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DS43.2.7 - December 2008

After a hiatus to focus upon my graphic design and marketing business, I've started doing some small refinements again to
Topaz

DS43.2.7 - December 2008 After a hiatus to focus upon my graphic design and marketing business, I've started doing some small refinements again to

Topaz you seem more up on design concepts than Myself but it seems to me that the swept wing would have far greater pitch stability....just my thinking....TLAR method (that looks about right). What do you think about Jim Maupins Carbon Dragon? I know very little about sail planes but the Carbon Dragon has always facinated me. Maybe I will attempt one if I live long enough.
 
Once you dig into the math, you find out that stability can be dialed in for practically any shape or planform. My design above has about 8% positive static stability margin at the design CG position - about the same as most sportplanes. It's all about the relative positions of the CG and neutral point.

I like the Carbon Dragon. It's a pity that Jim's family won't sell the rights to the plans, or distribute plans themselves. That design is dead now, simply out of fear. Too bad.
 

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A tailless "flying plank" sailplane.
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