typicalaimster

This is a video plane that I'm building. This is a revision of a previous version that I built, and a almost exact fax of the electric version I built a year ago.

Fun Facts:
Magnum 4-stroke 50 sized engine. 11x7 pusher prop
68" Wingspan / Area of 750
5lbs dry weight, tested up to 7lbs so far
Black Widow 600mw video system, with a Intuitive Circuits GPS overlay board
U-Nav GPS and Maxstream serial modem for the downlink.

--Scott

JettPilot

My Feedback: (6)

Is this another version of the gas plane you were flying last month ? Were you just not happpy with that one, what changes did you make (besides the landing gear )

typicalaimster

Yes this is a revisit of the one I was flying out at the field not to long ago... The previous version had a problem with the landing gear block. There are boom changes, Tail changes.. All sorts of other things.

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=415196

I also wanted a way to remove the booms quickly and bring in a 3d fuse. In order to do that I had to change a few things. The wing went from a low wing to a mid wing. I also extended the engine mount back about an inch or two. Instead of mounting the engine on the outside of the plane, I built the plane around the engine..

From ACP-Composites I'm using two tubes to join things together. Their "TUP-17" and the "TUP-15". These are two different sized tubes. One is a .500" OD x .414" ID Tube. The other is a 0.393" OD x .290" ID tube. The tubes don't rub up against eachother flush, but it's pretty close! What I'll end up doing is running a small bit of silicon along the tube to act as a seal. I'm going to use pins to hold the tubes in place.. Although the ones for RC Cars are a bit small.... It's not that hard to pick up some wire and bend my own.

Revision 3 will bring in a few things I'd like to change on this revision. Lately I've just been gluing the wings to the Fuse and leaving it at that. This next revision I'll be moving toward carbon fiber tubes in the wing. Two bolts will then hold the wing into the fuse. I'm also thinking about bringing on retracts just for fun. It really wouldn't improove anything but it'd look slick having no gear hanging from the plane while it flew...

JettPilot

My Feedback: (6)

Looks like you are making lots of progress on that, I look foward to seeing it fly !! I have done the same thing with the .5 inch carbon tubes, I used epoxy and the smaller tube inside to make a join and make the tube longer. One thing to watch out for on carbon tubes is that they split very easily. I have seen someone epoxy kevlar thread wound around the outside to keep this from happening. There is a place in Richmond that sells the carbon tubes really cheap, its called Hang Em High .... They are a kite store, but carry lots of carbon, I have bought like 30 tubes from them over time and saved a ton of money I am working on a smaller version of my plane right now, and hope to have it up in a couple weeks. I have also made some imporvements to my large plane and am going to fly it tomorrow.

The retracts would be cool on that model, and it might increase your speed a fair amount also. Mine is so draggy that its not worth doing, but that might be just what the doctor ordered for your plane !

typicalaimster

....

typicalaimster

Well I'm debating where I want to put the video camera. I could mount it the same way I did in the electric, or I could just put it in the nose.. So far I'm at 3lbs and should be about 5-6 when I'm done.

typicalaimster

Wow it's been awhile since I've updated this thread or done any work on the plane. Stupid real life getting in the way of model time!!! So far the plane has gone from this...



Over to something looking like this...



I've had time to do the cutting I needed to do to the fuse. I've also mounted the main gear on the plane. I'll be picking up the nose gear later on this next weekend. There is a bit of monokote work I still have left on the front part of the fues.. Yeah the part you can't see! Currently I'm using the old tail off of the previous version to size things up. I have another tail almost ready to go. I just have to glue the other half together and monokote that. Our club has a Model Display Contest on March 16th. I'm hoping to have it done before then so I can enter it this year!

typicalaimster

Here's a picture of it in the daylight..

JettPilot

My Feedback: (6)

That looks like a great airplane. Nice job on building, its one of the few AP planes I have seen that acutally looks good [sm=lol.gif] With the gas motor it should be fast and have great performance Im looking foward to seeing the videos from that !!!

Skycam41

Now that is impressive!! Make sure you have some ground video footage as well as from the air. One sleek plane...you sure it is not battery operated.....

typicalaimster

Well it is the scaled up version of the battery version. This one is running a 50 sized Magnum 4 stroke in the back. The 4 stroke runs cooler and draws less fuel. There is probably another 2 weeks of work left on the plane to have it fully ready. I picked up the front gear and will have that mounted today. The only thing left to cover is the ailerons and I can have those done today. I also need to devise some sort of air scoop for the engine back there. In the last version it seemed like there was enough free flow air back there. There were a couple hot summer days when the engine was coming down smoking hot. For that reason I'd just like to ram a bit of air across the head of the engine.

