Moyes Dragonfly

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Revision as of 10:33, 19 April 2020 by D-ECHO (talk | contribs) (→‎Current Development: update todo list)
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Moyes Dragonfly
FGAddon
Dragonfly-Dawn.jpg
Type Ultralight aircraft
Configuration High wing aircraft, Open cockpit aircraft
Propulsion Piston aircraft, Single-engine aircraft
Manufacturer Moyes Microlights, Bailey-Moyes Microlights, LiteFlite
Author(s) Torsten Dreyer
FDM JSBSim
--aircraft= Dragonfly
Status production
Development
 Website The website for the Moyes Dragonfly developments.
 Repository The development repository of the Moyes Dragonfly.
Download Download the Moyes Dragonfly aircraft package for the current stable release (2020.3).
License GPLv2+

This is a model of a Moyes Dragonfly, a microlight plane built by MOYES, Australia orignally designed by Robery Bailey of Florida. It is made of aluminium tubing, wing and empennage have a dracon skin. The pilot sits on the very front of the main tube with a breathtaking, undisturbed view.

The dragonfly has excellent slow flight characteristics and is suitable for towing of hang gliders.

The same basic design is also known as the Bailey Dragonfly, Bailey-Moyes Dragonfly, and has variants with considerable modifications and variations. The FlightGear model is based on the design produced by Moyes.

Features

Basic flying

Basic flying features are quite simple and almost perfect as a starter for pilots. Takeoff and landing is simple and due to its slow flying speed, the Dragonfly is perfect for scenery exploration.

Instrumentation

The airspeed indicator gauge can be configured to display either km/h, mph or kts by setting the property /instrumentation/airspeed-indicator/texture to either

  • Airspeed-kmh.rgb
  • Airspeed-mph.rgb
  • Airspeed-kts.rgb

This can be done on startup as a command line switch or at runtime by setting the property with the Property browser.

Example: Use airspeed indicator calibrated in KTS:

fgfs --aircraft=Dragonfly --prop:/instrumentation/airspeed-indicator/texture=Airspeed-kts.rgb

The FlightGear model of the Dragonfly supports banner towing. The banner to tow has to be picked up from the ground during the flight and can be released in flight before landing.

Configuration

Banner on the ground

To use this feature, a small configuration file is needed telling FlightGear where the banners are on the ground. It is a small XML file placed in your FlightGear home directory (which is ~/.fgfs on Linux and .../Users/.../AppData/Roaming/flightgear.org/ on Windows) named groundbanner.xml. Create this file and paste the following content into it; it will tell FlightGear where to put the banner:

 <PropertyList>
   <groundbanner>
    <path>Aircraft/Dragonfly/Models/GroundBanner.ac</path>
    <lat type="double">37.6199</lat>
    <lon type="double">-122.3735</lon>
    <heading type="double">280</heading>
  </groundbanner>
 </PropertyList>

This example places one banner at the runway intersection of KSFO, left to 28R. There can be any number of <groundbanner> elements in the file, to place more of them.

You can verify that the banners were loaded on the output of your console window. For each configured and loaded groundbanner there is a message

GroundBanner created

Using

To pick up the banner from the ground, approach the rope between the two pylons at an altitude of less than 15ft agl. You have to be very close to the center of the rope to catch it. When the pickup succeeded, a message is printed on the console window

banner-pickup

and you will notice a change in the flight-behaviour due to the increased drag caused by the banner on your tail. You can see the towed banner when looking back or changing the view. you can release the banner by pressing the 'o' (lower case letter, not zero). You will notice a decrease of the drag and can see the banner falling down when looking at it.

Flying the Moyes Dragonfly

This section contains a review.   Please note that statements made here are (mostly based on) a single person's opinion.


This is definitely something different, the classic ultralight trike, somethings I have not flown before in the simulator. Personally I have seen these things droning overhead and flown very freely, but I have wondered what it would be like to fly.

Starting on Half Moon Bay runway, the Dragonfly is really a minimal aircraft. Startup is with the s button and the throttle responds quickly. In a trice we are off and climbing steadily, it seems like at 1000 feet per minute or so. At about a 100 ft, I tried turns to the left and right, and the aircraft is very stable if slow to respond, which may be a good thing, it is the kind of air frame that would never be designed to any sort of a rolling outmaneuver.

The stall is gentle, and actually the aircraft transitions from a stall with power off to a steady 400 fpm descent , which is pretty safe. The engine has to be started again by pressing the s key for an anxious moment there is no power no matter what. Heading back to the airport a few low level turns at low speed about 50 mp the airspeed indicator is marked in MPH establishes the safety of the aircraft beyond doubt.

Landing is easy enough, it is easy to judge the distance to the ground as it can be seen directly beneath and to the sides of the aircraft

The model is fairly complete, with a multibladed prop and moving joystick and elevator, although eh ailerons do not move much at all. The absence of a pilot and back seat thrillseeker really detracts from the model, as the screenshots show, however this has been noted by the author as a 'to do'.

--Openflight (talk) 11:45, 14 February 2014 (UTC)

Issues

  • aerodynamic coefficients are a very rough guess
  • aerodynamics and movement of the banner is far from being realistic
  • banners do not disappear from ground after pickup
  • add a pilot when viewing from outside

Current Development

As of March/April 2020, the Dragonfly is under active development by D-NXKT and D-ECHO.

The current to-do list is as follows (not complete and subject to change):

  • Human models
  • More Detailed cockpit model
  • Optional small instrument panel with switches at the wing root and "floating plate" airspeed indicator

External links

Useful data for FlightGear aircraft developers: