Converting Reichard DG 300 to a DG 200/17

[pete914]

Hey all,
Stephane has done the lion's share of the work building custom wings for my EDF powered DG 200 build. I'm converting a Reichard models' 1/4 scale DG 300 to the old-school 17 meter DG 200/17.
I have never built a wing and I need some assistance/input.


To-do list:

1. bond and shape leading edge strip. Advice please on techniques that are best for a beginner. How much should I trim back? How do you keep a perfectly flat surface as you are cutting back? What should I use to bond it? Best way to make sure I maintain this critical part of the airfoil when shaping it? Is it true you can purchase preshaped leading edges?
2. Wing joiner dihedral. What's the simplest way to get the desired dihedral? I believe this one is 3 degrees

Stephane has given me a lot of info and instructions but I'm starting this thread and want everyone's input....hopefully it can keep me motivated to get it done!

[pete914]

Ok Spruce leading edge glued in using a straightedge. Not perfect but this is my first wing and it's turning out better than I thought it would.

I cut in the exact width of the spruce stock LE using a razor saw marked with blue tape. This allowed me to plane quickly.

All suggestions welcome for sanding and shaping

[pete914]

Pre-shaping done with wood plane. Protected balsa sheeting with tape. Marked leading edge with black pen to ensure I don't start sanding away chord-length.

[ARUP]

Nice work! That's what I do, too, in using the masking tape as a sacrificial ablative!

[pete914]

Thanks! However, I'm struggling with the leading edge. I'm not sure how to sand it and actually maintain the airfoil. Seems like I'm destined to screw this up. Any suggestions?

[French1]

Best way is to cut templates in card stock paper and check how you match the airfoil every 10in and use a long sanding block

[pete914]

Stephane,
Do you remember what airfoil we decided upon? I would like to try your technique although I've already planed it down and it should be ready for sanding and filling next.


I'm getting better with the plane and it's starting to look like a wing. I watched a video where the guy freehands it off a single template at the wing root.

[French1]

HQ 3/13 same as the fairing of the fuse

[pete914]

Some progress this weekend. Preparing to mount the wings to the fuselage. I used French1's technique to built spar tubes...it worked great! I know...the workshop is a mess!

[French1]

Great to see it coming alive Pete!
Keep the good work coming!

[pete914]

Work continued this past weekend with the wings now mounted to the spar with a "retrofitted" spar box. I went with 3-degrees of dihedral and 1.5-degree incidence. Although not perfect I think the spar connection should be airworthy. I used fiberglass, microballoons, and epoxy resin to create a "box" around the spar tube which in turn bonded it to the wooded spar in the wing and the upper and lower wingskins. Stephane and I had to figure out how to build the wing and internal spare without the fuselage to reference. We live almost 1,000 miles apart from one-another. Despite this, I think it turned out pretty well!


The wings are seen in the photos at least holding up to 1-G force at the moment! HAHA...great wing flex and she should have a beautiful arc in the sky.
Next on the to-do list is cutting ailerons, sanding and installing 6 servos + airbrakes and then covering

The leading edge shape is OK but also far from perfect. Hopefully, she'll still fly. I'm learning a lot with this build.

[ARUP]

That is a really nice job!

[pete914]

Thanks ARUP!
OK, I've cut the control surfaces. We decided on 20% over the usual 25% as I figured it was more scale and I'm using full span flaperons on this build.
It was challenging! Stephane's layup is just brilliant. Dense and solid. The peel-ply hinge gave me some trouble to free up from the fiberglass. I did better with this on the second wing than the first wing...isn't that learning though? HAHAH

I tried this dremel tool thinking it would make a clean cut just prefectly wide. IT DOES NOT. I screwed up this first cut because of it...Bummer but I went oldschool (SLOW-SCHOOL) and hand cut the rest of the surfaces with much better results. I'll have to do some balsa/filler work to clean up the bad cut but I think it can be done.
The dremel did not like straight lines even though I tried with all my might to keep it running along the straight edge...

I'm not sure I'm going to have this ready for Cumberland at the pace I'm working. I like to work outside with all the dust and we have been having rainy weekend after rainy weekend which has slowed progress. This weekend looks the same

[pete914]

Progress from last week. Servo's are in and wired! It's close...

[French1]

well done Pete,

that really is getting close, can't wait for the maiden

stéphane

[pete914]

Well, This glider in her new open class format has been nothing short of amazing!! I maidened her in Cumberland, MD in July and that was likely a bit ambitious!
I decided against installing airbrakes. So, I set up crow braking. However my flap travel is minimal so this thing FLOATS down the runway in ground effect.

Anyone who watched my landings at Cumberland saw the glider 2 ft off the deck midfield...and then preceded to watch the glider float down the slope to the South and then another 500 yards to almost fly off the end of the field! Pretty impressive actually.
Anyway, no airbrakes make the landing approach tricky...and looooong. I have learned this lesson! But at my home field there is plenty of runway. Here some shots after a booming afternoon and 45-minute flight. I covered some distance on this flight as well! I was flying a nice big triangle course and I really couldn't have been happier with performance. The glider has much better legs now and good float with the flaps deployed.

Much thanks to French1 for getting the wings started for me. He did a fantastic job with the foam cutting, layup and bagging!
It's been a cool journey. I'm going to enjoy version 1 for the rest of the season and hopefully upgrade with a landing gear and airbrakes for next year. Stay tuned...