RC India

Well Guys

After a long break of more than 2 years, i think its time to jump back into RC. Got the plans from rcg for Diablo. Here is the link...

http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=892655

Got the plans printed full scale on A0 size. For transferring the plans i simply cut them and used simple fevistick to paste it on the depron sheets. Use fevistick sparingly..just enough to hold down the plan on depron. The advantage of using fevistick is that you can then easily peel off the plan once you have successfully copied the plan on depron.

The recommended setup is a Axi 2212/24 with a 25 amp esc. 12x8 prop on 3s 800-1200 mah. This setup is good for 3D. But i am not using this one as i already have a motor lying around. Here is what i intend to use :

Motor: Axi 2208/34
Esc   : Jeti 8 Amps
Prop  : 9x4.7
Lipo   : 11.1 V 2200 mah 12c

I know the lipo is way too heavy..but i want to give it a try(have something in mind). The manufacturers site says that the motor can handle 480 gms weight drawing 8 amps. So that is my weight target.

After i got the parts cut...there was some tweaking here and there to be done as the plan was for 6 mm depron but all i had was 5 mm depron. Sorry couldnt take any pictures of the parts...any ways after little modifications and dry fit tests all the parts were glued together with 5 min epoxy.

To stiffen the wing i used a 4 mm solid CF rod which i bought from Mr Sai. But i didnt glue the CF rod to the wing. I just cut a slot on the wing and taped the CF rod in there. I hope that will not cause any issues.

looking good mate.
that seems like a relativly simple and fairly quick build.
regards
don

@Sunk
Thanks buddy. Ya its is a simple profile foamie and easy to build.

Couldn't use the stock motor mount in the plan as there were some deviations. So i made motor mount from depron to test the fitting. Was walking down a lane when i saw a airtel hoarding. the perfect material for my mount.

It is not made of coro but some other material like a highly compressed paper. Cuts very easily with a standard cutter. The thickness of the sheet is 2-3 mm so decided to cut two mounts and epoxy them together.

Finished the motor mount..two sheets were epoxied together. Looks strong enough for the application. Took the Axi mounting template and drilled holes on my motor mount.

Another thing i liked about this material is that it is very easy to make notches and holes in it...yet the two of them epoxied together are pretty strong.

Test fitted the motor on the mount and then the motor+mount on the plane. I am using a standard nut bolt with washers to mount the motor.All fit together perfectly So far so good.

If it is paper, it would give way at some point, right ?  Would have been better to reinforce it something like pieces of Xray sheet (or something like that) epoxied on both sides, and let the screws hold on to them.

may be you re right anwar..but for the time it is strong enough :) And more over there was no stuff around for reinforcing so just epoxied two together.

Glued the motor mount on the fuselage. Also used lots of depron at the back of the mount for providing support. For increasing strength of the fuse epoxied depron cuboids where the horizontal and vertical sheets meet. Ran the motor with the prop loaded to test for any vibrations or weakness in the mount.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Mg9NcCk7ec
[NOTE: ROTATING PROPELLERS ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. ALWAYS BE VERY CAREFUL WHILE OPERATING THEM]

Also gave a slight right angle to the motor but no down thrust.

hi mate.
looks good....................but that seems like 'quite a bit' of offset on the motor............ may just be the photo though :-)
being a sign from 'outside' the motor mount may have a 'weather' coating............this will strengthen it............
be nice to see the maiden.......
regards
don

Hey Don...i was thinking the same..probably too much right angle..will remove one of the washers from the mount. And yes the motor mount is strong..it does have a plastic coating on both sides and that adds to the strength. Am currently building the pushrods. Pics and videos to follow soon...

Cheers

hi mate
yes that looked like about 5 degrees 2-3 should be ample  :)
 be nice to see the maiden  :)
regards
don

AXI Silver! Cool.

Hi Vinay
Its a wonder...the quality of the motor is superb. Excellent manufacturing..but a bit pricey though.


will probably maiden it next week

Regards

I wish to thank Sandeep for giving the idea for making pushrods from broomsticks. Worked like a charm. :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

Used pins for making z-bends. Although the broomsticks were not perfectly straight but still managed with them. The head and the sharp end of the pins were cut using a plier. Inserted one end of the pin in the broom stick and used CA to fix it in place.

For the control horns used old servo arms. The one with the Hitecs are pretty long and perfect for the purpose. Epoxied the control horns on the elevator and the rudder

Since the length of the broom sticks were not sufficient..i joined two together. Used Doctor tape(as it is called here) to join them...after i was convinced of the alignment used CA to fix them permanently. Please let me know in case you think of any issues with such a method.

The pushrods for the elevator and rudder have z bends at both the ends (didn't have any clevises). This makes it a little tricky to remove them. You have to unscrew the servo horns.

But the pushrods for the ailerons have clevises. I am using three standard 9g servos for the plane. Two are from Tower pro SG90 and one was bought from Mr Sai...DYS 9 gm servo.

