Draco DLG
discus launch glider

2003.12.16

Got it yesterday after a never ending 2 month + wait...

It's a 2 channel, 1.5m, poly wing, cruciform tail DLG.
Wing is bagged with blue Dow foam core, and carbon reinforcement stripes.

All that was left for me to do was to install the rx and battery.
I used a Hitec Electron 6 rx and a 4*AAA 750mAh NiMH battery that should last for days on a single charge.

AUW with this configuration is 306g (10.8oz).

As was to be expected considering the long tailboom, characteristic to most DLGs, I had to put the rx and battery all the way to the front to get the CG right. Good thing I chose to use a heavy battery as at least it won't have to carry dead load.

Actually, regarding the CG, I was instructed by the builder to put the CG way up front, only 2-3cm from the LE... Although absolutely newbie at this I chose by myself to put it further back, at the carbon fiber wing reinforcement which is roughly 30% of root chord (probably 15-20% of the mean chord, considering the double tapered wing planform). I'll try to set the CG based on my test flights and then measure it's exact position.

My first impression was good. What I didn't like was:

  • the wing LE has a point where there's no epoxy whatsoever, see this pic
  • the rudder pull-pull setup was not correctly aligned, see this pic
  • the weight of the launch peg makes the wing heavier on the left side so I needed a lot of right rudder for it to fly in a straight line, I will add 4g on the other wingtip to balance the wing and I hope this will solve the problem

    • 2003.12.18: flown it for the first time, no discus launch yet as there was not enough space, just javelin throwed it a few times to trim the CG and controls; the CG had to move a little forward and I had some problems with the unbalanced wing (see above), but it looks promising

    2004.08.14 - New wing for an old Draco

    My original poly wing for the Draco had a mishap some days ago on a crash, I tried bungee launching it but the bungee got stuck on the hook... Major wing delamination and cracked foam.

    So I finally finished setting up an aileron wing for it. It was built with zero dihedral which I don't like so I cut it in half and re-glued it with a generous 7 degree dihedral on each side.

    Aileron servos are GWS Pico+BB .

    Two strips of carbon fiber reinforcement on each side of the dihedral joint.

    I still haven't worked on the bolt holes... I have to open them up and reinforce them with epoxy but didn't do it as I was in a rush to test fly it today. As was to be expected the foam didn't hold up and a tall grass landing was enough to widen up the aft hole...

    Detail of the servo linkage.

    Still missing is the wing peg. Flew it first time today at Pirapora do Bom Jesus slope, worked perfectly! I have fery little experience flying aileron wings but fared relatively well on the maiden flight.