01/17/2022
This is the Smasher Q500 fuselage.
It is highly optimized and has been both virtually and physically wind tunnel tested in the V-tail configuration. It was not a free hand design. It is a numerical design.
It uses the popular NACA 66-012 airfoil. I have tested them with wings with and without washout. I prefer no washout. I have also tested the wing with a blended lifting airfoil at the tips. The NACA 66-112 and 66-212 specifically. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NACA_airfoil. And I have tested it with dual aileron servos and flaperons.
I have sheeted many 66-012 wings for people and for Super T R/C and am planning to resume that. I'm also planning to finish molds for the composite wing so I can offer these in full molded composite configurations.
I have molds for a composite bolt on V-tail that was made for this fuselage. It is a sharpened slab stab, but flies and performs well. I can make those now, or at least after I get my new vacuum pump fully set up. I have a new tail in progress that is based on the Vortex tail. That is probably months out, however.
The firewall is a 2.25” square arrangement that is designed for conforming Quickie square mounts that have rounded edges. I sell universal mounts that fit most sport two stroke 40-55 engines. I can provide fuselages that are predrilled and have bind nuts in the firewall. I usually do these in 6-32 American thread.
The moments are …
front of firewall to front of wing saddle - 4.5”
wing saddle - 9.75”
back of wing saddle to front of stab saddle - 14”
stab saddle - 5”
CG at 2.25” to 3.35” depending on your flying style, preferences, and the tail design chosen.
The firewall, wing saddle, and stab saddle are at 0-0-0 in incidence. This makes using a conventional tail, crucifix, or T-tail exceeding easy. I’ve tested it with all of those and I can provide designs and plans for them. I like the conventional tail and crucifix tails best.
Please do not mount the servos behind the wing. I don’t need negative reviews. This plane has longer moments than most Quickies and flies more like a Q40 than most. The longer tail moment will result in difficulty getting the CG correct.
Making a two piece balsa V-Tail is very easy. By making the saddle have a well aligned straight slot to mount the tail in, getting the alignment correct when gluing it in is very easy.
I use a jig for building wood tails for Smashers. With a jig, it is easy, but requires proper reinforcement with wood pins and fiberglassing.
I used to charge $100 for composite tails. I have one specific to this plane, a slab stab for the Swee’ Pea that works, and Dave Norman’s AMA NATS Q500 winning airfoiled Seeker tail. I’m going up to $125 for tails and may put them on Amazon at $150 for next Day or Second Day delivery.
Most production fuselages with be primed in the mold with light gray System Three Resins Silver Tip Epoxy primer.
I will soon be selling Smasher fuselages, fiberglass and foam kits, and maybe sheeted balsa wings on Amazon. I plan to leverage the 6 years I’ve spent learning to sell on Amazon effectively and expand my hobby business globally on Amazon and in other countries not served by Amazon like Russia where we are already an established vendor on Ozon.com. Currently we are only stocking Amazon US, but that should be changing very soon after we get caught up on Amazon US.
I know I left out some details. There are no secrets other than the numbers in the airflow design. I even have plans for a jig for building wood versions of the fuselage that I will share. Ask questions and I will add this to this posting. So Like or react to get notifications of updates to this message. Including my typo fixes.
Let’s rock pylon racing in 2022 and beyond !!!
