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09-01-2023, 07:15 AM

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Dave Wilshere

Join Date: Jun 2002

Location: Watford, UNITED KINGDOM

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CARF Diablo build thread

When CARF released the Mephisto in 2017 immediately there were people who said, I would like one...but it’s too big!

The conversation started within CARF's inner circle, but the big boss felt the layout of the Mephisto would not directly scale because the wings were already relatively high aspect ratio. My simple answer to increase the cord ratio was poo-pooed because it changes other things like the wing section...but the Mephisto proved a huge success and the design costs were met, plus CARF Team Pilots now included some very talented CAD drivers, so the 'young guns' started looking at the problem and in early 2023 Mephisto's baby was born. It could not have worked out better!

The three-part wing and two-part fuselage are not needed and the Diablo transport works out really nicely even in a standard type estate/station wagon car. If you go with the vector option a 200-220N turbine will hover it nicely...do not even think about fitting a 250 unless you fly at extreme altitude, it just does not need it. Because not everyone wants to hover or flip, CARF have a straight pipe option where a turbine 140-160 will power it well-I have a few customers already thinking of the JetCat P-130Rx-B because of its size and weight and actual 150N+ thrust.

There have been two prototypes seen flying in Europe and the USA before production started, both with KT 210 turbines. I was lucky to receive one of the first kits produced in July at the same time Marius from CARF received his own red colour swap kit. Both our builds helped 'de bug' the next production run. If you have a kit now, it’s likely to match my build closely.

I decided to go for a Green colour swap, since my prototype Mephisto is green too! It looks great with white and orange accents. We have ordered several colour swap schemes for the UK and it’s interesting that they all seem to work!

The fuselage layup is very light, so care needs to be taken both handling and protecting the work surface. The wings and tail surfaces are pretty typical CARF construction.

The model has been designed around a special set of electron ER40 retracts, the set from CARF includes the GS200 controller-because this has the facility to operate the gear without the transmitter via the touch screen.

Gear retracts forward like the Mephisto, with peekaboo wheels. The removeable canopy section also houses the nose leg. So, with the gear retracted and top off the nose leg protrudes forward. Like this the length is 2215mm. You can also transport in a car with folded seats with the nose leg down and hook the leg over the seats saving 200mm.

If you transport with the canopy on the total length is 2455mm.

The only tool needed for the hole aeroplane to assemble it is a 3mm allen driver/key to remove the canopy and fit the vertical fin....no tool is needed for tailplane or wing attachment. The tails still pivot like the Mephisto tails, but the designer’s genius has a pin in one tailplane half and the grooved boss on the end of the stab tube is cut away so rotating the right hand tail 90 degrees down releases the pin and the tail slides off!

The wings are attached with CARF's well proven 6mm thumb nuts. Access is easiest to the front pair through the huge inlets, the rear through the gap between the top lip and front of the turbine. You will see in the pictures I have scalloped the lip to allow my hands/arms good clearance...Marius and the CARF Young guns are all skinny lads!!

Here are some of the colour swaps coming to the U.K. in the next container

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