I am using doctors tape for hinging the ailerons. the tape is applied on both sides. Also used a colour tape from stationary to add a little colour to the plane and also help with orientation

(plz ignore the mess behind..i live like a bachelor :giggle: :giggle:...more over i am a bachelor)

And here is the video of the control surfaces in action...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCcF8VVStrM&feature=channel

Make sure you have a camera when this one takes off :thumbsup:

You inserted the metal "ends" into broomstick and used CA... is that strong enough ?

"i live like a bachelor Giggle Giggle...more over i am a bachelor"

You LUCKY Guy!!!

All the best for the maiden! The Maiden flight, I mean!

VC

Ya Anwar that is pretty strong actually. Couldn't take it out with even a considerable amount of force.

@VC
Well what can i say!!!!! I am lucky..

Well last Saturday and Sunday woke up at 6 in the morning to go to a nearby park...to my amazement half of the world was already present there to play cricket...so couldnt maiden the plane...looked for some other parks nearby too but were all full with people...so now i dont know where to fly my plane..


Anybody knows any place in Mumbai near Jogeshwari Vikhroli Link road,Poonam nagar, Andheri where i can fly the bird???


Also bought a camera neck strap for my transmitter...for Rs 150 from Fort,Mumbai near VT station.

You would love this as a Charm!  its so, so comfortable!!  I used the original Strap from Canon SLR which I replaced with with better one from Lowepro. Wonde why people use the then lanyard.

After getting frustrated for not finding a flying field near my house..i decided to go and try to maiden the plane at my local park. She flies beautifully...requires half throttle for take off from hand...trimmed her in the first flight...i know i shouldn't have flown with the kids around..but the frustration had got over me...anyways nothing happened...so all is well that ends well...just had a momentarily glitch where i lost control...and unfortunately the cellphone ran out of memory while recording..could just get the starting few seconds...

Will  post a new video as soon as i fly her again...also i am planning to put a landing gear on her.

Regards

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydvdPJaB2SI

That was an uneasy moment with the plane misbehaving above those kids !

Seems to have worked out well in the end :thumbsup:

+1 Anwar!
Really Ankur, that would take confidence of a seasoned flyer specially to maiden a plane in such a close vicinity of kids. My 2 initial planes had a nasty nose dive after a successful take off at a similar distance where the kids were playing..

Thank god that the plane behaved reasonably well and you had quick reflex to recover. I guess you too are not a 'Good morning' person like me. Try to wake up real early when the wind is calm and there is virtually no one around, when you maiden a new planes.

The takeoff was smooth as silk... but it seems the plane was  reacting too much to input. Did you try putting Dual rates on Ailerons ? around -30% would be great ! Leave the Elevators as it is and put a little Expo on the Rudders.

All the best for the upcoming flying minutes...

Hi Anwar
That definitely was horrifying...at that incident i accidentally triggered the high rate switch kept at 140% for all ailerons, rudder and elevator (meant for 3D flying). The plane reacted too much with even a slightest throw.

Had to quickly hit the dual rate switch and take a half loop and roll the plane back into position...but from there onwards everything was smooth.


Hi ujjwaana

As said above it was the accidental triggering of the dual rate switch which caused it to behave erratically. And yes i am not a good morning person too...but had been waking up at 5 am for the past few weekends just to find the ground covered with cricket frenzy people :) It had gotten over my nerves..so had to fly the plane or my head would have exploded...i am not a seasoned flier but had loads of confidence :giggle:

now that i have pacified myself...will look for a bigger ground.


Regards

I am sorry to say but I hope Ankurkaul understand. I strongly believe that one should never maiden a new plane while kids are playing directly below. When you are flying a new plane for the first time without knowing how the plane is going to behave in air taking such risks is not a thing to do.
-Rao

So the race is between Cricketer and R/c flyers!
Well  R/c flyers need to be really patient. It would still rewarding to give oneself some other retreat than  exploading someone else's 'Head' :D :D :D... I have seen very seasoned builders sometimes making very basic mistake with thier new planes (and they confess!) and crash them miserably. Only good thing was they drove some 30Km to be away from crowed. I have got lesson on my very first maiden when a mere 4x4 prop gave me stitch wound when it was almost stopped. I respect moving prop more than  anything...

I have done basic and intermediate Para gliding, one of things which brought me very close to death (apart
from occasional ones driving on the road). My very educated trainer told one golden word on the valedictory session :

"You young chaps may buy your own gliders(para) some day. But please, don't test a new glider on a new slope - go to a site which you know well. Dont work with two unknowns at the same time." 

Fly safely! have happy landing... post more videos man...

True Golden words.

Maiden or not, first time or trimmed, beginner or expert, it is unforgivable to fly in a manner that can only be called reckless.

As Rao has said, I hope this is taken in the correct spirit and - more important - very seriously.

point taken

This plane has now died an unnatural death (Crashed)..and cremated. I still need to get more stick time...changing my status back to beginner :)

RIP

Regards
Ankur