Winter build project: Wolfgang Matt’s ATLAS

Oi that's my baby that is! It is also a triumph of ascetics over aesthetics.

I found myself pondering or is it wondering over cooling. I wanted keep the sleek lines as much as possible. In the image I knew it definitely needed a slot here. Not so much for the motor but air flow over the ESC which is behind the firewall. A fair bit of air will exit anyway via the retract bay anyway. However, the motor is still enclosed hence the holed spinner. (Modellsport recommend not using a spinner - but then it wouldn't be a Curare!) I do have an exit hole on the underside of the fuselage just behind the wing trailing edge, not that big I have to add but it is early days yet to find out if more cooling is required.

However, some have said how balsa makes a nice cosy warm environment so you may have to take that into account.

Of course you don't have to fly it flat out...

PhilF51 wrote: Modellsport recommend not using a spinner - but then it wouldn't be a Curare!

Modellsport are correct...the original Curare always flew with a domed nut, not a spinner.

As for cooling, exits behind the wing are not going to do much since all the cooling air is going to be swirling around the retract opening. I assume the Curare came with an opening and plastic covers, but these Atlas's don't and won't need them.

Butchery took place:



It was intended to be a little narrower and then to flare as it meets the retract area, but the balsa and sanding sticks, didn't play nicely, or rather I was looking specifically at one area while not realising how much I was taking off elsewhere :blush:

Chris001 wrote: Talking of being in the air Mike, how did the Blue Angel perform on the 11x10?

The weather was not that conducive to testing, so I only flew with the 11x10. I'm not convinced it's any better than the 11x8.5, but more testing in calmer weather is necessary. I think the prop unloads a fair bit in the air (or I was flying more at lower throttle settings) since the flight times were about the same.

Ah! Chris, I see now from the image your issue. It appears the air could exit via the retract bay. Of course it has to get in first. I am sure you don't want to break up those sleek lines so give the slotted spinner a try first.