Mustang Fever

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The only thing she needs now is a black spinner. (Soon)

Mustang Fever

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YeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeHaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa aaaaaaaa[8D]

It flies a lot like the Arrow (surprise), only this engine is stronger on the Macs muffler and is turning well over 15,000 RPM, so speeds are in the vicinity of 90mph and there is beaucoup vertical. (At least 7# of static thrust on a 6# model)

I love it. I should have done this a long time ago.

It is necessary to hold some down elevator as she gains speed on takeoff, as the bumps try to toss her up before she's ready. Other than that, the handling is superb. The landing gear works flawlessly. CG appears to be right, with the 14 bullets in its butt.

I'm happy. Maybe you can tell.

squeakalong

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Glad to hear the maiden flight went so well! Have fun with this one and try not to grin so much...LOL. As for Empire, not sure but it looks like perhaps only Saturday this year.

Soft landings,

Joe

Mustang Fever

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Joe: OK, I was thinking about Saturday, anyway, if the weather permits.

siddus74

Looks good Bob .. have you flown it yet?

Scott.

Mustang Fever

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Yeah, on Friday. Handles like the Arrow, only none of the goofiness associated with the rear engine. Tracks really well and rolls right on the centerline. Very fast (90+) and very smooth. She was struggling on takeoff due to the 2" nose wheel, so I've since installed a 3". Hoping to go fly again today.

Mustang Fever

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Did some more prop testing, and settled on an MAS 10x8 GF two blade. The engine was turning too fast with the 10x6, and the noise was a real issue. With the 10x8, rpm is now a reasonable 12,250 (90mph or so) and she'll fly around all day on 8 oz of fuel at a bit under half throttle. The vertical is very close to unlimited, so there is till mucho thrust on tap.

I started using 5 beeps of right aileron trim for takeoff, as she really wants to torque over to the left on rotation. Works well, and is easy enough to take out afterwards. I now have it placarded near the power switch: "TOT 5R"

This bird is like a drug. I can't stay away from it- it's just wayyyyyyy too much fun.

Mustang Fever

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After a few flights, I went back to the 10x6 prop and the original nosewheel. She didn't haven't enough punch on TO with the 10x8, and the big nosewheel was causing yaw problems during approach to landing.

Really flies great. Very glad I did the project.

I don't know anything about wing or airfoil design, but I think Laddie's rendition of this delta is about as good as it gets.

Strykaas

Congrats Bob for this achievement [8D]

This one definitely needs an official set of plans ! Did you contact any RC magazine to have it printed and sold ? It would sell, for sure...

Any video of your flights ?

Strykaas

Oh and I was thinking about it... What about having two small wing tip rudder fins instead of one big central one ? That would make it look even better IMHO...

Mustang Fever

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Thanks, Strykaas. I've got sort of a drawing, and the basic pattern for the formers, which are all 5" wide aft of the nose section. I'm a really lousy artist, tho, and none of it is anywhere near good enough to publish.

Judging by the response to the thread, no one would be interested in building it anyway. I think we're a dying breed, Strykaas. Us dust breathers and glue sniffers.

As far as double fins, that would mean a different wing design, even tho it would definitely look better. The thing I like most about this is that the Arrow wings plug right in and away I go.

Something of an update: the Arrow wings kind of gave up the ghost last time I flew it, so I've been trying to get some foam cores so that I can make some really indestructible wing panels. I don't have a rudder on this one, as the only need for it on the Arrow is on the water. Just a steerable nose wheel.

More later on that.

Mustang Fever

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Well, here we are on November 1st, exactly two months since I ordered the foam wing cores for the Arrow/Bullet, and they arrived this morning. They are so beautiful and so perfect I just looked at them for about a half hour before taking the picture.

The holes in the panels fit the 3/8 CF spars perfectly, and the spacing between the holes is right where it should be. They are made in three pieces due to the extreme taper in this wing design.

Bob at flyingfoam.com does lovely work, but he's very busy with all sorts of industrial customers, so you have to be patient with orders, and call him every now and then to remind him you still want the stuff.

It was worth the wait.

Strykaas

Finally

What are you plans ? Will you glass them ?

Mustang Fever

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First step is to epoxy the sections together, with the CF spars in place, while everything is in the cradle and taped down to the table, with waxed paper to prevent unwanted stiction.

