InsaneFoamies.com Mini Yak build thread
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Hey folks, I got lucky enough to get my hands on a proto/beta mini-yak from insanefoamies, so here is the build 
Picture 1: All parts dry fit together flawlessly, note: the kit comes unpainted, so I busted out the airbrush and some faskolor, and went with a semi-somenzini paint scheme. The kit includes a paint mask for the canopy (3 section yak45).
Picture 2: This plane uses two 3mm thick carbon fiber strips along the leading and trailing edges of the wing for spars, I put a small bead across the edge of the wing with some odorless CA, and sprayed the CF strip with some kicker. Carefully and quickly line up the cf, and pinch it and run your hand down 1/2 of the wing centering the CF in the process, hit that half with a few sprays of kicker and repeat the process for the remaining side of the wing, and then do the trailing edge in the same 2 steps. note: you can also use UHU creativ by letting it set for about 5 minutes, then taping the cf on. Once completed, the wing is very stiff for its weight, and shouldn't require any extra bracing, at least for indoor flight.
Picture 3: Run a peice of tape over the CF from tip to tip and press it down on each side of the wing. I used 3M transparent tape, but as soon as my blenderm tape arrives, I will be redoing all the tape on the plane.
Picture 4: Bevel and hinge ailerons with sanding block and hinge tape. You can use a sharp exacto knife, but I find that a sanding block is much easier, precise, and harder to screw up.
Pictures 5 and 6: Bevelling tail with a sanding block.
Pictures 7, 8, and 9: Begin to fit fuse together without glue, everything snaps together and lines up perfectly.
Pictures 10 and 11: Glue the top and bottom fuse halves together at the circular joints. I just CA'd it, aligned it with one hand and kicked it with the other, straight as an arrow.
More in just a minute

Picture 1: All parts dry fit together flawlessly, note: the kit comes unpainted, so I busted out the airbrush and some faskolor, and went with a semi-somenzini paint scheme. The kit includes a paint mask for the canopy (3 section yak45).
Picture 2: This plane uses two 3mm thick carbon fiber strips along the leading and trailing edges of the wing for spars, I put a small bead across the edge of the wing with some odorless CA, and sprayed the CF strip with some kicker. Carefully and quickly line up the cf, and pinch it and run your hand down 1/2 of the wing centering the CF in the process, hit that half with a few sprays of kicker and repeat the process for the remaining side of the wing, and then do the trailing edge in the same 2 steps. note: you can also use UHU creativ by letting it set for about 5 minutes, then taping the cf on. Once completed, the wing is very stiff for its weight, and shouldn't require any extra bracing, at least for indoor flight.
Picture 3: Run a peice of tape over the CF from tip to tip and press it down on each side of the wing. I used 3M transparent tape, but as soon as my blenderm tape arrives, I will be redoing all the tape on the plane.
Picture 4: Bevel and hinge ailerons with sanding block and hinge tape. You can use a sharp exacto knife, but I find that a sanding block is much easier, precise, and harder to screw up.
Pictures 5 and 6: Bevelling tail with a sanding block.
Pictures 7, 8, and 9: Begin to fit fuse together without glue, everything snaps together and lines up perfectly.
Pictures 10 and 11: Glue the top and bottom fuse halves together at the circular joints. I just CA'd it, aligned it with one hand and kicked it with the other, straight as an arrow.
More in just a minute
#2
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Picture 1: Glue sides of fuse together infront and behind wing. I didn't need to adjust mine, they were perfectly square as is.
Picture 2: Slide horizontal stabilizer on, and glue each side to horizontal fuse, then vertical fuse. I glued, aligned, and kicked, and it came out perfect
Picture 3: Tape ailerons onto fuse with eqaul gaps to align the wing sideways.
Picture 4: Check that the wing is perpendicular to the fuse, and glue it in.
Picture 5: Almost* completed airframe. Still needs tail stiffeners installed
Picture 6: 32" wingspan
Picture 7: 30" fuse
Picture 8: The belly
Picture 9: Tail stiffeners being beveled at 45 degrees on each side.
Picture 10: The stiffeners are joined to the underside of the tail to creat two super stiff triangles to eliminate any tail flex.
Picture 2: Slide horizontal stabilizer on, and glue each side to horizontal fuse, then vertical fuse. I glued, aligned, and kicked, and it came out perfect

Picture 3: Tape ailerons onto fuse with eqaul gaps to align the wing sideways.
Picture 4: Check that the wing is perpendicular to the fuse, and glue it in.
Picture 5: Almost* completed airframe. Still needs tail stiffeners installed

