kpd

Just saw all of the posts re. RC Skydivers today. How great! It solves the problem I'm having. Let me explain, I've talked 2 friends into getting park flyers so they can spend quality time with their kids. I think the kids may be a little young for the park flyers themselves ( 8 and 6 ), so I had planned to do parachute drops and contests to keep up their interest. After seeing the RC Sydivers though, I think we have the perfect solution. The fathers can fly the planes while the kids control the divers. The prices dismayed me though. After giving it some thought, I pondered changing the fate of an 'Airhog' rc plane that my buddy had purchased and had no success with. It has to have servos, receiver, and a transmitter. That might allow me to build 1) much cheaper skydivers, 2) much lighter skydivers ( a concern as we'll be using either slo-stiks or Aerobird Challengers as the diving platform). Realizing the perfomance will be no where near the other RC divers sold around here, has anybody tried this or experimented with much cheaper, smaller skydivers?

edge_pilot

My Feedback: (73)

I currently have a "mico diver". He only weighs 12 oz. The only problem is there is still ALOT of time sewing the chute and rigging it up. No matter how big or small the time is still there. I think in a reasonably calm eviremnet the micro diver will skydive fine. We made this with electrics in mind. We made it so a $35.00 slow stick on the stock 400 motor could take one up.

kpd

Dave,

I saw that you mentioned the micro diver in another thread. Is it still in the prototype stage, or is it available for general sale? I didn't see it listed on your web site. Would the cost be much different than that of the standard diver? I understand it is the labor cost that drives things, I just can not justify the money yet, which is why I'm trying to go cheap.

edge_pilot

My Feedback: (73)

We were trying to keep the skydiver and chute ready for radio around $150.00. That is about the cheapest I could make one with the full detail of a real chute. The chute is were all the work comes in. We have him about 95% done. he got set aside for some other new lines of products. [&o] We could have him ready not to much longer. All of the other projects are coming to a close other than normal production.

kpd

Thanks. I'll check back here when we're ready. I'm finalizing the specs on the planes now.

SciFiFlyer

My Feedback: (1)

I'm sure a Wingo with a geared 480 could carry two up!

Dave, Have you investigated ultrasonic welding for chutes? I haven't any clue if it'll work with ripstop. If it can, you've got time and effort reduced by half.

spinbotz

I'm in the planning stages for building a tiny 2 ounce skydiver with a foot wide chute. The chute will be of plastic *most likely the crinkly trashbag plastic* heat sealed around a rib former. The skydiver will use tiny pager motors for a bang on/off setup meaning it'll pull down only, and retract by means of very small springs mounted topside of the arms. I have setup the system so that it will accept lipo cells. there should be some available twin motor reciver boards you can use easily that come from rather cheap micro cars. All you have to do is ensure the range is sufficient, as some of these toy type reciever boards have poor ranges. I am hoping to use the AA board, which is already set up with two motors, and will have to see if I can figure out whether the AA turns with throttle off. if this is true, then all you have to do is push the steering lever from side to side to steer the diver. you will NOT be able to flare though upon landing, but this shouldn't be an issue due to the very light weight and wing loading of a 2 oz diver. I will post more as I work on this Diy project.

plane Guy

I just recieved my micro diver, waiting on servos but looks great! Almost don't need instructions, it seems pretty self explanitory.If you ask me you can't beat the price, the chute is pretty complex in itself.One question though, does the elstic strap on the pack go on the outside or inside,on mine if the stap is on the inside the plywood is on the outside.

edge_pilot

My Feedback: (73)

Hey Plane_guy,

The elastic goes torwards the jumpsuit of the diver. The plywood will be on the inside of the chute pack when its packed up. Have fun and let me know if you need anything.

plane Guy

Thanks Dave, it all makes sense now. Remember kpd, it's for the kids!