Here’s another friend being put to the test. Or I should say my instructions are being put to the test.
I learned a lot in this build session.
Category Archives: Experimental
Printing on Tissue
It’s possible to print on the tissue paper using an ink jet printer. You can then make any design you want for your airplanes using a graphics program on a computer.
Glue tissue to an ordinary piece of paper using a glue stick. Print on it, then remove the tissue from the paper. If you only glue the border area, it shoudl be easy to separate.
Separate it right away before the glue sets as well.
Squirrels for Beer Program
One tactic that has help me make refinements to the building instructions is to host various building sessions where I can observe people.
The beer methodology has worked. As you can see here I have recruited two of my unsuspecting friends into building Squirrels by enticing them with a beer.
The young lady was actually booked and we were sitting at the pub near the window when the gentlemen was walking buy. I invited him for a drink and presto! Instant testing subject! You can tell how much fun this session was. 🙂
Fat Squirrel
Here is a variation of the design that flies extremely well. I suppose, it will have a wing loading that is twice as favorable since the wing is about twice as wide. Here are the changes:
-Use 4 inch wing ribs (instead of the three 2 inch ones)
-Use a 6 inch wing mount (instead of the 4 inch one)
-Use a double shim because the wing is wider and needs twice as much shim
-I bottom covered it as per plans, then covered the top. I trimmed the top so that the bottom was used for the winglets as per plans.
The tail looks bigger but that’s just because I cut the tissue on the horizontal stabilizer to an semi-circle rather than a triangle.
On this prototype, I did another thing different. I mounted the toothpick at the very back of the motorstick instead of on the leading edge of the rudder.
Pub QA run
I like taking random people and getting them to work through the instructions of the Squirrel.
I usually will pick a nice social setting. One one hand it could provide distraction but on the other it’s easier to get people to do the QA.
The key is to not ask for direct feedback on the instructions. Instead you say you are trying to determine the length of time to be allotted for the activity.
