First Build: From LongEZ to not-so-easy Starship >_<

GMalatrasi

Active member
Stayed late at work last night to work on the CAD model some more.
To improve the scale look, I chamfered the fuselage. Also changed the wing shape a smidge.
Shinkansen.PNG Shinkansen full.PNG
Kinda looks like an old Japanese Bullet Train lol
 

FoamyDM

Building Fool-Flying Noob
Moderator
Have you considered using the partial removal of one side of foam to create rounded corners like experimental airlines does.
I used it on my HS-Dragster fuse, and it worked well.
 

GMalatrasi

Active member
Have you considered using the partial removal of one side of foam to create rounded corners like experimental airlines does.
I used it on my HS-Dragster fuse, and it worked well.

Mmm... I'm not familiar with the technique, do you mean I'd remove paper on the outside to sand the foam into a rounded corner?
I wonder if that would be feasible for non-coated planes...?
 

FoamyDM

Building Fool-Flying Noob
Moderator
It is feasible but may require triangular fillet pieces. No, you remove paper on the inside of a curve/corner. this allows you to round it, but this wider the strip you remove, the larger the radius if the round. crush the foam before bending and the corner radii is smaller. I tapered the paper removal to transition a tight corner to a wide round.
hsdragsterplan.PNG
I left as much straight side paper as I could to lend strength and rigidity. for this plane more for crash resistance.

214369_09cb1427f69d9c26ce3db6ff49130f3c.jpg

do you see how the back as edged corners and a square form, but the front is nearly round?
214020_ea4cf41b1e2e9ca180aad9e0d20f3693.jpg
 

GMalatrasi

Active member
It is feasible but may require triangular fillet pieces. No, you remove paper on the inside of a curve/corner. this allows you to round it, but this wider the strip you remove, the larger the radius if the round. crush the foam before bending and the corner radii is smaller. I tapered the paper removal to transition a tight corner to a wide round.
View attachment 132043
I left as much straight side paper as I could to lend strength and rigidity. for this plane more for crash resistance.

214369_09cb1427f69d9c26ce3db6ff49130f3c.jpg

do you see how the back as edged corners and a square form, but the front is nearly round?
214020_ea4cf41b1e2e9ca180aad9e0d20f3693.jpg
I’ll think about if and how I can implement that.
In the meantime...
D6D1BB24-04C6-4A1E-BB6E-7BC362A26E3B.jpeg
Firewalls installed, motors installed, and wiring finished.
I also did the hot glue hinge reinforcement... but it made the right elevon rather stiff. I might have to fix that later if the servo has a hard time with it.

Also:
F0B5FF3D-5E83-43DC-86D3-373A2F667F73.jpeg
Flight computer firmware updated and configured, receiver bound, ESCs calibrated.

Just need to do pushrods, the wire i had here is too thick, gonna have to wait for Amazon now.
 

FoamyDM

Building Fool-Flying Noob
Moderator
You are getting Close G. - I keep distracting myself with both new and existing plane projects...
Are you nervous?
 

GMalatrasi

Active member
You are getting Close G. - I keep distracting myself with both new and existing plane projects...
Are you nervous?
Very close!!!
Not nervous yet... Def will be on the day of though.
My coworker offered me his hey field to maiden on... It's tall enough now that it would make for a cushy landing.
But I totally expect to crash lol
 

GMalatrasi

Active member
Good news everyone!
(I hope a few of you get that reference)
Starship is done!*
Pushrods done, props on, just waiting on weather now...

*I need to extend the battery tray to balance it out.
 

GMalatrasi

Active member
Well... I can't say I wasn't expecting something like this...

Probably should've dona an off-power glide test before the powered test...
Unfortunately I didn't think of it until I was on my way back home from the park.
 
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GMalatrasi

Active member
After some video analysis and lots of pondering, I have a sneaking suspicion that it's a thrust angle issue.
But I def need more elevon authority, throws were too low.
 

FoamyDM

Building Fool-Flying Noob
Moderator
G - the Video was Short, Entertaining, and saddening. I have had many a maiden flight go that way.
Were your motors TA pointing up-ish. you could always use a string to determine CoM and then put the thrust through it.

Best of luck
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
That video was heartbreaking. You don't sound like your giving up, though. I am very happy for that. I just experienced what it feels like when something you designed actually flies, and it is an absolutely amazing feeling. It's worth every single bit of heartbreak. A glide test is a great thought. Keep at it, GMalatrasi, You've come so far with this bird, I know you can make it fly! :)(y)
 

GMalatrasi

Active member
G - the Video was Short, Entertaining, and saddening. I have had many a maiden flight go that way.
Were your motors TA pointing up-ish. you could always use a string to determine CoM and then put the thrust through it.

Best of luck

Yeah my mom was a bit slow hitting the record button. (She was also a bit too amused by the crash for my taste lol)
This wasn't entirely unexpected, I had no illusions of a flawless maiden on an unproven design and my limited flying experience.
As far as thrust angle, there's really no good way to confirm it on the bench, like you mention it can be aligned to the CG with a simple hang test but the problem is that in flight, it's not the CG you want it to be aligned to, it's the center of drag (aka: center of pressure) which is much harder to find. But yeah aligning it to the CG is better than nothing at all so I'll plan on that for the next attempt.
I hope your maiden last a bit longer than mine though.

That video was heartbreaking. You don't sound like your giving up, though. I am very happy for that. I just experienced what it feels like when something you designed actually flies, and it is an absolutely amazing feeling. It's worth every single bit of heartbreak. A glide test is a great thought. Keep at it, GMalatrasi, You've come so far with this bird, I know you can make it fly! :)(y)

Nah... No reason to give up, I'm an engineer, failure when venturing into the unknown is part of the process. You just have to make sure you analyse said failure, learn from it, and apply it to improve the next iteration. ^_^
There's a reason I printed multiple copies of the plans originally. Just needs a new nose. (and longer servo arms)
 

basslord1124

Master member
Yup, time to dust yourself off and try again. Glad to hear the damage wasn't worse. Ya know, I think these Long EZ models type models just like to hit the ground. I know mine did. It's almost like they got this deep relationship and you just know they're not meant to be. And everytime you try and break em up it always ends up bad.