Turning an RC Aircraft into a Water Bomber: Ideas & Suggestions

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of converting an RC aircraft into a water bomber, exploring various methods for loading and releasing water during flight. Participants consider both mechanical solutions and the implications of design choices on aircraft performance.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests installing a container in the fuselage for water storage but is uncertain about the release mechanism.
  • Another proposes using doors to drop water balloons as a potential solution.
  • A later reply specifies the need for a continuous stream or other forms of water release, excluding package drops.
  • Concerns are raised about maintaining aircraft trim and control when releasing water, with suggestions for building water-tight bomb-bay doors operated by a servo.
  • There is mention of the need for baffles in the tank to prevent water sloshing, as well as considerations about the sensitivity of models to shifting loads.
  • One participant notes the limitations of adapting an existing model versus building a new one, including the challenges of in-flight water loading and hydrodynamic drag.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the best method for water release and the implications of design choices on aircraft performance. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing ideas presented.

Contextual Notes

Limitations include the dependence on the specific design of the RC aircraft and the scale of the model, which may affect the feasibility of proposed solutions.

Cashlover123
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I was wondering how you could turn an RC aircraft out to a water bomber?? I thought of installing a container in the fuselage where water could be filled but can't think of how to get water out. Any suggestions on that or any other ideas of loading the water?
 
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Put some doors on it that open up and drop a water balloon?
 
I should have been more specific. What if the water has to be released only as a stream or any of its other form (e.g. steam) and strictly not to be dropped with any package?
 
If you want to make it a model of a real aeroplane, I forsee the same sort of problems that the original designers encountered.
One is to make sure that your trim doesn't alter too dramatically when the load is dropped.
As for the drop mechanism itself, I'd consider just building water-tight bomb-bay doors (clamshell or front-hinged) into the bottom of your tank, which in turn will constitute the bottom of the fusilage. A single servo can open and close them. You might also want to put baffles in the tank to prevent the water from sloshing around too much. I don't know how sensitive models are to shifting loads, but I suspect that they're a lot harder to control than the real thing. (Delayed response time; no sense of "feel"; limited engine power; etc.. Do they normally even have in-flight trim control?)
From the wording of your question, it appears that you want to adapt an existing model rather than build a new one. That rules out the really cool possibility of scooping up water on the fly from a lake or river, but also avoids the highly troublesome aspect of compensating for hydrodynamic drag and ground effect during the loading process.
Those are just my "off the top of my head" thoughts about the matter.
Of course, a lot depends upon what scale this thing is built to.
 
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