Topic: Cotswold Swingers!

Welcome to all you potential Swingers!

This thread is here to hold information about the Team Monkey 'Swinger' aerobatic glider, which a bunch of yobs from the 'Cotswold Slopers' thread are all intending to build the 46" version of.

Any reference material, ideas, build pics, flight reports etc. can go here instead of clogging up the main thread.


An official site has now been put up by Hexo and Pasty, who designed and tested it.

Swinger - Aerobatic Slope Soaring Glider


Here are the basic plans and instructions, if the site is down:


A4 Tiled 46" plans (print them out then stick them together)
http://www.rcmf.co.uk/4um/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=media;id=23488

A0 size 46" plans (need to take them to a printer)
http://www.rcmf.co.uk/4um/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=media;id=23489

A0 size 36" plans
http://www.rcmf.co.uk/4um/index.php?action=mgallery;sa=media;id=23490
 

There are some unfinished instructions as well:

http://propercornishslopers.co.uk/Swinger_Instructions.zip

I'm in! Just one thing, would it be a good idea to have this post in the main Glider section as we're likely to get more input and ideas? I do appreciate that it is linked in the main to the Cotswold slopers.
 

I'm in! Just one thing, would it be a good idea to have this post in the main Glider section as we're likely to get more input and ideas? I do appreciate that it is linked in the main to the Cotswold slopers.
 

I second that! Then I won't feel like I'm intruding or trespassing

Ok Guys, consider it moved to the Gliding section, just realised i missed the depron posts, so keep me up to speed on the swinger developments

Steve

Hey guys!

The Swinger is my design. I'd be more that willing to help out with any information you require on the builds.

 

They should have pretty much all the info they need, I've pointed them to the New Fish on the Block thread and offered up a load of advice on their regional thread.

Theres always questions tho ay

The great thing about the Swinger is you can take the basic concept and come up with your own solutions to the building.... just make sure you keep it under 400g AUW. Garys latest super light is under 350g's and its a cracking performer. Mine is/was 370g's and I found it very capable.

Get building lads!

The best bit to take your time on is the crutch. Steve blocked his up but still started to rock after time. If you can make use of some light glass on that area it would really help for durability. I've lost a couple that should have lasted a lot longer than they should.

Also glassing the leading edge and nose/skid area would be very useful. Just need to keep the weight down!

yeah its that area thats forced my current Swinger into retirement. I was thinking something simple like light ply on the inside fuz walls were the spar passes through, that way the stresses on the depron are spread out that much more.

Thats if I go depron on my next one

I tried light ply on the sides and that delaminated, but i was still using a lot of cyno back then. Por would not delaminate so should be looked at again.

Ok Guys, consider it moved to the Gliding section, just realised i missed the depron posts, so keep me up to speed on the swinger developments

Umm... Hi Everyone! I see you found the thread then...

I thought the Swinger:Slope discussion ratio might go downhill on the Cotswold Slopers thread, hence this one.

I'll go back and put links to whatever useful info I can find into the first post - it's a bit spread out on the original 'New Fish on the Block' thread and some of the links are dead.

Hexo and Pasty, great to see you in here right from the start - I hope we can all do the Swinger justice!

Since you're here, have you got a copy of those 'unfinished instructions' around? I can only find broken links to one or other of the sites you used to link to. PM or email them to me if you likeand I'll upload them to my gallery here, unless they are online somewhere I haven't found yet.

Right, I'm off to see if I can chase up the foam - I ordered it Friday night but haven't had a confirmation email yet.

I have some 3mm white depron and 6mm in dark grey.

Phil

I have some 3mm white depron and 6mm in dark grey.

Phil

And I think you may have some buyers . . . . . .  me included!:''

Definately interested in the 3mm Phil. Out of interest do you have much of the 3mm and have you been able to source this stuff locally?
 

I'm getting some EPP soon...maybe a 60" Swinger? Or would that be too heavy?

I'm getting some EPP soon...maybe a 60" Swinger? Or would that be too heavy?

As I understand it, it's been done but didn't fly as well as the 46". Looks like the 46" is the sweet spot for the design...  so far, anyway!

And I think you may have some buyers . . . . . .  me included!:''

Definately interested in the 3mm Phil. Out of interest do you have much of the 3mm and have you been able to source this stuff locally?
 

I bought a box of it and had it delivered
Give me ring and I will take it to the slope
Phil

07966 175193

Sounds like a good thread, I'll be keeping an eye on this for tips 

 

Go for 46-50" on the model, if you scale it up you get major drag issues that takes a lot of tinkering to overcome.

Glad to see there is a lot of interest in this plane! I will add though that this plane likes a lot of lift to get the most out of it!

Since you're here, have you got a copy of those 'unfinished instructions' around? I can only find broken links to one or other of the sites you used to link to. PM or email them to me if you likeand I'll upload them to my gallery here, unless they are online somewhere I haven't found yet.

http://propercornishslopers.co.uk/Swinger_Instructions.zip

 

As I understand it, it's been done but didn't fly as well as the 46". Looks like the 46" is the sweet spot for the design...  so far, anyway!

Following on from a 46" Swinger, I built a 60"- flew well but not as nimble as the 46".
Short vid, nothing special, of the 60" in some good lift.
 

