How to Build a Balsa Glider - 12" Sandpiper - Part 2
Ғылым және технология
Build your very own Sandpiper 12" Balsa Glider!
Nighthawk Gliders has revealed their secret sauce in making a great Catapult Launch Glider (CLG). Learn how to make one for yourself in this 3 part series.
Build Kits and Plans are available!
nighthawkgliders.com/store
In this video (Part 2) you will learn how to sand the Wing, Fuselage, and Tail.
Hey, look! Here are links to all 3 videos-- how handy is that?
(Part 1) • How to Build a Balsa G...
(Part 2) • How to Build a Balsa G...
(Part 3) • How to Build a Balsa G...
Launching Tips:
(1) Launch upwards at an angle (pitch) higher than 45%. You'll have to experiment with what works best for your glider.
(*DO NOT launch with wings parallel to the ground unless you prefer to stall the plane dramatically and watch it crash and burn-- just sayin'*)
(2) If you are right-handed, hold glider 45-90 degrees rotated (rolled) to the right before launching. If you are left-handed, you have a very creative mind and I'm sure you can figure out how to reverse this instruction.
(*DO NOT launch with wings parallel to the ground unless you prefer the glider do a big loop and bury itself inside the back of your skull... yeah, not pretty!*)
(3) It is preferred to launch with goggles-- If you poke one eye out, you can at least watch your glider fly, but just not in awesome 3D. If you poke both your eyes out then you can no longer enjoy all that is glorious that makes a Nighthawk Glider sail the skies so majestically. (Hey, at least you can't say I didn't warn you!)
(*DO NOT launch with wings parallel to the ground unless you prefer to dive bomb some of your curious spectators at the park, get sued when someone gets hurt, and then spend the rest of your allowance on someone's medical compensation! How can you buy balsa if you have no more money?!? Do the math, son*)
(4) What about a catapult launcher? Oh yeah, I didn't show you how to make one. Well, you're on your own there. Try some 1/8 inch thick rubber and tie it in a loop at the end of a 6-8 inch stick-- Viola! (Hey, I didn't say that was rocket science, did I?) Oh, you're too stubborn to make one? Well, ok, smarty pants, it looks like you are a proud owner of a homemade HLG (Hand Launch Glider) now, aren't you?
(*Did I say this already? DO NOT launch with wings parallel to the ground! We'll hear me now and believe me later... JUST DON'T!*)
(5) Beware of thermals!!! Yeah... it'll happen to you, too, someday! It will be a bittersweet moment, I guarantee you that!
If you build one, please post a video of it flying and and let us know about it in the comments. We would love to see it!
Enjoy flight and enjoy life, my friends!
#NighthawkGliders
#Sandpiper
#CatapultGliders
Пікірлер: 41
Pure beauty and psssion , love it
@NighthawkGliders
5 жыл бұрын
Thank you so much!
I'm loving this little series
@NighthawkGliders
7 жыл бұрын
Great! I'm glad you like them. Thanks for watching! 😊
@rileyhowe9610
7 жыл бұрын
Nighthawk Gliders my pleasure
Childhood. Dreams. Is Back. 👍👍Thank You 👍👍 💖💖💖💖💖💖
@NighthawkGliders
4 жыл бұрын
That’s right... these make memories that never fade away! 👍😀
Awesome
What are the measurements for wing and tail placement on the fuselage？
In RC, we've found (generally) a 6 to 1 ratio for tail to nose weight differences, have you estimated anything similar?
@JohnBorlaug
7 жыл бұрын
( generally found)
@NighthawkGliders
7 жыл бұрын
Funny you asked that... I way just thinking about this the other day! For my Sandpiper 12 it is roughly a 3 to 1 ratio tail to nose weight. For example, for every 0.1 gram I sand off my tail I will need 0.3 gram less nose weight. 😊
Hi, if I don't have a sander, what can I use instead? Regular sandpaper?
@NighthawkGliders
6 жыл бұрын
Sure. If you have sheets of sandpaper you can use those. Best to wrap them around a block of wood. Sanding without a “block” will produce inconsistent results.
