Foamboard B-52 - Powered by GREMLINS!

Mid7night

Jetman
Mentor
If you already saw videos of this flying on my channel and just want PLANS, they are posted here in the RESOURCES section! Look also for the motor-mount ducts if you want to print your own.

Plans: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?resources/b-52-7ft-foamboard-edf.45/

Motor Mount Duct: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?resources/3d-printed-edf-duct-1106-gremlin-motor.46/




If you want to know more about the journey I took...read on. :D

After having some fun with my Gremsicle (popsicle-frame quad with Gremlin parts), I got tired of fiddling with it and wanted to do something different.

I had at least eight 1106-4500Kv motors and Emax 12A Bullet ESCs, and a coworker suggested the B-52. I ran some quick scaling math based on the B-52 engine diameter and the smallest 4-blade props I could find (1.9"), and arrived at a scale wingspan of SEVEN FEET. I don't know why, but I thought it'd be smaller. :p

But now I was hooked, so I immediately began modeling it up.

b52_1_3v.jpg BUFF_model.png

I also modeled a custom motor mount and "fan" duct for my little "Gremlin EDFs". They're almost the same size as a standard 50mm EDF, but since they use a tiny 1106 motor for power, they're a lot lighter.

Gremlin EDF.png

Having just sold off my own 3D-printer, I turned to my friends in the FT chat and Nicholas Simpson came through ... and printed WAY more than I needed for me! :D Thanks man!

BUFF 4.jpg BUFF 1.jpg BUFF 5.jpg

Despite its sheer size and needing roughly 13 sheets of foamboard, the pieces are all really very simple, and so construction took off pretty quick.
The fuselage went together the fastest, but then I had to shift to the motor pods.

BUFF 2.jpg BUFF 3.jpg

It was actually the motor pods themselves that took the most time to assemble. Doing one was easy, but doing it seven more times became a bit tedious. ;)

BUFF 6.jpg BUFF 7.jpg BUFF 8.jpg

With the pods done I could continue on the wing:

BUFF 9.jpg BUFF 10.jpg BUFF 16.jpg BUFF 11.jpg BUFF 12.jpg BUFF 13.jpg

Once the wing was done I had to figure out how to hold onto it! I made a wing-hold-down strap using a velcro battery strap, some filament tape and some BBQ skewers.
I wrapped the strapping tape around some paint sticks that I glued into the fuselage at the front and rear of the wing saddle.

BUFF 19.JPG

Then it was finally ready to go together!

BUFF 17.jpg BUFF 18.jpg

Oh yeah ... Landing gear. To keep it light I used only four wheels, and used BBQ skewers for axles. The wheels were held in simple cradles that were pinned onto the fuselage using a few more skewers:

BUFF 21.JPG BUFF 20.JPG

Then finally: MAIDEN FLIGHT DAY!! We went back out to Prado Airpark, the same place I flew the Valkyrie. It has a beautiful 800ft paved runway, and early in the morning it's calm and gorgeous weather.

BUFF 22.JPG BUFF 24.JPG BUFF 26.JPG BUFF 27.JPG BUFF 28.JPG BUFF 29.JPG BUFF 30.JPG BUFF 31.JPG

Even with EIGHT motors pushing it along, and it only weighing 4lbs-13oz RTF; I was still a little concerned it might not get off the ground. We now know that was not a problem. :p

Here are videos from the day. In the maiden livestream, takeoff is around the 20-minute mark. ;)


These two are the third and last flight of the day:


I can't thank you all enough for following along, and especially those who tuned in for the livestream! That was fun, I hope to do more of that in the future. :)

If you download the plans and attempt a build, please share your progress here and don't be shy about build questions!

BUFF 32.JPG BUFF 33.JPG BUFF 34.JPG BUFF 35.jpg BUFF 37.JPG BUFF 38.JPG BUFF 39.JPG
 

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d8veh

Elite member
Thanks for sharing. It's really great to see what you guys do, and a real inspiration for us.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Loved the livestream video. Your father is hilarious with the comments. You should keep him around.:p

That looks and flys amazing but the sound REALLY makes the impression even when it was furthest from the camrea.

Another great Benvention in the books mate.
 

Crow929

Active member
Really nice design you came up with there, it looks and flies amazing!
Could you go a little more in depth with the mechanism that holds the wing-halves together and on the plane? Does just that Velcro strap hold the two halves together? No spar running between the two?
 

Mid7night

Jetman
Mentor
Really nice design you came up with there, it looks and flies amazing!
Could you go a little more in depth with the mechanism that holds the wing-halves together and on the plane? Does just that Velcro strap hold the two halves together? No spar running between the two?

There are spars that connect the wings at the centerline, and take the bulk of the bending load ... unfortunately I failed to take ANY pictures of me putting that together, HOWEVER; I do have a short video of the assembly, which I'll upload later today. I meant to do that earlier but got distracted getting the post and resources uploaded. Thanks for the reminder! I'll explain more when I put the video up.
 

