Project F-14 Tomcat

[Flitedesign 3d]

3d model of my twin edf f-14 is almost ready. Soon I will be making plans for it but unfortunately I can't make the first prototype anytime soon since there is no European distripution of the foam board at the time. More pictures in my media.

Edit 07.09.2021:

Plans are now available here: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?resources/f-14-tomcat.249/
And build guidance here: https://forum.flitetest.com/index.php?threads/f-14-tomcat-build-guidance-pictures.68210/

 

[Grifflyer]

3d model of my twin edf f-14 is almost ready. Soon I will be making plans for it but unfortunately I can't make the first prototype anytime soon since there is no European distripution of the foam board at the time. More pictures in my media. View attachment 156978

Wow, that's a super cool rendering!!!!! What size EDF's does it use?

 

[Mr. Gandalf]

3d model of my twin edf f-14 is almost ready. Soon I will be making plans for it but unfortunately I can't make the first prototype anytime soon since there is no European distripution of the foam board at the time. More pictures in my media. View attachment 156978

That looks great!

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Wow, that's a super cool rendering!!!!! What size EDF's does it use?

Thanks I'm glad you like it! The scale of the 3d model is for 90 mm but I might draw the plans for 70 mm edf instead since propably not as many people are interested in building such big jet.

 

[miraspen]

If you get it to 64 or 70mm i'd be happy to help you with the prototyping. twin 90s is just not in the budget. looks good!

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

If you get it to 64 or 70mm i'd be happy to help you with the prototyping. twin 90s is just not in the budget. looks good!

Its going to be 70 mm. I don't trust the wingsweep hinge on a heavier model Just need to wait and hope flite test actually gets the european distripution going soon. Here's an update on the wingbox design. The 3d model is almost complete, it only needs some internal structures on some points to make is possible to build it out of foam boad.

 

[miraspen]

looks like a good solid design.

 

[L Edge]

How are you moving the wings? switch?

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

How are you moving the wings? switch?

Either with a potentiometer switch or normal 2 or 3 position switch with a servo slower

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Either with a potentiometer switch or normal 2 or 3 position switch with a servo slower

There will also be a spring pulling the wing into the forward position to counteract the force created by the air resistance

 

[L Edge]

Either with a potentiometer switch or normal 2 or 3 position switch with a servo slower

Would you like the throttle to control it?
Depending on radio, you can have say for instance, zero to 1/2 throttle, the wings are perpendicular at all times in mode 1.

In mode 2, if you have a graphing or mixing , you can set (I used) 1/2 throttle to full moving the wing backwards depending on the position of the throttle. So, 50% wing straight out, 60% moved back 1/3, 75% 1/2 way back so at full throttle the wing is all the way back.
What radio do you have?
Also in servo setup of your radio, you should have a speed page where you can set that servo's speed. I set the wing's movement to 2 seconds so it doesn't strain it or rip the gears like mine first did. Looks more professionable.

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Would you like the throttle to control it?
Depending on radio, you can have say for instance, zero to 1/2 throttle, the wings are perpendicular at all times in mode 1.

In mode 2, if you have a graphing or mixing , you can set (I used) 1/2 throttle to full moving the wing backwards depending on the position of the throttle. So, 50% wing straight out, 60% moved back 1/3, 75% 1/2 way back so at full throttle the wing is all the way back.
What radio do you have?
Also in servo setup of your radio, you should have a speed page where you can set that servo's speed. I set the wing's movement to 2 seconds so it doesn't strain it or rip the gears like mine first did. Looks more professionable.

That sounds very interesting and definetily worth a try. So did I understand correctly that in mode one the wings are always facing forward as its needed in takeoff?

 

[CampRobber]

Its going to be 70 mm. I don't trust the wingsweep hinge on a heavier model

Are you familiar with laser cut gears and external feedback servo mods? If I were doing a swingwing I'd definitely use those two techniques.

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

I have DX6i but I'm just about to get my fyrst fpv freestyle quad and with that I will get the frsky x9 lite (buying an used set). Im pretty sure the dx6i doesnt have such thing as servo slower, we'll see about the frsky.

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Are you familiar with laser cut gears and external feedback servo mods? If I were doing a swingwing I'd definitely use those two techniques.

I know that it exists but I have no idea how to do it. But it sounds like a smart way to do it for sure. If you have some tutorials about it I will definitely take a look at it.

 

[Captain Jay]

Thanks I'm glad you like it! The scale of the 3d model is for 90 mm but I might draw the plans for 70 mm edf instead since propably not as many people are interested in building such big jet.

How about 2 x 64mm and 2 x 50mm. I am trying so hard to stay with 3s 2200 batteries and smaller as to not fill my house with a warehouse size collection of batteries or stepping up to the pricier 6s etc.. Also, I just order 2 of each said edf's. Lol

 

[CampRobber]

I know that it exists but I have no idea how to do it. But it sounds like a smart way to do it for sure. If you have some tutorials about it I will definitely take a look at it.

It's been a while since I've done that kind of thing. Matthias Wandel sells a program that generates gears: https://woodgears.ca/gear/index.html so you'd use that to generate matching gear forms. Then you'd import them into cad and (1) alter the small one in whatever way to mount on your servo (2) alter the large one to cut off 80% of the teeth (depending on how far you need to swing) and re-shape it into the wing root.

It depends on the servo model, but I think there are guides to modifying most of them for continuous rotation. You'd do all those steps, but instead of either setting the disconnected feedback pot in the middle or replacing it with matched resistors, you'd rewire it to an external potentiometer on the big gear.

To make it symmetric you could offset the servo to one side or the other, and have a matching idler gear next to it to move the other wing.

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

How about 2 x 64mm and 2 x 50mm. I am trying so hard to stay with 3s 2200 batteries and smaller as to not fill my house with a warehouse size collection of batteries or stepping up to the pricier 6s etc.. Also, I just order 2 of each said edf's. Lol

Im going to use 4s 70 mm edf's on mine as I have ordered them already and I had the battery also. Also the fact that the foam board I probably end up using is heavier than the ft foam doesn't really allow me to build in smaller size. But it is not that big of a deal to anyone to scale down the plans anyways

 

[skymaster]

you could try making it out of cardboard. and popsicle sticks.

 

[Captain Jay]

you could try making it out of cardboard. and popsicle sticks.

Hahahahahaha love it!!!!