Increasing Aircraft Size for Giant Scale

P

PilotAt6

Well-known member
Intro:
I really like Large Scale aircraft, but most RF aircraft available are not giant scale.
My goal is 11+ ft. wingspan warbirds and such.
Real life ??? Yes … but mostly in Germany where 20Ft wingspan B-25 with twin Moki 400 Radial engines exist. The 400 Moki may be the best sounding RC prop engine on the market.

My Dilemma:
Most aircraft available to me from RF are much smaller … so I need to enlarge.

Some Problems.
1.) Scaled Up, the models do not fly correctly. Slow and float too much … I can get around that with editing. Although it now fly's as I have dictated.
2.) Perceived Speed is off … this one I need help.

I increase the speed of the model to make it "look right" a 80 MPH model may need to fly at 100+ MPH to look "right"
The other way I have found that increases the perception is to increase the 'Graphics Speed' in RF to ~125 to 150 … depending on the size increase of the model.

I have chosen to increase the flight speed of the model. My thinking is, that "IF" I posted any model here, most people would not want to change the Graphics Speed back and forth, or would not be aware even if I posted instructions.

Any comments/interest ???

3.) Is there a comprehensive manual on editing

Or are we on our own by experimenting and reading post on forum's ??? Many are very informative, but they are scattered about relating to specific subjects.
I have read the "RF Manual", but it does not go into much detail.

4.) Anyone have a great Moki 400 sound file?

5.) Is there anyone but myself that wishes there was an "IF - Then - Else" editing function … or that the "Multi-Mix" function did more than addition? (Perhaps like the Mixer Function)

All for NOW !
 
It takes quite a bit of tweaking and editing to make a scaled up model fly properly. Over the years with help and tips from others I finally have a good grasp on doing so. There is a limit though on how much bigger works well. Sorry but I've never made any kind of guide.
 
I've Done some super accurate AV's of a couple of 1/3rd scale and 1/2 scale WWI aircraft done in part with a gentleman that owns and flies the actual aircraft at the field. We started with a existing model, scaled it up and the owner of the real aircraft gave me the exact weights of the various parts, and would fly the AV and tell me what needed to be changed. We did it in a few multiplayer sessions. Weight on a 1/2 scale bird is really around 30lbs or so and they do fly much slower than the 1:1 aircraft. The main thing is to find out the weight of the real aircraft and go from there. RC aircraft are lighter than they look. You can reduce the lift in the physics if it's too floaty but big RC does not fly as fast as you might think.

As far as a manual goes I have one in my brain! Unfortunately I can't print it out. It comes from hundreds of hours of trial and error over 10 years of using realflight. I pretty much understand everything that there is to know and it's all done by trial and error. Seeing what works and what doesn't. It also helps to learn by making a model in RealFlight behave exactly like your own aircraft, with your individual settings, weights and part locations. Making AV's of my personal aircraft helped me learn the editor.
 
Last edited:
I'll echo the above advice. Start with a RF model that is size and shape wise as close to the plane you want to replicate as you can find. To scale up (or down), you have to change not only the graphical size (which is pretty easy), but also dive into the Aircraft Editor to resize all the components that drive the physics of the sim. Best is to have an actual model of the plane you are scaling up, and make multiple trips back and forth measuring lengths, widths, chords, angles, etc. and inputting into the edited model. If you have plans available, those can substitute. One can even estimate based on some kind of a 3-view, but that gets less accurate. Weights of the components usually have to be guessed at. But, you can do an overall adjustment of the total weight to get it in the right range. Ditto on CG - either by measuring or flight testing.
I've found that if you get the physical size and relationships of the components (wing, stab, fuse, etc., etc.) correct, and get the overall weight correct, one usually ends up with a version in RF that is very close to how a similarly sized "real" model would fly. Rarely have I had to worry about going in even deeper to adjust component strengths, lift coefficients, etc.
Changes made in the Aircraft Editor will not be seen in the graphical version on-screen, but will completely change the physics of how it flies.
 
I'm not real sure, but I believe planes submitted from RF8 / 8.5 will fly OK in RF 9 / 9.5
I have 8.5 and am waiting on a RF version that has upgraded graphics ... I may be waiting for some time. Nothing has been rumored that there is anything coming soon !
Someone with 9.5 can set the record straight if editing 8.5 is needed.
 
Does anyone know how to make a motor with lots of thrust 80 - 140 lbs ? I am developing a Giant vehicle and need the motor to be able to fly it in RealFlight.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top