Bom Dia! Por favor, teria como eu ver as medidas em português Brasil,? Por favor..agradeço
Hey there, what levels of grit on the sandpaper are you using please? Thanks, great vid
@NighthawkGliders
2 жыл бұрын
I find 150 works well to shape the airfoils and then 220 for a smoother finish. 👍😊
Hi Nighthawk Gliders, can I have plans also for this modell of gliders?? Or other plans else?? Thank you very much for your answer.....
@NighthawkGliders
7 жыл бұрын
Sorry, we don't have any documented plans for any of our gliders. However this 3 part series gives you enough step by step detail to build a 12 inch Sandpiper. Good luck! They are fun to build and fly!
@charlessong3870
5 жыл бұрын
I can send you the plan if you want it. I based it on this video. Give moi your email.
@NighthawkGliders
5 жыл бұрын
Try this... goo.gl/NdRque
Question from this video in the series..., on the wing when you're sanding in the span-wise taper are you sanding just one side (top or bottom) or both? It looks like just one, but with the speeded-up video it's hard to tell for certain. I understand that the top is tapered chord-wise and the bottom gets the under-camber if one chooses to do so. Just need to ascertain whether both top and bottom are tapered span-wise, and if only one side need to know whether it's top or bottom. Many thanks for these great videos!
@NighthawkGliders
6 жыл бұрын
Hi Scottrik1! Yeah, great question. To taper down the wings spanwise, I only sanded the top. To be honest, you don’t have to taper it down too much. If the wings are too thin, you may get a wing vibration upon launch! 😊
@Scottrik1
6 жыл бұрын
Many thanks! I am teaching a week long summer "Aeronautics" camp for a dozen 10-15 year olds. We'll be building these!
@NighthawkGliders
6 жыл бұрын
Scottrik1, that is fantastic! I’m sure they will have a blast! You and any of your students are welcome to ask questions if you have any. I’ll do my best to respond. I bet a competition is in order when you have them flying. We wish you good luck and you must post pics and/or vids and send links our way! 👍😀
I’m a beginner, and I have a question. How do you reduce the elevator of the glider? My glider was going in loops after I launched it, I tried to slightly increase nose ballast, but it still when in loops and I don’t know how to reduce the up elevator. Thank you for making this video, it really helped!
@NighthawkGliders
3 ай бұрын
Cut 2 strips of balsa 1/8x1/32x1/32 and glue one on each underside trailing edge of left and right stabilizer next to the fuselage. This will help reduce the loopiness of the launch. I call these “trim tabs.” If still too loopy, add more until you get desired result.
what kinds of sandpaper/block grit do you recommend using?
@DrunknFist
6 жыл бұрын
also which glue are you using?
@NighthawkGliders
6 жыл бұрын
Funny thing, I have a stiff foam sanding block, but don’t recall the grit on either side. I think it’s 100 and 120. The small yellow foam detailed sander is 220. And sometimes I use 320. Use a sanding block for sanding consistency. I could go on and on, but this AMA article covers a lot: amaflightschool.org/diy/basic-sanding-techniques
@NighthawkGliders
6 жыл бұрын
I use cyanoacrylate (CA) glue. It comes in various thicknesses. I use medium because it gives me some time to position my pieces before it sticks. I also use a CA accelerator so I don’t have to wait for the glue to cure but that is not required.
Hello, Which papersand did you use?
@NighthawkGliders
7 жыл бұрын
The bigger (grey) sanding block I used is about 100-150. The smaller (yellow) is 220 grit. Best tip I can give about sanding is take your time, go easy, and check the thickness frequently for evenness.
@sashali6666
5 жыл бұрын
Juan Pablo Campos *sandpaper
You mentioned 3/32" balsa but that fuselage looks more like 3/16" to me 3/32" for the wing sounds right though
@NighthawkGliders
4 жыл бұрын
The fuse is actually made from two parts; each 3/32 thick and glued together to make it 3/16 thick. 😊
What is a sandpiper? Do you mean sand paper?
@NighthawkGliders
4 жыл бұрын
“Sandpiper” is the name of this airplane model. 😊
@Avionics1958
4 жыл бұрын
@@NighthawkGliders thank you for your response i keep looking at your sand paper and keep thinking to myself sand paper or sandpiper. 🤭🤭🤭
@isaacrigby
Жыл бұрын
@@Avionics1958 sand piper is also a species of bird
Ha ha ha