Composite EDF F-22

[Christopher14]

After I installed the tubes and test mounted my EDFs, I thought I would run one of the motors. Well, I learned that those motors are very powerful, I actually collapsed the tube at the intake. I'm just glad it happened now instead of after everything was closed up and on the runway.

The fix was that I covered them all with fiberglass cloth and epoxy, they are much more stable now.

There is a lot of negative pressure in a intake of a EDF, I'm glad you caught the problem before you had the plane all done.

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

Are you going to be posting plans for the extra parts you created?

 

[MikeJM]

Not sure

Are you going to be posting plans for the extra parts you created?

A lot of the extra parts didn't have plans. Even though I had bulkhead plans, they were modified after I started installing the EDF units.

 

[MikeJM]

Build shots

Here are some more pictures of my build. Glueing down part of the bottom deck and shaping the intake. Adding airfoil to the wings.

 

[Bayboos]

It looks more like building milit... oh pardon, "commercial" drone than a foam RC hobby plane. Very advanced and detail-oriented process; it's a pleasure to watch and read. Please make sure to turn it into an article when it's done

 

[MikeJM]

Progress Pictures

Here are some of my progress pictures. I'm going to put them into 3 posts. Please keep in mind that this F22 is not a scale aircraft design.

Pictures 1 and 2 shows how I removed some foam on the leading and trailing edges so the 3mm depron will be flush.

 

[MikeJM]

Progress Pictures

Additional pictures showing the 3mm depron glued on. Also shows the shaping, filling and sanding in preperation for the 1/2oz fiberglass & epoxy. And the cutouts for the vertical stabs.

 

[SOOFLY]

Wow! Very nice build

 

[MikeJM]

Progress Pictures

More filling, sanding, cuting the ailerons, gluing on the stabs, and fiberglass completed. Now I need to do a lot of sanding and filling to prepare it for painting. Stay tuned

 

[SnowRocker88]

Looking great! Real quality craftsmanship going on here.

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

Very beautiful. It takes a lot of skill to build a plane like this.

 

[saiga556]

Can't wait to see this thing flying. What kind of power to weight ratio do you think you will achieve?

 

[Basscor]

Awesome build! you may consider entering it in the build off going on right now since it hasn't been finished yet.

 

[MikeJM]

weight ratio

Can't wait to see this thing flying. What kind of power to weight ratio do you think you will achieve?

My EDF units put out 2.6lbs (total of 5.2lbs) of thrust, and I expect a finished weight with battery at approx 5lbs/2267grams. Course the Manufacturer probably inflates the thrust stats. Looks like 1:1

 

[MikeJM]

Power

Here's a picture of my motor, reduction tube, and a Freewing thrust vector unit that I modified by removing the stock foam and adding a F22 style exhaust.

 

[MikeJM]

Status

Primed and ready for more sanding and filling.

 

[saiga556]

Awesome.

 

[SnowRocker88]

Man, I'm over here drooling at my monitor. This thing is crazy!

 

[SOOFLY]

Really is some impressive work.

 

[MikeJM]

Thanks guys it's been a fun project. Now I'm wondering if I should use it to make a fiberglass mold, and make an all fiberglass version, I bet it would be half the weight. I've been researching the process, it would be a major endeavor. But I could make an endless quantity of them.