Bug HLG

On 10/3/2010 3:34 PM, John Gallagher wrote: > The problem with the Mimi is that you have to know how to build light to get the > benefits of the more updated design. The original plans had a solid balsa wing > and resulted in very heavy gliders. For a glider in this span range, it must be > built light (under 5 ounces). There is a crude builtup version of the plans > available. Even using the built-up wing plans, most mimi's are coming out at > 5.5 to 6.5 ounces. Most Gamblers are being built at around 6.5 ounces and that > is a 50" wingspan dlg. Since the Mimi is a design with a greater amount of > balsa, you need to purchase lightweight balsa (5#) from a balsa supplier that > specializes in selling lightweight balsa. You won't find this weight balsa from > the local hobby shop or Tower hobbies. > The Mimi builtup wing is not easier to build than the simplified wing structure > of the Bug. > I've got to admit that a light weight version of the Mimi would be a good dlg. > I may build one myself this winter. > > Has anyone built a Bug with a different airfoil? The main update of the Mimi is > the AG airfoil. > > > John Very true indeed. I built a 1.2M DLG designed by David Eddy called Icarus. It was designed as a quick to build alternative with input from Frans Bal (MiMi), Dr. Mark Drela (Apogee and about a million others) and many, many other folks. It's about half way between the solid wing of the MiMi and a fully built up wing and honestly about the most fun I've had building a wing. It uses solid balsa for about the first 30%, standard TE stock and a geodetic set of ribs that can be rough cut and sanded to shape in no time flat. Very fast to build that wing. With non-lightweight hobby shop balsa and standard Econocoat my wing weighed in a 120g and I massively overbuilt it. I fiberglassed all the dihedral breaks even though it's not called for in the plans nor really necessary according to the designer.