Bell & Ross - XR 1 (BR Bird prototype3)

[leaded50]

A few in here made posts but seems never make any completed build of the plane. I was awaiting for someone do it, and not steal their idea. Well now its at least a year ago since last posts... I will build this fantastic great looking airplane racer design! With functionality!
Well, this was a idea for Bell % Ross wathcompany to build by design from a guy. Yes, he was an engineer, but not any machine engineer, or any aircraft engineer. He was just a plain design engineer.. Thats quite easy to find out too, beause that plane if build as it, would NOT been flying, it would just be a mostly uncontrollable lawn dart!
As a start, the stabilizers movable parts would be too small vs the quite wide root of wing. , the rudder also too small, and worst possible? The wing has a negative incident, thats it would be hard create lift... shurely when the stabilizer has a good positive incident . aka a LAWN DART!
NO, the plane was never buildt! It just dangled around as a designproposal on paper!

This all needs to be reworked, and it will also at least affect the trailing edge of wing to the rear (or cockpit)., to not get a leadingedge to fuselage part that will be as a stationary "upangled" spoiler.

Im awaiting more foamboards to come here, and in the time awaiting , i will try get the best fixes in scetches to my mind before start building.
I found i had a 5 - blade prop laying around, and a swiss motor with for sure enough power . this is more for alike scalebuild, than speed perhaps. Well the prop can easy be changed anyway! It seems difficult get a reasonable priced prop a touch bigger than what i have, so will make it in scale measures out from that.The propdiameter, and the airplanes measures is not found in infos, but by measure the prop i have, and sizing pictures against it, and then adjust sizing of whole plane , it shows the total length/wingspan. This will give approx 1015mm length, 965mm wingspan. I was thinking of a approx 1500m long build, but $300 + freight, just for a 5-blade prop to the fit that size scale, isnt worth the extra mm´s.

Here is a pic of the nice designbird.

 

[leaded50]

ok, ive searched around for every picture of the bird, and can start see how internal parts need be.
A plain flat foamboard that is tapered to the prop spinner, and at near trailingedge of wing erupt to tapered to rear to the blue colored part. all, 5mm less than outer line at sides, bottom eg. for the foam fuselage skins. This set approx in center of fuselage height (or by prop line) . this way it will make a good longitudinual strength, and bottom for battery, rear servos and reciver.
On this, the forms can be put, ranging from a rounded front to the touch squared bottoms at wing, then to the more wide top than bottom "triangled" a little at rear more and more ". thinned" . Then adjust with sections at end of wing trailing edge following more middle section , that the tapered rear end further on, for the "sidescoop"-sections. This way i shouldnt need many formers either.
I also see i could make some things easier by using a little techniques shown in my Couzinet Racer 1934 build to make tapered parts.
I would need make the wing with spars in complete wingspan, but not do any skins on it at center , as try make it just to the line on this at the pictures, and meet the skins correct at fuselage >< wing together at bottom , then follow up at the top center to meet top wingskin . At this way i should make it reasonable nice shaped without need of extra wingfillets.
When all is skinned, it should be easy make a hatch in front for battery, since will build "rear black spinner part" as fuselage. Just have spinner in mostly front of the prop. Also here its a shaped line at pictures, who can fit for such rear end of hatch. Plates from the midmount longitudional inside plates up to internal wing spars eg. to max middle of wing rearwards will make nice batterycompartment with space for adjustments, and also strengthen even more the front.
The rear blue "fin" with rudder, stab is easy to make, and incorporate to the rear of fuselage, also into that longitudional plate, where the servo for stab is set down with pushrod to both sides stabs. And the rudderservo up side down to actuate rudder. Both into cockpit area.
Cockpit easy done by part of a plastic bottle shadowpainted to darken, but kept a bit tranculent. By a lower frame on this, it can be set easy in there staying in air, by the surrounding blue arrowstrips as on picure front and top/rear.

Some of the building technique done at my earlier XP - 67 Moonbat build will make the blended wing design as on this bird.

 

[leaded50]

also isnt it a bit weird that on one of the pics over, it seems it has a dual counterrotating props, but on others not...... typical by just a design, thats never controlled for making a true airplane. Even Bell & Ross webpage, and the designers info otherwise says it was planned a 5- blade prop with supersonic tips. Well, some close to the XF- 84H Thunderscreech perhaps, ha,ha (it did scared anyone in near of it) , on this pic its easy see what actual idea was.

 

[AIRFORGE]

also isnt it a bit weird that on one of the pics over, it seems it has a dual counterrotating props, but on others not...... typical by just a design, thats never controlled for making a true airplane. Even Bell & Ross webpage, and the designers info otherwise says it was planned a 5- blade prop with supersonic tips. Well, some close to the XF- 84H Thunderscreech perhaps, ha,ha (it did scared anyone in near of it) , on this pic its easy see what actual idea was.
View attachment 245229

Are you referring to this pic not showing 5 blades? The 5th blade is just behind the tip of the cone. If you are refering to a different pic, then I apologize, sir.
This has always been one of my favorite plane designs. So many unique features. Very excited to follow your build!

