Using the Sorcerer for TSA Flight Endurance Competition  
     The Sorcerer makes a good basic kit for the 2011 Flight Endurance event. For optimum performance, some dimensions need to be increased, some decreased.

   This year's (2011) rules also allow larger stab chord.  Make sure your Sorcerer stabilizer takes advantage of that as you comply with maximum allowed stab span. 
   Using larger cross-section replacement balsa, make a longer motor stick and tail-boom. Make sure rear motor hook is placed far enough back so you can install the maximum 1.5g motor. 
   The included props are too small and too heavy. Throw them away! Using them with an unmodified, short wing model with result in a very nose-heavy plane. 
   Remember that center of gravity (COG) is a critical parameter, and must be correct no matter how you build the plane.
   If the model tends to dive towards the floor, check on the location of the COG (center of gravity). If the location of the COG is correct, increase the wing incidence so that the leading edge of the wing is a bit higher than the trailing edge.
   Read carefully and print the detailed suggestions below. You should also work directly from the official 2011 TSA students' or coaches' manual.

The Sorcerer is a close fit, specifications-wise, to the 2011 TSA rules. Sorcerer is supplied with wire landing gear and funny little balsa wheels that cannot possibly be functional. The balsa wheels in the kit will break on the first landing, I promise, unless reinforced. 
     To improve the wheels: cut out balsa disks to match the ones in the kit. Glue them together with grain rotated 90 degrees and a piece of paper sandwiched in between.  See more wheel ideas below.
     To the extent that TSA rules permit, you might redesign Sorcerer with added balsa to make canard design, i.e., 2 wings, 1 fore, 1 aft. This would go along with as much increase in tail boom length as you can get away with, to increase distance between wing and stab, thereby increasing stab contribution to lift. Click here for detailed discussion.

Other supplies you will need:
     You should get Ikara props, extra motor - for TSA, lighter rubber such as our #376 may work - but note that as packaged USING OUR MODIFICATIONS including skipping the in-wing gussets the model will probably end up less than 7g so you can certainly enlarge stab and lengthen motor stick - although of course wheels add back weight.




Flying Surfaces:

Review the newest rules and calculate the aircraf't's maximum dimensions.  

Wing:

1.)  Add to or replace balsa spars to achieve maximum allowed length. Sorcerer wing is a fraction of an inch shorter than TSA maximum. (NOTE: length refers to horizontal projection!) Do this on center section; leave dihedral tips alone.

2.)  Increase rib length to TSA allowed maximum by cutting your own ribs from sheet balsa, or adding 1/16" sq sticks to trailing end of ribs.

3.)  Do not install the triangular balsa gussets called for in the instructions. Too much weight! 
Instead, put an extra SMALL additional drop of Ambroid cement in the joint corners where the ribs are attached to the spars. Look out for similar weight savings throughout the plan. Same idea for fin and stab.
  

Motor stick and Tailboom:

   Some of the more sophisticated designs use motor sticks and tailbooms much longer than specified in the Sorcerer kit. It is important to have the overall fuselage (motor stick and tail boom) longer than the wingspan, to extent permitted by rules. This increases effectiveness of the stabilizer relative to its surface area. Stabilizer can add to lift if tailboom is adjusted properly. The tail boom may need to be elevated (raised up a bit) or lowered so that the plane will fly smoothly in a very slight nose-up position.
   It also makes sense to use a heavier motor stick, as specified in Harlan and Banks designs. Larger sticks (.250" sq or .250 x 2/16") should be tapered at ends to reduce weight.  This reduces torque twist on initial release when motor torque is greatest, and makes adjusting for flight circle and climb much more predictable.  Balsa is available here.

Stabilizer:

1.)  There is no limit to stabilizer dimensions for 2011 TSA rules (unless we missed something).  The Sorcerer stab span is already fairly long.  Consider increasing chord. Combine this with maximizing tailboom length. Note that you are messing with basic areodynamics here, and these major design changes will almost certainly require other adjustments, at the very least in Center of Gravity, also in wing attack angle, possibly in prop pitch and motor.

Fin:

1.)  The area can be increased or decreased depending on the percentage size change of the airplane design.  Try to not reduce the height as this will induce some instability in the roll and yaw axis. 
    What would happen if you put the stab/rudder assembly on top side of motor stick? Try it! Most models have the fin on top of tailboom. HOWEVER -  placing on underside allows fin to act as the third leg of landing gear triangle, unless it holds tail so far off floor that ability to take of from floor is compromised. 
    IF YOU ARE FEELING REALLY AMBITIOUS, you might consider dispensing with fin entirely by using a straight wing (no dihedral) with maximum allowed wingspan (just "flatten" the  Sorcerer wing and reduce length to specs), and use small fins as on the Leading Edge. 
 

Post and Socket attachments
See detailed discussion, pros & cons below before you use this method.

 1.)  Collect coffee stirrer straws with single bores (openings).  The smaller the inside diameter, the better the socket.

 2.)  The straw will become the socket that will receive the wood post (usually 3/32” balsa strip). You can sand a heavier grade of 1/8" to get this. The Cruiser plans for '07-'08 called for .090" (1/8 is .125). 

 3.)  Roughen the straws surface with 400 grit sand paper.

 4.)  Cut sections about 15mm +/- long

 For Tail boom attachment (making an adjustable mount): 

Note - this is optional or less! This device can be rotated to adjust stab angle for flying circle, but may be unstable, and it may be hard to replicate a successful angle without some means of measuring your adjustments. 

