Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Hiya guys, just finishing up my Chip Hyde V3D and thought I'd share some of my "custom" mods. Still waiting on my prop, but here's some pics of my covering scheme. I stripped the stock covering off completely, made a few internal mods, and recovered with a scheme of my own design. First I'll show some pics of the finished covering scheme, then I'll discuss the other mods I did.

Tom

Here's my ugly mug with my V3D. As you can tell by the grass, it's not quite flying weather yet... 20-30 degrees and snow is coming tonight... again!

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Here are a few more views, giving you most of the angles of the scheme.

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

I designed all graphics in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop first. All covering was cut by hand in Ultrakote. Logo graphics were cut by my buddy Dave "Maudib" Johnson on a vinyl cutter (Thanks Dave!).

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Canopy was blacked out from the inside with Krylon Fusion paint. Outside was trimmed with Ultracote Red paint.

Cowl and wheel paints were also painted with Ultracote. Of course, everything had to be sanded down, primered, painted and clear-coated.

Ultracote clear works great on colors, but be careful on white... it slightly yellowed my white paint, but not badly enough to strip and redo it! ;)

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

man that thing looks great. chip should have called you to ask for ideas on the first scheme....

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Thanks! Glad you like it. :D

Here is some more info on my build...

I used a DA50 for power with a stock DA muffler. Had to cut the crap out of the cowl, but it doesn't look too bad. Servos are Hitech 5945 all the way around, except for a 475HB on the throttle and a 5995TG on the rudder.

I used carbon fiber landing gear, spinner and tailwheel, a 1400mah Nicad on the ignition and will use a Lithium pack for the Futaba PCM receiver.

I've got a SmartFly regulator/Miracle switch with a pushrod adapter on the switch, mounted just over the wing.

Lightweight tires came from BME Aircraft, and are extremely light at 2.45 oz for both wheels!

I used a Hobby Lobby hatch latch that was epoxied into a recess in the styrofoam turtle deck. The release pin was removed and Loc-Tited back in with an aluminum sleeve extension added.

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Here's the canopy mod. I also blacked it out from the inside with Krylon Fusion black spray paint. The outside of the canopy was trimmed with Ultracote red paint and clear coated.

Since the canopy was blacked out, I decided to cut out lightening holes int the canopy hatch framework.

The tank was moved to CG, mounted under the wing tube and can be removed through the hatch if needed.

The choke was finished by adding an aluminum servo arm on the choke armature, then a pushrod was extended back into the canopy hatch area.

Here is a shot also of the carbon tailwheel, with the tailwheel/rudder linkage. I added a wood block inside the rudder at the bottom to run the bolt through the rudder for the tailwheel springs.

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

OK, back to the beginning. After stripping all the original covering off, I found a few issues that I decided to modify...

1) The hinging. I didn't get a "warm and fuzzy" feeling about using the supplied CA hinges on a bird this size, and the stock hinge slots were double-cut, crooked and just didn't look sound to me... so I opted to go with Robart Hinge Points.

Unfortunately, there didn't appear to be enough balsa in the LE and TE of the surfaces, so I had to add some. I cut out areas in the sheeting and installed some balsa hinge blocks at all hinge points of all flying surfaces, drilled them out and installed the hinge points.

2) Next, I found over half of the ribs in the both wings to be broken. However, they had obviously been broken during construction and glue applied to strengthen them back up. They seemed solid, but reminded me of a broken bone that had healed without ever "setting the bone" before healing. Healed in a crooked/disjointed position. So, I didn some rib scabbing to fix this issue before covering the wings.

3) Lastly, I decided to add some balsa tri-stock in critical areas around the formers from the canopy back to the tail. Not much, just a litle added support for such a light-weight build.

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Hey Neo great looking plane, I've drawn a design of my own on paper and trying figure out how to transfer it to the plane. but was wondering how you set up your Illustrater to match the plane

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

I took 3 photos of the stock V3D into Photoshop first... Top, bottom and right side views. I cut them out of the backgrounds and paint the planes white... this is your base. Now, using layers in Photoshop, I design the overall color/graphic scheme, right in Photoshop, not Illustrator. Once I'm happy with the overall scheme, I then go to Illustrator.

In Illustrator, I design all the logos, text, etc. and save them as EPS files. Now I go back to Photoshop and load the EPS logos in (rasterizing them) in PS. Now you bring those rasterized logos into your main Photoshop file as layers. You can scale, duplicate, reposition, etc. in Photoshop to position them on the different views of the plane. Before you know it, you've got your final, completed design.

Next, I print out a copy of my 3 Photoshop views and use it as a guide to hand-cut the Ultracote when covering the scheme. For the logos and text, I send the original Illustrator EPS files (vectored art) to the vinyl cutter, and tell him what size to cut them at, what colors, etc.

