Fidget GG Model

Waggly tails
Twitcher
Posts: 53
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 12:17

Fidget GG Model

Post by Twitcher »

A friend and I both recently built versions of this US-designed "modern" GG model featured by Mike Goulette in the SAM 35 SAM Speaks monthly magazine a few months ago. I have to admit, I was uncertain about the effectiveness of the control surfaces, as the recommended Rand actuator has a limited range of movement and needs care when setting up the control horn geometry. Also, I didn't care much for the back end, so I changed the shapes a little and slimmed it down a bit back there, whilst taking care to keep the areas and moment as per the original.
I think it came out well. Covered in medium weight Polyspan(polyester fabric) with trim details in Litespan, it's colourful and easily oriented in the sky - very important when your peepers are 75 years old!
One thing to note is that to be sure of getting adequate movement, you really have to have the pushrods attached no more than 10mm max. from the surface hinge lines. That's not a criticism of Tobe's cloned actuators. I'm sure he'd agree that you need to careful in this respect.
Long story short, the model flies extremely well. It was an easy, quick build and the controls turned out to be spot on! I'd rate it as a nice little starter model for someone aspiring to the eccentricities of GG. The plan is on Outerzone and, being CAD-drawn, there were no mistakes anywhere as far as I could see. An interesting point is that unlike similar designs like John Ralph's immortal Wagtail, and John Bowmer's lovely Swannee (got two of those), both from the early days of single channel and GG, the Fidget has a semi-symmetrical wing section. I felt that initially this led to a slight tendency for the model to fly slightly nose heavy, so that I needed to be precise as regards the Balance Point location.
Anyway, the Fidget gets a Thumbs-Up, Gold Star and a Highly Recommended from me. And thanks Tobe for all your hard work in perfecting the lovely Rand clone. As they say, without you none of this would have been possible!
David

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Last edited by Twitcher on 23 Aug 2020, 10:33, edited 4 times in total.
Tobe
Posts: 665
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 06:19
Location: Varberg or Stockholm, Sweden

Re: Fidget GG Model

Post by Tobe »

I have one of "those" too and I must second David here. Here under building and just before final outfitting. Undoubtedly the Fidget is the most head turner on field as it has a semi-symmetric wing profile as Galloping Ghost

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Cheers,

Tobe
Twitcher
Posts: 53
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 12:17

Re: Fidget GG Model

Post by Twitcher »

Phil_G wrote: 21 Aug 2020, 14:07 Hi David, is this 'our' Mike Goulette or another? Mike lives in Derbyshire :D
Yes Phil, this must be "our" Mike Goulette. His address in the SAM Speaks magazine is in Derbyshire.I didn't know he was one of us!
Tobe, thanks for correcting me regarding the Fidget's wing section. I had it in my head that it was fully symmetrical but I neglected to check my facts! Now Corrected. Anyway, it works well and the model flies brilliantly.
User avatar
Al Clark
Posts: 46
Joined: 17 Aug 2018, 13:40
Location: Alabama USA

Re: Fidget GG Model

Post by Al Clark »

Twitcher,

Glad to hear you are enjoying your Fidget. Nice build job on yours, and I like your color scheme! Being friends with Tobe I already knew about his. Yes, the semi-symmetrical airfoil raised a few eyebrows here as well, but based upon past experiences with other similar models I've designed I knew that it would work well on a GG model.

Al Clark, Fidget designer
Twitcher
Posts: 53
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 12:17

Re: Fidget GG Model

Post by Twitcher »

Hi Al
I owe you - great design and a great flyer. Didn't know you were on the forum - nice surprise!
Tobe
Posts: 665
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 06:19
Location: Varberg or Stockholm, Sweden

Re: Fidget GG Model

Post by Tobe »

Is it me and my G&T or do we have 2 different setup for the tail feathers?
Cheers,

Tobe
Twitcher
Posts: 53
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 12:17

Re: Fidget GG Model

Post by Twitcher »

Tobe, I mentioned in my first post that I'd fiddled with a couple of aspects of the design, not because I thought they were in any way deficient, but simply to please my own taste in aesthetics. For that reason I wanted a bit more "shape" on the stab, plus I altered the fin a bit too.
I also have an aversion to snakes - the model aircraft type, that is. With that in mind, to avoid having them poking out of the top of the fuselage, I brought the extreme end of the fuselage down to a mere 1/8"/ 3.5mm, and extended the rudder right down to the bottom, just so that I could hide the snakes' exits underneath the stab. Yes, I know: I made extra work for myself, but that's how I am!
Al's design is fine; nothing wrong with it "as is". But which of us can say we've never changed anything when building from a plan? Certainly not me: I always seem to alter bits and pieces here and there to suit my preferences. It doesn't make me a bad person. Not much anyway. :D
Tobe
Posts: 665
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 06:19
Location: Varberg or Stockholm, Sweden

Re: Fidget GG Model

Post by Tobe »

I sure like your tail and very close to what I normally design/build so no negativism in my comments as most of us tend to personalize what we build which make most of our models unique at lest whom build from scratch....and I'm at least as bad as you and I see that a positive asset.
FYI I have designed a single action actuator as add on to the regular so actually you could fly full house GG if you put it in the wing, might be an horrifying idea for the purist but I*m bad so I'm flying full house GG with variable rates on the transmitter.

All the best David and sure hope to see you at next Ponte.
Be safe & Stay safe

Tobe
Cheers,

Tobe
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Al Clark
Posts: 46
Joined: 17 Aug 2018, 13:40
Location: Alabama USA

Re: Fidget GG Model

Post by Al Clark »

Twitcher,

Tobe gave me a bit of background about you, and now I am honored you built a Fidget!

I also often modify models I build for one reason or another. Experienced builders generally know how to make mods without changing the flight characteristics. This is to be expected and I'm OK with it on my designs. If one keeps the basic parameters (moments, areas, incidences, dihedral, thrustline, etc) the same it is no problem. On a humorous note, I have had a few occasions where a guy totally changed around my entire design and used a different wattage motor, and then sent me an email saying it doesn't fly like I said it would. :)
Al Clark
Twitcher
Posts: 53
Joined: 16 Feb 2018, 12:17

Re: Fidget GG Model

Post by Twitcher »

Hi Al
I'm pleased that we share the same philosophy as regards model building - after all, no-one wants exactly the same model as everyone else, do they? Most of us like to personalise our projects and make them stand out from the crowd.

Tobe's probably told you about my (very) long-standing interest in GG. It got me started in r/c almost 60 years ago, as a complete rookie, flying one of the UK's most iconic trainers, the wonderful Veron Robot from the pen of the late Phil Smith (it's on Outerzone, plan # oz6906. If that name means nothing to you, I'm certain Shaun will fill you in!

That delightful model was equipped with a SPDT Siemens relay and soldered-up, centre-tapped dry cells (if you weren't much good at soldering before, you soon learned!) steered by the Mighty MIdget actuator, complete with rubber band centreing. The wonder was, it all worked brilliantly. Just as well, because if it hadn't I wouldn't have had a clue about where to start sorting it out . . . The engine in that model was a brand-spanking-new McCoy 19 Redhead, which was absolutely gutless but happily turned out to be the perfect powerplant for the Robot.

For interest, I'm attaching a few photos of my own-design Mangled Wot that employs a modern version of that old-fashioned but very effective Mighty Midget actuator. Still flying well!

Robot and Me.jpg
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