I think I'll pick up one of the RCAP's on Friday. I'll couple this in with the video and GPS telemetry downlinks I have going on. I'm also working on an interface board to tie everything together. I'm getting sick of having wires going all over the place. I figured I could bunch everything up into a few DB-9's.

typicalaimster

Didn't have to much time to work on the beast today. Between work and phone emergencies today I'm beat. I was able to get the wheels on and the grooves cut in the fuse for the gear. Next stop is covering and adding the last few control surfaces. I'll be mounting a few of the servos in place on the main part of the fuse.

Skycam41

Covering? I thought it was done

kd7ost

It's your usual bang up job Scott. What did you make the fuse from? Does it slide over a profile fuse or crutch?
It looks so clean and neat. You might want to hold off for a little while on the RCAP. But you've seen the RC groups thread. You guys building those twin boom pushers are getting me stoked to build a new design. I think I'll make one around my Magnum .91 4 stroke.

Dan

Skycam41

I just love the sleek plane but I must admit that my naughty mind thought upon looking at the fuse that it reminded me of something that Sue Johanson would have pulled out of her bag of suprises on the Sunday Night s*x show (Canadian educational program..haha).....sorry, I digressed Please make sure to have some ground video footage of its flight.

Mike

typicalaimster

The fuse is much like the electric version, just slide over the profile. On the concept design I liked how the electronics mounted on either side of the profile. As long as the device was under 4" wide and 2" tall I'm set. With the cover on I should see a nice jump in speed and performance. That's something I'm looking forward to as the flying months are right around the corner.

This design will take up to a Magnum .70 4 stroke. After that you'd probably want to go with light metal booms going back to the tail. I'm already running full length 36" booms from the internal wing to the mounting position on the tail. This one also has a 70" wingspan with an area right around 750. My guess is a design around a .91 would have a much larger wing. If that was the case I'd star moving toward another design I'm working on. As long as I don't have to many setbacks, aka motor dying again, I should have an electric beta of that out in the fall.

Yeah I did to. Then I found two more things I have to cover. I'm sure after I cover THOSE I'll find 2 more things I need to cover.

At this rate I think Skycam and I are going to have test flights about a week apart. Once again I get to raid the hobby store for lead weight. Last time I bought 4 stores out trying to find enough to 'simulate' equipment load. It's to bad I can't make gold out of it after I'm done with it.

--Scott

typicalaimster

Yeah *looks around inconspicuously*.... The first concept design of the plane had the wing on the bottom. I didn't think much of it until I plotted out the design in full scale and hung it on the wall. By that time I already had laser cuts ordered and couldn't do much. Needless to say after the landing gear kept breaking I put that plane away. I don't think I'll be taking it 'out of the closet' anytime soon.

typicalaimster

Alerons are on now. Now to start with the dreaded electronics. UGH this is the part I hate..

typicalaimster

Here is an idea that I'm stealing from the RC-Car guys. Hopefully it won't fail me in this application. I'm using a pin to hold my carbon fiber boom in place. Needless to say it holds very well when I give the boom a shake. I can't pull the pin out by hand so some needle nose pliers will have to be used. It slides in very easily!

typicalaimster

Well it's pretty much done. I just have to take it out and test fly it. Maybe I'll do that this afternoon.. Maybe tomorrow. Who knows... Anyways here's the bird in its RAW form. I took the body tube off since it's not really needed for the first couple flights. After the first 3 flights I'll start loading equipment in..



The engine was tuned up today. I did a quick range check to make sure things are working. Taxi test was done. It's ready to roll..

kd7ost

Looks good Scott,

Was it tough to drill the CF tube? A buddy of mine and I are working on holding booms in place too. I want to run the servo wires down the tubes though.

Did you see my offer to let you try my Ohmark Mixer in your RCAP set up? I don't know if it would work to fly with though. How similar are elevons to ruddervators when it comes to external mixing?

Dan

typicalaimster

It wasn't that hard. Just make sure you use a sharp bit, and go at a moderate speed. Just be careful not to tear up the threads to much. I'd suggest running a bead of CA around the hole after your done drilling.

Yes I did. I just haven't had a chance to get over there to respond to that message yet. What do you mean by external?

kd7ost

Sorry, I wasn't even thinking. Bad term. What I meant to say was an on-board mixer instead of in the RC system.

Dan

typicalaimster

Pretty much plug in and go. Just stay away from GWS. I'm almost tempted to add another one for 'Flapperons'. I have to upgrade my TX before I do that.

typicalaimster

Change this a little bit.

I'm still running the Magnum.

68 x 750 wing is still in place

Dry weight was 4lbs w/o equipment. After the stuff was put on it's sitting about 6lbs

Still using the BWAV 600mw setup and I may put on the overlay board.

U-Nav is being removed and a different [link=http://www.mightygps.com/oem/40smls.htm]OEM GPS[/link] is being place on for my GPG sentences

Maxstreams are going on for close up Telemetry. I'll add a different device when I decide to get a bit more serious later in the season..

Another GPS is going on for the RCAP. This GPS will give me my GPR sentences

RCAP will go on for Autopilot navigation

FMA Co-Pilot will be onboard to level my wings