Ross foamboard pieces cut out. I'm also adding an end cap to the cowl. I'll be using the F power pack this time rather than a Baby Beast motor and 30 amp ESC.
The Ross board does everything great, except removing larger sections of paper. It's a big pain. I gave up trying to pull it off and ended up skinning it like an animal.
Not as pretty as I would like, but no one will see that part when it's all closed up.
Localfiend:
I noticed an issue with me building #2 based in your v5 plans. The wing spar is too long. I noticed that you shortened the under side of the wing to help move the servo inward or you made the wing longer? When looking to see where the servo will go, I noticed the wing spar is sticking out. I simply cut it, but just wanted to bring it to you attention.
Yeah, I saw that when I started building the wing. Forgot to shorten it. I've got a couple little things I've found like that so far that I'll be fixing.
I did the cf rod for the elevator. I used a 2mm cf solid rid of about 4-5" long. I left about 2" from the ends of the elevator. I used the rod to dig a shallow trench so the cf rod will be recessed at the leading edge of the elevator. I then used CA to glue it in after using some sand paper to toughen the cf rod. I flipped the elevators all the way so that when I glued the rod in, the elevator would be as perfectly aligned as possible. Now the elevator moves in unison and there is little to no twisting so far. I have yet to hook up the control horn and test it out further. I think this will be the better way to go. I also did not remove all the foam under the vertical stab or the foam between the elevators. I only cut out as much as I needed.
I just used smaller wire, couldn't find my larger carbon rod. It's the mighty mini sized pushrod wire whatever size that is. If you get all the bends straight so that it lays flat on a table the wire works great. No twisting at all, the hot glue holds everything in place very well. Probably didn't need to remove as much foam as I did, but hey, it saves weight.
Plenty of deflection:
I used some sub 5g servos. They are Turnigy 1370A servos instead of the HXT500's I was using with the first. They are smaller and lighter and should be strong enough to handle this plane. I installed them just ahead of where the skewer is used to secure the canopy. I did have to shorten the pegs so that the servo horn has the room to move. I used some extreme tape to strengthen it and to prevent some tearing. This way I can put the servos closer to the CG of the plane for better balance. So far on initial tests, I probably won't have to add any weight. I did beef up and reinforced certain areas in the front just in case. I noticed in the wreckage that the top part of the fuse is weak because of some large holes and guide slots. I extreme taped that area to prevent tearing with prolonged use.
I also thought the power pod mount could use some strengthening. On this build I glued a couple squares of foam to either side of the mount. After the wing went in, I also added a square between the top of the wing and the mount. It should go through hard crashes much better now.
The 1370A's will work just fine, they're actually what I used in my first build, and I've moved them over to this one. Dunno what they weigh, I think they're around 4 grams. Had them in the toolbox and was out of 5g servos last time so it's what I used.
All snugged into place. I embedded the servos into the wing itself to add a bit of extra room and fit my receiver into the middle fuse support. It's a full size receiver, but I like to remove the case for mini builds.
I'm painting the Ross board without any minwax. I did 4 light coats and then one medium coat using Krylon Fusion. Minwax probably would have let me use less paint, as the paper was absorbing the Krylon pretty good.
Probably should have weighed this thing before painting, but I was in the zone and spaced.
It's a good deal lighter using the F power pack. I think with the smaller wire, the paper removal, and getting the servos a bit further forward I won't need to add any weight the nose. With the prop on it's pretty much balanced as it sits.
The cowl looks funny at the moment. I glued a ring of foam to the end, then cut a bevel, sanding things smooth, and am currently playing with Mod Podge to get a smooth finish on the beveled portion.