The Hump, (Destroyed).

The Hump.  (1996?'ish - 2007). (from a plan by Frank Moeller)

         
   It was big.                                        Control was Eleveons, Flaps, Airbrake, Throttle.

       
    Removable motor pod.


She was a big ship, 135" span.

Sorry its a tall picture, but its even worse side-ways, it looks like I've fallen over.

Ok so you have already accepted I'm mad, so why did I build it. Well it looked nice in the magazine and there was a plan available, what more could you want ?, other than a couple of trees worth of balsa.

The original was a slope soarer and was also converted to electric power. Just to be awkward, I wanted a removable power pod, so I designed a module that contained the motor unit, a 7 cell Nimh pack, and a speed controller. That meant there was just one connection to the Rx, two small dowels and one screw to retain the pod it was electrified.

How did it fly?. Majestic. Fantastic. And lots of other 'ics.

The biggest problem was getting it in the air. With a 14" diameter prop in a pusher position, it meant getting your hand out the way pretty quick. After the day I didn't get my hand out of the way quick enough, (a few lines across the back of my hand, though not much blood thankfully), I would run, chuck, and then open the throttle. It worked most times.

It didn't have a steep climb, so could take a while to get high, nuless there were thermals about. Then it would go up quick enough to worry me. It could be stood on a wing tip and rotated, pirouette?, on the proverbial sixpence, (or 5 new pence, dime etc.). There's a big garage door of an air brake/spoiler that pops up from the nose and brings it down at a reasonable thermal breaking speed and angle.

Span - 135"
Motor - Magnetic Mayhem brushed motor
Gear - 2.3:1 belt drive, Olympus
Prop - 14x7 folder
Cells - 7 2400mA nicad  then a 3300nAh nimh
Weight - 6lb 6oz flying under power.

Sadly after a few enjoyable years of flying, it tucked it's nose under one day, went to terminal velocity dive, and sort of exploded on the way down......RIP.


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