Next will be sheeting with 1/16 balsa, using thinned finishing epoxy. Then epoxying on the root, tip, LE and TE balsa caps. Then I have to cut holes in the lower surfaces near the roots to accept some hard wood blocks that are for mounting the wing hold on brackets.

Last will be glassing with very light glass and thinned finishing epoxy.

Elevon construction will be the same: from 2-1/2 x 3/8 aileron stock. I think I'll glass those, too. I'm going to use Dubro HD hinges with a one piece wire hinge pin. I'll be epoxying the hinges into place as well.

I'm going to cover everything with Ultracote, as it goes on a much lower temperature than monokote and shouldn't damage the foam or the bond between balsa and foam.

I think that's everything. Let me know if it seems anything's left out.

Mustang Fever

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The six sections of foam are epoxied together, and the 3/8 CF spar tubes epoxied in as well. I'm now engaged in gluing up some very large wing skins out of 1/16 balsa.

Tmore

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Great looking plane! I am just getting back into the hobby and still appreciate folks that build their own airplanes.

I like the way your plane looks now...but was thinking it would look really cool with a v-tail as well. Not sure how well a v-tail would work with the flying wing type design, but it would look neat. I would also consider hanging some missiles under the wing for static display...it looks like it wants to shoot someone down.

Great job.

Mustang Fever

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Thanks, Tmore. Strykaas also thought it would look cooler with some kind of twin tail arrangement. Maybe next time.

Mustang Fever

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Progress report:

I'm using un thinned finishing epoxy (Z Poxy) to attach the wing skins, and I had a lot of grief getting the first one (lower left) to conform to the leading edge curve. For the second piece, right upper, I wet the leading edge of the sheeting on top, and I used the get up shown here to force the wood down into contact with the foam at the leading edge. I can't see any gap, but I won't know for sure it's ok till tomorrow morning when I take it out of the cradles.

The other thing I did differently was to place the foam core in the lower cradle, and apply the epoxy to it rather than to the sheet. Took almost twice as much epoxy, as this fills in the holes presented by the closed cell foam. I wish I had done it to the first sheet, as I'm sure it forms a much better bond this way.

Mustang Fever

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Success!!

Those tricks worked out really well.

You can see from the closeup that the upper edge came out bonded real close, while there's a gap or two on the lower one. (Nothing that can't be disguised with careful sanding.)

Epoxied skin #3 awhile ago. Should be able to do the remaining side tomorrow morning sometime.

Strykaas

Nice [8D]

Mustang Fever

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Thanks, mon.

Had to fight leading edge bonding problems right to the end, as you can see by the tape.

Both panels are basically done, and have the trailing edge strips (1/8 balsa) installed. Some wider stock is coming tomorrow for the LEs, then I can do the roots and tips (also 1/8 balsa). These things are really rigid compared to the built up wings.

The built up wings will stay with the Bullet, and the foamies used for only the Arrow. They will be a bit heavier, typical of foam core wings this size. The built ups are about 8oz each, finished, and the foamies weigh almost that now. If they result in the Arrow getting tail heavy on me, then off comes the factory muffler and the Macs pipe gets put back on.

I've got an Extreme Flight Outlaw on the way, should be here this week. It's going to get my Rimfire 25 and a 4S 3300 pack. Won't be the fastest or meanest one around, but I've been wanting a hand launched delta that I can fly just about anywhere. I'll start a thread on it in the Speed bird section when I get working on it.

Mustang Fever

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The Delta Duo

Mustang Fever

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An update on the Bullet:

She was exhibiting a lot of Dutch roll with the gear down, and moving the CG to about 15.25" forward of the hinge line didn't help, just made landings tougher. So......I added a big piece of TE stock to the rear of the fin, and included a rudder. It wasn't that hard to do, just took me a couple years to figure out. Set the CG back to about 14 & 5/8". (That's 8 oz of the stick on weights)

Probably have to wait awhile to test it- weather here has gone from spring to winter again. Supposed to get snow tomorrow. Sheesh.

Mustang Fever

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Did a test flight today with the tail mods. Success beyond my wildest dreams. The Bullet now tracks like it's on rails regardless of airspeed or gear position. The stability and pitch control are so good at high alpha that I can slow her down to about walking speed before touchdown.

Profile Pilot

Very cool. An interesting project that has kept you excited for a couple years now. Great job.