Picture 6: 32" wingspan
Picture 7: 30" fuse
Picture 8: The belly
Picture 9: Tail stiffeners being beveled at 45 degrees on each side.
Picture 10: The stiffeners are joined to the underside of the tail to creat two super stiff triangles to eliminate any tail flex.
#3
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Picture 1: Power system ready to install
Hacker A20 34S pushing APC 8x3.8 SF prop on a hyperion oring adapter
Hacker X7 ESC
Thunder Power 2S 480Mah LiPo
GWS Naro 6Ch rx
GWS Pico FBB aileron servo
Bluebird 303 tail servos
CF linkages
Picture 2: Measure and cut for your motor.
Picture 3: Cut and mount plywood motor mount.
Picture 4: Motor installed.
Picture 5: Aileron servo setup. simply cut a slit in the control, apply CA to the control horn and slide in. Make linkages with included music wire, EZ connectors, and EZ clevis. I had to change the linkage on the servo horn because the servo is set on the side of the fuse, in order to acheive equal throws on each surface.
Picture 6: Elevator servo setup. I used the included ply sheet and screwed the servo into them, very light, very tight, and very easy to remove servo
Picture 7: Rudder servo setup. I used servo tape for the rudder, and it is holding fine. You could also use the ply in this case, but I figure I'd try out the tape.
Picture 8: Tailfeathers and their control horns. I used dental floss wrapped around the cf linkage and a peice of z-bent music wire for the linkage.
Picture 9: Completed power system.
Picture 10: Added tri stock to reinforce fuse. I don't think it is necessary, but the plane is pretty light, so this little bit can't hurt it too bad.
Picture 11: Added carbon reinforcement to tail along the hinge. I took the included cf, cut to length, and taped in place, now the tail is very stiff with no control flex.
Next: Flight Report
Hacker A20 34S pushing APC 8x3.8 SF prop on a hyperion oring adapter
Hacker X7 ESC
Thunder Power 2S 480Mah LiPo
GWS Naro 6Ch rx
GWS Pico FBB aileron servo
Bluebird 303 tail servos
CF linkages
Picture 2: Measure and cut for your motor.
Picture 3: Cut and mount plywood motor mount.
Picture 4: Motor installed.
Picture 5: Aileron servo setup. simply cut a slit in the control, apply CA to the control horn and slide in. Make linkages with included music wire, EZ connectors, and EZ clevis. I had to change the linkage on the servo horn because the servo is set on the side of the fuse, in order to acheive equal throws on each surface.
Picture 6: Elevator servo setup. I used the included ply sheet and screwed the servo into them, very light, very tight, and very easy to remove servo
Picture 7: Rudder servo setup. I used servo tape for the rudder, and it is holding fine. You could also use the ply in this case, but I figure I'd try out the tape.
Picture 8: Tailfeathers and their control horns. I used dental floss wrapped around the cf linkage and a peice of z-bent music wire for the linkage.
Picture 9: Completed power system.
Picture 10: Added tri stock to reinforce fuse. I don't think it is necessary, but the plane is pretty light, so this little bit can't hurt it too bad.
Picture 11: Added carbon reinforcement to tail along the hinge. I took the included cf, cut to length, and taped in place, now the tail is very stiff with no control flex.
Next: Flight Report
#4
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AUW is right around 6oz, and I'm sure you could go lighter using less glue, no tri stock, and lighter electronics.
I took the plane out to my mom's gym for the maiden. This was the first time I've ever really "flown" inside, I have hovered stuff indoors alot, but it never really left high alpha. The plane was pretty easy to handle with 30% expo on the ailerons and elevator, and 35 degree throws all around. The hacker on 2S is very peppy, and not lacking in power by any means, I only took it to full throttle once, and it was way too fast for indoors
It torque rolls smoothly, harriers have no rock, and it floats like a feather. Since this is a new plane, there isn't a definite CG yet, so next flight I will move it back a little, and give 45 degree throws all the way around, and hopefully buy a radio with some rudder exponential [>:] I should have a video of the flight up by tomorrow. Enjoy!
I took the plane out to my mom's gym for the maiden. This was the first time I've ever really "flown" inside, I have hovered stuff indoors alot, but it never really left high alpha. The plane was pretty easy to handle with 30% expo on the ailerons and elevator, and 35 degree throws all around. The hacker on 2S is very peppy, and not lacking in power by any means, I only took it to full throttle once, and it was way too fast for indoors
It torque rolls smoothly, harriers have no rock, and it floats like a feather. Since this is a new plane, there isn't a definite CG yet, so next flight I will move it back a little, and give 45 degree throws all the way around, and hopefully buy a radio with some rudder exponential [>:] I should have a video of the flight up by tomorrow. Enjoy!