Mid7night

Jetman
Mentor
Alright, here's a short clip of how the wing goes together, as I put it together on Maiden-Day:


Each wing has three aluminum tubes glued in, and a carbon fiber tube is used to span the gap. The longest of these wing-root-joiners is at the trailing edge, and is only about two feet long I think. These carbon tubes take the majority of the wing-root bending load, but the rest of the wing is ENTIRELY folded foam in the Flite Test "fold-over wing" style.
 

cranialrectosis

Faster than a speeding face plant!
Mentor
I see this and I hear Peter Boyle as Frank Barone saying "Holy Crap".

Another beautiful build. Eagerly waiting for video of the painted bird in the air.
 

SlingShot

Maneuvering With Purpose
Here’s the video from yesterday, plus a few bonus shots of the local gassers. 😎


Very cool. Very smooth!

Like another of your commenters, I lived in Guam in the '60's. 1965-67. Saw plenty of B-52's flying out of Anderson AFB. My father was the salvage officer that raised the Guam Bear ("official" attaboy from President Johnson). The Guam Bear was a strategic nuisance that had sunk and blocked the pier where the vast majority of the B-52's' bombs were offloaded.

A salvage law case in turn, went all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. Hell hath no fury like a screwed up supply line.
 

PsyBorg

Wake up! Time to fly!
Nice finish to thus Ben. That camo job looks good.

That whine from them motors still amazes me as it sounds like a large scale bomber. At least over this phones speakers or head phones.
 

Mid7night

Jetman
Mentor
On a whim, I decided to go out to AMA Expo West yesterday, and my buddy Jeff Yang (7Demo7) mentioned they were gonna have open flying....so I started charging batteries and repairing the BUFF's gear. :)

It was a GREAT time, AND THE BUFF FLEW! I even landed it without breaking the landing gear, THREE times! LOL!! :D

Anyway, here's the video. Fun day.

 

Allenhat

Member
If you already saw videos of this flying on my channel and just want PLANS, they are posted here in the RESOURCES section! Look also for the motor-mount ducts if you want to print your own.

Plans: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?resources/b-52-7ft-foamboard-edf.45/

Motor Mount Duct: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?resources/3d-printed-edf-duct-1106-gremlin-motor.46/




If you want to know more about the journey I took...read on. :D

After having some fun with my Gremsicle (popsicle-frame quad with Gremlin parts), I got tired of fiddling with it and wanted to do something different.

I had at least eight 1106-4500Kv motors and Emax 12A Bullet ESCs, and a coworker suggested the B-52. I ran some quick scaling math based on the B-52 engine diameter and the smallest 4-blade props I could find (1.9"), and arrived at a scale wingspan of SEVEN FEET. I don't know why, but I thought it'd be smaller. :p

But now I was hooked, so I immediately began modeling it up.

View attachment 117381 View attachment 117380

I also modeled a custom motor mount and "fan" duct for my little "Gremlin EDFs". They're almost the same size as a standard 50mm EDF, but since they use a tiny 1106 motor for power, they're a lot lighter.

View attachment 117384

Having just sold off my own 3D-printer, I turned to my friends in the FT chat and Nicholas Simpson came through ... and printed WAY more than I needed for me! :D Thanks man!

View attachment 117389 View attachment 117386 View attachment 117390

Despite its sheer size and needing roughly 13 sheets of foamboard, the pieces are all really very simple, and so construction took off pretty quick.
The fuselage went together the fastest, but then I had to shift to the motor pods.

View attachment 117387 View attachment 117388

It was actually the motor pods themselves that took the most time to assemble. Doing one was easy, but doing it seven more times became a bit tedious. ;)

View attachment 117391 View attachment 117392 View attachment 117393

With the pods done I could continue on the wing:

View attachment 117394 View attachment 117395 View attachment 117399 View attachment 117396 View attachment 117397 View attachment 117398

Once the wing was done I had to figure out how to hold onto it! I made a wing-hold-down strap using a velcro battery strap, some filament tape and some BBQ skewers.
I wrapped the strapping tape around some paint sticks that I glued into the fuselage at the front and rear of the wing saddle.

View attachment 117402

Then it was finally ready to go together!

View attachment 117400 View attachment 117401

Oh yeah ... Landing gear. To keep it light I used only four wheels, and used BBQ skewers for axles. The wheels were held in simple cradles that were pinned onto the fuselage using a few more skewers:

View attachment 117404 View attachment 117403

Then finally: MAIDEN FLIGHT DAY!! We went back out to Prado Airpark, the same place I flew the Valkyrie. It has a beautiful 800ft paved runway, and early in the morning it's calm and gorgeous weather.

View attachment 117405 View attachment 117407 View attachment 117409 View attachment 117410 View attachment 117411 View attachment 117412 View attachment 117413 View attachment 117414

Even with EIGHT motors pushing it along, and it only weighing 4lbs-13oz RTF; I was still a little concerned it might not get off the ground. We now know that was not a problem. :p

Here are videos from the day. In the maiden livestream, takeoff is around the 20-minute mark. ;)


These two are the third and last flight of the day:


I can't thank you all enough for following along, and especially those who tuned in for the livestream! That was fun, I hope to do more of that in the future. :)

If you download the plans and attempt a build, please share your progress here and don't be shy about build questions!

View attachment 117415 View attachment 117416 View attachment 117417 View attachment 117418 View attachment 117419 View attachment 117420 View attachment 117421

Looks like a fun build. Glad it went so well.