dauntlessuk

Having investigated further I find that there is a 2.6metre (102" span) T-50 model designed by Bruno Henry available in France from FLY International (French magazine). The model did well in the French Scale champs in 2010. The model weighs 14.9kg (32lbs) and has 2 x OS 120 Four stroke engines. On the magazine website there is a downloadable pdf document with over 100 colour photos of the construction of his model. If anyone is interested (it is at least useful for comparing building techniques) I'm including a link. It is a big file (26MB) so it can take a while to download, depending on your connection speed. Here is the link:
http://www.fly-international.fr/Imag...Bobcat2600.pdf
What do you think of the home produced retracts? Here is a link for a video of the retracts in operation. There are 2 videos (Quick Time format) just click on the pictures.
http://www.fly-international.fr/videos.php?page=2
I like his idea for adding rib stitching.
I have ordered the back issue of the magazine featuring the plan to learn a bit more.
David

Murphey

My Feedback: (11)

David: Looks to me like a bit of an easier build than the Don Smith version! Seems like more up to date constructions methods. I especially liked the FG nacelles.

As to the gear, it appears as though the design is good and basically simple (relatively speaking). It looks like the motor is controlled by limit switches which is basically good if everything works as it shoud. But if something binds during flight, the motor could run down the batery. As a suggestion, you might contact Mitch Stott and Down and Locked (www.downandlocked.com) to see if you can incorporate their controller with your motor. The controller has current sensors that detect when the gear has reached the end of travel or a bind. Just my thoughts on the landing gear...

Have you decided which tail number to model? There are a lot of photo's in this thread, and others available! So make some sawdust!
M

SpaceRanger

There's a 1:1 Bobcat for sale now on ebay:

Ed Couch

Scale fly-in this weekend at the club field with over 35 aircraft flying. Sweet Caroline picked up a couple more dances on her card. As show on U-Tube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AKIrYmGaWU

ed

dauntlessuk

M,
The magazine has arrived and the design looks good. I have ordered the full plan set this morning (all 6 sheets) so I will be in a postion to start planning the build soon. I'm still wondering about engines. I already have 2 x Saito 115 FS (which have the same power as OS FS120) Using these would obviously be the cheapest option! I also have a Saito 150 FS and buying another of these would offer more power, but would need more fuel (bigger tanks) and add considerably to the overall weight. 2 x Saito 200 radials would sound fantastic, but in the current ecconomic climate is just not realistic fro me.
I'm still thinking about which tail number to go for.

David

dauntlessuk

Ed,
Nice video. Your T-50 flies really well. How long do you get on a full charge?
David

Ed Couch

Normally flights are around 6 minutes with 10 possible if needed. Normal flight uses less than half available battery. Batteries are 5/5000 two per nacelle in series or about 45 volts at beginning of flight. ed

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Guys, don't ask me where I have been, I do not know myself. Smile. Just wanted to say your workmanship is outstanding. So happy to hear about all the great maiden and successive flights. I am just getting back to work on the Avenger but the Bobcat's fuse is framed up. Don't ask how. Smile. Stay well everyone and have a great Thanksgiving. Chic

dauntlessuk

In spite of having ordered these (French) Bobcat plans on 26th October I still don't have them. After 3 weeks a package with the wrong plans arrived. Now apparently they don't have the correct plans available and I will have to wait for them to be printed specially! So far I'm not too impressed by the service. Hope the plans are good when they finally arrive.
David

rhsmrt50

Murphey..........I sent my landing gear to Down and Locked to have the electric conversion.......their normal turn-around is three weeks......but due to the up and comming hollidays the ship date is projected to be the second week in Jan........I received an email from Mitch today to informeme thatthe gear did safley arrive........so......all I have to do now is wait..............Rich.

Murphey

My Feedback: (11)

Rich: I think you will be happy with the results. I would suggest making a mock-up to mount the gear and connect the controller to a radio and cycling them a few times. I'm pretty sure that the learning they did on mine will be applied to yours. Mitch and Ron are great guys and they really do take care of their customers! Are you going to power the gear with a separate battery or the receiver battery? I'm using the receiver batteries to save the weight...
M

rhsmrt50

Thanks Murphey...........here is a couple of pic's......

