Got another couple from Dave.

many thanks mate.[8D]

Startup and takeoff.

Paul

One more pic from last weekend

Thanks Derek

Any more news Gordon?
Hows it going?


Paul

Hi Paul,
made a start on the power unit and so far so good. Dont have a fuselage for another couple of weeks but the brain has started churning into life. Probably wont be like anyone elses but then mine never are and therefore expect a few mistakes probably.
regards

David

Hi Paul

It’ll be maybe a month or so before I can get started, but my Stumax SM110-52 fan unit arrived yesterday. Pics are below. It’s a cool looking beast, and being a pusher style the multi-bladed rotor is at the back whilst the motor wires come out of the front bullet fairing. The cast alloy stator assembly forms a big heatsink which should protect against motor overheating with all the air blasting over the IGVs. I ran it up briefly on 12S and got over 4kW input so there should be enough power on tap.

Meanwhile I’ve been getting some Hawk flying practice with my little West Wings one in the pics below. A funny aspect of this plane is that for equal stabilator deflection each way, the inside looping radius is much tighter than the outside loop radius. I’ve had to make the down elevator movement 60% more than that for up-elevator to equalize the inside and outside looping radii. I was wondering if your and Trevor’s Hawks behave similarly. Like yours it knife-edges well, and climbs in knife-edge too.

Cheers

Gordon

What's happened? My previous post shows up on my screen a yard wide with massive pics and no word-wrap []

Gordon ,

RCU have obviously decided to feature this as a first and so they should. It looks a very interesting unit and logically well designed. I will follow with interest the following weeks and look forward to you posting lots of photos. Meanwhile I hope to get my fuselage within the next couple of weeks and then I can get going properly. Bench tests with 10s and Kontronik power jazz controller seem great but I have never done this before so I have nothing to compare it to except D. Schubeler's reputation for a good product.
Regards

David

Gordon
Very nice pics, i have to put the underwing pieces on mine soon.
I have not noticed a big difference in the elevator up or down.
Yes, your pics have come out VERY LARGE! odd!

Paul

Any updates guys?

Awaiting delivery of the kit from Jim.
Hopefully before Xmas otherwise Santa will be dissapointed !

David

David

Mark is out with Jim now so I hope it's sorted

regards

Dave

Dave
I will sort you out for the legs at Chalgrove, is that OK?

Paul

Gent
Hi, sorry for the lack of updates for a while, I have been ill over the last week and am only now returning to the land of the living.
I still have work to do to the Hawk, which includes the under wing parts and fitting the sprung oleos from motors and rotors.

I flew mine once since the last post, (still great)
Here are some pics of Trevs Black Hawk with the new wing,

All the best
Paul

(pics from Dave Wiltshire)

Hi, received delivery of the kit last week and am very pleased with the workmanship and general finish. Nice kit and great value. I am particulary impressed with the tailplane operating mechanism. Its so simple and strong and compared to some other systems I have seen for the Hawk its"bullet proof".
I have started to try and put my ideas into practice and thats all based around the premise I have 3 10 s cells for my pattern ship and those are the batteries I will use or not attempt this project. I cannot simply justify buying a set of saddle bag style cells for this plane alone when I have 3 of these units costing ....! So the theory is since the fan/motor assembly and the 10s cell are very similar in weight if I can place them roughly equidistant from the balance point then the idea has some mileage. Thats what I am trying to achIEve so I enclose some shots of the progress in that direction. I firstly replaced the rear bulkhead with a 1/2" liteply former as this will bear the weight of the fan/motor and the existing one is not designed for that purpose. It helps to have the width for a socket style fit with draft strip stuck to the outside of the fan to insulate it from the w/work and try to stop it resonating. ( to be proved later!!). from the rear of the bulkhead I have laminated with thin ply a rim which will take the pipe from the rear. I have fixed the ducting to the intake and extended it towards the fan, but the fan has to be removable so there is an extension piece which is the ducting Jim supplies. I then glued blocks for the fan bearers to the sides of the fuselage. So far so good it all seems to line up and its on to the next stage.

Some VERY nice pictures of the Hawk flying off grass.

[link=http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_6977787/anchors_6977947/mpage_1/key_/anchor/tm.htm#6977947]HERE[/link]

Hi all sorry for being quiet. Have been doing all sorts of other things plus still trying to get my 3 year scratch-built 27.5% Jungmeister project finished before starting the Hawk.

Meanwhile .... here's a video of a BVM Maverick at the recent AZjets festival which is using the same fan, motor etc that I'll be using in my Hawk, the Stumax SM110-52 110mm fan on about 3kW I think. It's not the flying performance I'm really pointing out here although it's great at about 15lb auw, but the sound of the thing. Nothing like a normal whining EDF, but more the rush.h.h.h.h.ing sound of a turbine, and it's darn quiet too - the stator and blade overlap were designed to be quiet and minimise the thump when a blade passes a stator to enhance efficiency - it seems to have worked. Very nice fan. I can't wait to hear mine in flight!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nsOXXVugrmw

BTW, the flight was short, around 3 mins, merely because the announcer called a gear pass and the pilot though that was an order to land. It only used 2700mAh from a 5000 12S pack so there was plenty of duration remaining had he been able to use it.

Gordon

looks very good[8D]

Gordon,

that seems very very quiet. The one thing that puts me off the EDF project is the scream of the fan unit which must be in most cases louder than a turbine. I am about to find out this weekend as mine will have its first flight weather permitting.
I don't think the sky will be as nice as yours though and there may be an anorak involved and thats not just me !

David

Dave, that looks really good[8D]

Any more pics?

Paul,

frankly there is not much more to photograph. I will find a few more no doubt but its really simple, and thats not good for me !

Regards

David

David

Weather will be fine!

I'll get Trevor to bring the video camera

regards

Dave

Hi David

You got that together quickly! Must visit my loft and pull mine out.

I presume that you've got the model balanced per the instructions but the battery looks much further forward than mine will have to go. Is it a 10S 5000mAh, say about 45oz? And which motor are you using - I'm guessing that it's gotta be a 28oz Lehner 2280 to let you have the battery so far forward, otherwise my calculations are reducto ad absurdum and I might as well have bought the plane with fan ducts still installed! My whole motor/fan unit weighs 25oz and the 12S 6600 lipo will be around 72oz.

Hope the weather holds for some successful flight testing!

Cheers

Gordon

Gordon,
yes I have had an operation on my foot and have been workshop bound ! All done now in both senses. Waiting today for some decals from Ralle @ Tailormade which I know will be good as I have had all good stuff from him in the past, I will fix these tonight and then a little dirty down I think.
The fan as you can see is in the rear bulkhead and has a Lehner 2250/13 wind. The controller sits in top of the ducting in the nice little space which seems made for it with its own airflow in/out (plus it own fan). The 10s 5000 pack is in the ideal position and the leads reach the controller just right. Interesting to see what if any the quicker reducing tube has on the push as with the fan further back the air is squeezzzzeeed quicker to the rear pipe exit. I imagine not a lot, and I sure there are some who can work that out on the back of an envelope before the finest hour. For its probably Mr J Palmer who will determine whether it flies or dies!

Best of luck on your maiden! If JP is at the helm, dont worry, he can make a brick sprout wings!

wasnt even sure if mr palmer was on the sticks anymore. tell him hello from the chaps in texas while at a meet outside of houston he emptied our cooler of beer one at a time geez this was some 10 or more years ago...