SZD-10 Czapla, scale 1:5

[GuillaumeG]

Congratulations for your first towing and real flight with the Czapla!!

Very nice flight and video. Enjoy the next ones!!

[Stephan]

Mitja
congratulation for this nice glider and its first flight. Only one remarque, the towplane was by far to fast
Cheers
Stephan

[ultralajt]

Thanks!
I will try to enjoy next fligts indeed.
Regarding the speed of aerotowing, maybe those vertical oscillations I made with a glider was partly induced by my unexperience in towing and partly from a fast flight of towplane. More speed equalls more sensitive elevator...

Some pilots said to me after my flight, that I should just to controll the roll axis, and not bother much with pitch as glider will take a proper altitude behind towplane by itself, as his nose is pulled by a towing rope so he cant drift a lot from a towing direction.
Well, next time I will try to pay more attention to that.

Just now I am waiting for a proper weather forecast, to fly on the slope. I would like to fly slope as there you can enjoy glider flying very close and see it clearly. You can fly at eye level, but model is still high over the ground. I would like to make allso some nice flyby photos and video clips.

Yesterday the light was bad and was no good for shooting...

Now this project is moving to its end and about in a month, a SZD-10 Czapla KIT complete should be available for the builders.
Wait for further info here!

Regards!

Mitja

[ultralajt]

Hi!

An unexpected outcome of this project just happens to me!

I did not agree with option that give me "would be" KIT producer, that ask from me designing of this sailplane, so now I am free in search for another KIT producer, that is maybe interested in this sailplane.

If I will not find a producer from Europe or East, I will probably start to sell plans and files on my website.

See here for further information, if you are interested in KIT production and sale:
http://ultralajt.webs.com/szd10czapla.htm

Regards!

Mitja

[ultralajt]

Hi!

Today I made a first flight on the slope with Czapla!

It was even better than I imagine!

I was amazed with agility and soaring capability! Model responds very prompt on the controls, but they should be very harmonized and coordinated. Strong use of rudder is needed when put in or out of a turn, but then Czapla can turn in very small radius (look at the video)

There were a little low wind and on moments it allso dissapear, but luckily some thermalls save me a couple of times. Model soars very nicely.

At some higher speed the voice that model produce sounds very "vintage" and it is awesome to hear it!

Here are some photos, and at the bottom you will find a link to teh short video of that flying.



Assembly of the model on the starting place.



Checking the model and waiting for a headwind.



Starting! What a figure?!





































And a VIDEO (click)


Regards!

Happy Mitja

[czirh]

Nice slope soaring & video..
Congratulation..

[Olivier]

She's a beauty...

Congratulations !

[ultralajt]

Hi!

Long time no see....

Czapla is stil alive. It went under minor maintenance work.

Last week, I replace the clear plastic on the canopy as I want to place mini camera in the cockpit and old canopy was not so clear. There was some "foggy" places on the canopy as result of CA glue fumes.

Another thing was that I noticed in flight tendency of the model to bank left. Model need quite a lot right aileron trim. I find out, that right wing is lighter than left one and that left wing has slightly lower twist as needed to be.

I clamp wing on the bench, twist it and heat it with a hort air gun. Left uder twisting load for couple days and check the new twist. It is not perfect, but close enough. I am still afraid that this is not permanent solution. Hopefully teh balsa skin combined with tension and heat will remain in newer shape.....

I also glue some lead weight into right servo bay (aileron servo) to statically balance the wings. 24g was needed. Hopefully that will do...

On the sunday I will go to local aerotowing meeting, where I will test those modifications. I hope that the weather will be fine.

I am looking forward to take some cockpit video clips!

Mitja

[ultralajt]

Yesterday we have a meet of Scale gliders in Ajdovscina airfield.

I made 3 tows with my Czapla.

here is a video clip of first one!

Enjoy!

Movie (click)



Mitja

[Anonyme]

Very nice video, it would be nicer if the pilot could turn his head on the left and on the right ! Maybe in next vintage scale sailplane model ?

[ultralajt]

[Anonyme]

You can also directly place the camera inside the pilot's head and film through his eyes !

[ultralajt]

[ultralajt]

And another movie with flight No2 and 3.
This time I didnt use music background from Polish author, but instrumental music that I find more apropriate for soaring...

VIDEO2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nT_khoH5EE


Mitja

[czirh]

Hi Mitja,
beautiful videos, congratulations...!

[ultralajt]

I decided to go other way and build another stand for a camera.
Now, the camera is rotating only around vertical axis and is driven by a geared servo using free chanel (chanel 8 in my case) that is controlled by a turn knob on the TX. Camera can rotate from one to another wing tip.
To get a bit more realistic camera movement, I connect a cheap gyro between RX and servo. Now, indepenently of the knob position, camera swing a little in the direction of the model nose turning. So when turning left, camera rotate a little to the left (and vica verse).





I hardly wait to test this new gadget in flight, and to make some new videos!

