RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

I think Mike got a little sidetracked, he's a one man band.

At any rate I have my VF3E on the bench and the cores are ready to sheet. In answer to lightening the cores my wing cores with the hard point and false rib are about 6 grams lighter than the bare cores as the shipped from Mike and the horizontal stabs are 1 gram lighter each, so I am at 14 grams lighter than the bare cores were total. I'll post a few pics before I sheet them.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Here is my 1/4" Nomex floor between the firewall and F1. It is a full 12.5 grams lighter than the plywood piece.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

I am also just starting my VF3E. I'm up to page 10 on the 'normal' build thread but there is a huge amount of chatter so it is taking a while.

Unfortunately I still have to cut the templates before I can cut my foam cores. All this is a bit new to me although I do have a few local guys lending a hand. Problem is they are used to building 'bricks' so it is an ongoing battle to convince them to lighten everything. The lightest foam that I have been able to get is 0.9lbs/ft3 (14.5kg/m3). This is a bit heavier than Mike's suggested 0.7.

I might need some help on the shape/size of the cores once I have done the templates. Hoping Mike will send me the drawings in dxf rather than pdf when he gets a chance.

It would be nice to get the 'E' thread more active.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

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RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Here are the cores ready to skin, the layout of the carbon tow I use to reinforce the wing (I also used this technique on the stabs as well), a skin with the PU glue all rolled out and the CF tow stuck down and finally the cores in the vac bag sitting at 9.5" of mercury for the night.

Once I get them out of the bag I'll weigh them again and post some weights.

My spars are a little different than what came in the kit. I laminated some .007" X 3/8" CF between two pieces of 1/16" balsa and thay are an inch longer. The wing panels should be plenty strong.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

wing panels fresh out of the bags with tube sockets installed, still need LE, aileron capping and wing tips but I'm sitting at 224gr each.

horizontal stab panels are 48gr each.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

nicely done Pete...

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

DEAN IS ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ok, back down to the shop, LE's need put on the wings, stabs and fin and the turtledecks need to come out of the bag.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Wings capped and ready to go except for a couple things, caps on the end of the ailerons ans cut the hole for the servo lead...but they are both sitting at 238gr.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

G'day Pete,

That looks real light. Are you planning to cover the wings or glass them?

Cheers
Jason.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Jason,

How you been doing? I am planning on Ultracote covering.

Pete

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

G'day Pete,

Been doing ok mate. New year's eve down here tonight and I'm in the country that celebrates new years first, New Zealand.

Have not done much more on my BM but have got the firewall and motor mount completed. I chose Mike's new box mount and it goes together real nice. I'll have to post some pics of it. It needs some minor tweeks to get the AXI to fit through the firewall but it's really rigid!

Starting to jig up the fuse now too. I made some little spacer bushes for the stab socket as the holes in the fuse are 1mm too big. the wing tube fits like a finger into a glove. Need to make sure it's all lined up properly before zapping it all together :D

You and your family have a great new year mate.

All the best,

Jason.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Have fun tonight and be safe. I'll be in the shop setting the rigging on the wing and stabs .

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Is there a difference between the VF3E wings and a VF3.. did Mike make the airfoil thinner?

just curious.

Chuck

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

The only difference is how much foam you can take out of it while honeycombing.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Pete, so what's the other diffs between a vf3e and a vf3? I seem to recall the "e" version costing more than the glow version.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

The "E" is $19 more than the Pro kit, you get all the CF laminated parts that are in the Pro kit, a different firewall reinforcement former, an extremely light CF canopy, and I believe the balsa is lighter as well.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

At this rate I should be ready to cover in a couple weeks. All hard points are in and all that is really left before I cover is the belly, dorsal for the fin and stab, blend in the fin, and mount the cowl along with routing the firewall...really not that much.

Here are some weights so far:
Fuse 544 grams
Wings 240 grams ea
Stabs and Tube 150 grams

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Nice Pete !!!!

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

if you don't punk out on me, I'll show you it in person when you come up to the 'Burgh

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

The belly is now on, fuse floor has been opened up, rudder servo mount, and wing adjusters are in place. Now for the dorsal, cowl and fire wall routing.

Guess I should start weighing all teh components to make sure I know where it will end up weight wise.....or at the very least a rogh idea.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Ok, I'll bite...

How do I get my AXI in the front with the cross bracing & firewall support in place?

The only way I can see is to radically modify the cross brace and firewall support...

Cheers
Jason.

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Is the cowl nose ring big enough to slide the motor in from the front? I can't remember what size the BM3 nose ring opening is.

Woodie

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

Jason,

If it were me I would open the bottom of that motor box up and put the motor in that way. I just pulled the plug from the mold for my motor mount which will be in the vacuum tomorrow and it is only two sided. you'll be fine with opening the bracing on the bottom of that mount enough to clear your motor.

Pics of my mount will be forthcoming.

Pete

RE: Black Magic VF3 E build thread!
 

G'day Pete,

I think cutting the bottom out of the mount might lose some of its rigidity. The hole for the AXI would need to be very big...

I found an old pic that Mike posted on the VF3 Glow thread and it seems that he didn't use the braces at all...[X(]

I don't like the idea of ommitting the braces all together as it must give quite a bit of strength to this area. I may just modify them buy cutting the middle out of them. I will post some pics once it's done so others have a reference. ;)

Cheers
Jason.