| Building and flying model airplanes is a fun hobby | | | | and fuel tank). And with regards to balancing, a |
| and past time. But somehow itis not enough for a | | | | well-balanced airplane is controllable during flight. |
| model airplane enthusiast just to know how to | | | | Usually the fulcrum or center of gravity is located |
| build and fly his airplane. | | | | ¼ of the wing chord. Balancing it is by placing |
| After the successful flight of the man-carrying | | | | your fingers on both sides of the wing, then |
| vehicle made by the Wright brothers, interest in | | | | relocating the receiver, batteries and servos until |
| aviation spread rapidly and many models were | | | | the airplane is balanced. You may ask why the |
| made. Model airplane enthusiasts are already | | | | center of gravity is located ¼ of the wing |
| existing in the early 1900s'. Most of the models | | | | chord? It has something to do with aerodynamic |
| are rubber powered, twining type with double | | | | center, neutral point that can be explained in detail |
| stick fuselages that are common in Europe. But | | | | with some illustrations by following the link on the |
| even in the early days of model flying, small | | | | bottom. When you look at the cross section of |
| petrol and compressed air engines are already | | | | the wing, the shape is called an airfoil. Basically the |
| being used. The materials used in model | | | | airfoil consist of upper and lower camber, leading |
| constructions are birch strips, veneer, spruce, | | | | and trailing edge. When the airplane is flying, there |
| piano wire or bamboo and oiled silk covering. Then | | | | are aerodynamic forces that interact with the |
| balsa structure and tissue covering appeared in | | | | wings, vertical and horizontal stabilizers because |
| the United States in the late 1920s'. So much for | | | | the airplane is going against the air or commonly |
| the history of model aircraft. So you see, even | | | | called relative wind. Then it creates a |
| today, the airplane structure and how it fly is no | | | | variance of pressure on the upper versus the |
| different from the one we are flying today. The | | | | lower camber of the airfoil (or the wing itself) |
| wings, fuselage, vertical and horizontal stabilizers, | | | | which generates lift. The air that passed the lower |
| propellers, engines, landing gears are the same. | | | | camber should have a higher pressure against the |
| The airplane, to fly and have control during flight | | | | upper camber to sustain flight. This has something |
| uses them. The wings are obviously responsible | | | | to do with law of continuity. The air molecules |
| why the airplane can stay in the air for a long | | | | that separates from the leading edge, going to |
| time. With proper design of the airplane, | | | | the upper and lower camber, should meet at the |
| dimensions, weight considerations and | | | | trailing edge at the same time. Since the upper |
| aerodynamic design characteristics it will fly | | | | camber has a greater curve than the lower |
| successfully. The aerodynamic principles behind it is | | | | camber, the distance on the upper camber is |
| what really makes it fly. But even though it has a | | | | longer and therefore requires more velocity to |
| good design, weight and balance plays a major | | | | meet the air on the lower camber. This creates a |
| role. There was a saying that a feather flies | | | | lower pressure on the upper camber based on |
| better than a brick which is true because a | | | | the Bernoulli's theorem, "as the velocity of air |
| very heavy airplane won’t fly if it cannot | | | | increases, pressure decreases"Hope my brief |
| be sustained by its power plant (engine, propeller, | | | | explanation is understandable. |