Well I got it nearly complete over the weekend. Just a few details to button things up, then she's ready for some paint!
All that's left is completing the tail and attaching it to the fuselage, come to a final arrangement of components in the cockpit, and figure out how to provide cooling for the ESC.
I'm waiting for the actual battery to arrive tomorrow that will be used in flight, but I had a 4S 6000 Turnigy battery (30c rated, actual is about 19c based on current resistance), so I decided to do a full power on test to measure the max thrust.
I set my scale on the floor and measured the AUW of the aircraft with the battery and without. Without it weighs 740 g, with the battery it weighs 1305 g. Being only the second airframe built using these techniques, I think I could use quite a bit less hot glue
I think I could probably shave off 100-150 g.
With the aircraft nose down on the scale I tared the scale and punched full throttle. I repeated this again then retrieved the data from the Phoenix Edge ESC.
At 15v it drew 68.4 Amps and produced 1050 g of thrust at 33,691 rpm for a thrust to weight ratio of .84/1. Not enough for sustained vertical, but plenty to burn holes in the sky!
Hopefully with the fresh 4S 5000 MAh 60-120c I'll get a boost in performance.
Hold the press, NEWS FLASH, the battery was just delivered a day early to my front door! Putting it on the charger right now! Good news is the battery saves about 35 g off the AUW, bad news is it's 1000 MAh smaller
Looks like 3.5 to 4 minute flight times on average. Perhaps the motor will break in and draw a bit less current in flight?
Anyway I have two questions, then I think I'm done:
1) I know the ESC is intended to go in the cockpit area, but I am wondering how or if you provided any cooling for it?
2) I see that the battery slides under the shelf in the cockpit and rests between the wings, but I'm wondering how you secured the battery? Straps? I was thinking of BBQ skewers in front and behind the battery?
Here's a picture as she appears now.