To figure the size of the vinyl graphics, you refer back to your Photoshop printout, measure and scale accordingly. For example, if the Vision wing is 40" long, and the same wing is 4" long on your print, you know your scale factor is 10%. So if the wing logo on the print is 1/5" long, you take that times 10 (15" inches) and tell the vinyl cutter that the logo should be cut at 15".

You only need to give him one size of the logo, then tell him what different sizes you need it cut at.

Here's a copy of my original V3D scheme done in Photoshop, with the Illustrator logos added into it. I modified it a little when I actually put it all on my plane, but overall it's pretty much the same design.

Hope this helps,

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Sorry, correction to above post:

If the logo on the print is 1.5 inches long, then your factor of 10 puts you at 15" for the vinyl logo.

(1.5 inches, not 1/5 inches)

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Tom,

This is fantastic. Not only the mods on this plane (I'm going to be putting one together myself soon) but the info on how to create your own scheme. Great pics and illustrations. Wish I had your talent with this stuff...you are GOOD!

Question. When cutting the custom scheme and using the illustrations as guide it would seem "straighforward" on flat surfaces like the bottom/top of the wing but what about wraparound areas like the fuselage side/top? Since there is a foldover on that surface what do you do to compensate for compound curve areas?

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Marc,

Thanks! Great question. [&:]

What I do is get some large sheets of paper and wrap them around the area to be covered on the plane, taping them in position with masking tape. I have connections at a local printing company, so I can get large rolls of scrap paper easily. You can use rolls of butcher paper or even the backside of gift wrapping paper. Once you have it taped into position, you "draw" your designs onto the paper, right on the plane with a pen or marker. This allows you to position the intended graphics over the compound curves.

Next you just pull the paper back off the plane and tape it down on a table over your covering material, and cut right through it with a razor knife into the Ultra/Mono cote. It's kind of like tracing, only backwards. Lay your master sketch on top and cut through it instead of laying it underneath and tracing.

This procedure gives you accurate templates that consider the compound curves in the equation. For example, a 1 inch wide strip going around the front end of a cowl would not be a straight line if you pull it off and lay it on the table. It will bend and curve in different directions to "seem" straight when it's on the plane. By doing this on paper taped to the plane first, you find out what and where those curves need to be. Then it's just a matter of transferring them over to your covering material and cutting it.

Whala!

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

One other thing regarding my "mods"...

I just used a borrowed prop and battery to check my CG [:'(]

I'm coming up extremely tailheavy and may need to add as much as 3/4 pound to the nose to balance! [:@]

How and why? Not "entirely" sure but here are my thoughts...

1) I used the 1-1/4" standoffs, some are using longer standoffs, pushing the engine weight further forward. But some are using the same standoffs I did....????

2) By replacing the stock CA Hinges with Robarts, I added the weight of the Robart Hinge points, AND the weight of the balsa hinge blocks and glue... waaaaay back there in the tail (as well as wing TE). I may have added as much as 1-2 ounces to the tail doing this now that I think about it. That's a 4:1 ratio from tail to nose for balancing, so 2 ounces in the tail means 8 in the nose to balance.

3) I used Carbon Fiber landing gear and spinner, so I lost about 4 ounces in the front end that I'm going to have to add back in now.

4) Maybe an extra ounce or two of covering and viny graphics from the CG back that aren't on a stock plane... that means another 2-4 ounces needed up front to balance.

CRAAAAAPPPPPP!![:'(]

BUT, this is all based on the "suggested" CG point. From what I hear, some guys say their V3D's are nose heavy (which is why I wasn't originally worried about tailweight). If in fact I can move my CG back some from "suggested" point... maybe I can get away with about 1/2 as much ballast in the nose.

Without ballast, I'm at 16 pounds even. So it looks like I'll be at 16-3/4 pounds on the maiden. If she doesn't feel tailheavy, I can slowly remove ballast until I reach the "danger zone" ;)

Oh well, even at 16-3/4 pounds, that's a lot lighter than my last plane (WH Edge with a BME 50) and this plane has more wing area. My Edge was 18-1/4 with Smoke and about 17-1/2 without smoke... still flew great. Also, the Double Vision is around 17-1/4 pounds and is a rocket on a DA50, so I'm at least a half a pound lighter "with" ballast. Should be fine.... we'll see.

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Beautiful work! love the color layout.. looks like your a perfectionist like Maudib. he also does beautifull work..

bet you guys take off and land on putting green, true chem treated grass;):D

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Thanks for the compliment. Yes, Maudib is the man ;) Actually I do all my building at his shop and he's the one who pushes me to higher levels... could never do it without his help! [8D]

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Tom is actually an extreme perfectionist...read this article in the RCU Magazine as he takes the top prize at toledo in the static competition w/his dauntless!

http://www.rcuniverse.com/magazine/a...article_id=328

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Thanks alot hope to post my new design soon
[8D]

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

I tell you, I have a DV and think its a pretty airplane. the V3D however, I found kind of "not so pretty"...bordering on volvo functional looking (no doubt is flies superbly). Your scheme, however, have transformed the unsightly lines and enhanced only the elegance of the length and volume. Great job. All it took is the right scheme.

