JasonS

I think that you should leave it naked!
I think the black/green actually looks really cool.
To bad the sun would wreck it in that state.

papaone

Hello tschmidt
Awesome plane, great work. I love this plane a lot.
Regards

gandelin73

Hi Todd,
your first fuse is really beautiful!!!! Great job! The MkII version is (on my mind) really better in shapes than the first version (but it's personal).
I love this plane too
See you

rgreen24

My Feedback: (6)

Hey Todd, somehow, the black and green makes it look really haevy. What did the weight of the fuz come out to be?

Thanks,

Robert

tschmidt

My Feedback: (1)

Robert,

The total fuselage weight comes to 32oz. Not what I was hoping for, so I'll have to make some adjustment on material.
I'd be interested in hearing fuselage weights from anyone willing to give them. I'd be interested in knowing weights of the ZN Twister, Brio, Genesis (builders versions).


Thanks,
Todd

Chris Moon

My Feedback: (8)

Todd:

I have weighed 2 Genesis (kit) fuses. One is fiberglass and one is glass/carbon fiber. The weights (in ounces) are:

---- fiberglass ////// fiberglass/carbon fiber
canopy ---- 4.0 ////// 3.3
chin cowl ---- 3.0 ///// 2.0
fuselage ---- 21.8 ///// 20.5

total ---- 28.8 ////// 25.8



I also have another glass/carbon fiber kit that is maybe 1oz heavier than this one.

Hope this helps.

Sorry but the formatting got messed up when it posed

can773

My Feedback: (1)

Twister is about 27 oz, including canopy and chin cowl.

It uses much less carbon than you have, only comes back maybe 12" from the nose. Your foam looks thicker as well or is it just the pics? 1/8" is in all ZN kits.

tschmidt

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks Chad and Chris for the info. I was hoping for 27 or 28. The foam in this fuse is 1/8" thick also.

Todd

can773

My Feedback: (1)

Hi Todd

If memory serves me correctly the ZN fuses are laid up, 2 oz glass, 1.8 oz kevlar/2.8 oz carbon, 1/8" foam, 2 oz glass.

I may be off on the 2 oz glass it might be a bit lighter but its close to that.

tschmidt

My Feedback: (1)

Chad,

Thanks a bunch for the input its greatly appreciated. My first layer down was 3.1oz crowsfoot glass. It works really nice but I suspect it holds to much resin. I used used 2oz. cloth on my Def1's and will go back to that on the next layup.

I think I'll try this on the next one:

2oz cloth
1.7 Kevlar
2.9 carbon (not as far back this time)
1/8 in foam covered with .75 or 1oz cloth (and go into the top deck)

I noticed the twister Canopy is Kevlar and will go that way too. (my Def1 canopys were made that way and turned out well)

We'll see what happens, I'll keep you posted, and again, thanks for your help.

Todd

rgreen24

My Feedback: (6)

Hey Todd, that weight is not bad at all, you can still get that plane to weigh under ten pounds, even with the fuz at 32 oz. I would not throw away that fuz. I suppose if you are not going to use it, I sure will take it off your hands

tschmidt

My Feedback: (1)

Just a note to say thanks to everyone for information and comments on this thread. It's great to get the help I need so quick. I know the weight could be better on this fuse and will be laying another up this weekend.
Whats encouraging is the information I've gotten from some friends. It seems this weight isn't to far off from a lot of fuselages on the market. My brother has an Impulse @ 31.5oz and another friend's Temptation fuse was the same. These planes are being built well within the weight as Robert states. Sorry Robert I'll probably build this fuselage.


Thanks again everyone!

Todd Schmidt

dflynt

My Feedback: (48)

Todd,

If I remember correctly, the PL Partner was 19 ounces for bare fuse, canopy, chin piece. It felt unbelievably light for its size when I held it in my hands. However, the honeycomb pipe tunnel and internal formers, stab tube, firewall started increasing the weight. The ready to paint weight with everything on it, wing tube supports, all the things I mentioned was 830 grams, or about 29 ounces. As light as it is, it is not a fragile product. The ready to fly weight of this plane with DZ 140 is 9.75 pounds. My ZNline Supreme fuse was 859 grams ready to paint, but the final weight with OS 140 RX is 9.0 pounds. The paint, covering, landing gear, and engine setup contributed to the lighter final weight. I hope this is useful information for comparison.

Your mold is a work of art. I am very impressed.