 

[leaded50]

Are you referring to this pic not showing 5 blades? The 5th blade is just behind the tip of the cone. If you are refering to a different pic, then I apologize, sir.
This has always been one of my favorite plane designs. So many unique features. Very excited to follow your build!

No, no... that its a 5-blade who is correct, thats not "discussable" for me. But at some pics, it seems like it could be two counterrotaing props , also reffered in some comments around at the web it can be correct.
I agree, its a fantastic unique design. i planned build it before, but then others started do it, and i wouldnt interfere. Now i find not anyone have buildt it (well a slopeflyer though) ,, at least not a bit more detailed, showing its uniqueness aound at design.

You know the same designer also made another planedesign, a 30´s racer with wire wingbraces. looks nice that too, even if not have the modern mixed classic style that the Bell & Ross design have. And it too, is found to have errors to be possible nice to fly

I can say though, its not a easy build, because its blended wing style, and its "aborted" rear fuselage part "stuck" into frontal part, aaand its very flowing wing to fuselage style to front and rear by wingroot.

 

[cdfigueredo]

I started this construction a few months ago but I have been busy in another project https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560480371015 of more impact so I have not been able to resume it, and the truth is I don't know if I will do it again. I had planned to make a semi-scale version with the necessary modifications to make it fly, just need to finish the fuselage and assemble everything. I leave some pictures for possible ideas.

 

[leaded50]

I started this construction a few months ago but I have been busy in another project https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61560480371015 of more impact so I have not been able to resume it, and the truth is I don't know if I will do it again. I had planned to make a semi-scale version with the necessary modifications to make it fly, just need to finish the fuselage and assemble everything. I leave some pictures for possible ideas.
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Nice! It seems youve made many formers to get best possible shape on the fuselage, and then suppose its build without papercovered foam? Also followed the original , not a easier Clark-Y airfoil. You gonna get you a nice bird there !

 

[cdfigueredo]

Nice! It seems youve made many formers to get best possible shape on the fuselage, and then suppose its build without papercovered foam? Also followed the original , not a easier Clark-Y airfoil. You gonna get you a nice bird there !

Right, I tried to make as many formers as I could but without much reference to the original design. I used a symmetrical airfoil for ease of construction and resemblance to the original airfoil (although I think the original uses a semi-symmetrical airfoil). For such complex shapes I prefer to use foamboard without paper because it gives me more ease of work and finally it can be sanded better.

 

[leaded50]

Right, I tried to make as many formers as I could but without much reference to the original design. I used a symmetrical airfoil for ease of construction and resemblance to the original airfoil (although I think the original uses a semi-symmetrical airfoil). For such complex shapes I prefer to use foamboard without paper because it gives me more ease of work and finally it can be sanded better.

I can agree it can seems like using a symmetrical airfol at some pictures, on others not. And its a trouble when you know the designers aint any airflow/aircraft engineer. Ive planned to go with TSAGI 12 airfoil at inner part , and Ecler 374 out. Similarity to this variants I feel can give me best solution on this models wingstyle, if are fully correct or not. By the TSAGI airfoil i got a minor upstwist at trailing edge that will follow better a line as on the pictures from wing rearward. and a more typical speedwing styled outward to tip.

 

[leaded50]

at last, more foamboard at storage .... lets the building begin.....!!!!

 

[leaded50]

okay. sorry enough. this time too, i was starting building quite medicined and forgot about making many pictures direct from the start.
It took some time to find the measures i believe is correct out form the pictures, on width/height on the places i wanted the formers.
I beginned by the fusleage up front of wing, to the rear. Made the wing with its two internal spars , without any panels in the midlle, up . or downside. This was made to fit exactly onto the fuselage with its outside- roundshaped blended part.
Fuselage front section do get its strength by the internal batterycompartment, by bottom plate , and sideplates from bottom to top in batterywidth (here 45mm width) frontal and wingsection/rearward bottom skin is shaped as good as find it should be, by some V-cuts in rear and front, and a few cuts at sides to get it all fit the formers, and make a well rounded front to rear design. This should also change to the rearward part making the bottom big airduct there, and led sides rear parts fuse into each other against top.

yeah... the picture here shows a error. The rear part of fuselage wasnt high enough, and when that was made correct, the part further forward to the wing wa also wrong. Mainly some of this happend because tried follow too much original pics, forgetting that the wing incident was adjusted getting lower in back, with the line of the rear wa sto be changed. If should lower it all, the rear wouldnt got its up-rounded shape at bottom, and also reduced possible airflow to the rudder. On pic, rear former was rised to fit how the whole rear should look from the side.

 

[cdfigueredo]

It looks great! I like the way you smoothed out the wing and fuselage junction which is what makes this model really beautiful. Just an observation, did you decide to make the fuselage wider? I think it's a little wide in the tail section.

Here are the images that I have been able to recover from different sources and that I used as reference. In case they are of any use to you.

