Power up planes

[FoamyDM]

During flight fest I picked up some power up planes. And I thought it would be smart to start collecting ideas and build threads for these planes.

[/TD]

[TR]


FORMAT:
Let set them up in this way:
POWER UP X.0 - (airfraftname) by User

as the builds are quick, I think it reasonable to expect each build "thread" to be a single post.

If you need to do it at more than one go, write what you can, post it. Edit it later. Add a post that you have updated the original, with a link. Simple.

Specs:
Powerup Dart weight 7g
Powerup 3.0 weight 14g with plane -
Range: 1 football field if you stand in the center. (60m/200ft+)

Build Tips:
Keep the weight below 21g.
Powerup Dart weight 7g
Powerup 3.0 weight 14g with paper plane

Plane index:
https://flightdeck.poweruptoys.com/
Powerup Dart - 20" wing by FoamyDM
Powerup Dart - F-117 by FoamyDM[/tr]

 

[FoamyDM]

Powerup Dart - 20" Wing by FoamyDM.

I took my 20" KFM wing and weighed it and realized it was 17g and without paper on one side it would work great. I removed the paper, cut a sliver from the nose, approx. 3/4" into the plane ~1/8 wide at the front then bent the 3/4" strip along the front edge and taped the cut out closed. Now I had an undercambered wing, all I needed was to find the CG again, and bend the reflex into the flap area by using the table as my friend for both folds. for a Mount I took a large bread bag tab, and bent an "s" shape front to back. I cut out a small notch at the back of the hole to receive the nob on the bottom. I used a small triangle to support the CF rod. and taped it into place.

Video proof:

 

[FoamyDM]

PowerUp Dart - F-117 by FoamyDM
I leaned again on the paper modelers and built an F-117 using paper plate bottoms and tape.

Here's the glide test vid:

The glide results are not consistent enough.
Any suggestions?

 

[balsa or carbon]

This guy specializes in Powerup planes : https://www.youtube.com/user/maxxu8/featured

 

[FoamyDM]

Yes!
MaxXu's channel is great! and I've watched his vids. As a new owner, I'm sad that his great highlights of the product don't link to plans. I wanted to start getting some here for this community to use as it was highlighted here (on the FT channel, and they were a vendor at FFO'19) I specifically want to post plans for a version of that wright flyer. When I hit on a working model, I will.
@balsa or carbon , do you think you'll join me then?

 

[FoamyDM]

Since I have seen the model on Fidder's green, I thought the Burgess-Dunne Flying wing from 1914 is a perfect candidate for DTFB AND a foam plate Flyer, and Balsa.
As I grew up in New England it 40+ years later discovering some of aeronautics origins were so near where I grew up was exciting (plus the Second powered flight was in CT.) to learn the DBF was the first marine based flight in the US, out of Marblehead, Massachusetts.

I had foam plates, an exacto and tape on a business trip. I thought ahead enough to bring the PUDart, and so I thought no time like the present.

IT FLEW! It flew ok. The lack of rudder authority make is hard to correct roll issues in time. I added paper trim tabs. with that, eventually, I was able to fly it for a brief go around a large parking lot. I built it with the Float. I think the drag and weight was too much. Without the Float, it flew pretty well. I didn't add thread/fishing line for rigging and that would help stiffen it, instead I chose square panel inserts for rigidity. It was enough for flight, but didn't hold up super well to repeated hard landings.

As this is mostly proof of concept for the PowerUP Dart. It's a success. I have no video, as you need a second video source to film while controlling with my smartphone. When I have it, I'll link it here.

[insert video link here]

 

[Vimana89]

If I dig this out and it still works, I may be able to make a micro prop slot version of my V Sliver that flies with this. It has dihedral wingtips and a light wing loading with its long chord. I would have to tweak it just right though, because it is prone to fly well in high alpha. With full 3ch controls, it is easy to fly straight and level or high alpha or however I choose, but with the power up having to have up elevator trimmed in and climb with throttle, I think I'd have to set this version to exclusively fly around in high alpha unless at full throttle to climb, and try to cut throttle and glide to get the nose down on occasion.

 

[FoamyDM]

As I prep for a STEM event again. I built this meat tray plane.