Rich.

Murphey

My Feedback: (11)

Rich: One word... INCREDIBLE! Seems to me, the tires are worth the price! And those wheels...wow!
Glad to see you are making progress!
M

rhsmrt50

Hi Chic.......so glad to hear from you..........the protrusions on the inside of the landing gear forks are jack points with mooring eyes installed......I used 0.375" thick walled Alum tubing (wall thickness = 0.031)......it was ground down on the end to 60 degrees and cut at 90 degrees off that lineat a distance of 0.375fromthe small end...........the part wasthen glued half way up the fork blade using fast curing JB Weld.............after curing for 24 hours........... drill a 0.188 hole all the way thru from front to back and install the Sullivan (or equivelant) 2-56 eyebolt (stock number 548)........instead of using theflat nuts that are included with the eyebolts....(.they dont look very realistic).........instead, pick up a package of TC3 2-56 minature locknuts made by "Team Associated".......they are beautiful...........but you may have to go tothe modelcar guys to find them..........as a side note, be sure you remove the paint from the point of contactwith the fork and also rought-up the interior surface of the part to be installed.........also, start with a muchsmaller bit when drilling thru the part installed and working up to the final size of 0.188.............Chic, I have included a few photos......

Rich.

rhsmrt50

Thanks Murphey..........I am really back on the board...........hope I can stay there to the finish...........Have had alot going on, and thanks for your support.........I will be in Houston on the 7th....(Pearl Harbor Remerbance day)........and returning on the 11th...........then there are the hollidays.............so with that in mind ........have a very "MERRYCHRISTMAS"...........and I will too.....

Rich.

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Rich, WOW is all I can say. Your a magician with that lathe. I'm still shaking my head just viewing those photos. WOW Chic

rhsmrt50

Thanks Chic.......actually the guy in the red shirt is the machinest........I only provided the engineering drawings.........he is a long time friend who was a self employed machinest......but later went into a career of photography..........he still likes to piddle in his shop and works on my projects from time to time......hope the photos and description will give you the info you need.........

Rich.

redtail

My Feedback: (15)

Rich, help they did. Thanks. Great photos. Chic

Big_Bird

My Feedback: (1)

Rich, the gear is really the work of two masters. I'm looking forward to seeing this gear work after they are electrified. I am also glad to see you back on the T-50.

I finally got all of the holes drilled in the 3/8" thick 6061-T6 gear for the Super Decathlon. It is now over at Ross house for painting.

rhsmrt50

Murphey, I just realized that I did not answer your question about the power supplyto operate the landing gear..........I talked with Mitch in regard to that subject..........and he said, and as you already know, that they were designed to operateon Lithium batteries ranging from 4.8 to 6.0 volts,but they do offer a 6.0 to 8.4 volt option for a small fee...........I toldhim that I will be using a seperate 9.6V NiCad power supply instead of the receiver batteries which are 6.0V............He said that would be fine as long as I could regulate itbelow 9.V............I told him I could tap the eight cell NiCad for 7.2 or 8.4V and he said that would be a safe range.........all my lighting operates on 3.0 volts except forthe marker Lts and they require 9.0V.........sohenseforth the higher voltage..........the battery will be further regulated to provide the necessary 3V.

Rich.

rhsmrt50

Thanks for the complement Ken.........so glad you have the stouter gear almost ready to install, will look forward to seeing it in action.

Rich.

Big_Bird

My Feedback: (1)

I actuall have had it installed but it needed a paint job.

rhsmrt50

....Mighty good looking........

Rich.

Murphey

My Feedback: (11)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all my "Bobcat" friends!
Murphey

dauntlessuk

Merry Christmas Murphey and all the other "Bobcat Builders" from here in the UK.

Re my Bobcat project; the plans finally arrived after an 8 week delay!! The plans do look good though I want to modify the design for 3-piece wing. As drawn it is a 2 piece wing, which seems a weakness to me as the motors and u/c units are not permanently and solidly connected together.
I'm going to start with the retracts as there is a lot of metal work to do and I want to be sure they work first!
David