FTFC 2025 go big or go home challenge entry for Flying Monkey Fab

[Mr Man]

Made good progress today, glued up plywood reinforcements in the forward fuselage.

Did a lot of design work on the empennage and cut the top empennage plate.

I need to start thinking about the wing and a color scheme.

Any suggestions for a color scheme are welcome as she needs to look good even if she doesn't fly.

This caught my eye

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

I need to get busy designing the wing, as most of the fuselage is complete.

 

[Piotrsko]

That could be a long lost brother of the ROYAL COACHMAN I had 50 years ago, 'cept it was all 1/8" plywood kit. They guaranteed to to survive a crash, and SUPRISE!, they never flew with me.

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

The fuselage is complete minus the control arms.

The wing is cut out, minus the spars.

At this point I am giving her a 50/50 chance of flying the pattern. Pretty heavy. Found a design flaw where the empennage meets the tail feathers. I've fixed it the way you would crash damage but that has added weight and ugliness. I understand my mistake and the learning just from that makes this a worthwhile endeavor.

I have more foam board on order, but if everything goes smoothly with the glue-up of the wing, I have enough to finish.

 

[Houndpup Rc]

The fuselage is complete minus the control arms.

The wing is cut out, minus the spars.

At this point I am giving her a 50/50 chance of flying the pattern. Pretty heavy. Found a design flaw where the empennage meets the tail feathers. I've fixed it the way you would crash damage but that has added weight and ugliness. I understand my mistake and the learning just from that makes this a worthwhile endeavor.

I have more foam board on order, but if everything goes smoothly with the glue-up of the wing, I have enough to finish.

View attachment 253578

Man! You are really moving! (I would be if DT would stock their FB.....)

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

The wing glue-up went better than expected, but not without challenges, as it is 6 different panels.

Total wingspan is 70".

Next, install the servos in the wing and install push/pull hardware everywhere.

I must look again, but I think I'm going to have to order a receiver as I have several larger flyable right now.

This wing is basically a stretched simple scout XL without the scallops.

I added a spar reinforcement made from cutting down a yardstick.

 

[Houndpup Rc]

The wing glue-up went better than expected, but not without challenges, as it is 6 different panels.

Total wingspan is 70".

Next, install the servos in the wing and install push/pull hardware everywhere.

I must look again, but I think I'm going to have to order a receiver as I have several larger flyable right now.

This wing is basically a stretched simple scout XL without the scallops.

I added a spar reinforcement made from cutting down a yardstick.

View attachment 253602

Looks great! I can't wait for the foam to come!😫

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

Working on it a bit this afternoon I realized that just existing out in the shed is destroying it due to LA (lower Alabama ) humidity . Now it is a race to see if I can finish and fly before it just falls apart. So note to self , if it is too big to exist in the house it doesn’t need to be DTFB.

 

[Piotrsko]

Too late now, but would Elmers foamboard have worked for the fuselage sides?

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

Too late now, but would Elmers foamboard have worked for the fuselage sides?

Isn't it a lot heavier?

 

[Piotrsko]

Yes it is heavier because it is thicker and denser, which I believe to be the point because it's stronger. Also not like it makes the whole plane... just the two fuselage sides. Everything else is dtfb. Kinda like saying plywood is heavier than balsa, which sometimes it is. Try using a 1/8" balsa firewall to mount your motors.

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

It is finished, and if the weather plays nice tomorrow, I can see if it will make it around the pattern.

This is the "lessons learned" post.

First and foremost, if it can't fit in the house and you live somewhere with high relative humidity, don't use DTFB. If I was starting over on this I'd definitely use insulation foam as this build is dying due to stage 4 foam cancer. I'm not going to stop using DTFB, I love the stuff but I'll also keep them down to 60" or less so they can stay in the house.

The next big lesson is to get organized. For the physical build, this means thinking about the order of the build, etc. For design, it means organizing (and you need to preplan for this) things into folders. In Fusion, they are called components and are nestable making it where if you plan right things can stay very neat. I ended up with a hot mess that luckily for me Autodesk planned for. Yes, even when there are 50+ sketches all bunched together you can find what you need in Fusion because they make things highlight. Thank you, Autodesk, but I will do better next time.

