Dragonfly MkIII (Sea Dragon)

BlockerAviation

Legendary member
After building the dragonfly MkI I've been trying to improve my design. My MkII was a little too unreliable right now due to motor issues and I is a little too big for the My local Base Ball Field so I've decided to go back to the MkI size and make an even better FPV platform. My first improvement is to add a cockpit to make the FPV experience more emersive. The second improvement is to strengthen the entire airframe (the MkI had to be grounded due to structural issues). Finally I'm making the wing with a real airfoil to add efficiency. At the end of the day I'm trying to build an aircraft that has a very imeressive experience with a flight time to back it up, and have a long service life. Here are some pics of it with the MkII, let me know what you think!
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BlockerAviation

Legendary member
The Dragon Flys! I just test flew the dragonfly today and am happy with the way it turned out. It Flys fine on 3ch, glides well, stalls nicely and moves at a good clip. I couldn't complain! I'll have the video of the first flight out soon. Anyways, here are some of things I did to get this thing in the air.
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I made the cover for the servos and wired up the electronics for 3ch flying. I'll convert it to 5ch after I build the permeant wing for it. I also added a steerable tail wheel for better ground handling and a reversing ESC for short landings. I have also included a full range Rx for when I start flying it fpv.
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For now I'm using a wing that I stole off my free flight E36 mutt, I plan on making my 5ch wing almost identical to the e36's wing but without the polyhedral and with ailerons and flaps.
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BlockerAviation

Legendary member
I started on the new wing today, I'm using the pull pull method to control the ailerons and a linear servo to actuate the flaps.
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Since I used up most of my depron on the ft mini Scout I've had to resort to the ugly sheets foam, lucky I have enough good foam for the top of of the wing.
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As of now I have to make the ribs, center section, and the top of the wing. After that I'll cut out the ailerons and flaps like I did on the MKII, then join all the sections.
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BlockerAviation

Legendary member
I have most of the wing built. It still needs to have the top skin made and the control surfaces cut out but at the rate this build it going it probably won't take too long.
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I'm using nyrod as guides for the string that I'm using for the ailerons, and I'm including a set of wires that terminate at the bottom and around the middle of the wing with a plug. This is for an airspeed Indicator that I'm attempting to build and test on this aircraft.
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You may have notice that the color of the glue has changed to a yellow in places. This is because I ran out of my foam tac and am waiting for some more to arrive, but in the meantime I'm using wood glue which works great but the dry time and flexibility is a slight inconvenience. Anyways my glue is due to arrive next week Monday, so I can glue the top sheet on but in the meantime I'll get to finishing up the ribs on the left wing.
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BlockerAviation

Legendary member
I got all the ribs, wires, top sheet, and guides in the wing and am now waiting for some more foam tac to arrive.
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I've decided to go ahead and add the wiring for the airspeed Indicator and landing lights to save myself the headache of retrofitting them. Currently I'm still searching for suitable lights, (if anyone has any suggestions let me know) and the airspeed Indicator is still in the design phase.
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Anyways, my glue should be arriving either today or tomorrow so I'm hoping to get the top sheet on when it arrives. After that I can move on to the control surfaces.
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BlockerAviation

Legendary member
It might be a little late but here's the video of the MKIII on it's first flight with the 3ch wing. I was going to do a few touch and goes but from where I landed I would have had to get enough altitude to get over a 20ft fence.
 

Pieliker96

Elite member
It might be a little late but here's the video of the MKIII on it's first flight with the 3ch wing. I was going to do a few touch and goes but from where I landed I would have had to get enough altitude to get over a 20ft fence.
Very nice. How did you set up the flight controls for the reversing ESC? I assume a switch to change from forward to reverse?
 

BlockerAviation

Legendary member
I got the ailerons hinged and the control horns hooked up, it just needs the torsion spring to be put in it!
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Before I put the torsion spring in it and glue in the ailerons though, I'll have to hinge the flaps and install the control linkages for them. Then it's time to bring all the pieces together and (re)test fly it!
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BlockerAviation

Legendary member
It's almost ready for paint! I have the servos for the flaps in the wing, the wing glued together, flaps cut out, and the aileron servo mount in place. I still haven't decided in a color scheme yet, although I've narrowed it down to either the scheme from the f4f wildcat or the scheme from the f9f panther. Either way it's going to be a naval color scheme. I've also started to seriously look into a set of landing lights and possibly nav lights.
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Before I start painting, there are a few things I have to finish. I have to make servo covers for the flap servos, install the aileron servo, spackle and sand the wing, install the hinges for the flaps, and make control rods for the flaps. Let me know witch color scheme I should go with, and if you have any suggestions for landing lights please let me know!
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BlockerAviation

Legendary member
There's still a lot of work to be done before it is airworthy but it's really starting to come together!
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I went with the f9f Blue Angels (ish) scheme making it a look like naval aircraft hence the nickname SeaDragon. Currently I'm waiting for the paint to fully cure for I can finish putting the details on it.
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I'm also waiting for servos for the flaps because my original servos decided that yesterday was a good day to let the smoke out. So I just went ahead with the painting.
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