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  1. Autodidact

    Stabilization against buckling.

    Question for the structural gurus; if you have a length of column that constitutes the cap or flange of a beam (spar), it may want to buckle laterally (normal to the web), so how much (normal) force is required to keep it from buckling laterally? A simplified solution would be the handiest...
  2. Autodidact

    Why was the Cub a ...

    The Piper Cub is (in the USA) one of THE iconic aircraft. It's main rival in iconism is the Cessna 150, but you can trace the 150's evolution from the 140, and arguably from the Cub, as well. My first flight during which I took control of the aircraft, was in a Piper Tomahawk and I will never...
  3. Autodidact

    New members

    So, the newest member joined in August, two months ago? Seems like we used to have new members more often than that. On the other hand, there's been no spam lately...
  4. Autodidact

    Mid-wing Demoiselle

    Just an idea: turn the triangular truss upside-down and attach the wings to the now-top longerons. It could be very bare bones with single surface wings like the original Demoiselle and some modern ULs, or covered and faired with more modern wings like the RAE Hurricane or the Buhl Bull Pup. It...
  5. Autodidact

    Airplanes I've never seen before (from old magazines)...

    I think that this Wm. Warwick is that same Bill Warwick that D&B'd the Bantam - pretty cool loking high wing; does anyone know if there are better pics in another old magazine? This is from December 1961 Flying article on the EAA fly-in:
  6. Autodidact

    This place is getting lousy...

    Interesting spin (is that a pun?) on the Flea configuration, and it is a Flea IMO, because it has no ailerons and the pitch is controlled by increasing lift on the front wing, controls are the same etc:
  7. Autodidact

    Do airboat gear drives really work?

    I don't want to create a definition "what works" or in this case, "sufficiently reliable", what I would like to know and think would be helpful to know is what kind of quantifiable track record do these gear drives (airboat only, and geared only, please...) have when used in aircraft...
  8. Autodidact

    Flivver engine

    @ about 0:23, anyone ever seen a picture of the Ford built opposed 2 cyl engine? Here's a replica of the same version as in the video that is powered by a 2 cyl Franklin, from http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000598333L.html: I think this larger version with the Ford engine (had...
  9. Autodidact

    Name for an ultralight design

    Help me name an ultralight design I'm working on. I've narrowed it down to three choices: 1. Tiger Budgie 2. Mako Canary 3. Zanonia Raptor :grin:
  10. Autodidact

    Intriguing book from Dover

    Has anyone posted this up yet? https://www.amazon.com/Aircraft-Design-WWII-Lockheed-Corporation/dp/0486814203/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1499282459&sr=1-6&keywords=aircraft+books Lockheed's Chief Engineer, Hall L. Hibbard, states the book's intention in the Preface: "to give the designer a...
  11. Autodidact

    The life story of Schmeezok the Mouse Lemur

    First, I'd like to post up a photograph of me taken while in the prime of life: So, I've spent most of my life almost completely ignorant of any kind of mathematical knowledge. Something happened to me when I was a kid that caused me to completely shut down while I was at school, especially...
  12. Autodidact

    Fokker DVII fuselage wire bracing.

    I think I read somewhere that the looped cable bracing (as opposed to a single cable with eyelets and nicopress or splices) was only as strong as the single cable. That's not quite right is it? If you loop a cable over a pulley, then you can hang the rated weight for the cable from both ends...
  13. Autodidact

    Curtiss Robin redux?

    How about a homebuilt experimental Curtiss Robin? With a 300 hp v8 and airboat gearbox you would have an aircraft with the same power loading as a 450 hp DHC Beaver (about 11.6 lb/hp with a 2,000 lb useful load) and a wing loading of about 15.5 lb/ft^2 compared to the Beaver's 20.4 lb/ft^2...
  14. Autodidact

    Honda 1.3L and Air Trikes redrive

    Here is a 61,000 mi 1.3L Honda dual plug engine: http://www.ebay.com/itm/06-07-08-09-10-11-HONDA-CIVIC-ENGINE-MX-HYBRID-1-3L-61K-/182106703522?hash=item2a6667c6a2:g:7BoAAOSwr41XHnml&vxp=mtr And here is an Air Trikes redrive for that engine...
  15. Autodidact

    Napkin sketches

    I draw lots of "cartoons" or maybe they should be "planetoons", so I thought I'd start posting them. If anyone else wants to post up napkin sketches, please do. I like this configuration and I think it could work with a 1/2 VW or the big twin if it can be made light enough, perhaps with...
  16. Autodidact

    Aardem powered concept

    An Aardema V1200 powered record-attempt/air-racer. I think this engine could make 4,000 hp for short sprints. This is a configurational exercise; it is a highly modular airframe based on a strong, welded and heat treated cockpit cage that follows race car practice (top fuel cars crash at 300+...
  17. Autodidact

    Thermodynamics 101

    First, lets not devolve into nit-picking over technical terms. The question I have is: Disregarding other factors (such as timing and compression ratio), is the resulting gas pressure (or expansion, since holding volume constant and adding heat causes increased pressure, while holding pressure...
  18. Autodidact

    Air combat cinematography.

    Anyone interested in this subject? In prior discussions, it seemed like most people did not care much for the CGI scenes from modern movies. But as good as some of the old movies are, they seem to have room for improvement (like the Hurricane that is actually a Buchon in the Polish squadron in...
  19. Autodidact

    Composite rocker/cam covers.

    I've seen them amateur built and I think it's common on production engines nowadays, but how to do it? A certain type of resin, or reinforcement at the mating surface like an aluminum plate? Cut the top off of stock composite covers and bond a new top on? Why not use the stock shape? Maybe you...
  20. Autodidact

    When will the drone fad end?

    You can't even buy a decent model airplane mag @ B&N anymore cause they're all drone mags now - ran everything else out of business, I guess... As far as I'm concerned they are only good for target practice (until I get one with POV, that is)!
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