Nomad (oz2608)

About this Plan

Nomad. Free flight gas model. Pod and boom design.

Direct submission to Outerzone. Originally from AT 1941, this is reprinted here in the Italian Modellismo magazine.

Quote: "Pod-and-boom aerodynamic efficiency make this realistic Class C gas model a top-notch performer. Nomad, by Charles Hollinger.

THE Nomad marks the third endeavor of the designer to create a top-notch flier using the pod-and-boom arrangement as a basis. Wind-tunnel tests show that it has the least drag of any fuselage design and there is practically no fuselage interference where the tail surfaces are concerned, re-gardless at what angle it may be flying. Why isn't it used more? The answer is that most modelers don't like the type of construction that is required, namely, planking and the bending of sheet for the boom. This slight extra work is well repaid by the performance that is gained.

In the month of May 1939 the first of this series made its appearance. The model was designed with efficiency (high lift and low drag) as its keynote. An 8-foot wing span, 4-foot stabilizer, double rudders and short moment arm (to keep cross section to a minimum) resulted in a remarkable gliding angle of 12:1. I know that when this is called remarkable there will be some who will say, Shucks, that's nothing, my rubber model has nearly a 20:1 glide. Wind-tunnel tests have proven this to be absolutely untrue. We of the Tacoma Gas Wings Club have found through tests and observations at contests that the best rubber-powered models have a glide ratio of about 6:1 and the best gas models of approximately 9:1.

Well, we had better get back to the model. True, it had a fine glide coupled with a slow sinking speed, but there was one bug and that was stability. Under low power it left nothing to be desired, but when the Brown D was opened wide it couldn't be counted on. This was due to the short moment arm, small rudders and lack of sufficient dihedral.

In the second design some efficiency was sacrificed to attain proper flight characteristics. Features of this model were an inverted M&M motor of .23-cubic-inch displacement, stabilizer on top of the rudder and a fifty-percent moment arm. This little 42-inch job proved to be a fine flier, at least good enough to win two first places, one in a thirty-mile wind with a time of 3 minutes, 54 seconds. Susceptibility to right spirals was its undoing later.

With the experience from these two as a guide, the Nomad was formulated in March, 1940. At that time a retractable gear had been planned for it, but this was passed over for the sake of simplicity. A single rudder was used because they have proven less sensitive..."

Update 12/09/2018: Added original Air Trails article thanks to Mary, from https://rclibrary.co.uk/title_details.asp?ID=2285

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Article.

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