I'm sure more than a few of us have opted to use the swappable pod for the SS so we can motor up and glide the day away! I found one thing that got to me- to have correct CG I had to cram an 1500mAh battery in the front. The issue is that then the plane ended up weighing more than it had to. Going back to Jr High science I employed the ol'- weight further from the fulcrum weighs more the further it gets...so a 500mAh battery could weigh as much as a 1500mAh if the power pod were longer!
So here is how I did it.
First- the swappable power pod is clever and I have modified it to make up for my tendency to push these planes way too hard by inserting BBQ sticks in the folds, carbon rods, double thick sides, etc. Josh B- this is an amazing platform to build on!!! Thanks!
For this mod, I didn't mind making one just for the SS.
I mounted the gliding pod and used my motor, esc and 500mAh battery to see how far forward that package would need to be for a fine CG. ~4 inches in front of original motor mount.
I started by cutting out a LONG version of the power pod while omitting the tabs (again- dedicated pod). I cut the front of it to make a fine amount of thrust angle
now that's nice...
I then went ahead and figured out where the bbq stick would be to mount our new pod and trimmed the pod to give plenty of foam for strength...about 17" total length
Next I glued it up and installed the fire wall
Being left with an open pod, I needed to make the "stop" for the bbq sticks that hold the front on and in place...I did this by inserting the bbq stick in back, marking where the front of the fuselage ended on our new pod, and attached foam with mounting holes. This seemed weak so I put another piece on top and added tape as well
now we're cooking!!!
I decided to finish it off with a handy hatch, so I fit a piece of foam from the firewall to the mounting foam for a nice snug fit. Before gluing it, I cut about a 1/2 back from the front so it could open. I then secured the front of the hatch and covered it with tape!
Finish up with all your tape or MinWax or what ever you do...mount your motor, esc, and a small battery
this should bring the weight down quite a bit and give you a chance to have a pod that has a ton of down thrust for that big ol' wing.
Thanks to FliteTest and all the plans, videos, and good energy!
I started out with the Gentle Lady along with many others...this is a wonderful revisiting
hope this helps
eric
So here is how I did it.
First- the swappable power pod is clever and I have modified it to make up for my tendency to push these planes way too hard by inserting BBQ sticks in the folds, carbon rods, double thick sides, etc. Josh B- this is an amazing platform to build on!!! Thanks!
For this mod, I didn't mind making one just for the SS.
I mounted the gliding pod and used my motor, esc and 500mAh battery to see how far forward that package would need to be for a fine CG. ~4 inches in front of original motor mount.
I started by cutting out a LONG version of the power pod while omitting the tabs (again- dedicated pod). I cut the front of it to make a fine amount of thrust angle
now that's nice...
I then went ahead and figured out where the bbq stick would be to mount our new pod and trimmed the pod to give plenty of foam for strength...about 17" total length
Next I glued it up and installed the fire wall
Being left with an open pod, I needed to make the "stop" for the bbq sticks that hold the front on and in place...I did this by inserting the bbq stick in back, marking where the front of the fuselage ended on our new pod, and attached foam with mounting holes. This seemed weak so I put another piece on top and added tape as well
now we're cooking!!!
I decided to finish it off with a handy hatch, so I fit a piece of foam from the firewall to the mounting foam for a nice snug fit. Before gluing it, I cut about a 1/2 back from the front so it could open. I then secured the front of the hatch and covered it with tape!
Finish up with all your tape or MinWax or what ever you do...mount your motor, esc, and a small battery
this should bring the weight down quite a bit and give you a chance to have a pod that has a ton of down thrust for that big ol' wing.
Thanks to FliteTest and all the plans, videos, and good energy!
I started out with the Gentle Lady along with many others...this is a wonderful revisiting
hope this helps
eric
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