 

[leaded50]

This way the blended body airplane design gets done, with upholding foamboards stuctural strength in the build. Wing is kept "traditional Masterbuild style built" without blended designsstyle, just made one place, the body!.
To shape foamboards panels,paper removed just at inside, i used a few techniques, The one by sliding it againts a table-edge (at centers) Second by making lengthwise slits in just the foam to roll outsides ( against edges at sides) opposite the center part.
Third oblique cut for shaping panel in the other shapes and get some total rounded shape lengthwise too.

Like this one:

just see here how bendable , possibility to shape foamboard can be, mostly dependable how rear (just the foam) is slit, without removing more than one side paper (inside)

lenghtwise + oblique cuts can give as easy shaped foamboard as seen here at a corner (by the arrow)

You can also see how benable it is to shape even as a S. Just by removing paper on one side, roll against a table-edge to get one curb, with paper outside, the opposit curb by making slits just in the foam keeping paper as on first curbed roll. (yeah i used a string of glue to enure it kept is S shape all the way.)

 

[leaded50]

It looks great! I like the way you smoothed out the wing and fuselage junction which is what makes this model really beautiful. Just an observation, did you decide to make the fuselage wider? I think it's a little wide in the tail section.

Here are the images that I have been able to recover from different sources and that I used as reference. In case they are of any use to you. View attachment 245465 View attachment 245466 View attachment 245467 View attachment 245468 View attachment 245469 View attachment 245470 View attachment 245471 View attachment 245472 View attachment 245473 View attachment 245474 View attachment 245475 View attachment 245476 View attachment 245477 View attachment 245478 View attachment 245479 View attachment 245480 View attachment 245481 View attachment 245482 View attachment 245483 View attachment 245484 View attachment 245485

No, it didnt get wider than what the original picture from top shows. Its more the angle of the pic who does that it seems like it. Its made scaled in all parts.
My model also got a wing incident at +1.5* degrees approx, with tail stabilizer set at 0* angle, removing the "dart to ground effect"😁
That pictures i stored on my PC for a couple of years ago..

 

[cdfigueredo]

Ohhh i see... Did u increased the tail section? i made mine 20% bigger.

 

[leaded50]

Ohhh i see... Did u increased the tail section? i made mine 20% bigger.

did approx the same, 17% wider. and also did all the tail movable surface parts approx 35% bigger

 

[leaded50]

In my frontal batterycompartment, its also space outside the "box" size on sides to the ESC at one side, and the reciver at other side. All well cooled internal to the scoop at underside rear.

 

[leaded50]

Pretty close to got the bird buildt. Some adjustments needed in front/rear to get that confirm blended shape of wing to fuselage look nice all the way, from side and top. Im still wondering if should make a wider hatch up front though, to space more the exhaustports, and perhaps make them even bigger for a more power look. I made hatch without considering size/fit of the exhaustports.......
I mounted the two servos for tasilsurfaces in the cockpit , one servo with dual pushrod to both sides of stabilizer, the other to the low rudder. Canopy have a lock at rear, for possibility to get to the tail servos if needed. It was made of a bottle (as usual )
I used only 5 formers here, with the front one to be perhaps removed when skin ready shaped. All depending on motor size to use. In my build i adjusted it back a little , before build the front round section to the prop. That to get enough space for my intended motor to use. with a possible torq at 2300kg im not afraid of it been undermotorized Vertical flights should be easy, just as a true polyn racer.
All "sections" have a longitudinal spar at bottom, going through for strength, In wing it was used a plywood spar at highest section (approx 1/3 from the leading edge) + a wider CF tube, as rear spar, just a flat laying wooden spatel midwide.
The topskin at front of wing was glued first at the former, than to the front, to get the floating blended shape as wanted, quite easy to get with the technique by cuts into the foam only.
And its set up as "wide track" with electrical retracts. That wide spacing of the wheels under wing, gives it a more nasty powerful look!
Also the rear "fin" thats blue on the picture stretching from the canopy, to the bottom rear airscoop with the rudder eg, was treated with 2K epoxy to get a lot more strength to the foamboard, and good support for the stabilizer. The stab wings also got a prepared "Y" shaped metalrod down into the fuselage, to strenghten their angle even more.

 

[leaded50]

here from the bottom at first pic, look where the green line goes... it makes a nice rounded "bird"-styled main part of fuselage.

here its a bigger view of the bottom. Yeah, i know, it was a minor mishap at the wing trailing edge. The bottom wasnt big enough, or the top skin was too big 😁. I decided to keep it as it got, and can easy fix it a little, at least then i got the trailing edge profile as i wanted (more or less) It also show the open gap for the retracts, and cover doors. (not ready yet, here though.) Ailerons servos is also not fully installed yet.

 

[leaded50]

Im in fact started painting! Hatch with the exhaustports are ready, lso.Paint will be "half-flat" white color, with light "sprinkled" very fine metallic and pearl pigments to make a outstanding extra shine when also gets it clear coats, after all branding is done. At one pic here, you can see the start om the watch brand-name is drawed on at freehand by pencil just, before later gets painted with a suitable lettering brush.