6/24/08

Born Loser Embryo


By Dave Wingate

The Born Loser is an Embryo Endurance Class biplane designed by Al Backstrom. I don't like its name, but the Born Loser has plenty of charm and a reputation for good flying. I discovered the model on Small Flying Arts and immediately decided to build one.

It took six months to complete this model. No doubt it would have been faster if not for the Xbox 360 we got in December. But to be fair, it was my first biplane and I made some mistakes. For example I didn't realize the pylon is an integral part of the fuselage until after the fuselage was built and covered.

I think Embryos makes a lot of sense for MAC. The airplanes are easy to construct, small (but not too small) and they can be flown indoor or outdoor. It is a gateway to competitive endurance flying, and also a good choice for fun flying.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dave -

"Cute" model! As you know, I too have been building one for a "while" (it's been stored away in a box about 90% framed for a number of years!).

Yours shows a lot of potential so far. By the end of our last indoor session, you were getting close to the right trim, and with the right motor, and perhaps just a bit more trimming, it should put up some really good flights.

Maybe it's just may own personal "hangup", but this model fairly "screams out" for a dummy pilot of some kind - even just a profile one if nothing else.

Kermit

Craig said...

Where did you guys end up on CG for the Born Loser? I have the plans but don't see a recommended location. Thanks.

Dave W said...

The CG is not indicated on the plan, but this wasn't really a problem. My Born Loser needed nose weight so I just added clay until it was flying in nice circles. This model was not difficult to trim.