What is Synjin building now? A DH82 Tiger Moth

[synjin]

All right folks, it’s been a while since I’ve been able to build anything. I was inspired by the FT Tiny Tutor wing design and the new FT Jenny, so I launched in to building this plane. This is what I have so far. Just have to put in the curve on the upper fuselage and make some final attachments… And perhaps some landing gear.

Wingspan: 36 1/4 inches
Length: 31 inches
Motor: 2212 1400KV

What is Synjin making? (Yes, I know, there are other plans for this plane out there.)

 

[Tench745]

Ooh, a Tiger Moth, very nice. (I assume Tiger, but suppose it could be a Gypsy Moth.)

 

[synjin]

DH82 Tiger Moth, of course. Swept wings, which is the bugaboo. The sweep plus the dihedral make it hard to have any sort of spar. Plus doing the wing like the FT Tiny Tutor adds to that. The wings shouldn’t butterfly, but we will have to see.

I saw the FT Tiny Tutor wing and had to do a couple designs using it. I’m not sure it’s any better than past designs, except that it might be a little bit stronger as far as hard landings are concerned. Also, I might be pushing it with 36 inch wingspans, but we’ll see.

I think I’m closing in on the finish. Getting the front end to look correct will be the biggest issue. It has a very distinctive look, and I would like to get it right. This is the first bi wing airplane that I’ve done in a while, and the first one that I designed from scratch. I’ll post updates of the first crash… I mean flight.

Semi under camber wing.

 

[synjin]

I am terrible about documenting my builds, but here is the Tiger Moth ready for a maiden flight… Or crash. One way or another today I’ll figure out whether my designing and building skills worked out.

 

[synjin]

The maiden flight went all right. I realized that the ailerons were too small and it did not roll very well.

I took it back home and put in larger ailerons, more in line with what are on the actual aircraft. It has much better roll this evening.

Sadly, as I was testing it’s acrobatics, I managed to throw the battery out at about 50 feet above the ground. Luckily, with the way the controls were set when it lost power it spiraled lightly in. It’s sustained only very slight damage. I can’t say the same about the battery.

This is a prototype, and if I managed to get back to it, the next iteration should be better.