Greg Covey

My next project is to review the Lanier Razor 3D and convert it to electric power. This .30-size plane normally uses a .40 to .50 size glow engine.

My plane is the beautiful (and patriotic) Stars-n-Stripes model.

Here are some specs on the Razor 3D:

Wingspan: 52" (1321mm)
Wing Area: 560 sq in (36.18 sq dm)
Weight: 4.5 - 5 lb (2041-2268 g)
Length: 54" (1372mm)
Fuselage Length: 42" (1067mm)

Greg Covey

The parts are built strong and I was pleased that the finish turned out so well with the complex three color layers.

Greg Covey

Check out this tail...awesome!

The wheel pants and cowl are painted fiberglass.

Greg Covey

The kit contains custom plastic parts and lots of hardware.

Mike Ledbetter

I have the black, yellow and red model. I'm not putting on those "Razor 3D" decals, that's for sure. I'm putting a .58 on mine and look forward to reading your review. Good luck with the project.

Regards.

Greg Covey

Thanks, Mike.

This would be your model below. Let me know what you find when you build your Razor 3D. These threads are for sharing information.

I would also like to hear your thoughts on the bellcrank system for split elevator control. Mine works great but I thought it was an overly complex design. I'll post some pictures soon.

Regards.

Greg Covey

To keep my Razor 3D light, I used some Hitec components that I bought from [link=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/servos.htm]Hobby Lobby[/link]. My 4 HS-85 "Mighty Micro" metal gear, ball-bearing servos provide 49oz/in torque and weigh only .77oz or 1/2 the weight of a standard size servo.

My Hitec "Electron" 6 channel receiver is a full strength dual conversion design that weighs only .66oz compared to my Futaba R127DF that weighs 1.5oz.

That's a 4oz or 1/4 pound drop in weight! Not a bad start.

Greg Covey

The control horn parts are solid and consistant for all the control surfaces.

Greg Covey

There were, however, some errors in part lengths and measurements that i'll document along the way.

The 2mm by 20mm screws were too short for the elevator halves so I simply glued them in place. A 24mm length would work fine.

Greg Covey

The steerable tailwheel assembly was top notch.

Greg Covey

I miss RCU's multiple images per post feature. []

WRK

My Feedback: (2)

What are you going to use for motor and batteries on the Razor 3D?

Flierbk

Greg Covey

It looks like i'll use a geared Aveox 27/39/1.5 motor. Depending upon my prop clearance, I can vary the setup.

My initial starting point will be as follows:
[ul][*] Aveox 27/39/1.5 motor[*] Planatary gearbox 4.4:1[*] APC 13x8 prop[*] 16 cells of 1950FAUP NiMH[*] 10,000 RPMs at 42amps[*] 80oz thrust, 57mph pitch speed, 600 watts
[/ul]

It may not be a real hover machine but it will at least be a light and strong pattern flyer.

Greg Covey

My Razor 3D is starting to shape up.

Here I am finishing up the wheel pants and canopy while I wait for my motor mount to arrive.

Greg Covey

Here I test the wing fit for the first time. The two wing bolts did not line up with the pre-mounted nuts so I needed to drill the through-hole a bit larger.

Greg Covey

To power my Aveox motor, i'm using two 8-cell packs (16 cells) of 1950FAUP NiMH from [link=http://www.flydma.com/]Diversity Model Aircraft[/link]. They sell both the packs and the Aveox motor that I decided to use.

Greg Covey

The Razor 3D pants look spectacular but the mounting scheme was not up to my standards.

I will document my technique using Dubro and Sullivan parts.

Greg Covey

To mount my Aveox motor, I decided to use the stock glow mount and a CB (circuit board) motor mount from [link=http://espritmodel.com/]Esprit Models[/link]. The B40 size CB motor mount fits the footprint for the Maxim gearbox faceplate.

The metric screws that came with the Aveox motor were to long so I used shorter ones from my Kyosho car hardware kit.

When the motor is in place, the CB mount will be flush behind the cowl and I will then glue it in place using epoxy. I can then remove it, after the glue dries, by unscrewing the plate from the gearbox.

I sanded a round channel into a simple 3/16" thick piece of hardwood and secured the motor into the stock mount with just a hose clamp. The result is a very simple and secure mount.

Greg Covey

I reinforced the CB motor mount plate with a little fiberglass sheeting and epoxy and then screwed the cowl assembly onto the gearbox faceplate. The cowl was additionally held to the fuselage with two screws on each side.

I added an extra air intake hole on top of the cowl. There is a large opening in the back of the cowl designed for the air to exit. This should provide excellent motor cooling for 3D maneuvers.

Greg Covey

Here is a shot of my Aveox 27 series motor with the Maxon 4.4:1 in-line gearbox.

My ESC didn't come with any motor wires so I soldered on some Trinity R/C car battery connectors.

The Aveox SL-48 only has BEC up to 10 cells and I am using 16 cells so I needed to purchase an Ultimate BEC from [link=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/ubec.htm]Hobby Lobby[/link]. The UBEC weighs less than an ounce and powers the receiver and servos right from the main flight pack...up to 29 or 37 cells depending upon the version.

Greg Covey

My AeroNaut CAM folding prop assembly from [link=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/freuden.htm]Hobby Lobby[/link] was a great fit for the 4mm gearbox shaft. The 12x8 prop still has good ground clearance.

d_wheel

I can't wait for you to get this thing in the air, Greg! I am trying to decide between a Funtana or Razor 3D. Your review will be the deciding factor for me.

I saw a Razor fly this weekend on glow power, and it appeared to fly well. It didn't have the paint scheme yours has, it was one of the other red/white/blue schemes and didn't look as good as the Stars and Stripes.

At any rate, good luck and please proceed with all great haste!!!

Later;

D.W.

Mike Parsons

It looks good so far Greg. The holes may be deceiving in the pics, but you may want to add some deflectors inside the cowl to direct air over the motor. Either that or since the CB is utilized as secondary support, to drill some small holes around the parimeter of the CB mount. It is probably just me being over cautious.

Mike

Greg Covey

Hi guys,

Both planes look great! The Funtana S is a little larger than the Razor 3D. Almost like a .30-size vs. .40 size.

There are two seperate cooling systems on my Razor 3D. The motor cooling uses two intake openings shown in the photos and a single large exit opening that is part of the stock fiberglass design on the bottom. The exit opening is about 3-4 times the size of the intake opening. I'll post some photos soon.

A seperate cooling system exists for the battery and ESC since the firewall has no throughput opening other than what is blocked by the Aveox motor. I added 2 of the HLH550 air scoops from [link=http://www.hobby-lobby.com/servomount.htm]Hobby Lobby[/link] for my air intake holes and left the bellcrank access hatch off the back of the fuselage bottom for my output hole. Everything should run very cool. I have a new temp gun from [link=http://www.tempgun.com/specs.html]TempGun.com[/link] to test the motor temperature. For only $35, it seemed like a good investment.

Here are some finished shots of my Razor 3D. All I have left is to balance it...and wait for some snow to melt.

Mike Ledbetter

Very nice. I still haven't started on mine (to be powered w/MDS .58 glow). Been working on an Ultra_Stick to fly first.

Any wheel pants installation tips Greg? Plane looks great and sounds like it will have lots of power. Got any thrust calculations?

Thanks for all the info you give out, Greg. Best regards.