Akaflieg Karlsruhe AK-X

On Mon, 11 Dec 2017 00:55:27 +0000, Michael Opitz wrote:

It looks like someone may have tried to make the tips "all flying"
control surfaces, as they appear to be skewed off axis somehow.
Also, IIRC, those are elevons (not ailerons) that are missing. IIRC,
the Ho-IV used a system whereby an outboard spoiler was separately
deployed on one wing (or the other) for roll and yaw control. (in
addition to the elevons)

Yes, I was aware that this is a complex set of three control surfaces per
wing, but I'm a little confused about their function, but I think that,
listing from root to tip they were elevator,aileron,drag rudder. Is this
a fair description.

Dad found the praying mantis position ok, except for when he was at the
end of a long flying day, and his beard stubble started to become
irritated by the chin rest.

:-)

To be quite honest, I was 1-1/2 years old when Dad flew the 1952
nationals. I was left at home with friends. I never got to look at a
Ho IV cockpit with Dad in my adult life, so I can't answer your
questions. I'm sure that the fellow(s) who precisely rebuilt a Ho IV a
few years ago in Germany can answer those questions though.

Fair enough. I didn't realise you were so young at the time.

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/H...s/ho_iv/ho_iv_
Restoration/body_ho_iv_restoration.html

Do you know if this replica was completed and flown? All I know about it
is in that article about the ongoing building project. About all I know
about it it that it is not the glider in NASM, which is the second IVb
prototype.

Dad made one or two 500 Km flights in the Ho IV during the 1952
nationals. That finished his Diamond badge. (#1 Germany, #10
International)...He was still a German citizen at the time, and did not
pick up his USA citizenship until a few years later, although that did
not stop the SSA/USA from also claiming his badge,
awarding him USA #6....

What a nice way to get Diamond distance!

BTW, have you see this article about the Ho S.IVb:

https://scalesoaring.co.uk/VINTAGE/D...n/Horten%20IV/
Horten_IVb.html

Lots of photos, good plan showing the three control surfaces per wing and
a useful write-up about construction, flying characteristics and where
the airframes went.

A bigger plan is downloadable from he

https://scalesoaring.co.uk/VINTAGE/D...n/Horten%20IV/
Horten_IV_model.html


Last but not least, there's a great write-up on the restoration of the
example in the Deutsches Museum, Munich:

http://www.twitt.org/HoIVrest.htm

It has decent cockpit photos and says exactly how the control yoke
worked: it slid back and forth on a central tube for pitch and rocked
from side to side for roll control.

FWIW, the example in NASM seems to be the restored S.IVb 2nd prototype,
though its described as a VI both by NASM and elsewhere. It seems as
though these are interchangeable names for the same design.

The best comprehensive list of Horten designs I've found so far is on

http://www.nurflugel.com under

http://www.nurflugel.com/Nurflugel/Horten_Nurflugels/
horten_nurflugels.html



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Martin | martin at
Gregorie | gregorie
| dot org