3mm Depron Thermal Glider

Building and testing an ultralight motorised thermal glider. Covered with GBC EZ Load 1.7mil (42.5 micron) document laminating film. No ailerons, 3mm depron Armin wing. 1400mm wingspan, 140mm x 10mm airfoil. Flying weight 270g with 950mAH 2S Lipo.
Three channel with spring / pull control.
GBC EZ Load laminate does not seem to be currently available but this should be the same -
76 micron - Good for general use - neopostonline.com.au/products...
42 micro - Good for light weight builds - neopostonline.com.au/products...
_
What gear do I use to record reviews?
Wide view workbench camera - SJCAM M20 Action camera 1080P 30fps - bit.ly/2N4JE9P
Close up workbench camera - Panasonic Lumix LX10 1080 30fps or previously Canon S100 1080P 24fps
Audio recording - Rode mic connected to iPhone - www.jbhifi.com.au/rode/rode-s...
Hatcam flying footage - Mobius D - www.ebay.com/str/eletoponline365
And Firefly 8S (90º lens) - bit.ly/2C7CyNK
External Microphone - bit.ly/2B899Cn
Onboard footage - Mobius C2 1080P 30fps - bit.ly/2N3yzWI
Editing in Final Cut Pro X or iMovie on a 27" iMac
All the Action cameras I have reviewed - newtonairlines.blogspot.com/20...
Building materials and recommended RC gear - newtonairlines.blogspot.com.au...
Newton Airlines Uncut - / @newtonairlinesuncut
Newton Airlines blog - newtonairlines.blogspot.com.au
Andrew Newton KZbin - / @andrewnewton
My portal - anewton.net
More information
iNAV fixed wing tips - newtonairlines.blogspot.com.au...
What HD cameras do I use - newtonairlines.blogspot.com.au...
What FPV cameras do I use - newtonairlines.blogspot.com.au...
What FPV gear do I use - newtonairlines.blogspot.com.a...
Depron Armin Wing build - • Depron wing build
Affiliate links (visiting these links helps to fund this channel)
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Gearbest Action cams - shrsl.com/?hxjv

[@MrZeek101]

Another great design keep them coming Andrew love that your back into building again take care

[@arlo12345678910]

Beautiuful little birdy. She took to the sky like a home sick angel! And EPIC place to fly.

[@davidwatkin1484]

Thanks Andrew, I find your videos very inspiring and a great reference for info. I was impressed with what's available on your website, an excellent source for RC hobbyists. After watching your 6mm wing build, I decided to fabricate a ribbed wing. It has a span of 1200mm, main chord 380mm, tip chord of 240mm, so a big wing. I then covered it with 3mm Depron and decided to cover it with film after construction. The main spar was carbon 15x3mm, minor spar, 12mm diameter, leading and trailing edges were served with 3x3mm square carbon. It came out extremely well, with a bare weight of 630 grams. So with 5000mA 3S it should have a flying weight of about 1000g. Cheers from Perth.✈

[@AndrewNewton]

Sweet, more carbon than I would use but it will be a good weight carrier

[@ukulelefatman]

Awesome project, just what I've been planning!! Thank You!!

[@AndrewNewton]

Your previous question prompted this build, thanks for the prompt!

[@LWJCarroll]

Interesting alternative to the ARF I will be looking for the next video! Thanks Laurie

[@ralphpartipilo2592]

Very nice work Andrew!!

[@nilsmeinardi]

Looks like it is flying great!

[@robertz5958]

That glider is absolutely brilliant Andrew! It also goes to show that you don't need to spend hundreds of dollars to be able to fly! , Also it must make you feel great designing and building your own! Awesome! !!

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes very satisfying

[@jamesjacocks6221]

Nice one Andrew! You certainly got the aerodynamics right. I loved seeing it climb to the top of the lift roll. Just held my breath in hope it wouldn't clap it's hands.

[@AndrewNewton]

Same here James. It now has a spar and there will be no hand clapping

[@JoshWeaverRC]

No limits Andrew!

