

1. Amplifier HV, STBY, OFF
2. Adjust Antenna Tuner
3. Set Band Switch
4. Transmitter power low
5. Turn ON. Check Tubes lit, Plate Voltage ~1.7kV, Plate and Grid current 0mA
6. Preset LOAD and PLATE
   

   MHz	LOAD	PLATE
   7.1	2.25	7.5
   14.0	3.0	8.75
   14.15	3.3	8.75
   14.3	3.75	8.75
   18.1	3.3	8.7

   
   
7. Ip, XMT OPR. Check plate current Ip=0mA. Key in SSB mode. Ip~60mA
8. In CW mode, increate Xmtr power until Plate Current 450mA or Grid Current 100mA
9. Tune PLATE, LOAD, PLATE for max power. Keep LOAD a little to the right of max. output power. Stay below 100W input, 450mA plate, 150mA grid.

ALC

1. Set Xmtr power to get about 400W amplifier output
2. Connect ALC line, adjust ALC (back of amplifier) so that output starts to drop a little bit. From now on, Xmtr output is limited to generating 400W amp out.