Star Wars RC Star Destroyer - Will It Fly?

[fliteadmin]

Behold The Star Destroyer!

It surprisingly flies ok, flying this model is similar to flying a normal delta that is a touch unstable at slower speeds.

Slow speed performance isn't very good, however the model gets a pass since its a Star Destroyer!

Behold The BIGGER Star Destroyer!!!

After assembling the smaller model, in true Flite Test spirit we built a HUGE version of the small one!

Giant batteries were needed so we made this 8000 mah 12S pack!

The battery link for this was sketchy, since the ESC's didn't have BEC's, we wired up some AA batteries to power the servos of this monster!

It really is quite big once compared to this truck!

Dark helmet prepares for launch!

It Flies!

Shortly after launch one of the hatches comes off!

The bridge is collapsing!

AAAnnnnnd its GONE!

It still flies, even with loosing the bridge!

Well Lets just try and roll it over for good measure!

Didn't work so well....

The wreckage was actually not too bad, just a slightly crumpled nose!

 

[airhawk]

crazy as always guys

 

[Balu]

Well, there's your problem...

 

[herk1]

He said (at about 4:50) that he was using differential thrust, so a stopped propeller on one side is not necessarily a problem.

 

[localfiend]

Found the actual problem.

Screenshot taken from the secondary bridge moments before the crash:

 

[Flyingninja]

Just wrap the nose in duct tape! Extra strength and the right color!

 

[cranialrectosis]

Ever notice how the best episodes include the phrase. "Don't try this at home."?

I think that would be a great category for FT Episodes. Don't try this at home.

 

[herk1]

Heh, yes "Don't try this at home" sounds like a more exciting category than the "Will it fly?" categorization that they did give it.

Another categorization they could use is "AMA safety code violations," since putting explosive pyrotechnic devices on RC planes (as they did in this episode) is expressly forbidden in the AMA safety code (see this link: http://www.modelaircraft.org/files/105.pdf ). Come to think of it though: most episodes violate multiple items in that document, so that would be too broad a category!

 

[Balu]

He said (at about 4:50) that he was using differential thrust, so a stopped propeller on one side is not necessarily a problem.

Yeah, but in the screenshot you can see that the differential thrust seems to be supported by a disconnected XT60 connector ;-)

 

[herk1]

Ahh...I see now. But I had to go back to the original video and go hidef/full-screen to see it.