Mud Duck Aviation Forums

OCT/08 2ND SUNDAY .FUDDLOW CAN FLY VERTICAL... IT WAS A LITTLE GUSTY TODAY SO TAKEOFFS WERE A FEW FEET AND UP AND AWAY.I WAS PUTTING ALONG AND I WANTED TO SEE IF I COULD TIP STAUL SO I CLIMBED UP TO ABOUT 400 FT AND PULLED BACK ON THE THROTTLE SLOWLY AND WAITED BUT WHAT IT DOES IS PLOWS TAIL FIRST AND LOOSES ALTITUTE.SO I KEPT CRACKING THE THROTTLE AND IT JUST SITS THERE. FUN TO PRACTICE AND PUT IT INTO A BACK LOOP.I DID A FEW MORE LOOPS TO GET THE FEEL OF IT..AND IT COMES OUT OF THEM PRETTY FAST BECAUSE OF ALL THE WING.EVERY ONE LIKES THE 400 FT DROP STRAIGHT DOWN FOR LANDINGS ---WITH THE THROTTLE AT IDLE IT GOES TO SLOW MOTION DIVE AND YOU CAN HEAR IT COMING WITH ALL THE DIRTY DRAG EVERYWHERE ON THE PLANE.LAST MINUTE PULL OUT AND IT WILL ACTUALLY STOP FLYING IF YOU DONT GIVE IT A LITTLE THROTTLE AND DRIVE TO DOWN TO THE DIRT , THEN A QUICK FLAIR AND IT'S PARKED ON THE RUNWAY IN A FEW FEET.IT DEFIES MOTHER NATURE.THE MOKI ENGINE IS VERY STRONG AND LIGHT AND WILL EASLY GET YOU OUT OF TROUBLE.ONE OF OUR MEMEMBERS FLYS WITH VIRTUAL REALITY GOGGLES AND A CAMERA IN THE PLANE.THIS IS HIS SECOND TIME OUT AND ITS NO PROBLEM TO DO TAKEOFFS AND LANDINGS AND STUNTS WITHOUT ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THE PLANE..I WILL SEE IF I CAN TALK HIM INTO STICKING THE CAMERA IN FUDDLOW AND GO CRAWLING AROUND IN AIR SPACE. BROKE ANOTHER AXLE BUT HAS SPARE PARTS TO FIX IT QUICKLY IN ABOUT A MINUTE.THE NEXT ONE WILL BE AN EXPERMINTAL PARTS.IM GETTING CLOSER I WILL TRY SOME HARDENED WOOD OR HOLLOW ALLOY PIPE..IF I CAN FIND SOME.... FUDDLOW IS STILL THE KING AT THE FIELD FOR FUN AND LAUGHS.TODAY I HAD 8 HOLES IN THE TUBE BECAUSE I RAN IT IN THE WEEDS."GOATS HEAD PICKERS LOVE TO PUNCTURE THE TUBES..I HATE TO USE FIX A FLAT BECAUSE ITS HEAVY LIQUID..SO IT GETS SUPERGLUE. MY TUBES NOW LOOK LIKE TIRE BLISTERS ALL OVER BECAUSE THE SUPER GLUE DOES FUNNY THINGS TO THEM.MY NEW ROO-CONTACT GLUE CAME IN SO I WILL TRY SOME LITTLE PATCHES MADE OUT OF SERYAN WRAP OR A PATCH OF A ZIP LOK BAGGIE.THE WATER BASE GLUE DRIES QUICKLY IN THE SUN..IM THINKING ABOUT BUILD ANOTHER ONE SMALLER IT FIT INTO MY LITTLE STEYR PUCH RALLY CAR.I WILL HAVE TO DO SOME MEASUREMENTS WITH THE PASSANGER SEAT OUT . THE AGRI DUCK IS PERFECT BECAUSE THE WINGS COME OFF IN TWO PARTS.I MUST GET CREATIVE.FUDDLOW HAS ABOUT 10 HOURS OF DUTY TIME SO FAR.GORILLA GLUE IS STILL MY QUICK REPAIR GLUE CA IS USELESS ON FOAMBOARD.IM LOOKING FOR BETTER RUBBER BANDS.ANYONE GOT ANY IDEAS? LEO

Sounds like your loving the Agri-Duck!  I have to admit, the vertical drops to landing are something I never thought of, I'd love to see video of that!

You ask for tips for better rubber bands...  I assume your talking about just for the landing gear? (as opposed to the wing rods)  Some guys use those hair bands, the thread stitching that covers the rubber helps add a lot of strength to them and limits too much stretching.  They will also need to be replaced occasionally but rarely stretch too far to break.  Another similar thing is bungee material with the fabric sheathing, the thin diametter stuff.  Some guys buy it at length at marine stores, etc. or other hardware places that may stock it, or just buy a buch of tiny bungees and romove the metal hooks.  It just takes a little R&D to get the right wrapping technique to get the right "travel" in the axle to meet your preferences.

Greg

HI GREG  THANKS FOR THE INFO...YOU MUST BE CLOSE TO A COMPUTER.I HOPE THE OPERATION WENT WELL.ANY LITTLE MESSAGE IS GOOD.WHEN I GET  THE THROTTLE ISSUES UNDER CONTROL IM GOING TO EXPERIMENT WITH A LARGER ELEVATOR SURFACE A LITTLE AT A TIME.I WANT TO CREATE A LOT OF SQUAT ALSO IM THINKING TAIL WHEEL OF SOME NATURE.PEOPLE ARE AMAZED INCLUDING MYSELF ON JUST HOW ROBUST A 19 POUND AGRI DUCK REALLY IS.I HAVE ALSO BEEN STUDYING THE LANDING GEAR OF A FISELER STORCH.TO APPLY IT TO A HIGH WING DUCK.THAT WILL BE MY NEXT PROJECT.I AM NOW TESTING THE NEW ROO GLUE WATER BASE CONTACT GLUE FOR QUICK BUILDING.LEO

The operation went very well, thanks.  I am on my feet and pretty mobile, but still can't bend too much yet.  I am getting better very rapidly, much different from my previous surgery.  I think I will be back to work and Mud Duck full-time very soon.

Don't add a tailwheel.  I have mentioned this to many builders before when they suggested doing it and I alway tell them that the tail skid is there for a reason more than for simplicity.  By now you are probably very aware it takes little effort to turn a Duck, maybe just a little punch of the throttle to blast some air over the tail to lighten it in thich grass, but otherwise pretty easy.  Whenever anyone adds a tail wheel to thier Ducks they soon remove it.  What happens is #1: it like to roll away on idle (grass offers very little resistance to the big tires, unlike a traditional model) and the  tail skid offers additional resistance.  #2: Unless you set up the tailwheel steering ratio very small you will wiggle-waggle all over the field as you taxi, and take off's could steer you around in a circle if you start to feed in rudder (for a crosswind t/o) before the tail lifts (of course with a Duck this all happens in a matter of feet, but still happens with a tailwheel).

I have flow with a tail wheel and you can get used to it, but it is really unnecessary in most cases and many revert to the skid.  You can give it a try, I just wanted to save you some time (and possible frustration) if you weren't really having much trouble with the taxiing as is.

Greg