F-22 Raptor Single 70mm EDF.

[noahangel11]

Worked a little more on version 2. Realized I wanted about 4 changes to the templates and parts, so I updated the CAD files and will redo a portion of this. Normally I would let it go as the changes are minor, but I am documenting the build for the instruction manual so I want the pictures from the assembly to match the final design.

 

[noahangel11]

Glue together the front and rear of former F6. It has the holes in it for the EDFs. The rear piece has an outline that will get removed after the 2 halves are glued together. When gluing the two halves together, avoid glue in that region.

After gluing together, remove the rear outlined area, up to but not through the front former piece, leaving a notch to receive the Thrust tube Divider.

 

[noahangel11]

Glue the 2 halves of the Thrust tube Divider together, being careful to not get glue on the little tab up front and in the middle that have cut lines on them. They are only used for former placement guides, and will be removed later.

Insert the divider into F6, making sure that the 2 tabs are even with the bottom of the notch as shown. Use the table to ensure the divider is inserted perpendicular to the former and use a square to check for squareness.

Glue in place and run beads along joint. After glue has dried, remove the small tabs with a knife. The rectangle passage in the former is for running EDF wires through.

 

[noahangel11]

Glue together the 2 halves of former F7.
NOTE: the smaller piece faces the exhaust of the plane.
After gluing together, notch out the former as shown, using the guide lines.

 

[noahangel11]

Place the former down onto the Divider, making SURE that the smaller former half is facing the tail section of the plane as shown. Use a square to make sure it is perpendicular, and also make sure the front bottom of the former is lined up with the tab that will be removed later. See arrow.

Once happy with placement. Glue in place with beads of glue on all sides, but avoid the cutout tab. After glue has dried remove tab with knife. This opening of for running servo wires through.

 

[noahangel11]

I failed to get a picture of it, but glue Former F6 to the tail end of the fuselage, splitting the difference in the 2 layers and gluing only the front half of the former to the belly skin.
I will come back and edit this post once I get a good picture.

Here is a picture of the fuselage with F6 glued in and the next belly skin in place, for reference. Pretend the bottom skin closest is not there and you are gluing the F6 only to the fuselage. Half of the former glues to the front bottom skin.

 

[noahangel11]

Take the paper off of the next fuselage skin, it has a score part way through the sheet and that is the side to take the paper off of. The sheet faces with the score towards the rear of the plane. Using the marks on the leading edge of the sheet, make bends in the leading edge only, while adding a gentle curve to the rear of the sheet where it meets former F7. Use the edge of a table to shape the part.

Line up the 2 marks on each side of the sheet with the 2 marks on the previous sheet, and glue down the leading edge only to former F6.

Once that dries, glue the trailing edge of the sheet to F7, only half of the former meets the sheet. Press on the trailing edge where the score is, to follow the curve of the F7 former.

I noticed the EDF divider was not correct, as it should meet the skin, and there is a gap as shown in picture. I will correct the divider so that the skin will rest on the divider, in the final plans.

 

[noahangel11]

Take the 2 card stock pieces for the thrust tubes. Notice that 1 edge had a taper tab. This is the guide for taping or gluing the roll together. Roll the paper and make sure the tab overlaps to glue to the other side of the roll. Hold with tape and test fit onto your EDF. The wider end may need to be adjusted out a little if the OD of your 70mm EDF is slightly larger or smaller. When happy, tape or glue the entire seam.

 

[noahangel11]

Slide the smaller end of the thrust tube through Former F7, and fit the EDF through F6, making sure wires are on back side of F6 and pass through the not him the middle bottom of F6.

You want to make sure that the thrust tube tape or glue joint is turned to the bottom of the fuselage skin, as it is shaped unevenly to account for the upwards angle between the EDF and the F7 exit.

I like to use Duct aluminum tape for this next step. Tape the top half of the thrust tube to the EDF, avoiding the wires. Rotate in place to tape all the way around and make an airtight seal. When done taping, rotate EDF back into position where thrust tube joint is facing down. Glue the EDF at the face of or back of F6, and tack the thrust tube where it enters F7 for the exhaust.

I mounted my EDFs with glue in front of the EDF so that the air being sucked in will cool the EDF. I then ran the wires into the battery tray.

I may need to cut cheater air slits in the fuselage bottom, and this placement might not be ideal for that. Maybe mounting them to the side wall would have sufficed.

 

[noahangel11]

Repeat EDF instillation for other side

 

[noahangel11]

Find skin F7. Remove the paper from the side with the scores in it. Fold over the sheet at the scores, using a flat palm and pressure against the table to bend the 2 sides in. Use the table edge and the marks in the middle of the sheet to add a sharp curve or bend to the middle.

 

[noahangel11]

Glue together the 2 halves of former F3. Slide it onto the battery tray and line it up with the placement marks that are on the inside of the tray. Make sure the flat part of the Former faces up. DO NOT GLUE YET.

Place skin F7 under the fuselage with the smaller taper of the center of the skin facing the rear of the plane. The outer vent flaps in the skin have their wider and facing rear of plane.

Temporarily fit test the skin into the notches provided in Former F4. When happy wit the fit, turn the fuselage upside down. Apply glue where shown to F4, and glue the bottom half of the skin to F4. Apply pressure so the skin sits flat against F4 wheee the glue was applied.

Move to the front of the skin where it meets Former F3. Position F3 on the fuselage to he split half and half on the skin. When happy with the position of F3, glue it in place, then glue the bottom half of the skin to F3.

 

[noahangel11]

Turn the fuselage back upright, and glue the skin S7 former F3 at the top side and then apply fillets where the skin notches into former F4.

If you did it right the plane should be this far along, see last pic.

 

[noahangel11]

Find all the pieces labels F2. Glue the doublers together and then glue them to the front of the battery tray, flush, as shown, to the front edge.

 

[noahangel11]

Find skin S6, remove paper from the side with scores in it. Fold in scored flaps like the last skin, and then add shape around the middle marks. Notice that the front edge of the skin will have a wider center curve where it touches F2, and a slightly tighter curve where it touches F3. Observe the sheet taper and which end is which, and add the curves at the centerline.

Turn fuselage upside down, and test fit the skin onto F3, noting that the center section of the skin with the wider end goes on F3. You want the papers edge to slightly overlap the F7 skin, to make a nice clean joint.

When happy with the fit, glue the skin to F3, but only the bottom half of F3. Do not glue the skins outer flaps down yet to F3.

 

[noahangel11]

Now turn the fuselage upright, gluing the skin top flaps to F3, and then to F2. On F2, only apply pressure to skin at leading edge of F2. Don’t try to glue skin flat to F2. This allows sheet to taper smoothly towards nose of plane.

 

[noahangel11]

Apply a bead of glue where F2 meets the skin.

 

[noahangel11]

Glue together the 2 halves of F1 former.
Use a razor to taper only the front half of the former to the center of the former, as shown. Test fit the former into skin s6, and glue when happy. Make sure to apply pressure so that there is no gap in the bottom of the skin area, gluing the former half and half, with the non-tapered edge only glued to Skin S6.

 

[noahangel11]

At this point the fuselage should look like this.

More updates tomorrow.

 

[Mr Man]

Lookin’ good! Maybe you could enter this into the Master Series design and build competition?