Remote Control Hydroplanes

Matanglawin: Science of flight

On the edge of things and on the brink of falling, it’s Teddy looking like he’s going to jump off a building!

It’s a good thing that Kuya Kim comes in the nick of time. Then again, falling wasn’t exactly what Teddy had in mind.

But can people, like birds, really soar to the skies?

Join Kuya Kim and Teddy on Flying 101 and find out the different ways man can reach new heights!

On metal wings

If there’s one thing to be learned from the Greek tale of Icarus and Daedalus it’s that when people were born without feathers, it was for a reason. So no matter how much feathers and wax you put on, there’s no way you’ll be able to fly, especially on a hot summer day. But what if your wings were made of metal instead of feathers?

Meet Yves Rossy or the Fusion Man, who, in 2006, donned on metal wings and strapped on four jet engines to help him fly. At a take-off speed of 186 miles per hour, or as fast as a motorbike, he was able to travel 7,500 feet.

But before the Fusion Man hatched this idea, people have been strapping on wings to all sorts of things like bicycles. Kuya Kim has personally tried this out by attempting to ride a cycloplane, a bike with wings that became popular in th 1900s. However, its weak design made it impossible for flight, which gave way to the invention of the glider-like aviettes, then hydroplanes and paraplanes. The problem with these inventions, though, is that there were more accidents than stories of success.

The principle of gliding instead of flying is actually pretty popular in the animal kingdom as well. Paradise tree snakes, like sugar gliders, only slide through air like living Frisbees. The only mammals that can fly are bats.

Principles of flight

Kuya Kim can only say that the first flying machines failed because they lacked a component or two of the principles of flight.

First there should be thrust, which in the realm of our feathered friends, can be achieved by flapping their wings. Next comes lift, wherein air pressure helps push things up. Then to help objects get down, weight and drag comes into play.

RC Boat Hull Plans: Hydroplanes, Monohull and Flat-Bottom ...

RC Boat Hull Plans: Hydroplanes, Monohull and Flat-Bottom

More than just for appearance purposes, boat hull plans are designed for maneuverability, stability and speed of the boat on the water. There are three types of hulls that you will find in hull designs of RC boats and they are briefly discussed below.

Hydroplanes

Known for their speed, RC powerboats like the outrigger, tunnel hull, catamaran and 3-point hydro have hull designs with more than one surface coming in contact with the water. The boat is lifted out of the water by the trapped air under the boat’s hull space causing a lesser dragging effect since a lesser portion of the hull is in contact with the water. The effect would be higher speeds for the boats. Of all hydroplanes, you will find the outriggers as the fastest but they can be really tricky to deal with. For beginner racers, the combination of speed and better stability are offered by tunnel hulls and catamarans.

Monohull

Monoplane hulls or simply called monohulls are available is several designs but the most sought after and the most familiar is the vee-shaped hull. Only one continuous surface comes in contact with the water for all monohull designs. You will see this deep vee design in most sport boats. There are also shallow vee designs used in a few racing models because lesser hull surface comes in contact with the water. This will result to increased speed but the drawback is lesser stability that you can only get with deep vee designs.

Flat-Bottom

This design is commonly used in hovercrafts or airboats. As suggested by the name, the boat’s bottom is flat or almost flat. Just above the surface, these boats float on an air cushion and the motors are sitting at the rear of the boat just above the body. Meanwhile, forward thrust is made possible by an airplane propeller. Any skill level will surely enjoy using hovercrafts.

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