Mud Duck ll
 

Hi all, I’m pretty new to rc model planes, just building and flying for a few months now. For my fourth build, I started a giant FFF Mud Duck 2. Got it about ½ done because of the rain this past week end. It’s a giant slow flyer (for those who don’t know) .60 2-stroke to .91 4-stroke glow is recommended. I’ve made a few modifications to make it lighter than the plans; don’t have a total weight yet. I want to go electric, any thoughts on engine and battery choices?
Dan

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

http://www.modelflight.com.au/eflite..._brushless.htm

http://www.modelflight.com.au/eflite..._brushless.htm

http://www.modelflight.com.au/eflite..._brushless.htm

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Thanks jumper. I sent an email to mud duck aviation and Greg quickly returned one to me about my plan to make a FFF electric mud duck. I need to get a final weight before he can figure what size I’ll need. I’ve read that it doesn’t pay to put a bigger engine than you kneed on a duck; just a waste. I wanted to mention that I did a bit of looking after I saw the prices of those engines (!!!$$$) and found that they are about 25% cheaper directly from the maker. The duck is coming along nicely. I can’t wait!

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Good luck with your build. Looking forward to pictures and/or video.

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Hey PP,
I just bought the plans and such from Greg for the Agri Duck. He was at NEAT this year.

On his MD he had a AXI 4130-18 I believe. I tried waiting around to see the MD fly, but Greg had problems with the Jeti 77 esc and I ended up leaving before it got repaired.

I'm going electric on mine too. I have some spare EFlite 60's or even a couple of HTX 280kv monsters I'm looking at using.

I think I read your posts on the MD forum. Since you already started yours, I'll ask you too.

What size wire for the landing struts? And are you going liteply motor mount or something else?

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

For those that don't have a clue, here's a Mud Duck (high wing)and an Agri Duck (low wing)

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

I picked up a piece of the 1/8 inch wire but instead made it out of ¼ inch oak dowel rods with the joints wrapped with carpet thread and covered with CA. Turned out to be ½ the weight, and quite strong. I gave it several drop tests and banged it pretty hard, and no problems. The shock absorbing rubber band system will absorb a lot of the shock of landing as well. I’m using all foam wheel hubs with a thin aluminum shaft from a arrow for the “bearings”. The base for the landing gear and engine mount are both the FFF foam with 1/16 inch balsa. My struts are next but I’m using ¼ inch dowels and plastic tubing with small clips made from cloths pins to attach and hold the rods through a grove cut into the tubes. The hinges and pin system the plans call for is great for glow, but with FFF and electric they add too much weight. I’m also running the struts from the wings down to the landing gear assembly instead of the “Y” shape because I’m concerned with the wing twisting. I’ll post some video as I get more done.

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Cool, keep us posted.

I finally got started on mine. As you can see I went with 1/2" foam for a little more strength. Main wing will be Depron, as there ain't no way to make the needed bends for it in the 1/2" foam.

Only problem I've run in to was the "tires", as you can see in the last shot. Apparantly quality control was a little off. These would make the Duck waddle just like a duck as it rolled down the runway. Maybe even enough to flap it's wings. LOL

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Looks great! I see you are going glow, any idea of the size yet? I'm guessing your weight will come in around 8-9 pounds, 11 acording to Greg for foam core construction. Kind of like the look of the blimp tires! Thats why I went with the inertubes from an electric scooter. They are an inch taller, but very narrow. There is a RC flee market here this Sunday, hope to get the last parts for my mud duck 2.
Dan

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Dan, Where's the flea market at?

Heck, I'm in Ligonier, so the Burg is biggie to make a trip out of.

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

It's Sunday 8 am to 5 pm, 10/5/08 at JC hobbies, Penn Hills, PA., across from the municipal building on Saltsburg rd. They have a website.
Everything in the store is 10% off for the event as well, and they pay the sales tax!
Dan

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

So Dan, where you at on the build?

I've got the wings done, other then the ailerons, and have the fuselage pretty much wrapped up.

Just gotta do the finishing touches, add the electronics, final sanding and paint.

I'm with you on lightening it up. I added a buch of lightening holes not only in the wing ribs, but also the fuselage formers, and the motor mount plates.

Also, instead of the cockpit door access, I'm adding a hood to mine. Should make it easier to work on everything, and install the packs.

I'm having a blast building this, almost to the point of feeling "sick" on Friday, so I can wrap it up. :D

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Wow, looks great! I agree about how much fun the MD's are to build. I finished mine all except the motor and then decided to give it to my buddy (I owed him the duck for a trade for a transmitter). He's going to use a 4-stroke glow on his duck. I came up with a way of using the blue FFF that makes it very strong and the same weight as foam core, but it requires way less reinforcement than foam core so the plane ends up weighing much less. I'll post a video this weekend about my technique.
I also made two little ducks (42” wing span); a “mud duckling” and an “agri-duckling” The agri duckling is foam core, and the mud duckling was made using “the technique” and weighs much less. The agri went to my friend and will be glow powered (another trade!), and I have the mud duckling that will be electric, all painted and now receiving the inards. Without any wing struts, you can grab it from the tip of the wing and whip it up and down without any damage. Try that with foam core, even with a spar and a strut, and you’ll have some damage, or at least a crease! Should be done this weekend (another video when done). Next is a “mud egg”; a super mini electric mud duck with a 21” wing span, maybe even smaller.
Dan

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

parrot pilot, looking forward to all your updates. The duckling and egg are more of the size that might attract me.

