Topic: Chris Foss Middle Phase Aileron wings

Hi all,

Does anyone know if it's easily possible to convert the Middle Phase standard wings to aileron versions, or does anyone know where I might be able to pick up a pair of suitable wings?

I built a trainer kit years ago and never flew it. Would be great to get airbone but don't want to fly on just rudder/elevator.

Thanks
Mike

Mike,

I think you could do it, but I think you would have to cut the wing in half and re-join it to make it flatter.  I'm not sure how effective the ailerons would be with that dihedral.  In terms of the ailerons, I guess you could just cut off a suitable amount off the trailing edge, face the cut on the wing with wood or something and then attach balsa ailerons.

Or indeed you might be able to face it with epoxy/microballoons and use the cut off bit as the ailerons.  They might be a bit floppy though (?).

Tom

If you're an aeromodeller then this is a snip of a job - if as I suspect, this is not the sort of thing you're doing presently, then a bit of help won't hurt any!

Take a straight edge and a felt pen and mark out your ailerons - saw into the wing with a fine toothed blade at each end and then with a craft knife and a steel rule taped top first (or other way around....) then bottom - cut through the wing skins to 'relieve your aileron.

You'll need to remove a sliver of material extra to leave space for facing them up - say a 4 mm gap so 2mm from the wing and aileron - sand and face them up - hinge with Diamond tap after covering and your done!

Next up you'll have to cut servo boxes into the wing panels and route a channel for the wires - it'll work.

Ideally you don't need the dihedral of the R/E wing but again - it'll work!

Shouldn't be too difficult. Just get some trailing edge section and hinge it on the trailing edge of the wing. Is the wing already in dihedral form? If it is, then you'll have more aileron authority if you break the centre-carefully!, and glue it back together upside down.Why? Well, the wing tapers, and if you glue it right way up, it will have an illusory anhedral. Before you do glue it back together, decide how you're going to control the ailerons. I've built two MP's, and in each I nailed a servo in each wing to give me spoileron use. Many MP's have been built though with a single centre servo driving torque rods as per the kit in standard form.

 If you want to be sure of it's strength, (but not at all vital) you could cut a slot (after you've glued the wing together) across the two (to about 5 inch out from the root at the thickest part of the chord) and drop in a ply sheer web. 1/8 inch thick will be plenty and add very little weight, before you wrap over the glass bandage in the middle.  If you need any photos of my build, give me a shout, I'll be glad to help if I can.  

You need to decide if you want to:
Make a really great pro job and spend some cash on it, pro job sounds a bit like **** *** 
or just want it to work, for as little extra cost as poss ?
I think Chris would sort you out a new set of wings for less than you would spend on the stuff to do it
if you have a shed full of RC bits and bobs you could do a good job for next to nothing but if you need to buy most of it it could be a waste of cash

but then you might enjoy doing the mods and not care about the cash 

http://www.chrisfoss.co.uk/#/middle-phase/4538950469

Hi Mike,

Really not worth the hassle when you can pick the pukker item from Chris Foss, unless you are a masochist!

I tried this one with an ancient Middle Phase. That is, Stanley knife out the shapes, fit the servos etc. I did nothing to the dihedral though as the wing join was all glassed over.

It flies like an absolute dog. OK on the straight and level but when you turn it tucks in the nose and tries to spiral dive. I tried the standard CofG then moved it back and forward up 2 cm in small increments and although the characteristics changed the general flight characteristics were unpleasant.

I also had to reduce the aileron throws to almost nothing and program in some rudder mix to get it to fly even poorly. With 'normal' aileron throws it was a real handful.

It now sits on the 'badly dinged' pile while I enjoy my Weasel, Easy Glider, Destiny etc.

In summary, don't bother trying !
 

I did nothing to the dihedral though as the wing join was all glassed over.

and.....

It flies like an absolute dog.

are not mutually exclusive....

A flat wing will work, but involves breaking the join. Do that, or buy a new wing from Mr Foss... 

Sorry for dragging up an old thread but didnt see the point in starting my own one. I got a middle phase advanced as an aileron trainer, i put about an inch of dihedral under each wing as suggest in the manual if its for an aileron trainer. Im now at the point where im chucking it about pretty well, do you think i would notice the difference if i was to cut the wings apart and get rid of the dihedral? is it worth the effort involved?

Not really