60" Swinger- Gower, South Wales on Vimeo

The wings were not to any particular profile. So when I beat them up on an "unplanned" landing,I made up a new set of 6mm B&Q foam wings using Profili to get a TP42/29 airfoil (as best as I could)
Not had a chance to fly it much yet- but looking good so far.

Glad to see there is a lot of interest in this plane! I will add though that this plane likes a lot of lift to get the most out of it!

But from memory it'll still fly in light to moderate lift. It just isn't able to perform all the mad stuff that both Pasty and yourself perform - right?
 

The steeper the site the better, as the lift flattens a Swinger will struggle to penetrate.

. . . . .  a Swinger will struggle to penetrate.

Speaking from experience there Pasty?
 

I've let up on a few opportunities but I couldn't let this one go.
 

when does gary sleep?

When we're awake

You need help Andy.

The steeper the site the better, as the lift flattens a Swinger will struggle to penetrate.

In low lift it becomes a true VTPR machine, slowly coming across slope and rolling, inverted and the like.

When i want to do slow stuff on a vertical lift hill I will go up the slope further to get out of the vertical lift and slow it down.

With vertical lift it becomes a aero pocket rocket doing crazy spins and stuff.

So I think it will fly great and fun in your lift but as you say Eyeboy dont expect to get what you see from cliff videos.

Infact you'll probably get it to fly like this:

Sub 10mph wind!

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HDAVhEin6M" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HDAVhEin6M</a>

Infact you'll probably get it to fly like this:

Sub 10mph wind!

<snipped some quality VTPR flying>

If it can fly like that I'll be well pleased. And amazed - to quote an older thread, "the plane does, the pilot doesn't"

You local lot will be pleased to hear the Depron has arrived. This is what I already have lined up:

Glenn: 4x6mm, 4x3mm, 1xPOR      £21.70
Eyeboy: ditto
Tired Tim: ditto
Me: ditto

Glenn has his already, so do I (duh), Andy and Tim if you can't wait until the weekend then PM me and come and get them from Gloucester.

I have a few sheets left over if anybody else wants some - doesn't have to be for a Swinger!

(Mods:  Wiz has OK'ed this 'ad', since it's just a local thing for local people )

Cheers Paul! I'll grab it off you at the weekend if thats ok? I'm going to try and stay one build step behind you so that when you make an error, I won't!
 

Cheers Paul! I'll grab it off you at the weekend if thats ok? I'm going to try and stay one build step behind you so that when you make an error, I won't!
 

Damn. I was going to do that with you.

The weekend is fine but I can't be 100% sure I'll be out - depends on the weather, and my kids are over this weekend as well. I'll do what I can...

I'm going to try and stay one build step behind you so that when you make an error, I won't!
 

Since I can't follow you, I'm going to follow... me!

I'm going to build one quick'n'dirty one for practice, experimenting, getting used to working with Depron etc.

Then a second one based on not repeating the mistakes I made with the first.

So, with that in mind, I'm going to stop here for tonight...

Details

or maybe here...

Details

Alright, definitely here...

Details

 
 

You're quick!
 

Apparently!
 

Nice job! Cutting it out is half the work for me I hate that bit!

From here on in its all very easy. Use that doc I posted but use the mods from the main thread. Also try putting some light ply formers in there as well and run the control rods through them.

why do you think i've not built one yet, cutty cutty, cutty cutty

You're quick!

As my Mother always told me:

"If you can't be good, be quick'.

 

why do you think i've not built one yet, cutty cutty, cutty cutty

My better(?) half has a 'CraftRobo' die cutter - basically a CNC cutter, but sadly it's limited to 0.3mm deep cuts (middling-thick card).

Pity really, it would be awesome to feed in Depron sheets and have finished pieces come out.

One day I'll make a CNC hot wire cutter - I know how to do all the bits, just haven't got that round tuit that I need.

Nice, if you had stacked some sheets up you would have cut out enough for all of us 

Keep up the good stuff

Steve

Nice, if you had stacked some sheets up you would have cut out enough for all of us 

Keep up the good stuff

Just an update on my new-found swinging activites... (will that ever get old?)

All the depron bits are cut out now.

Lessons learned:

- When you return to it after it's been neatly piled up for a day or two, make sure you don't have a 3mm sheet between the 6mm sheet you're cutting and the scrap plywood you're cutting it on.

- When cutting things there are two of, stack up two sheets and cut them out together, otherwise they'll never match (or you end up with 4" high table syndrome as you cut a bit off one, then the other, then the first again... )

- Hot glue seems to work fine and the joint is as strong as the foam. (only tested on scraps so far though)

- My 10 year old son can jam a few random shaped scraps together with masking tape and after a couple of trial flights make a very passable plane that glides the length of the living room.  I foresee a bright future!

Yo! Glad its going well so far!

When making duplicates of elevator halfs and the like i find just cutting around them works really well. You can do this with the fuz but its not recomended. Instead i get 2 plans printed out and cut around fresh plans for each one.

Keep up the good work 

Hi Guys,

Is there a pukker plan for the swinger?  If so can you advise a download site.

Thanks,
RH7