Slingsby Falcon 1......version 2

 

Following the loss of Tony's Falcon due to a freak dual battery failure issue, John decided to revisit the design and update it to produce a lighter and more scale model.

 

The new model has been built to the same scale as Tony's original, 1/2 scale, but using the experience gained during the build changes have been incorporated to reduce weight and correct a couple of minor scale detail issues detected following further research.

 

Construction follows the full scale with the same selection of materials in the scale sizes but a modern wing section has been used to improve the glide.

 

The redesign resulted in a weight saving of over 2 kg on Tony's original and subsequently, has a much improved performance.

 

The model was finished early in 2020 and saw its first public outing at the Ghost Squadron aerotow at Buckminster

 

Model details

Wingspan 5.2 m

Weight 13 kg

Bottom sheeting going on. Each panel has a 10 to 1 scarf joint to the next panel

Diagonal bracing being added as per the full size

Rigging the wing onto the fuselage and starting the fabrication of the wing struts

The giant "Lyons Tea" logos were sprayed on

 

Work started on the fuselage. The front part was made on a jig to ensure alignment whilst the longerons were laminated insitu on the jig.

 Checking the revised nose shape and starting the sheeting on the sides of the fuselage

Wing construction underway. Spruce spars and Lite ply ribs.

Covering the model with Diatex. 4 coats of dope and then the final finish over the whole model with Ronseal interior varnish.

The finished model all balanced and awaiting the first flight