May 04, 2013.
For our May activity we started with a intro class on the Avro Arrow Wednesday evening and watched a couple videos on the First plane off the assembly line and it's initial flight and one another on the demise.
For the trip to the Springbank Airport we were able to see the 2/3 scale model under construction. Their X-Plane simulator used to test out structural changes was very impressive. They told us it takes 5 computers all running together to provide the real time displays we were watching. You could simulate system failures, bad weather, different locations (78GB global scenery), any time of day.... We tried it out, it's cool. The plane can take off in around 5 seconds from a standing stop.
We were shown the hi-tech building materials they were using to build the surface structures. One was Carbon fiber rods. 1 rod the diameter of 3mm. could hold 300kg. They indicated the Carbon fiber material, due to it's superior strength, was actually cheaper than the kevlar material they used.
Got to see the older models there as well. The 1/8 scale radio controlled one was hanging from the ceiling.
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Avro Museum - Calgary |
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X-Plane - Simulation software |
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Karl Burndorfer, John Sobkowicz - Scout Leaders |
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Ethan Conrad. R.J. Laigo, Michael Laigo, Hale Aquino, Seth Ek - Scouts |
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Arny Vanwieren - Engineer and Volunteer member of Museum |
At the hanger |
Lot of small planes around |
Flight Control Tower |
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How to build the Avro Arrow from the drawings
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Some of the Kevlar fabric used to make surface parts. |
Fuselage ready and waiting for wing components. |
Paul taking us through a typical takeoff. |
Set the Airport, time of day, weather, current set of structural
modifications... |
Good to go, apply 80% thrust on the engines... |
and set autopilot to take a few questions |
This could teach me to be a pilot right?, You bet!
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 That
was cool. Now for a short historical movie. |
Arny's in charge of the design and building of the landing gear. |
Here's the 1/8 scale model. It was used in a movie where a plane flew
behind it working the Radio controls for it. |
There's the fuselage for t he 2/3 scale model. |
Checking out brother-in-laws place by English Bay, Vancouver. Do a low
subsonic fly by. |
The first wing frame unit for structural stress testing. Made with Carbon
Fiber beans. Should withstand g-forces 5 times what a human
could. |
Movie corner. Get to watch the original test flight on the 6 different
planes made. |
Seth wants to be a fighter pilot! |
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Showing one of the old timers how the simulator works. |
Running around the hangers looking for planes to taxi by. |