 5.)  Remove the “lock” components if you have an existing Sorcerer motor stick.  

6.)  Attach a straw socket to the top of the motor stick with glue.  Be sure that the straw is located in absolute parallel with the motor stick.

 7.)  When dry, wrap with thread and glue.

8.)  A “stop” can be added so that the tailboom does not push through the socket. Or save weight by plugging the end with a glued scrap of balsa stick.

 9.)  If the tail boom feels loose in the socket, smear a little glue on the tail boom tip that is inserted into the socket.   Let the  glue dry first before inserting. 
Note: Ambroid cement or water-based wood glue may not adhere well to plastic. Test first on scrap. It may be better to use CA or epoxy.

 For Wing Attachment:

10.)  Do not install the saddle components.  All you need are the posts to be attached to the wing. [See remarks, pros & cons, below.]  11.)  Assemble all the components, propeller, motor stick, rubber motor and tail boom/tail assembly together.  12.)  Find the point of balance on the motor stick.  Mark this spot.  This is the location for the rear post socket.

13.)  Glue and let dry.  Make sure that the socket is positioned straight up and down.  Bind with thread and glue.

14.)  Once dry, slide the rear post into place and mark the location for the front post on the motor stick.   Attach the straw socket as before.

Advantages & disadvantages of Post and Socket Attachments

   The new attachments save on weight and can add to the ability to make special flight adjustments.  
Tail boom/Tail Assembly-
   Being able to increase or decrease “stabilizer tilt” simply by rotating the tail boom and re-inserting it back into the socket allows fine adjustments for the flight orbit diameter.  This is a critical adjustment for any flying site especially on contest day.  Since the stabilizer tends to fly parallel with the ground, having it tilted with, say, the right tip down and the left tip up (in comparison to the wings) will induce a left turning orbit.  More tilt will tighten the orbit and the airplane will fly faster or reduce the tilt and the orbit increases and the airplane flies slower, closer to a stall attitude.  All adjustments should be made viewing the airplane from the tail forward.
Negatives: Post & Socket devices may be disturbed by crashes, or even gentle landings and routine handling.  Once they move, it may be very hard to determine where they had been.  This may make a series of incremental adjustments difficult.  Marking with fine gradations in indelible marker may address this problem.

Wing Attachments-
   With the post and socket attachments, adjustments can be made for incidence.  Wing incidence where the leading edge flies higher than the trailing edge can simply be adjusted by how deep the posts are inserted into the sockets.  Too much positive incidence and the airplane stalls.  Too little incidence and the airplane does not climb and orbits faster.  Once the airplane flies slightly nose high while not entering a stall, then the adjustments should be marked on the post with a colored indelible marker.  In the future those marks make first adjustments a breeze.
Negatives: Likewise, adjustments may be lost by landings or disturbances caused by handling. Also, experimental modifications to aircraft may require a change of center of gravity and position of wing mounts. That will require moving the posts.  Hardened Ambroid cement may be dissolved with acetone to allow this. You may want to use a wing saddle until you are satisfied with the model design and have finalized the basic structure. 

 Propellers-

THROW AWAY THE PLASTIC PROPS IN THE KIT!
   Turnertoys FLIGHT CENTRAL™ offers the new super-light Ikara propellers, which will assist in reducing weight. They can easily be trimmed with scizzors to the maximum permitted diameter and to achieve perfect balance, and re-pitched to adjust power and prop speed.The prop blade shafts can be twisted slightly to change the pitch but care must be made in not twisting too far damaging the shaft.

WINDING A RUBBER MOTOR
Important: You MUST attach an O-ring to the tail end of the motor to facilitate removing and replacing the motor from the motor hook for winding.
Have an assistant hold the front of the model by pinching the nose of the model and the propeller hub with the thumb and forefinger of the left hand.
*With the one hand, the assistant places a cardboard sheet between the motor to be wound and the model. This will protect the model in the event that the motor becomes loose or breaks during the winding procedure. NOTE: Should the motor snap back to the assistant's hand, the assistant must insure that the model is not dropped or released. THE ASSISTANT’S JOB IS VERY IMPORTANT IN CONTRIBUTING TO THE SUCCESS OF THE TEAM.
*The motor must be stretched out approximately 8 times its normal length (6 to 7 ft) and should be at a 10-30 degree angle away from the plane’s motor stick.
*Begin turning the crank handle in a clockwise motion to wind the motor. For the first few flights put in approximately 300 turns into the rubber motor (divide the motor turns by the gear ratio to arrive at the number of crank handle turns). After the first flight is completed, and adjustments are made, add an additional 100 turns into the motor. As the last of the 100 turns are finished, the person winding the motor should slowly walk toward the rear motor hook so that the rear o-ring is at the rear motor hook at the completion of the winding process. THE ASSISTANT NEEDS TO BE SURE THAT THE O-RING IS SECURELY IN PLACE ON THE REAR HOOK PRIOR TO RELEASING IT FROM THEIR CONTROL. FAILURE TO EXERCISE DUE CARE COULD RESULT IN A DESTROYED MODEL.   Flight Log

   Using a flight log to record performance and changes is not only good science but it is also the rule (which you should read).  Record such items as size of motor (cross section, 1/16” (M376), .80”, .094" (Turnertoys M377), .75”, etc.), number of winds on launch, number of winds left when it lands, prop rotations per second (PRS), flight time, approximate flying weight, approximate flight orbit diameter, site humidity, site temperature, etc. so that trim changes may be made based on past performance.  The judges are only looking for you to show a filled out log but it will help you improve performance if you use for data collection and analysis.