[@joecaraco7503]

Wings flap like a bird. You are one clever fellow! I enjoy you videos and learn many helpful techniques. Keep them coming.

[@AndrewNewton]

Thanks Joe, stiffened with a spar now

[@EnglishTurbines]

Now that looks really lightweight Andrew....amazing build.

[@AndrewNewton]

Thanks ET. It's looking like it will work with a few tweaks.

[@PiefacePete46]

Now there's one that you can fly when nothing else will stay up there. Great explanation of your processes, thanks.

[@AndrewNewton]

Exactly

[@Steve-zx7jz]

Wish I could find depron here, nice one Andrew!

[@nyinaingoo4720]

Very nice plane,,Andrew I love yours

[@gloplg]

Nice Andrew. I like your build techniques. I might get some depron and try

[@Flybrei]

great👍 it flies super

[@Flybrei]

Great idea I had used tape

[@jay1st1st]

Nice, very nice !!!

[@DonDegidio]

Hi Andrew, Quite respectable for a quick build. I was hoping you wouldn't fold the wings. Looking forward for the next video with the strengthened wing.

[@ColinMill1]

I must say that after 2 years this remains my go-to model if the wind is not too strong for it. Just so relaxing to fly. Despite a few bumps and scrapes it remains under 250g but not by enough to allow a folding prop to be fitted.

[@AndrewNewton]

Great to hear that Colin. They do float in minimal lift

[@janatlmb2770]

in flight that thing is marvelous

[@AndrewNewton]

It certainly floats on the air well

[@TapioBlue]

I clicked to watched the video because I read 3 M depron glider lol. I read that flexible wings are more efficient for soaring, might of been a full scale book. As long as they don't flutter or snap it shouldn't be a problem. A fishing rod spar be cool.

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes some flex is always good, super rigid would break

[@solosailor222]

Very sleek wing foil shape It would be interesting to compare zero-assist (ridge lift or motor) Glide Ratios (sink rate) on your various Glider builds especially on a thermal glider design

[@prestonshute7243]

Puts some spares on that one and you got a keeper. Cheers

[@lloydprunier4415]

Bird like!

[@crankstermedia]

Thanks for posting this build. One request though; would you mind showing how you built the dihedral into the wing please?

[@AndrewNewton]

I'll do a more thorough build overview when it's done

[@heshamtawfik5471]

Simple and perfect but how to build the fuselage?

[@eXpire163]

Hi , do you have a video on the making of the body?

[@cammo3876]

I was looking at your video when u were showing the cutaway and was wondering why you wouldn't at a small thin carbon spar but I see you mentioned it at the end Nice job again my friend 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 I'm Wondering how it will thermal cause I'm betting it's going to keep going up🙈

[@AndrewNewton]

Spar added now and it thermals nicely. Might try a thicker airfoil too

[@PTJeff9x]

Love the simplicity of your builds. How do you determine the length of the fuselage? Is there a ratio similar to the aspect ratio of a wing?

[@AndrewNewton]

I dont use any formula, just what looks right and previous successful builds. The latest thermal glider is the same as the U-Glider and I didn't want to cut the arrow shaft shorter.

[@larrywhalen596]

Nice build Andrew, thank you for sharing; ever try using the fiber reinforced 'strapping' tape underneath the wing (?), that or the reinforced tape for drywall with a lite layer of 30 minute epoxy resin makes for a strong spar system, the 30 minute epoxy tends to retain the polymers longer so will also flex without cracking. I originally came up with this idea in 1976 to use in unit with fiberglass arrow shafts for a new foam wing for a "Spirit of 76" glider from Hobby Shack which is still viable till this day, who knew (!?); the only other thing I did was to cover it with Monocote with the iron set as low as I could get in order to get the film to adhere while NOT melting the foam - whether you're covering foam, Depron, or anything that could possibly melt be sure to test it on a piece of material that you're working with and be sure to keep the IRON moving so as to not melt it; a heat gun does not provide an EVEN amount of 'controlled heat for those who might ask. Anyway, I've got a couple of old gliders in the attic which I'm going to use your technique to build a couple of new wings for and then lay-up one Wing with the reinforced 'strapping' tape and the other with the reinforced 'drywall' tape with resin to see which will hold up the best. Very nice tutorial video by the way, and very well presented.