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Yeah Dan, Really looking forward to your new techniques.

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It's kind of funny, but I'm not sure that what I've been doing is something new or common knowledge! It’s easier to post a video than to try to explain. I’m not sure this thing will fly; the motor and battery weigh about three times that of the plane LOL. My first attempt with the agri duckling didn’t go very well. I tried to use a 400 motor with a gearbox. It had enough power to pull it strongly on pavement in front of my house, but at the grass field it just did a nosedive as soon as it started to move forward. I think the wheels need to be moved forward because of the placement of the fulcrum. The mud duckling’s wheels are more to the front and it’s more evenly balanced with the cg right where it’s supposed to be. When you tilt the agri duckling forward it doesn’t go far before it falls forward, where the mud duckling with a heavier motor and more batteries closer toward the middle and the fulcrum of the wheels more forward will go further before it falls forward. I’m using a Groupner 700 turbo (9.6 v.) with the recommended 12 volts of battery power. I know it’s overkill for this plane (especially being a MD) but I already had the motor, so….

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Well mine's on it's wheels and is headed to the paint shop today.
One bonus ok maybe two, #1 I run a collision center so I have the equipment at hand for a paint job, and #2 I need a paint booth to fit all this Duck in one place to paint it.

That's a long wheelbase van. The tail is up against the seats, and I had to pull the prop off to close the gate.

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

OK, you beat me! I'm paying the mortgage this pay so my mud duck is held up for at least two more weeks. The way the weather has been lately, that will probably turn into spring (that’s about July here in Pittsburgh.) I’ve got two or three other smaller plane projects going right now to keep me busy (mud duck / agri duck related). They’ll get done first (less of an expense).
Let me guess, yellow as the main color, right? Just be glad you don’t drive a Honda Civic, You’d be looking for a trailer right now!
Dan

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Just for fun, I made a little agri duckling. Keeps me off the streets until I get all of the stuff to finish the big mud duck. The argi duckling is my version of the agri duck sport, shrunken down to a 45 inch wing span.
[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yx_EM91vk8Q]Agri Duckling video[/link]

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Dan, she's gorgeous!!! Great art work, and love the exhaust. And she flies beautiful.

Well mine's about wrapped up, just waiting on a couple of decals to show. Got the new 20 inch prop in last night.

Oh and gave up on the innertube tires. Even the new set have gone "egg" shaped on me.
I built the new tires out of foam, since dyed black.

And added what my wife refers to as a "painted face".

Looks like I'll be making a run to Virginia next week to maiden mine.

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Well mine's all done. Dependent on weather here, we got 4"+ of snow on Tues, and today it's 70 degrees out. We'll see what tomorrow or Sunday holds for a maiden.

I dedicated mine to an old flying pal, that's his name and tail numbers, he did crop dusting in an Ag Cat.

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

Wow, nice paint! Good job in the tires to. Did you say somewhere that you work at an auto paint/repair shop? Lucky you if you do!
That’s part of the fun, modifying as you go, and using what you have, or have access to.
I have abandoned the plan of going electric because I went from having one Weed Wacker engine, to somehow having six! The expense of the components for electrics really bugs me. It’s not the actual amount, with a little effort I can scrape up some “mad money” (as long as I can hide it from the wife), but the markup that I know has got to be as high as the average government contract. A friend bought some brushless motors direct from the source, about $2.00 each, including shipping that would be considered a deal in the US for $30.00 each! Before anyone asks, THEY ARE ALL GONE, and he can’t get any more! Someone is making too much profit, and I know it’s not the hobby stores or internet sites, unless they are in China. I’m not talking about the poor guy that’s making $2.00 a day for a 12 hour shift either.

I don’t think I’ve posted the video of this build in this universe, so here it is. And guys, PLEASE FEEL FREE TO COMMENT, I COULD USE THE INPUT! Sorry if this is a repeat, I get verry confused sometimes, must be time for my medication!
[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C9CKZZDs1nc]Big Wings part one[/link]
Part two coming soon. While I'm at it, I don't think I posted the video on my mutant duckling, a cross between a Cessna Skymaster 337, and a Agri-Duck Sport. It's waiting for that "mad money" for the li-po! I call it the "Agri Duckling 337".
[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-b3yZKq3N1Q]Agri Duckling 337, part one[/link]
[link=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xT2gI1ju9Wg]Agri Duckling 337, part 2[/link]
Part three, "the flight" after I check under the couch cushions.

Dan

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Here a picture's of mine.Now to pay for the batteries[X(]:(

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Great looking duck! I really like the stripes on the rudder, I mean tail feathers (quack). Is that a hinged door in the side of the fuselage?

RE: Mud Duck ll
 

stefanP, nice work. Video coming?