I'm not going to do much if any color work as she's dying anyway. Just going to try to get around the pattern.

 

[Houndpup Rc]

It is finished, and if the weather plays nice tomorrow, I can see if it will make it around the pattern.

This is the "lessons learned" post.

First and foremost, if it can't fit in the house and you live somewhere with high relative humidity, don't use DTFB. If I was starting over on this I'd definitely use insulation foam as this build is dying due to stage 4 foam cancer. I'm not going to stop using DTFB, I love the stuff but I'll also keep them down to 60" or less so they can stay in the house.

The next big lesson is to get organized. For the physical build, this means thinking about the order of the build, etc. For design, it means organizing (and you need to preplan for this) things into folders. In Fusion, they are called components and are nestable making it where if you plan right things can stay very neat. I ended up with a hot mess that luckily for me Autodesk planned for. Yes, even when there are 50+ sketches all bunched together you can find what you need in Fusion because they make things highlight. Thank you, Autodesk, but I will do better next time.

I'm not going to do much if any color work as she's dying anyway. Just going to try to get around the pattern.

View attachment 253754 View attachment 253755

WOW, cool!

 

[Mr Man]

It is finished, and if the weather plays nice tomorrow, I can see if it will make it around the pattern.

This is the "lessons learned" post.

First and foremost, if it can't fit in the house and you live somewhere with high relative humidity, don't use DTFB. If I was starting over on this I'd definitely use insulation foam as this build is dying due to stage 4 foam cancer. I'm not going to stop using DTFB, I love the stuff but I'll also keep them down to 60" or less so they can stay in the house.

The next big lesson is to get organized. For the physical build, this means thinking about the order of the build, etc. For design, it means organizing (and you need to preplan for this) things into folders. In Fusion, they are called components and are nestable making it where if you plan right things can stay very neat. I ended up with a hot mess that luckily for me Autodesk planned for. Yes, even when there are 50+ sketches all bunched together you can find what you need in Fusion because they make things highlight. Thank you, Autodesk, but I will do better next time.

I'm not going to do much if any color work as she's dying anyway. Just going to try to get around the pattern.

View attachment 253754 View attachment 253755

Nice build! So far you’re first 😂

 

[bisco]

she really looks great, well done! i hope the maiden goes well for you

 

[Houndpup Rc]

she really looks great, well done! i hope the maiden goes well for you

Me too! 👍

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

Okay, so this has been fun and educational, but didn't fly the pattern so I'm the first to DQ but I'm not necessarily out, as there are 78 days left, and I might come back with something new. If I do, I will start another thread.

First attempt had way too much aileron available.

First try

Turned them way down and tried again but didn't have elevator authority. This was my fault, as the push/pull rod came loose due to unsoldering.

second attempt

Nothing had been destroyed so I was going to take it home and fix it and try again only to have my battery box slide in heavy braking and destroy it!


Now I wait to see what you guys do and maybe try again.

 

[Houndpup Rc]

Okay, so this has been fun and educational, but didn't fly the pattern so I'm the first to DQ but I'm not necessarily out, as there are 78 days left, and I might come back with something new. If I do, I will start another thread.

First attempt had way too much aileron available.

First try

Turned them way down and tried again but didn't have elevator authority. This was my fault, as the push/pull rod came loose due to unsoldering.

second attempt

Nothing had been destroyed so I was going to take it home and fix it and try again only to have my battery box slide in heavy braking and destroy it!


Now I wait to see what you guys do and maybe try again.

Any way you can upload the videos to YT? (I don't have a facebook account...)

 

[Flying Monkey fab]

Any way you can upload the videos to YT? (I don't have a facebook account...)

I'd love to if someone knows how. They were uploaded to FB by the person who recorded them.

 

[Houndpup Rc]

I'd love to if someone knows how. They were uploaded to FB by the person who recorded them.

ohh....First you have to have a YT account and then you can upload them...Maybe you can get the file from the person who recorded them..Or they can give it to you via Google drive or something..