David

Bob Hartwig

Hello Todd,

Your plane is looking Bodacious!. Great workmanship and effort. The couple of tweaks in the next one should be awesome. I weighed my Prestige (electric version) and it is 28.10 ounces with firewall and landing gear plates in.

Bob

wilga12

Say Todd.................................Dave here.

Would I be able to use my West systems #105 resin (Which is an Epoxy finish resin) to make this Paste that you have made here..?? If so, what was the material that you used for the thickiner and the tint..?? And unless I missed it, you didn't say just how much glass/resin went over the first half of the plug to form the mold, before you flipped it and went on to the second half..??

And do you get most of your materials off of the net..?? I don't live close to a town of any real size,so I'm guessing that I will have to.

Last but certainly not least, Thank You so much,for providing "Newbies" like myself with a blow by blow series such as this. I now, really, understand the old line "That a picture is worth a thousand words"..!!

Kudos..................................Dave

tschmidt

My Feedback: (1)

Thanks David and Bob for your comments and weights. I've definitly have something to shoot for as far as weight is concerned.

Dave, The surface coat I used while making the molds is available from www.fibreglast.com and is a thick epoxy paste mixed 100 to 11(by weight) with its catalyst. You can also by the tints from there also. The surface coat is a better solution to using thickened resin although a lot of people will use thickened resin as a surface coat.

After applying the first coat of surface coat, I let it dry till its hard, but yet tacky (takes about 2 hrs) . I then apply the surface coat again, but work the first layer of glass cloth into it(I used 7.5oz cloth). After the glass cloth I followed up will 3 layers of fiberglass mat. This produced a mold of approximatley 1/4" thick.

I buy all my materials on line through: Fibreglast.com
Aerospace composites
The composite store (CST)

Also Aircraft Spruce Co. has a lot to offer in composite materials.

Hope this helps,

Todd

wilga12

Thanks, Todd

It helps immensly, Great information. .........................Dave

papaone

Hello Bob
I think it's Prestige from Wistmodel ?
Would you post some pics of your palne please .
Regards

tschmidt

My Feedback: (1)

I was finally able to layup another fuselage. Been trying a few different things and was able to produce a primed in the mold fuselage. It came out pretty good for the first time. Not perfect, but should get me by. The weight of this one is 33oz which is 1oz heavier than the first which was unprimed. Should more than offset in the finish process.

Todd

omsflyer

Sure looks good there Todd! You going with the "usual" scheme of Defiant's of the past or?? Should knife edge regardless of the rudder!! :-))) Charlie

byoung466

My Feedback: (16)

Update time...got paint yet?

papaone

Hello Todd
Awesome fuse. I like it very much.

tschmidt

My Feedback: (1)

Hey Brian,

No paint yet, but making some progress. Have the wings and stabs built, motor mounted, landing gear under it and the pipe floor in. Took a much needed vacation from work this week and am trying to get this thing ready for paint. Sure does take a lot of time when you have to figure and draw all the interior fuselage parts . I'll post some progress pictures real soon though!

Thanks Papaone for your comments!!
Todd

Bob Pastorello

My Feedback: (198)

Todd, that is an AWESOME fuse shape.... I think you've got 'er now.... and doing it all yourself to that level of qualiy - MAN, My hat is OFF TO YOU, Sir!!!!!!!!!

Great work, great airplane....look forward to competing against the combo (you and it) sometime....
Keep workin' !!!!

Clavy

My brother Todd is an entirely modest and humble person so I hope you all will indulge me here so I can brag on him a little. Todd came home a couple of weeks ago for a visit and some flying, something that we just don't get to do as often as we would like. He brought his new fuselage so we could all take a peek. I have to say I am most impressed. The quality of his work is right up there with the best. Todd always strives to better himself and his craft and I am sure his new design will play a large part in his continued success. I know we all are anxious for the Defiant II to take to the air.

While Todd was home he offered me the privledge of flying his latest version of his Defiant I design. While I've always thought his Defiant was a pretty darn awsome airplane I was most impressed with the flying qualities of his latest version. I personally have never flown anything better. It flew easily and very accurately. After the flight was over I looked at him and said that his new design had some very large shoes to fill and I truely mean that. So when Todd offered me his #2 Defiant I at a most resonable price I did not hesitate. We are going to update it to the configuration his is flying now and I can hardly wait to get it in the air. Maybe with an airplane this good I just might have to start flying contests again.

Todd, I just wanted everyone to know how proud I am of you.

Clay

Ps. Now can I have a Def II for $50?