FTFC23: Build-ruary by Inq: Inq'd F-23 Black Widow

[Inq]

Fuselage 1
It looks odd. From the side view, Northrop contoured the nose nicely into the fuselage; yet from the top, it looks like they stuck a simple cone on the end of a toilet paper roll like we'd have done as 5 year-olds building our first rocket. Wonder if this has something to do with stealth or supersonic design??? I read that the F-23 was more efficient at super-cruise than any plane before including the F-22.

Anyway...
205 mm long
21.8 grams

 

[danskis]

About the prop. In my experience with the mini arrow,a pusher prop flying wing, landing with the prop down just tends to bend the motor mounts and foam. I don’t recall having any problems with the F22 but I don’t recall a lot of things.

 

[Inq]

I don’t recall a lot of things.

A-men brother! I'm right there with you.

It's a good thing we're here to tackle this aging thing. Our children couldn't handle it.

 

[Tench745]

Fuselage 1
It looks odd. From the side view, Northrop contoured the nose nicely into the fuselage; yet from the top, it looks like they stuck a simple cone on the end of a toilet paper roll like we'd have done as 5 year-olds building our first rocket. Wonder if this has something to do with stealth or supersonic design??? I read that the F-23 was more efficient at super-cruise than any plane before including the F-22.

It's a little hard to tell just looking at pictures on Google, but it looks to me like the actual nose tapers pretty smoothly on the F-23. However, the blended chine changes shape and tapers into the nose at a steeper angle. That's the angle change you're seeing on the top-view.

 

[skymaster]

It's a little hard to tell just looking at pictures on Google, but it looks to me like the actual nose tapers pretty smoothly on the F-23. However, the blended chine changes shape and tapers into the nose at a steeper angle. That's the angle change you're seeing on the top-view.
View attachment 233840 View attachment 233841

The nose and the fuselage has the shape of the SR71

 

[skymaster]

I was looking at some of the pictures of the SR-71 and looking at this one. kind of takes the fun of flying a plane when you can't see nothing in front of you except the control panel. dont you think so?

 

[Inq]

kind of takes the fun of flying a plane when you can't see nothing in front of you except the control panel. dont you think so?

Well... can't see much but...

 

[Inq]

The nose and the fuselage has the shape of the SR71

The SR-71 seems to transition smoothly in both the side and top views. The curves blends nicely.

From the side view, the F-23 does also as in @Tench745 image...

... yet in the top view there is an ABRUBPT transition.

The Northrop plans I'm using show it too, but I didn't really notice it till it came off the printer.

I've just not seen any other plane do this. F-104, F-15, F-16 transition nicely in both axes.

 

[Inq]

Fuselage 2 - Fresh off the printer

On the F-22, I simply had the nose (Fuselage 1) pop off for battery swaps. It worked for the smaller design, but I don't think it'd be good enough for this bigger design. So I'm putting a bomb bay type door so I can move the battery as necessary for the CG. Looking at things on the screen is misleading... I think I could stuff a car battery in here.

198 mm of length added. This gets it to just in front of the wing.
41.8 grams

 

[Inq]

Here are the hinges, horns and Tail Plane. The CAD repeated here is a little clearer.

This sub section has 147 sq-in of foam board and weighs 37.1 grams. The plastic hinges are probably overkill. If I was a better pilot, I'd imagine the standard FT way of making hinges would be good enough although the hinge line isn't near as long as the F-22 because of the V-tail configuration of the F-23.

 

[Inq]

Update

• All plastic is printed
• The fuselage is fused together, but not attached to the wing as I want to attempt to finish this one off a little better than the F-22. I'd like to at least get rid of the 3D printed layers even if the filler adds some weight.
• All foam is cut, except for the propeller slot.
• I need to place the servos, run the pushrods and put the reinforcement panels on still.
• I'm not real happy with the elevons with all the hinges. If I do another, I'd probably do the standard FT hinges and reinforce it somehow.

 

[Inq]

I've been working on this pretty slow... with my ADD, it wasn't the shiniest bauble in my workshop. I've decided to add it to my FTFC23 Build-ruary as #5 in case I can't get one of the other 4 finished. Here is its current build state as of the start of the Build-ruary this morning.

From the last post, I've done some sanding on the body and basically I'm not happy with the elevon hinges. Might have to re-make the tail section.

 

[FoamyDM]

Looks promising. Good luck! I hope to see this flying soon !

 

[Brian B]

I've been working on this pretty slow... with my ADD, it wasn't the shiniest bauble in my workshop. I've decided to add it to my FTFC23 Build-ruary as #5 in case I can't get one of the other 4 finished. Here is its current build state as of the start of the Build-ruary this morning.

From the last post, I've done some sanding on the body and basically I'm not happy with the elevon hinges. Might have to re-make the tail section.

View attachment 234293

Any status updates on this beauty! I know the "challenge" is over, but still.