How to use the fin tool

[ShadowPhoeni]

Basic tutorial on how fin works and how you can use it to make something fly/glide.

Let's take a look at one of my gliders

[IMG]http://dl.dropbox.com/u/12150594/Garrysmod/gm_bigcity0012.jpg[/IMG]
(LBPN)-Lift by plane normal
(NF)-No lift

Fin is affected by five factors:
[SUB]Size[/SUB]
Speed
[SUB]Efficiency of fin
Weight of the fin
Angle[/SUB]

When using the fin tool, you want to make it as less complex as possible. Your four main parts are the:
[SUB]Fuselage (or base)
[/SUB][SUB]Wings
[/SUB][SUB]Horizontal Stabilizers
[/SUB][SUB]Vertical Stabilizer
[/SUB]
[B]Fuselage
[/B]The fuselage should only be 1 piece and finned with no lift. The no lift efficiency on the fuselage controls the base lift and glide of the prop. Around 20-40 efficiency with the weight of all other combined pieces should work for whatever you're doing.

[B]Wings
[/B]These should be made out of 1 prop for each wing, finned with lift by plane normal, and rolled 5 degrees upwards. The wings will control be your main source of lift. Weight should be around 200KG for each piece with a 2500KG fuselage or base. Increase the efficiency if you end up diving, and decrease if you climb too much.

[B]Horizontal Stabilizers
[/B]Horizontal stabilizers stabilize pitch. They should be finned with lift by plane normal, and pitched 5 degrees downward if you are not using any control surfaces to counteract the lift from the wings. Increase the efficiency if you are pitching up too much and decrease if you are diving.

[B]Vertical Stabilizer
[/B]A vertical stabilizer, or the rudder, directs and stabilizes the yaw of the plane. Without one, at high speeds your plane will being to rock left and right. This piece should be finned with no lift and a high efficiency.

[B]Control Surfaces
[/B]These should be put in place after your contraption is properly balanced out. Control surfaces should always be finned with no lift, and be lighter than whatever you are constraining it to.

[Balto-the-Wolf-]

Really more fore gliders than anything else. The depicted glider is incredible, it exhibits glider preformance comparable or superior to gliders relying on airdensity manipulations

[ShadowPhoeni]

Planes are gliders though. It's always a good idea to make sure you have something that glides before you power it.