[@AndrewNewton]

I haven't tried that Larry. Worth trying

[@robinsonprofis7501]

One more great video by you sir. How long is the carbon tube you used?

[@AndrewNewton]

It's a standard length arrow shaft, materials link in the description.

[@madsloper]

Great little quick build technic; I'd like to build one myself. Do you have another video of the entire build process; I've never built anything with depron? TIA

[@AndrewNewton]

When my small folding props arrive I'll do a build video of the body

[@The_Pub_]

Hi Andrew Brilliant motorized flappin kite mate, great video again; looking forward to the next upgrade phase. Would like to see a little more of the wing build please. Also love your ironing technique, most blokes cannot iron and I learnt at 16 when i joined the Defence Force. You look better than me at it, do mind if I send you my work shirts mate. Cheers

[@AndrewNewton]

Haha, if you want your work shorts laminated!

[@The_Pub_]

@@AndrewNewton Laminated shorts would be PainFuLL. The laminated shirts would be insulated though .. AC.......

[@Len02013]

That looks cool :)

[@farmers2630]

Very cool! Have you ever experimented with wingerons?

[@AndrewNewton]

Pitcherons on the Lidl Sloper. It rolls like a drill

[@Thalarctos.]

💖

[@kamini-gs4it]

What motor and folding prop you use for this glider sir, it's hard to find in my country

[@AndrewNewton]

I used a U-Glider motor and prop.

[@RutherfordGeorge]

What is the type of foam that you are using please. I couldn’t get the name clearly from the audio. Thanks

[@AndrewNewton]

Keep looking, it's not hidden

[@ColinMill1]

I'm just putting the finishing touches to one that is coming out about 235g by using the Colin Chapman philosophy of missing out everything that isn't absolutely essential such as all the covering except for the LE where it's needed for the bend, excess wiring, motor connectors and replacing ESC covering with Kapton tape etc. I have increased the wing thickness to 15mm in the hope that this will improve low speed handling still further.

[@AndrewNewton]

Oh very nice. That will float.

[@ColinMill1]

@@AndrewNewton Thanks for the reply. I will certainly let you know. I should have mentioned that I also added a bit of extra camber by gluing the TE while the rear of the spar was held up on a thin 3mm packer. The next think I plan on doing is making a proper jig to hold the wing while glue dries as I'm useless with hot-melt and Uhu-Por seems to add quite a bit of weight and I think I'll get the lightest job with the original yellow gorilla glue carefully applied. Edited to say that at 237grams AUW and with the 15mm thick wing and slight (about 3mm) undercamber it does fly a treat. Unfortunately the lightweight "full-range" receiver I used, despite passing range tests locked out completely and went into fail-safe. Hopefully the model will still be under 250g with a new Rx and more gorilla glue.

[@Carfunmostly]

Nearly lost that one there Andrew. Wouldn't it be much better with two 3x1 carbon spars? I'm worried that just one would still bend and introduce a momentary wing twist.

[@AndrewNewton]

We shall see, these are all experimental

[@antonblebann6823]

Beautyfull, fragile, adding a Spar (Carbon, i guess) is the best solution to survive Your Plane

[@AndrewNewton]

Spar has been added Anton, 6mm x 1mm strip edge on. Much stiffer now

[@erdoctor199]

why have the weight of the motor/battery? thing is a champ.... nice job...

[@AndrewNewton]

For flat field thermal gliding, and it needs the weight for balance

[@giomenpc]

que planeador es????.... se ve genial

[@JorgeDavalosBravo]

Es un diseño propio por lo que he estado leyendo en los comentarios, dice que no tiene una fórmula para calcular el largo del fuselaje, lo hace a ojo por experiencia de anteriores modelos.

[@karolkrajewski9098]

What engine does it use?

[@AndrewNewton]

Same as the U Glider

[@chansaechao79]

After watching several of your videos I bought a Sonicmodell f1 as a beginner plane. Now I'm thinking I made the wrong decision and should've got the Skysurfer x9.

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes the X9 is a much better beginner choice

[@TheSlumpen]

Have you ever tried the KF (Klein Fogleman) airfoils? They are "stepped" and perfect for making wings in any sheet based material. EPP, depron, foam board etc.

[@AndrewNewton]

Not yet. I prefer the look of a true airfoil and I find them easy enough to build.

[@fakepilot1117]

Use spar on wing?

[@AndrewNewton]

Yes 3 x 0.3 mm CF strip just in the flat section

[@wordreet]

It definitely works. Shame you lost the onshore breeze though. My goodness it climed (clum?) really nicely then.

[@AndrewNewton]

It certainly clomed easily

[@wrevenaugh]

Awesome as usual my friend. When you lost the onshore breeze and turned right you got me thinking..... Since I really have no place to *slope* soar, I wonder if it might be possible to build one like that and just fly it in a prevailing wind on level ground! (?) Maybe just keep circling around quickly and heading into the wind for the majority of the time. That would be SO COOL! You really have become an expert (probably without even thinking about it, lol) at putting the right bird in the air for the existing wind speeds. So, a couple questions - 1)if you took the motor off, how much would it weigh, and 2) what do you think the estimated sustained wind speed would be needed to keep her afloat reasonably well? For that matter - maybe you could even do a short video on what you take into account (calculations/rough formulas?) when you decide what size/weight sloper you put in the air for the wind conditions you have on a given day. Might you even try to "slope" soar on level ground at your regular field in a prevailing wind? Could I be on to something here? lol Sure would like to hear what you think! P.S. After you flew and modded your Ultralight Sloper, I told my Son "What do you want to bet he goes and pulls the "fishies" out of storage and flys them next!" Great stuff buddy. You are my aeronautical hero. Happy Holidays Andrew. :)

[@JoshWeaverRC]

I thought about the same, but with the addition of a man made feature to bump the air up. Really, you are riding the pressure waves as much as the wind current. If you dont have a motor, you need something pushing the wind up. Maybe a tarp from the top of a high fence down at an angle. Or a couple poles and a tarp.

[@AndrewNewton]

Haha, you know me too well. You do need some vertical lift to keep the glider up. Horizontal wind will let you hang for a little longer after the initial throw but for sustained flight rising air is needed.

[@sergeys8860]

Спасибо большое за видео обзор ,а можно чертеж планера.

[@AndrewNewton]

Thanks newtonairlines.blogspot.com/2018/12/3mm-depron-thermal-glider.html

[@coverdestroyer3572]

Do you have tutorial how to make?

[@AndrewNewton]

Might be plans on my blog

[@coverdestroyer3572]

@@AndrewNewtonthe spar carbon is 2mm?

[@miro-hristov]

You sound an awful lot like iforce2d ;)

[@AndrewNewton]

Haha, different country but close

[@matthewbarger4592]

looks like she could do with out the prop and motor all together to save weight

[@AndrewNewton]

You would have to replace the motor weight to maintain the CG balance

[@hankmengedoht6651]

Andrew Newton or move the wing back

ANDREW, WHAT PLASTIC IS THAT?

[@AndrewNewton]

Which bit are you talking about?

@@AndrewNewton 5:22

[@jensjensen2896]

Nice work, pls erase your adress on next video. 😉

[@AndrewNewton]

Ha yes I realised afterwards. Thanks

[@elfarezhy6538]

Everybody know English Except cave guy

[@nige5572]

Lookout @ 4:16 you leaked your address.

[@AndrewNewton]

Send me a postcard!