To build: Cut off the long sides and one short side from two trays. Those I put together as a wing. I Trimmed a short side and used it as a rudder. The leftovers from the long sides looked like a boat. Taped them together. Put the dyhedraled wings on top. It balance with a nickel or two pennies in the nose.

after weighing I noticed it was about 11g.
that means I can use it as a PowerUp plane.

I took it outside (at 12:25 late) and flew it well in small circles. For over 1:30 at a burst. Mostly because it would drift into tree after a while.

Elapsed time 15min.

Sorry no vid. My camera (phone) is used to run the PowerUp unit.

 

[Vimana89]

I saw a power up Nutball that was really awesome. I'm going to dig up my power up dart unit, and if it works, I will attempt a slender delta and a Nutball from 3mm or cardboard.

Update: unit is plugged in and looks to be accepting a charge. I never built a plane that flew more than a couple feet with this, but I wasn't any good at building planes back then. If I can nail CG and keep weight down, and have a dihedral, things should look promising. If I can get anything flying well, I'll post a one page build guide thing.

 

[Vimana89]

Almost ready 😀

 

[Vimana89]

Well that one was not that great. It flew forward a couple feet but couldn't get it to turn or climb good. Messing with CG helped but I think it might be straight thrust to weight or something. That 3mm cardboard was a bit heavy. I might have to try a foam plate for this and the Nutball.

 

[Vimana89]

Next time I'm at the dollar store buying foam, I'll get some get some tri fold foam that's like 2-3mm, and some disposable foam plates. I think I want to try the Nutball next, and possibly try a slender delta again after I've gotten one or two other things to fly with this system.

 

[N2174J]

Can't wait for the Powerup 4.0. I have the 3.0 and managed to modify a balsa Jetfire. Amazingly she flew the first time but I did have to add some surface area to the rudder. Vertical stabs made from the skeleton, still have the full vertical stab if I want to put it back. I was surprised that boost was not needed even with the nose weight attached. The CG is in a good place and the wing obviously adjustable.

 

[Hondo76251]

Can't wait for the Powerup 4.0. I have the 3.0 and managed to modify a balsa Jetfire. Amazingly she flew the first time but I did have to add some surface area to the rudder. Vertical stabs made from the skeleton, still have the full vertical stab if I want to put it back. I was surprised that boost was not needed even with the nose weight attached. The CG is in a good place and the wing obviously adjustable.

I spent years throwing little balsa chuck gliders! I taped, glued, rebuilt them till some were barely balsa anymore. Looking back, I probably learned more about flight from a pile of balsa than any book could have taught me! Still, I never could have imagined flying one RC!

What a world we live in...

 

[N2174J]

I spent years throwing little balsa chuck gliders! I taped, glued, rebuilt them till some were barely balsa anymore. Looking back, I probably learned more about flight from a pile of balsa than any book could have taught me! Still, I never could have imagined flying one RC!

What a world we live in...

With a phone, that you can watch television on, you can carry in your pocket! Told my wife the other day that if someone had laid all of that out years ago I would have laughed in their face and called them certifiable.

 

[pilotoingles]

I spent years throwing little balsa chuck gliders! I taped, glued, rebuilt them till some were barely balsa anymore. Looking back, I probably learned more about flight from a pile of balsa than any book could have taught me! Still, I never could have imagined flying one RC!

What a world we live in...

- it's great isn't it?!? The amazing tech available at such low prices.. gyros, gps, flight computers, fpv streaming etc etc. I feel like a kid again except this time I've got more pocket money
My 4.0 is on it's way, just not quickly enough!

 

[Battery800]

I got my 4.0 a few months ago and it’s quite fast. There’s a plane that is a canard and is blazingly fast if you don’t have any elevator and the differential thrust gives it more turning power

 

[pilotoingles]

It sounds great! I bought mine on Black Friday for delivery to Brazil, but it still hasn't left the US I think a beginner will need lot of space, even with one of the slower planes.. Any tips for 1st time Powerup 4.0 pilots?

 

[Battery800]

oh I originally backed it on KS so I got it earlier

 

[Battery800]

I suggest the valkyrie, you can find it on the powerup channel. Its got a very big wing and is fun to just go vertical and drift back down.