Inq'd Mini F-22 Raptor

[Inq]

I hope to get my 3D Printed J3 Cub flying this weekend and try to keep it above ground at all times.

For reading pleasure in the mean time I've been learning about the FT way of doing things on the forum. I found the plans section. Who knew? I'm just blown away with what they provide. Anyway, I think I want to take a stab at the Mini F-22 after I get proficient with the Cub. I found a Dollar Tree that actually had foam board and got ten sheets for experimenting. Just for S&G, I was thinking that I'd like to make a hybrid version of the Raptor taking advantage of the strengths of both the foam board design concept as well as using 3D printer pieces to dress it up a little. Obviously, I'll use foam-board for all the wings and controls surfaces, but I'll use plastic for the motor mount and forward fuselage nose.

I've spent most of the day today doing some CAD work for a fuselage nose piece to fit on the FT Mini F22 wings. While reading the F22 threads, I noticed a lot of crashes, but people were able to re-fly pretty quickly and all seemed happy with their planes. I hope my flights with it will be even a small fraction as optimistic as those. But I was thinking I could more easily print a second nose than I can make another foam-board nose. Love that Enter Key Aircraft Manufacturing.

Anyway... here it is so far. Still a work in progress.

 

[Inq]

An intermediate step...

 

[Inq]

First test print. Had a bad setting that caused it to gounge up the top and there is a little oil-canning on the thin walls. PLA probably would be fine in this regard, but my ABS is a little more finicky. I'll add a few stiffeners and it should be all-good!

 

[Inq]

Fixed setting and couple of added internal ribs.

 

[JetCrafts]

looks like an f-22 from ducktales from the way you've modelled it

 

[Inq]

I think the real canopy blends better into the fuselage, however this was a direct tracing in all three dimensions from the drawings I dug off the Internet. In other angles it looks a little better.

Here, I've fleshed out with the FT fins and I'll add a spinner and tail-cone continue the turtle back... however the real F22 doesn't have one. Dollar Tree only had the black boards, so I'll just go with a the total stealth black

 

[Inq]

After looking at more photos, I've revised it. Took out the wasp waste. Re-did the canopy to be broader and transitioning into the fuselage a little more gracefully. Also added more internal ribs that also outline the canopy and canopy frame.

 

[Inq]

This is most of the CAD work needed for the Inq'd FT F-22 Raptor. I should be able to start cutting foam and assembling these pieces. I have to wait for this motor set and 1500 mAh cells to power it... so I can build the battery frame at the proper point for weight balancing.

1. Fuselage-4 (1st from left) will be the only piece needing to be hot glued to the stock FT Wing.
2. Propeller Spinner (2nd) is a work in progress and needs the propeller and motor mounting hardware to finalize it.
3. Fuselage-3 (3rd & 4th) has the integrated motor mount and clamps to the stock FT Wing using two bolts.
4. Fuselage-2 (5th) slips into the forward slot of the stock FT Wing and shouldn't need hot gluing.
5. Fuselage-1 (last) will snap on the TBD battery frame and is made to remove for battery swapping and inevitable (at least for me) auger-in moments.

 

[Inq]

Some progress...

 

[quorneng]

Just an observation but there is a rather glaring difference between the beautiful stream lining of the fuselage and the rest of the foamboard airframe.
I am sure it will fly fine but more because it has the power to do so rather than the aerodynamics.

 

[Inq]

Just an observation but there is a rather glaring difference between the beautiful stream lining of the fuselage and the rest of the foamboard airframe.
I am sure it will fly fine but more because it has the power to do so rather than the aerodynamics.

I'm guessing, you're being tounge-in-cheek... I'm sure that there is no one on this forum that is confusing Flite Test design philosophy with Aerodynamics. I think FT is great stuff. Simplicity and cost almost can't be beat. I'm just a little turned off with the squared-off fuselages on some designs. I'm also not claiming it to be better, faster, or more efficient. However, the printed parts are lighter than what I calculate the FT fuselage / power pod to be and it should be a little cleaner in the air... measurably... I don't have a stock one to compare.

I'm thinking that this F-22 of theirs would be something I'll always fly even if I get really good. It'll be like clearing the pallet before a tasting another. So... this MOD will be a success if it does:

1. Challenge my CAD working which I like when its cold and wet outside - CHECK!!!
2. Looks better than the square cross-section FT design - Although taste is subjective and others might not like it, I do - CHECK
3. Faster to build - It'll be easier/cheaper/faster to press the button in the future to get these pieces than building the FT equivalent - CHECK
4. Re-use - All the parts are meant to fasten to the stock F-22 plans. I bend the wing, I replace the wing. I crush the nose, I re-print a nose. The picture below shows AFTER disassembly. This is not a pre picture. I just took this. Two bolts and everything slides off and onto another wing which is the easiest piece to make. - CHECK
5. I haven't SCREWED-UP the FT Aerodynamics - TBD

The only place where I diverged from the FT plans is placement of the servos. I put them entirely inside as well as the push rods. Used coffee stirrers around the prop opening. Did this for cosmetics, but also, I built a launcher for it to take off from instead of throwing it. The rails go just on the outside of the fuselage where the pushrods would have interfered.

 

[Inq]

First flight Thursday???