Origami of Death - Aussie DTFB Combat Drones

[Linkster]

LOL - it's a giant 3-channel yank'n'bank Bloody Baron w/o horizontal feathers.

From a company called SYPAQ. Watch the news segment about SYPAQ drones, here, and read about it here.

Here's the company page, as well as a dedicated company site.

And whoever in the hobby ever said DTFB planes aren't legit...Well, bite me.

BTW...This is not a commentary about the current situation...let's leave all the politics for Twatter and Reddit, pls.

 

[Linkster]

Would its performance be just about as good if it used the good 'ol FT 3-fold upper airfoil?

IMHO, it would certainly simplify the build, considering this is meant for combat use...too many opportunities to muff up a rounded airfoil with DTFB unless you've built a few...I think most of the "user base" of this drone haven't ever seen DTFB.

 

[Linkster]

MOAR images...

 

[Michael9865]

Nice. Needs some ply reinforcement where the wing mounting dowels go through the fuselage. Looks like it is definitely doable in foam board.

 

[AIRFORGE]

Nice. Needs some ply reinforcement where the wing mounting dowels go through the fuselage. Looks like it is definitely doable in foam board.

It's not cardboard, It's water resistant foam board. The foam can be seen in a few of the images. Look at the image of the front of the fuse.

 

[Michael9865]

It's not cardboard, It's water resistant foam board. The foam can be seen in a few of the images. Look at the image of the front of the fuse.

I should have said it better. Looks like it is definitely possible to be made from our hobby grade foam board. Sorry

 

[AIRFORGE]

I should have said it better. Looks like it is definitely possible to be made from our hobby grade foam board. Sorry

All good.

 

[Linkster]

Gentlemen, it looks like some of the prototypes the company did were made of corrugated cardboard.

Prbly someone found out the hard way, to employ a technical term we used at AF Research Lab, that...

THIS PARTICULAR IDEA SUCKED BAD.

The flight vehicle the bearded man is holding looks to be FT water resistant foam.

Also, I think the flat pack has a plywood spar...so, external wing supports not needed? IDK.

Looks looks like a tiny motor on that thing...any guesses as to the thrust?

I like this DTFB aerial death origami design better.

 

[Linkster]

I take back my comment about the tiny motor...looks like a monster motor. It's just that the fuselage is SO fat. Motor looks to be close to 2" in diameter.

It isn't the length, so much as it's the girth...

 

[MrKilometer]

Is the first photo supposed to be corrugated cardboard? The edge of the cowling and empennage still look like DTFB... I wonder if they just put wing ribs in (although that would be a TON of wing ribs...)? How anyone would think that trying to bend cardboard is a good idea is beyond me... but I digress.

 

[philgabanski]

OK, I made one! This thing flyes way better than it has any right too! Stable, predictable, on rails, can roll easily. Even with the modest 200watt power setup on this, its very quiet but can pull some aggressive aerobatics!!!

I can see why they went with this design for a simple to build and use drone for combat!!

 

[great0711]

I also made a model but couldn't take off. I chose the NACA4412 wing.2212 1400KV,4200mha,wingspan 1m

 

[Piotrsko]

Rear wheels are too far back, need to be somewhere around CG. WITH negative angle of attack it'll never rotate to a positive one.

Not a fan of flying wing combat, pitch is too insensitive for an upwards kill

 

[great0711]

Rear wheels are too far back, need to be somewhere around CG. WITH negative angle of attack it'll never rotate to a positive one.

Not a fan of flying wing combat, pitch is too insensitive for an upwards kill

Which wing shape is better? Should CG be at the front edge of the wing?

 

[quorneng]

You could adjust the length undercarriage legs (front longer or rear shorter or both) so the underside of the wing is at about 3 degrees positive incidence to the ground.
With enough ground speed it will then simply rise off the ground.
.

 

[great0711]

Which airfoil shape should be chosen for the wing? Ability to automatically correct attitude in flight.

 

[FlyerInStyle]

Which airfoil shape should be chosen for the wing? Ability to automatically correct attitude in flight.

that would be dihedral not an airfoil.

 

[great0711]

Thanks, I still don't understand how I need to design the wing.

that would be dihedral not an airfoil.

 

[quorneng]

great0711
I would have to say there is nothing wrong with airfoil you already have. It will provide plenty of lift at the right speed and angle of attack to the airflow. If your plane was a glider seeking the absolute maximum glide ratio (distance travelled for height lost) the wing shape and section would be different but your plane is no glider! Ease of manufacture and structural strength are far more important to your wing.
Get the take off attitude right and with a sufficiently smooth surface it will take off.

 

[L Edge]

2 suggestions:

1) A very simple way of increasing the wing's angle of attack is to put a popsicle stick under the leading edge of the wing and fuse. If it doesn't takeoff, then add another stick and redo. Explore what angle of attack is best for you and then add that shim to the fuse leading edge.

2) Suggest you use more than one set of rubber bands to hold wing on. If one breaks, the wing will most likely cause major damage to your bird. Or the wing can start flopping in the air when yanking the plane around.