Gaining Altitude

[bernard]

Usually when we wind the plane (which has been with office rubber bands), it flies very fast. Is this because of the type of rubber band we are using, or not enough drag?

You don't want drag--it's friction. I have no data comparing office rubber bands with Tan Support Sport, but given the popularity of TSS among flyers, I strongly recommend you using it. (And flyers are very picky with rubber--just look up Tan II 5/99 rubber. That's right, flyers want a batch of rubber made in May 1999 just like violinist want Stradivari's.)

[jander14indoor]

We really need some detail of your plane to explain or discuss things in much more detail. Wing and tail size and orientation. Prop size and pitch. Rubber size. Overall weight. Etc.

Yes, drag is BAD. You don't fly slow by adding drag. You fly slow by losing weight and adding lifting area. Then you don't NEED to fly so fast and you can adjust the prop and rubber band to produce power at a slower rate and you then naturally fly slower and longer as you are using energy at a slower rate.

If you have to fly fast to climb, then you are too heavy, too small, or both. But without some detail we can't help you decide which.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[blind_bandit24_16]

You mentioned adjusting the propeller and rubber band to produce power at a slower rate, how would someone do that?

[jander14indoor]

Thinner rubber and/or higher pitch prop, possibly wider prop blades (more area).

Reminder, once you get a reasonable plane (min weight, max area, properly trimmed) the secret to really high times is matching the prop & rubber to each other and the plane.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[Kyle_Guo]

I have winded my plane to 200 winds and it appears to fly for only 10 seconds. It flys normally until about 10 feet, then stalls and lowers about 1 foot and climbs slowly again until it slowly descends.

[jander14indoor]

Unless you are counting cranks of a winder so turns on the motor are like 2000, you are not winding NEAR hard enough. You won't have much torque at all with that few winds its what a good plane will LAND with.

Jeff Anderson
Livonia, MI

[Kyle_Guo]

I was winding 200 winds to test it. Should all planes stall like that with so few winds? should I push the leading edge down to stop the stall or will the stall be non-existent in a 1800+ wind flight?

[bernard]

I was winding 200 winds to test it. Should all planes stall like that with so few winds? should I push the leading edge down to stop the stall or will the stall be non-existent in a 1800+ wind flight?

Planes are trimmed (adjusted for optimal settings, not actual cutting) at cruising altitude because a plane that flies well at cruising altitude will perform well in other parts of flight. It is a good idea to start with few winds like you did so that if settings are non-optimal, you are able to regain control of the plane easily (e.g. stop a nosedive). Well-trimmed planes even at low winds once already moving.