Dyke Delta JD-2 plan digitization and 3D modeling W.I.P.

[Bimmy]

I already mentioned this in my intro post, but I worked on it a bunch since then, and this seems like a better place to actually have a thread with my progress. I think the outer shape is done and anyone who wants to CnC it out of foam is welcome to it, but you would have to hand-cut hollows for the guts. I want to make it printable, so I started making room for the innards and then ran into a problem... I don't know what I'm doing, (despite watching every video FT has, over the years.) I have a little experience, and I understand the mechanics and physics, but there's just too much specialized info when it comes to all the actual components that it needs. So before I re-watch every video and end up with a mixed bag of random design features, I figured I'd post here first. I started to shell and section out the model, and then remembered it's almost 3 ft wide, since I adapted plans for a sport-scale version. Ideally, the largest section should fit in a standard print-volume, but I also don't know what components are going in it.

I'm not very experienced in RC, I'm just a maker that's fascinated with flight, so I feel like I have too many decisions to make. Anyone interested in helping me make this real?

Also, I've got most of the original plans traced out in cad, so I could finish those up and provide dxf files for anyone who just wants the original kit to build. Id have to do some more work to add details and parts that I didn't need for the model, but that means I can tweak it for different size material, like thinner spars, or round/square CF, specific RC components, etc.

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All credit for the original design goes to John Dyke, and credit for the sport-scale plans goes to "Laddie Mikulasko" Model and digitized plans are mine, for whatever credit is left over. My point is: don't profit off of any of this without paying all 3 of us =]

 

[Bimmy]

When I print this thing, I'll likely make this floor a seperate piece, so it can be modified without reprinting the whole fuselage and printed out of something more durable than the light-weight stuff. battery velcro slots and servo pockets are just placeholders, not based on any real measurements yet.


@CarleeSchamberger there should be plenty of room for battery and brains to stay cool. If I scale this down, I might need to make 2 levels inside and have some components up in the cockpit or move some of the servos behind the rear bulkhead. This plane seems kinda stubby, so not sure how things will fit yet... especially since I haven't decided on a scale...

 

[Bimmy]

Some builds of the full scale JD2 have a t-tail, with small horizontal stabilizers that pivot as a whole. One source states they were for "trimming high-powered engines." Would this be useful on an RC version? Maybe they wouldn't be controlled, but could be adjustable on the ground. I can add them to the model and have 2 versions of the tail, with and without the mount point, but if they definitely arent necessary, I'd rather keep the vert smooth and simple.

 

[Mr Man]

Some builds of the full scale JD2 have a t-tail, with small horizontal stabilizers that pivot as a whole. One source states they were for "trimming high-powered engines." Would this be useful on an RC version? Maybe they wouldn't be controlled, but could be adjustable on the ground. I can add them to the model and have 2 versions of the tail, with and without the mount point, but if they definitely arent necessary, I'd rather keep the vert smooth and simple.

I really don't think they would make much of a difference, Delta wings are pretty stable as they are.

 

[Bimmy]

I really don't think they would make much of a difference, Delta wings are pretty stable as they are.

Great, thanks.

I'm printing a small scale test to see how thin I can print the walls and how little infill I can have and still have these tapered wings print well. Got everything standing tall on the bed, to minimize roofs that I would need higher infill to support. At this scale, the rudder and ailerons will probably just be solid. Maybe I can make a rubber band launched version out of this little one =]

 

[Bimmy]

Micro-Delta! Peanut Delta? JD-0.2? Dyke-nut?

it's dark and snowing... and I can't find any elastic to try launching it, but it printed ok. I'll fling it off the roof tomorrow. I'm just happy to have a physical model in my hands, after micro-managing spline curves and struggling with temperamental lofts for days. The large scale version should print even better... now I just have to put all the internals and details in. The last 20 percent could't possibly take longer than the first 80, right? There couldn't be anything evil hiding in these details...

tried single .35mm walls with a .4mm nozzle, and only 5pct infill. I've never tried under-sizing the lines, before. Surface seems ok... it's pretty weak, but ok. slower and hotter will help with that, too. larger scale will probably have thicker walls. It might still be single walls, but with a .6mm nozzle

 

[Mr Man]

Micro-Delta! Peanut Delta? JD-0.2? Dyke-nut?

it's dark and snowing... and I can't find any elastic to try launching it, but it printed ok. I'll fling it off the roof tomorrow. I'm just happy to have a physical model in my hands, after micro-managing spline curves and struggling with temperamental lofts for days. The large scale version should print even better... now I just have to put all the internals and details in. The last 20 percent could't possibly take longer than the first 80, right? There couldn't be anything evil hiding in these details...

tried single .35mm walls with a .4mm nozzle, and only 5pct infill. I've never tried under-sizing the lines, before. Surface seems ok... it's pretty weak, but ok. slower and hotter will help with that, too. larger scale will probably have thicker walls. It might still be single walls, but with a .6mm nozzle

Something about that little red plane is awesome. 😎

 

[Bimmy]

I've started redesigning this smaller model to be a printable snap-fit kit. Just print it, snap it together, and sling-launch it. I know there will be faster-printing and farther-flying models out there, but I had an idea for doing it without glue and pins and all that, so I now have to try it.

