Gravityisnotmyfriend

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With episode III coming out tonight, I went on a Star Wars marathon with some friends last night. The whole time, I was judging the spacecraft on whether or not they could be turned into an RC aircraft. There's been alot of discussion about the X-wing and its been done. I was thinking of something else. Maybe a flying wing shaped like the speeders from the Hoth system? The Jedi Starfighter looks airworthy if it had a vertical fin. I'm open for suggestions. What of the Star Wars vehicles do you guys think could be airworthy?

Rv7garage

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I'd like to see a flying R-2 unit.....

Rv7garage

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....stick a model rocket motor and a parachute in it, and awaaaay we go!

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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for the non-geeks, here's some pics of what I'm thinking about.

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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I saw the new stars wars movie, and I think the new starfighter would actually be airworthy. It'd be a flying wing with vertical fins on each wing. As for the flying R2, anything would fly with enough rocket motors - I kinda want to be able to control it.

txaggie08

the new x wing'ish thing the clones fly would be cool.

the lamda class shuttles might have to have the lower foild brought upward, but it whould fly.

the other two should be easy to make.

might also look into the z-95 head hunters. there xwings with no s-foils

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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The x-wingish thing? I don't know, I think it has too many wings. It would look cool but would be a PITA to build. I was thinking the same thing with the shuttle. The wings do fold up, so if anyone asks I can just say the retracts are malfunctioning and I have to fly it that way What I'd really like to do since I'm a bigger fan of the origional movies than the more recent ones, is build the snow speeder. I've only done some designing in my head, but the problem I'm running into is the propulsion system. Ducted fans and turbines are out due to my meager college budget. I would like to use my hyperdrive, but it has a bad motivator[:@] So, what do you think? Tractor or pusher? Maybe some kind of mid engine?

-edit to include:
The snow speeder is this one. Even if you don't like star wars, you can still give your thoughts on how to make one of those fly.

cwrr5

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Don't forget about tie fighters....


I'm actually considering it... man, I'm sick.

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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Oh, I didn't forget about them. The glow engines almost sound like a TIE fighter anyway. The problem I see is that there is no lifting surface. Maybe Vader's Tie? That might work.

You're sick? At least you didn't start a thread on the subject

SciFiFlyer

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Jedi starfighter's been done and flown as an edf. ISD's being worked on, along with a Mil-Falc.

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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Really? Do have any pics or links to these? I had considered EDF, but I prefer glow to electric. I had also thought about the Destroyer, and it would probably work, I just can't picture a Destroyer zipping around under glow power. They should lumber around space, not do aerobatics in the atmosphere. I would like to see the Falcon flying. It seems like it is about the most un-aerodynamic craft out of all the choices.

SciFiFlyer

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They're at rcgroups dot com, search the electric/scale modeling/fantasy scale thread. I think there's a vid of the Jedi fighter in flight.

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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Thanks SciFiFlyer,
It took much browsing, but I found that the Snow Speeder, Jedi Starfighter, and two Mil Falcons. They were all electrics, though. Maybe I will get out my ESC's and batteries and give one of those a try. I did have another thought on the TIE fighter. There's a version that might work....

txaggie08

flatten the pylons between the solar wings of the tie fighter out and widen them out.....should make good wings

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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Brillant! TIE fighter it is. If I recall correctly, there is a plane that is just a rectangular flying wing. I'll build the wings the same chord and the diameter of the solar panels, and use the panels as vertical stabs. It wont be a ducted fan - exactly, but I'll use a normal 10" prop at the center of the spherical pod. I got some other stuff to finish, but this is next.

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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Wadda think? Will it fly?

txaggie08

i dunno if it will or not, but thats basicaly what i was thinking . glad i had some useful input



a tie bomber might be even easier btw.

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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Doesn't the bomber have the panels that are slanted at the top and bottom? I think that would be more work. I was thinking that the fighter could be hand launched and have a really cool landing when it touches down on the solar panels and rolls to a stop Here's a crazy thought, though I have no intention of trying: Instead of stationary wings, one could use spinning wings. I have seen A/C that use a wing that spins on an axis that runs thru the middle of the chord. You could have the whole wing and the panels spin to create lift. The sound may not quite be TIE fighter-ish, but it would be cool.

txaggie08

yeah i wasnt thinkng about the wing tips angling in on the bomber.

i tell you what would be awsome, if you could get the fighter to do a semi VSTOL landing by pivoting the motor down.......that or build a cradle and land it liek the real thing

btw, this is one concept for the z-95. some of the models in the Zahn trilogy were described with longer wings
http://www.starshipmodeler.com/starwars/jl_pre_z95.htm

that would be incredibly simple, the wings dont split


but yeah, the tie fighter would be the coolest looking one of the bunch

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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If there were any control surfaces in the propblast, VSTOL landings might be possible. I guess I could put control surfaces in the pod right behind the engine. Maybe I'll make the surfaces on the wiings ailerons instead of elevons, and then put a rudder and elevator inside the pod. This might work.

txaggie08

yeah it might do it.........use the pod to funnel air through onto a rudder and elevator

digitalboy91

A year ago I was thinking about the Clones GunShip and if it could be airworthy

for a pic click link
http://www.sgtfretsurfer.com/Grilled...rs/gunship.jpg

Perhaps you replace the missle launchers (at the top) with either pusher or puller engines
scratch the "laser pods" (at the sides in front)
add a bit of undercarriage
perhaps make wings less angled
add a rudder of somesort

what do ya think?

Gravityisnotmyfriend

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I considered that, but it seems like there would be too much drag for the size of the wing. I think it would be airworthy if you did all the changes that you suggest. The only see one problem.Can you still keep the craft looking like a Clone Gunship? I think you should give it a try.

ptulmer

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Gravityisnotmyfriend, have you checked your wing area? I think you have a valid idea there. My only piece of advice is to built very light and put a 1/2a engine w/submicro equipment in there. With the light wing loadings available with the small stuff you can get a very tough airframe. I watched my 1/2a delta go in nose first from ten feet up. After checking it out, there was ZERO damage! Only light building practices can give you that level of durability. Balsa doesn't get any tougher than it already is. If there's not much behind it, it will hold up very well. And...best of all is the short build times. That way if the first one doesn't work perfectly, you're only out a week of building and covering. If the small one works, go bigger. For 1/2a you only need about 150-180sq in to fly. And a Norvel .061 AME will push it around screaming like a real tie fighter.
Either way, good luck! Go cut some balsa!

BTW, there was a site somewhere with pics where a guy had made the ship from DESCENT. That thing wasn't aerodynamic at all, but it flew nicely. He had basically just carved up some foam and attached a motor. For the Clone Gunship, you may be able to keep most of the anhedral, if you can figure out how to put a vertical stab on it.

sparow89

Has anyone even thought about building an A-Wing? I think it would hav a good chance of working using a lifting body concept.