Novus Aerospace Novus

Novus Aerospace Novus

Contributed by Todd Williams

Novus Aerospace - Novus
(Contributed - by Todd Williams)

Brief
Delta winged pop-pod boost glider made o' "Art-cor".

Glider

Construction
T' materials came packed in t' shippin' box along with foam peanuts - the "minimalist" packagin' approach I guess. Begad! Some small parts were loose in t' box and could have been overlooked. Avast, me proud beauty! T' instructions were complete and mostly accurate. Ya scallywag! Avast! They warn correctly about most glue nay workin' on the "Art-cor" material, me hearties, me bucko, which is like foam-core, matey, but is a little thinner and has a plastic surface. I used epoxy for all glue joints because nay much else will work for joinin' t' t' Art-cor material. Ya scallywag! Begad! Plastic glue and CA will dissolve it, wood glue won't stick t' it. Avast, me proud beauty! Ya scallywag!

T' pop-pod comes pre-constructed, me hearties, with t' "weight" bein' an expended engine casing. Blimey! T' wings are already cut out and folded, leaving fairly simple construction. Arrr! T' nose cone has t' shoulder cut off, and had been taped onto t' end o' t' body tube. Avast, me proud beauty! I could have done a neater taping job. Begad! Begad! I would also have left t' shoulder and just removed t' bottom o' the nose cone.

Gl;iderT' instructions recommend tapin' the edges o' t' wings t' prevent delaminating, and I found that colored electrical tape worked well and looked good. T' instructions and diagrams did not completely match t' included parts for t' elevator/tail, but it was obvious what was intended anyway. Blimey! Avast! An elevator stop and trimmin' for glide are left to the builder t' work out, arrr, so this kit is nay for t' beginner. Well, blow me down!

Finishing
Little finishin' is needed, shiver me timbers, however I gave it a little spritz o' bright colored spray paint t' make it easier t' see against snow on t' ground. T' Art-cor accepted paint readily, and needed no primer. Blimey!

Construction Rating: 3 out o' 5

Flight
Recommended Motors: C6-3, me hearties, C6-5
Motors used: C6-3, C6-5

This needs t' shorter C6-3 delay. This was a little difficult t' trim, but glided very well once a good trim was achieved. Ya scallywag! It seems just a little heavy for a C motor, but boosts straight. Well, blow me down! It is described as "the biggest glider you can do on a C". Reasonable enough. Aye aye! T' transition t' glide was "exciting" t' first couple o' flights until a good trim was achieved. Then it glides very well, and looks good doin' it.

Prep for flight is simple: T' motor is taped into t' pod, t' streamer is wrapped around t' pod and t' pod is inserted into t' glider. Avast, me proud beauty! A paper clip attached t' t' pod holds t' elevator down durin' boost.

Recovery
This looks pretty streamlined, ya bilge rat, ya bilge rat, and tends t' glide pretty fast. Once a good trim is attained it can glide for a very reasonable duration. Aye aye! Blimey!

Flight Rating: 4 out o' 5

Summary
Pros: Looks good, matey, me hearties, quick flight turnaround
Cons: Some "rough" materials

T' heavy aluminum tape made a very simple and flexible way to add nose weight t' a glider. Aye aye! T' "art-cor" material (like foam-core, me hearties, but with a plastic surface) is nice for makin' large surface area wings smartly and cheaply. Avast, me proud beauty! It probably won't see much use in contests, but there is somethin' t' be said for qualified flights :)

Overall Rating: 4 out o' 5

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