I liked this plane as soon as I saw a vid about the real one. perfectly retro-future. the wings even fold up and you can tow it on it's landing gear, so it's almost a flying car... It's silhouette is basically a flying saucer from almost every angle, too. Maybe John dyke and other home-builders are who's in those shaky, out of focus ufo pictures and videos

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

Besides being one of my favorite homebuilt, this design will allow for a large interior and thus lots of room for batteries and radio.

 

[Bimmy]

For sure, servos and stuff don't all have to be clustered in the middle, so it can be one big battery under the canopy.

I've been working on the sling-launch version. I have it down to 5 pieces, and it goes together pretty well. Can I send STL files in DMs? haven't decided if I want the models public, yet, but I think this rubber-band launched one is neat and I want other people to try it

 

[AIRFORGE]

For sure, servos and stuff don't all have to be clustered in the middle, so it can be one big battery under the canopy.

I've been working on the sling-launch version. I have it down to 5 pieces, and it goes together pretty well. Can I send STL files in DMs? haven't decided if I want the models public, yet, but I think this rubber-band launched one is neat and I want other people to try it

You can also upload it to Resources if you decide to share.

 

[Bimmy]

Well, the tiny sling-launch version kinda flies like a rock. I can throw a crumpled piece of paper farther. too much plastic, not enough aero (despite being made entirely out of wing.) this one was just a test, though, and heavier than it needed to be. Plus, I'm pulling my hair out, dealing with OrcaSlicer. It makes pretty things, and is better than creality's total bs, but Cura lets me adjust so many more settings.

Slicer reports this one took 63 grams, despite only being about 170mm x 200mm assembled. At one point I had printed one that only took 45, but I didn't print hot or slow enough and it was weaker than paper, ripping at the layers. My goal is now to make one 50% bigger but I'm going to try and keep it under 75g. thinner extrusions, less infill, etc. layers are going to be weak, but this is a proof of concept, and as long as it flies before it breaks, I'll be psyched.

Also, the full sized plane has symmetrical wings, with little to no airfoil, and no dihedral. If I want to make it fly at a smaller scale, I'm pretty sure it has to lose a lot of weight and lift the wing tips a bit, (or just get an engine.) I might stray from the designs and tweak the shape of the wings, but at that point, I might as well start from scratch, since the whole fuselage is blended into that symmetrical, sharp teardrop shape.

Anyone with experience building/piloting small flying wings is welcome to chime in.

My next step will probably be turning this mini version into a rubber band powered model, I think it's just too unstable for a glider without altering its shape. I'm going to take this model through the whole gamut, from decorative, to sling-launch, to rubber band prop, and eventually RC. Again: I'm not a pilot, (at least not outside of flight sims and KSP... and my Part 107 for drone surveying,) so this is me figuring out all kinds of things that most of you would have probably told me right away.

 

[Bimmy]

OK, here are the STLs, scaled up to a reasonable size. that last post was about a smaller set of stls. This scale flies way better

With a long band, and pulled back a full arm-span, this thing actually flies. And that's with it weighing over 100 grams. I'll order some lighter filament at some point, but I'd love some feedback if anyone wants to try it out.

Plane - JD2 "Dyke Delta" - snap-together Peanut-scale sling-launch

This whole project is a work in progress, and this little sling-launch thing is just a distraction, but it's neat... so here it is. I hesitate to call it a "glider," but I guess that's what this version is. Obviously all credit for the original...

forum.flitetest.com

 

[Bimmy]

And just because everything looks better, (and therefore must work better,) when it's made out of carbon fiber nylon.

Didn't have any hardened nozzles in .4mm, though, so I'm glad I've got a bag of cheap brass ones. I'm going to assume this one is toast

 

[Bimmy]

67 grams! My lightest print, so far. Used Polymaker Polylite LW-PLA (a Pre-foamed PLA.) This actually glides really well, and I think the RC version is going to be a ton of fun.

Model version 2.5b

Print Settings:
Main body/wings - 1 wall, 2 bottom, 4 top, 2.3% 2D Lattice infill (orcaslicer 2.3.0 beta)
Nose: 2 walls, 4 bottom and top, 10-50% gyroid infill, depending on whether you want to weight with pennies or the plastic itself
Canopy: 1 wall, 3 top and bottom, 3% infill,
Tail: 1 wall, 5% infill
undercarriage connector: 2 walls, 4 top/bottom, 5% infill

 

[Mr Man]

67 grams! My lightest print, so far. Used Polymaker Polylite LW-PLA (a Pre-foamed PLA.) This actually glides really well, and I think the RC version is going to be a ton of fun.

Model version 2.5b

Print Settings:
Main body/wings - 1 wall, 2 bottom, 4 top, 2.3% 2D Lattice infill (orcaslicer 2.3.0 beta)
Nose: 2 walls, 4 bottom and top, 10-50% gyroid infill, depending on whether you want to weight with pennies or the plastic itself
Canopy: 1 wall, 3 top and bottom, 3% infill,
Tail: 1 wall, 5% infill
undercarriage connector: 2 walls, 4 top/bottom, 5% infill
View attachment 248952

Nice! Keep it up and you’ll have really cool flying plane!