Defiant MKII
 

Here's a few pictures of my Defiant MKII. I've been working on this mold plug for the last 3 or 4 months. It still needs a little work but the molds should be done sometime this month. Hopefully I'll have one flying by June or July.;)

Todd Schmidt

RE: Defiant MKII
 

That's beautiful work.

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Hi
I like the design.
Awesome 'll be this plane.
A+

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Awesome work as usually Todd. You'll have it done just in time for the NATS...... :D

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Thanks guys for you comments!

Hey Bian, good to hear from you, Still have a lot of work to do, might have one by NATS time. . . but probably not enough air time for proper set up. I'm looking forward to see how this one will compare to the current design I'm flying.

Todd

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Wow that looks SWEET Todd! I hope you bring it to the Nats this year.

-Mike

RE: Defiant MKII
 

The plug is ready to make a mold of. A few pictures of the parting plane for the first half of the main fuselage mold, and the main fuselage fitted into the parting plane. This is where you conclude you have a straight fuselage. Happy to say the fuselage centerline is dead on from the nosering back to the tail post. Now its time to wax/polish the plug to a class A finish and putty it into the parting plane.

After that, HOURS of back breakin fun begin!!:D

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Thanks for the update. I've never seen the step by step process of making a mold and laying up a fuse. Very interesting. Mike

RE: Defiant MKII
 

As Usual Todd, you do great work. I can't wait to see it.

RE: Defiant MKII
 

A few pics of the first half of mold construction.


1. A surface coat was put down first, which is a thick epoxy based paste I tinted green. Dark colors help you see air pockets when making parts. The surface coat provides a inside mold surface that is slick, shinny, and almost ceramic like.

2&3. First half of the mold removed from the parting plate. Now its time to wax and polish the flange in preparation of making the second half.


Todd

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Todd,
Beautiful craftsmanship. What materials do you use to build the plug? Hot-wired foam? Strip planking?
--Derek

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Hi Derek,


Thanks for your comments,

The plug is made from balsa and polyurathane foam. The plug started as a main box framed from balsa (front end of the canopy hatch to the tail post) The nose, fin, canopy, chin, top and bottom decks were shaped from poylurathane foam. All was glassed then primed with a catalyzed polyester primer.

I've completed first half molds on all three parts, hopefully be done building molds by next weekend. I'll keep the pics coming as the project progresses.

Thanks,
Todd

RE: Defiant MKII
 

A Birdy told methat you were going to sell fuselages and patterns for $50.00. Is that true? I'd like to order a couple .

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Clavy,

You must of talked to a turd bird!:)

Todd

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Todd,

Sent you email thru rcu

Scott Anderson
NSRCA D3 AVP
Team Tanicpacks.com
Team PMA

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Well, after about 30 hours and 3 gallon of epoxy the molds are finally done!!:D They came out really good. It's time to wax these puppies up and make an airplane!!



Todd Schmidt

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Ok Todd..... Don't hold back. We want to see all the details of building too. That's one Beautiful Airplane!


Joe

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Really, really nice work Todd.
I can't wait to see it fly.
This one is going to be even better than the original DEFIANT.

Best

Dave

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Hi Todd,
yes it is a very nice plug and mold you have build here! Thanks to share your work on the forum with these beautiful pictures.
Regards

Guillaume

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Thanks guys for your comments, I plan to post pictures of the build also. Hopefully I can do a fuselage layup this coming weekend.

Todd Schmidt

RE: Defiant MKII
 

The first lay up of the main fuselage and is ready to join together. I used glass cloth followed by kevlar, carbon, and foam.


Todd

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Hi Todd,
nice job! I have just one question: what is the purpose of the foam? it will stiffen the fuselage but particularly in the middle, do you think this foam will be not weared with the time? Will you lay a glass cloth on this foam?
Thanks for your answer.

Guillaume

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Hi Guillaume,

The foam serves as a stiffner and viber dampening. There is a layer of .75oz cloth over the foam which will protect it wear and increases its rigidity. The Defiant I fly now is layed up like this and has three seasons on it and is still in very good condition.

I'll post pics of the fuse once its out of the mold, everyone will see it's not going to be the pretty white fuselage like the ones produced by kit manufacturers. I didn't prime in the mold so this fuselage will be carbon black and kevlar gold.

Todd

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Thanks for your precise reply, it is a really good idea to use foam to limit vibrations, thus improving the life of your aircrafts.
I'm very impatient to see the following photos.
Regards

Guillaume

RE: Defiant MKII
 

Okay, here's pics of the first fuselage out of the molds. It's not a pretty white one like you get in todays kits, but you can see what materials were used and where. I have a fellow who kits classic/ vintage pattern kits giving me info on how he makes white fuselages, so hopefully the future layups will look better.



Todd Schmidt

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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.

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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.

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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.

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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:D

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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

RE: Defiant MKII
 

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