Until then, a short test video is here (click).

Mitja

[czirh]

Gyro good idea..

[Anonyme]

Good idea indeed, wait for the new videos !

[Walter L.]

I´m very interested in seeing a video made using the gyro. It is a great idea!

Regards Walter

[ultralajt]

Hi guys!
Last sunday I was at Aerotow meeting with Czapla, where I was able to test the new camera stand.
Looking at the videos I made, I was not happy as I find many things that somehow ruin the video clips.
Luckily all of them are solvable!

Here we go:

A. Gyro-gain was set to low. Gyro moved camera in turn direction just a little and not smoothly. It should move more than that! In the future I will simply disconnect the gyro or set gyro-gain about twice more. I think, that glider didnt turn in the air so fast as I tested at my frontyard holding glider in hands and making "pirouetes" :)

B. Camera mount was placed too high in the cockpit. When looking towards the wing tip, a canopy structure at uper part of the picture disturb the view. When sun shine on that aluminum bar it totally ruin the view. Well, as camera stand is made such way, that it can be lowered, I will do that next time.

C. All bright internal parts in the cockpit give reflection images on the canopy, especially when sunlight is at apropriate angle. Again it ruins the video clip, as it is very funny to look down to the fields and meadows on the ground and see the white gears that drive the camera. Well, I will paint all these bright parts with matt black spray. Maybe a polarization filter infront of the lens could help, but I will try just black paint for start.

Here is a group photo of last sunday event (my little Czapla on the left):





And now some videos!

Flight 1

Flight 2

Flight 3

Flight 4

I was lucky as last sunday I actually soar in thermalls with Czapla! It was a reall pleasure to obserev very slow flying model circling and getting smaller and smaller! I was very happy! I also getting relaxed on aerotows. It is not so hard as I was thinking before. Also I am getting used with Czapla performance and results are seen also at landings (see movies). I can easily land on the spot where I want. Air brakes are very effective and allow me to make very steep final approach to the landing field. This brings me confidence in the landing procedure.


A friend made a short video of that event and at 05:55 you can see my first start that day. (Click for the video)

Regards!

Mitja

[ultralajt]

As an interesting (luckily) thing, you can see at end of the video (last link on the previous post) how an ultralight biplane Renegade, starting on the nearest airfield (about 1 km away from us) starts to loose power (exhaust system malfunction) and turning back to the field!!! (the worst scenario!!) We all affraid that it will crash as it flew at extremly high angle of attack. He made a turn back just over the footbal field and parking lot, loosing a lot of height. He was able to return back to the landing strip.

We all feel a great relief when he land at last!

Mitja

[ultralajt]

Hi!

Yesterday was a nice day for aerotowing.





I made two nice soaring flights, using homemade variometer.

On one flight I forget to turn vario o, and on two flights didnt find any useful lift. But I am pleased very much with oth successful soaring flights.

Now, I really enjoy flying with Czapla as it is very meneuverable, predictable and without any nasty flight behaviour.

Tow starts without need for a wing helper, and flying behind a towplane is rather easy, as only winh level and a bit of rudder is needed to follow the tugplane.

landings are really easy..both with or without airbrakes.

If I am low, I just glide slowly till ground, and when I decided to go on final from a height, brakes ruin glide angle and speed well and it is really simple and easy to land the glider at desired spot.

Mitja

P.S.: Here is a video that I made yesterday, but sorry, no Czapla captured...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=znDLzaMj5Xo

[ultralajt]

Nice shot of Czapla as captured by our member Rusjan at saturday meeting:





Mitja

[ultralajt]

A brief insight in today`s aerotowing event held at the airfileld very near to famous Postojna Cave.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4f1oQ7USSk


Mitja

[czirh]

Nice video..

[ultralajt]

[ultralajt]

Sorry guys if I am becaming annoying with so many posts about my Czapla, but it seems I am addicted with this model now...

Here is a short photostory, made from photos captured by my friend:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NnritZZa4GA







Mitja

[Frank Albrecht]

That's okay!

We ALL are addicted by our planes!

Frank

[ultralajt]

Oh, boy! I want to share with you some photos!

Yesterday I was on aerotow meeting, where I saw a wonderful Minimoa!

It was a scratch build and plans were drawn by an obvious well skilled modeller.

Model is build entirely from wood. Fuselage is 0,6mm plywood, wing torsion box also 0,6mm, and tail feathers planking is 0,4mm plywood.

The very interesting thing is a wing joint with fuselage as it is done in a manner as at real glider...each wing spar cap has its own bolt.

See photos of this beauty and enjoy!

































































And a link to a short video of this Minimoa aerotow:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WdwRz-XLBlA

Mitja

BTW, yesterday I climb with my Czapla in the thermal to very edge of visibility....
I made also the first roll, and some low level aerobatics before landing. I really enjoy fly with oldtimer![/img]

[Anonyme]

Very nice construction indeed
Marc , a lover of the Minimoa