Foamboard EDF Convair XB-53

[Vimana89]

Here's a challenging and rewarding idea that's well beyond my skill level to build and fly, the Convair XB-53, a proposition that was never built. This has a great retro-futuristic look, and would be a blast with an EDF! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XB-53

 

[buzzbomb]

Here's a challenging and rewarding idea that's well beyond my skill level to build and fly, the Convair XB-53, a proposition that was never built. This has a great retro-futuristic look, and would be a blast with an EDF! https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convair_XB-53

It''s pretty but can't fly. The model may be dated 2006. I'm guessing the design was a whole lot earlier. Your next question is "Why can't it fly?" My answer is that there is nothing to hold the nose up.

If your answer is the swept wings hold the nose up, I would point to the tiny control surfaces and say... Go For IT!!

Look at the pictures. That's not an airplane. That's a rocket with wings. That is definitely fun stuff, if you ever want to try to build one.

 

[Vimana89]

Yeah it's actually pretty impractical on second look. I have, however seen rc prop planes, some fuel types, and I believe some electric,with a highly forward swept wing that starts way in the back. As for what holds the nose up on these? Canards. The best that could probably be done is a modified version loosely based on that picture with canards and larger control surfaces. I'm learning new things all the time, and will have better suggestions as I go, but as far as the modified version with canards, that would probably fly well. It would probably fly without canards, just with larger control surfaces, possibly slightly longer wings, but I believe canards would really improve the performance.

 

[buzzbomb]

Yeah it's actually pretty impractical on second look. I have, however seen rc prop planes, some fuel types, and I believe some electric,with a highly forward swept wing that starts way in the back. As for what holds the nose up on these? Canards. The best that could probably be done is a modified version loosely based on that picture with canards and larger control surfaces. I'm learning new things all the time, and will have better suggestions as I go, but as far as the modified version with canards, that would probably fly well. It would probably fly without canards, just with larger control surfaces, possibly slightly longer wings, but I believe canards would really improve the performance.

If you want to do it, then do it! Roll with the ideas, build the ideas, crash and rebuild! Personally, I just want to fly. But if innovation and design is your thing, then do it!

You'll find lots of help and encouragement, here. Honestly, the only thing holding you back is you...

 

[Vimana89]

That's why I put this here in suggestions, because if it could be done well, there would be somebody much more experienced to do it. This isn't really something I'm overly ambitious to build any time soon. Right now my main goal is also just to get flying, so for now I'll be busy with a couple kits to improve my building skill, and a couple of customs designs also that are much less sketchy than this. Something I may drop as a suggestion here soon that I really want to build myself eventually is a Bombarider Dash 8 twin turbo prop airliner. This will be a much more pleasant plane to fly, and I see tons of larger more expensive builds of it. I think it would make a good foam board build, with some high KV motors and small aggressive props to give it that turbo look and feel.

 

[DeltaKilo69]

Vinmana89, it would fly just fine. Forward swept wings are structurally more complex, especially at full scale, as they require an extremely stiff wing to overcome flutter at high speeds. As an EDF, this would be an interesting project. There is a Design/Build/Fly contest through FT right now for "fantasy aircraft". This one, having never been build, would be an excellent subject.

Take a look at the this:
https://www.militaryfactory.com/aircraft/detail.asp?aircraft_id=1572


And yes, the wings hold the nose up.

 

[Vimana89]

I had a feeling it would work, but it's still out of my league for now. What a cool plane though, I hope somebody with the proper skills gives it a shot. Otherwise, I'll probably get to it eventually. The 500-whatever mph this thing was supposed to go is far from being a rocket, so that has me reassured. I think this plane just suffers from a bad case of SLS-sketchy look syndrome. It looks more impractical than it really is.

 

[DeltaKilo69]

Also, I searched the interweb for XB-53 RC plans and it took me right back to FT...

Not to be a party pooper on your thread, @Vimana89 , but @TaleSpin designed and built this aircraft in 2017.

Check it out!
https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/ftfc18-wwii-corvair-xb-53-designed-by-talespin.36281/

Maybe we can get him to post the plans... hmmmm...

 

[L Edge]

I had a feeling it would work, but it's still out of my league for now. What a cool plane though, I hope somebody with the proper skills gives it a shot. Otherwise, I'll probably get to it eventually. The 500-whatever mph this thing was supposed to go is far from being a rocket, so that has me reassured. I think this plane just suffers from a bad case of SLS-sketchy look syndrome. It looks more impractical than it really is.

I think you should try it yourself. What do you have to lose? Got a feeling if you move the EDF in the right spot, it will go. I used the canard, but if you build it right, think it will go.

 

[Vimana89]

Definitely a project I'd pick up in the future, but now I'm just kinda training on my champ/the occasional FT kit, and my scratch build efforts are all on the development of slender delta(s) of slightly different setups at the moment until I get one perfected. Once I get a good slender wing build I'll tackle something of a different style, and it has a high probability of being forward swept stuff.

 

[Walt1942]

Prior to attempting to build an RC version of the Convair XB-53, do what the Flite Test crew does build a glider version sans electronics. If the glider flies correctly, then move on to the RC version. If the glider cannot be made to fly correctly, then you may want to look for another subject to model.