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SHAKEDOWN VIDEO

1976 RFB Fanliner, by Luigi Colani
http://www.google.com/search?q=Colani+Fanliner

About October 2008, I began this project. I had been talking to Criminy and some reference to this came up in which I thought it was an extremely cool, interesting and exciting design. It was also fascinating that it was similar in a number of ways to the 2006 PM cover plane, my x450TJ, being a pilot/passenger pod, mid/rear engine, T tail, shoulder mounted straight wings... separated by 30 years.

This plane was one that would absolutely require a 3d object body because of the center propfan duct, blending, shaping, and all that. So it served as an exploration of whole body shaping, modelling and texturing. The acf, being based on an otherwise wholly unpublished concept design... I had to choose the similar analogs to use. I had to choose everything from the size proportion, weight, airfoil, control system, even power. I based it on PA-28-160. and given the era, gave it an estimated proper weight for aircraft of that time. It is all estimates based on similar analogs of the time. One deviation i'll cite, is that since being made today.. I put in a 200hp version of the same engine, and constant speed prop in the duct.

It has been a long time coming. I have the 3D cockpit structure started, but that has proved to be the stalling point on the project. the size, shape and orientation of the interior, that is entirely unseen in any pictures.

Criminy loves this plane and is always asking about it's status. It's a great flying little plane. I changed the panel to the same one from the C3M_F1, on a variation of the glider_panel, so it is largely a large-view, VFR, cruiser, explorer, and sight-see'er.

2010/02/06 : For now, it's in the open for free, as a gift to my loyal regulars. HERE

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhein-Flugzeugbau_Fanliner
http://translate.google.com/translate?s ... u_Fanliner

The second prototype Fl-1 (D-EBFL) was the forward fuselage and cockpit by Luigi Colani redesigned and enlarged the span of the wing. The first flight of this also equipped with a more powerful engine machine took place on 4 September 1976.

first time i've seen spec's. lets see how I did on my educated-guess/assumed engineering

span
7.45 / 9.61 meters.
semi-length
12.22ft / 15.76ft

My model.
13' semi-length, 2' lateral offset. 15' total span. 95%

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Tare 520 kg 545 kg (empty weight)
1,146lb / 1,201lb

Mine 1600lb. 75% to actual

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Takeoff weight 750 kg 850 kg (maxgross)
1,653lb / 1,873lb

Mine 2290 lb. 82% to actual

aside
180lb (standard occupant, x2) 360lb.
max gross 1873lb - 360lb = 1513lb
1513 lb - empty weight 1201 lb = 312 lb of fuel.

Mine, 300lb fuel. 96% of actual.

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The drive was carried out by a liquid-cooled two-disc rotary engine KKM 871 of Audi NSU with 160 horsepower

Mine, 200hp. but was based on similar basis to a Cherokee 160. but how does 200vs160 measure. 80% of actual. and yep, Rotary Wankel.

Ooop, I see what I did. based on ~160hp engine, I put a turbo on mine with flat rating to 12K and upped it's hp to 200. You can lower it to 160hp and remove the 12,000 flat rated # if you want to. I'd prefer to leave it in to make it more sporty and lively. so your call if you leave me at 80% estimate for that, or give me the 100% on engine.

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scorecard;
95%
75%
82%
96%
80%

avg 85.6%
experience based, educated guessing

ok. so now that better #'s are available. I'll update the CFL. I do like seeing my educated guesses be ~80-90% accurate, with no other information available other than approximation off of a sketchy photograph, and my assumptions of what would be most reasonable




Only area where my estimations were more off on was estimating the vintage and going toward weights of a cherokee 140 (all metal),
not assuming lower convenient light weights from fiberglass.

I've updated the master model with the now available published empty, max, and fuel weights. your choice what you do with the engine, and i'm not changing the span which was already within .76'/95%. I'll take that as a good score to keep. plus the tip lights are on the invisible acf wings which I won't change around.