Zoomslot Saucer

Radical Robert.

Contributes to the Flying Saucer sightings of late. Big hearings currently held on Capital Hill by men reporting sightings. I will believe it when little green people start knocking on my door asking for peanut butter sandwiches.

Thanks guys!… I always liked Mr. Clough’s designs and approach using common materials for great results…. The piece of foam was left over from when I insulated my shop…. I only needed to remove the foil skins….Del Gatto is good one too…. Love his plans and art work….. I think he drew a lot for other designers as well….

Gave it a Tyvek reinforced front end….and got one coat of tissue on it…. The article calls for silk span but I’m out so will double cover with tissue… color next…




Radical Robert.

Contributes to the Flying Saucer sightings of late.


Yes, thought I would contribute my part LOL!!! May end up getting me in trouble!!!
Pretty sure it’s going to end up being sub 250 gram….Maybe that will bail me out

I bet that you could also make some sort of water skimmer companion out of the design too.  Air boat type.  .049 on a pedestal or a BD-5 or W/M aeromite boat drive mechanism.  Or, or.....some Maple syrup and have it for breakfast.....................

Yes Sir Bob, It is kind of a boatish looking thing…. I’m sure it could be easily modified into all sorts of motorized vehicles…. I usually get bogged down straining at a gnat…. This one’s meant to be a quickie

Now has a coat of high tech space age material called…..well, …. Silver tissue paper  

Interesting Robert, but it must be airfoiled in some way to produce lift, but I don't see it in the profile. I read all the details. "Balance is achieved by moving the battery pack and hot melt glue"? It's beyond my ability to build or understand, but I'm eagerly awaiting a flight report.

It is sort of like a bumble bee, it doesn't know it can't fly and so it does. I gather that the zoom slot helps the wing to maintain a slight positive incidence, so it deflects the air to give it a touch of lift. It is the same principle as with the non-airfoiled aircraft. Take a flat plate, subject it to positive incidence and it will lift. A good number of 3D sheet R/C aircraft fly with flat surfaces with hardly any airfoil.

So, it may not be the most efficient, but given it is lightly loaded, it just does. What more is needed?

I equate it with a "lifting body."  Lot's of different types but most have some sort of vertical propulsion.  It will be interesing to see how Robert's does. But, as I have noted before, you can get anything to fly and people have...........toilet seats for example but they are airfoiled.

I think that’s a good explanation George, Flat plates, While not very efficient, Can produce lift when subjected to a little positive angle of attack….Additionally, I think the slot on the saucer stabilizes the roll axis by directing a good bit of air over the fin which is in close proximity to it…. Among other things it does…

I think it is pretty amazing the Roy Clough was was able to achieve stability with this layout in a FF version in 1952…. The article of that version explains more how the slot works…

https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=9528

But, as I have noted before, you can get anything to fly and people have........

I had an old Air Force vet tell me one time Bob, “You can get a brick to fly if you put enough power on it” LOL!

rdw777 wrote:I had an old Air Force vet tell me one time Bob, “You can get a brick to fly if you put enough power on it” LOL!

That was a common statement by ukies (U Control flyers) back in the day. Love the design of the day. Roy was a genius. Paul Del Gatto (designs having his initials, P.D.G.) was also another prolific designer of the unusual. He had flying saucers, helicopters, gyroplanes, Jetex, and etc. Ray Malstrom was another.

Rough Clough had an unusual F/F lifting body, of which Skip Ruff converted to R/C in 1991:

https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=12158 Outerzone 12158: Martian Spaceship by Skip Ruff, Aug. 1991 Model Builder

rdw777 wrote:But, as I have noted before, you can get anything to fly and people have........

I had an old Air Force vet tell me one time Bob, “You can get a brick to fly if you put enough power on it” LOL!

I'm building one of those right now Robert. It's even brick red. Got enough paint on it to qualify. Just pulled the masking. In the future, the question.......Adult or kid? Owner would immediately think Kid! And correctly too. I needed some of your stensils.




Bob

That is a lovely lil bird, Bob, looking forward to seeing its looks with a COX powerplant in the nose..

Wow Bob, you hit a home run on that paint job!….The Grey made a good base to brilliant up the red!!!…. Very faithful to the box art, I like that…Whether it was kid or adult that built it, Would be fun to imagine what its (and your other rebuilds) history must have been like….They all have some character born into them…. You just spin it a little more to make them yours

Loved that FF Martian Spaceship Ken…. Could hear the excitement in their voices….I’m sure that was common with a lot of Clough’s designs…. To see if “That Thing” will really fly…The Atwood seemed the perfect match to it…. Pulled it up very gracefully….Video was well done too….

I’ve seen a video of Ruff’s machine flying too George …. Crazy maneuverable…Little loose in the roll but always keeps it self upright …I really like the old hand drawn plans and
P.D.G. was one of the best…. I think he drew a lot of Ken Willard’s designs…. Frank Zaic is another favorite artist of mine…

The saucer is coming along Nicely , I looked at the plans and read some of the article there is quite a bit involved in getting the balance and right but sounds like it will bee an impressive flyer .

Thanks Andras, Eric …. Next up, Needs a control center for the aliens

Silver and gold Robert, looks like a money maker.  Little tiny horizontal stab, big rudder and elevator, this is going to be fun to watch.  You have courage Robert, but it is a proven design.  Have you ever flown anything like this before?  

Consecutive loops require no practice; wingovers, Immelmans and snap rolls require just a little. When the power quits, Zoomslot glides surprisingly flat and can be aimed to land where you want it with a neat little elevator flare on touchdown.

Bob

Thanks Bob, I was into flying wings for awhile and purposely tried to make them go pronto….That’s about the closest I would come to something like the saucer….
The wing below weighed 5.8 oz and the motor was 70 watts…. A little less power than a
TeeDee .049…. Punch the throttle and would go straight up as far as I could see….Wound my own motors from kits for them as well….. Only thing about something thin like the wing or the saucer is when they go “on edge” may be a little difficult to keep orientation …. I give the saucer a 50/50 chance to get past trimming … But we’ll have fun trying

Hi rdw777,
Nice project, thanks for sharing...
Cool 'slot effect' and RE control...
I have seen 'pizza box' planes go really great with elevons and enough thrust...
I'm working on a 24in 'scale Monarch Butterfly', under 250g rule here.
Problem is, I want flapping wings...
Take care,
Have fun,
Dave

Thanks Dave! Whose Monarch are you building?…. Ken Johnson published one in Model Builder that was a flapper….I’ve built a few of his flappers…. Tedious but good flyers…. AMA handles MB’s plans now….

Wound my own motors from kits for them as well

I can't imagine the patience and dexterity that took Robert.

Hi rdw777,
For my 'butterfly', I'm designing it my self.
The wing panels will 'flop' up and down 20deg due to 'slack rigging'...
Hard part is getting cg ~25% without added wt.
Looking for lighter clear plastic fin material...
Speaking of fins...
Nice one on your R/E saucer, should fly straight, until, you use rudder.
I'm thinking left rudder, will roll it right, and it will turn right...
Reversing rudder, it should fly fine...
That is my thinking ?
Your 6oz wing is making me think 'scale Bat shapes' are possible !
Take care,
Have fun,
Dave

Thanks Bob, Love to get my strong glasses, Get under a strong light, And get in the zone

That’s a neat idea Dave on the loose rigging…. I bet it will give the impression of moving wings!….Hopefully the saucer will move the same direction as the stick…. But if not we’ll hit the servo reverse switch LOL!!!!