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

looks great man. you could change tail gear to carbon, put the stock main gear back on.? that would help.

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Thanks guys, yep the stock scheme just was not doing it for me. I really think this scheme is a major improvement to an already awesome ship.

Fastlif,

I already have the carbon tailgear. As for the carbon main gear, I thought about that, but it's so close to the CG that it would kind of be a wash. Adding a few ounces that close to the CG by using the stock gear instead would only save me half that much balance weight from out on the firewall.

You end up saving an ounce or two of lead ballast by adding 3 or 4 ounces in the gear. So, you've then increased the overall weight and pretty much lost all your savings. Yes I'd have less lead on the firewall, but my AUW would actually be higher since my lead is further forward of the CG than the main gear are.

Besides, them carbon gear are just to purdy! ;)

BTW, I just finished moving all the radio gear and throttle servo to the CG or forward of it, and mounted all my little lead bricks to the firewall and cowl. With 13 ounces of lead up there, I'm balanced at 1/2" behind the suggested 3-1/4" CG point. I'm going to fly it like that and see how it feels.

If it doesn't feel tailheavy, I'll start knocking a couple ounces at a time off the firewall and see how it feels. I may find that I can actually lose 6 or 7 ounces and still be at around 4-1/4" CG, and fly great. If so, I'm just fine with having it at 16-1/3 pounds as long as it performs. That would still be 2 pounds lighter than my WH Edge was (w/smoke)...Wish me luck ;)

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Cool, please post on how it felt to fly it at your current cg. looks like some work to get that stuff forward. I know one thing I do not like is installing the fuel tank on this plane, I hope I never have a problem with it.
did you get your carbon gear from troy built models?

I know if I was to do it again, I would use regular size standoffs, heck with the 1.25's. the cowl would of fit better and it would have saved the cg hooplah. Mine is at 4.25 inches cg, I believe it will fly fine, but waiting for the snow to melt. maybe this sunday if its nice out all week. California dreaming.

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Yes I got my CF gear from TroyBuilt. I agree on the standoffs, that would have mad a huge improvement on CG. Too much work to change it now though. If push comes to shove, I can move the carbon spinner off to another plane some day and put an aluminum spinner on this bird. That would add a good 2oz or more all the way out on the nose and probably save me an 4ounces of lead from the firewall. Net savings would be about 2oz. Would that really change the way it performs? Probably not enough to warrant it at this time. But if I need that CF spinner for another plane some day, then maybe that's the time to do it.

I don't know if I'll get to fly mine any sooner than you do... I'm in snow as well. 22 degrees outside today, and still snow and slush on the ground [:o][:'(]

Got my prop today, once I drill it, I'm going to paint it to match the plane's scheme. I'll post pics when I do. Got all my rates, expo, etc. set up in my radio last night. Other than the prop, nothing left but range check and run in the motor! :D

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

OK, got the prop all drilled and painted... really turned out nice. I used an MSC 22x8 wooden prop, drilled out the holes and lightly sanded it. Then I designed the prop "scheme" in Photoshop and the vinyl logos in Illustrator.

I covered the front side of the prop with Artists Airbrush Frisket Film and drew my color scheme onto the film. Next I used a razor knife to cut away the mask for the black areas, and shot it with Krylon Fusion black. Once dry, I swapped mask areas to shoot the yellow and red areas with Ultracote paint. Once all was dry and mask removed, I applied the vinyl logo and prop size text, followed by a few good coats of Ultracote clear.

I then put it on a prop balancer and found one side to be a tiny bit heavy. So, about 3 or 4 more light coats of clear on the "light" half of the prop and it balanced right up perfect. I checked the weight before and after painting and the weight gain barely even registered. After drilling, painting, clear coats and balance, it still only weighs 4.75 ounces. My other unpainted MSC props weigh 4.8 ounces! Yes, they are already drilled, so the only difference is the paint.

Here's some pics of the prop on the V3D... just the right touch ;)

Tom

RE: Customized Chip Hyde Vision 3D!
 

Tom,
you have patience, I thought I had patience, but after seeing your prop, nah, that is awesome. Your plane looks great, mine is all stock, looks like crap compared to yours, so I took a sledge and smashed it. haha. no, really though, your plane looks great, and after working with this Chinakote on mine, I fully agree in recovering. I wish Chip would goto Ultra/Monokote. I do not know if the new versions of the V/DV are covered in it or not, but sure wish they were, I am thinking of buying a Doublevision, but am thinking of recovering it in my own scheme.
well snow is melting, slow but sure. Should be soon that we can fly. I sure hope so.