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This will wonder off topic a bit but although Stuarts choice of words may
bother some, it leads us back to the question of airfoil accuracy. How
accurate do say Drelas DLG airfoils have to be to notice the intended
performance? I would say, no matter how skillful the craftsman, built up type
wings dont come as close as some bagged wings, and bagged wings dont come as
close as some properly constructed molded wings. Ive been getting into DLG
lately with a Photon II. Although it is
a pretty good DLG, I wanted to try a aileron type ship. I
debated over which plane to get. Bagged DLGs are light but airfoil
accuracy may be inconsistent. Molded Dlgs
may have a more accurate wing but can be very heavy. Then I read
about the new DLG Blaster Lite Barry Kennedy is bringing in. A molded,
elliptical planform wing DLG/Drela airfoils that from reliable sorces can be
brought in in the 10oz range. I couldnt resist, ordered one, and
cant, if the delivery guy will ever get that thing to me, wait to try it
out.
Walter
PS: Has USPS ever lost a shipment to any of you? If so, what
kind of a hassle is it to prove it was lost, get reimbursed, etc? I think
that is what happened to my Blaster, and being the negative person I am,
can only forsee a bunch of BS red tape w/USPS to finally get my plane. I
once ordered a slope plane from a vendor, he forgot some parts, threw them in
the mail, a two day delivery. They got "lost" and I didnt see em til
almost six weeks later. I sometimes wonder about the USPS, just when you
think they arent too bad, they pull stuff like this! Man, all I wanted to
do was just buy a plane-damn postal service.
Does Dr. Drela get a royalty for the use of his name in
advertising?
Did/does Dr. Selig?
Of course, the personal business of Doc D, or Doc
S.... is...their personal business, and worrying about it gets in the way of
building (if you are in the north) or flying in the south.
The people who benefit financially the most is you and
I the modelers. With information gleaned and sweated over by modelers
and other science guys, those two, with a lot of help from us focused their
attentinons on airfoils for us.
While I am totally concerned about whether they made a
buck at it, I am mostly just happy that they were brilliant and interested
enough to bother.
And that anonomous Czech worker-bee
is a guy or gal who has a family and is possibly a modeler too
who takes great care at his efforts to provide us with DrD or DrS inspired
foils. Lets not forget that it was one of those Czech
worker-bee's who brought 'organic' constructed models to
availability.
These nameless, distant, 'aliens' who with a
swipe of a piece of sandpaper are in fact with names and faces. Because
you haven't met them doesnt' mean they aren't personal flying friends to many
of us. They are us and they've done some pretty wonderful things for
us...with the help of many of us including DrD and DrS.
We just passed Thanksgiving and I know plenty of 'us'
who are glad that our friends around the world have made use of the latest
innovations to bring them their Drela foiled AVA/Topaz/whatever
into some other airfoil.
By referencing Dr D's foil, it gives us an idea of the
builders basic intent of the airfoil on the model, versus saying 'airfoil
by Czech worker-bee'.
In fact I've met some of them, and they aren't 'bees'
at all. Pretty much they look just like us and mostly want to have fun
with rc soaring.
Good post!
Gordy
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