Project F-14 Tomcat

[Captain Jay]

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

I'll dummy something together. That's what I do... wether it flys or not is another story. Half the fun is building and designing off the cuff for me. I'm thinking of using my 2 x 64mm for an Northrop F5... love this jet!!

 

[skymaster]

you don't think you could do it. you make the plans and it a challenge. your imagination is the limit. https://www.flitetest.com/articles/flying-wing-made-from-a-cardboard-pizza-box

 

[Captain Jay]

you don't think you could do it. you make the plans and it a challenge. your imagination is the limit. https://www.flitetest.com/articles/flying-wing-made-from-a-cardboard-pizza-box

That's awesome. Hahaha

 

[L Edge]

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?

Yes, but actually you can set it anyway you want. I designed a morphing flying plane that starts with the wings straight out(mode 1),
switch to mode two that swings the wings aft like on the video and then I switch to mode 3 and the wings go forward 30 degrees. How I did it is that I installed 2 servos(one for each wing) and again controlled how much movement fore or aft by the throttle.

Video shows that once the wings go aft, it rolls like a drill!!!

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Yes, but actually you can set it anyway you want. I designed a morphing flying plane that starts with the wings straight out(mode 1),
switch to mode two that swings the wings aft like on the video and then I switch to mode 3 and the wings go forward 30 degrees. How I did it is that I installed 2 servos(one for each wing) and again controlled how much movement fore or aft by the throttle.

Video shows that once the wings go aft, it rolls like a drill!!!

Really nice! What transmitter do you have? Did you do all the mixing in the transmitter?

 

[L Edge]

Really nice! What transmitter do you have? Did you do all the mixing in the transmitter?

I have a DX9 Spectrum which makes it very simple. Yes, all the mixes are done in the mixing section. What radio do you have.

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

I have a DX9 Spectrum which makes it very simple. Yes, all the mixes are done in the mixing section. What radio do you have.

Dx6i and taranis x9 lite soon

 

[L Edge]

Dx6i and taranis x9 lite soon

Are you using elevons?

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Are you using elevons?

Yes for the beginning elevons only

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Long time no update on the Tomcat, I picked up the project again and finished the 3d model, there was quite a bit to do on the internal structure. I also finished the first version of the plans. It is 8 sheets foam, but its the European sized foam (70x50 cm) so they are a bit smaller than us foam, so I might be able to fit it on 7 20" x 30" sheets.

I also got a pile of foam that is lighter than the foam I used on the mirage but still quite a bit heavier than the ft board, but Im going to build one now. Im going to remove as much of the paper as possible on the inside of the pieces to save some weight. The electronics I will use are 2 fms 61 mm edf, 2 9g servos for the all moving elevons, 2 23g metal gear servos for the sweep and 2 40A esc, yes 40A is barely enough but I will place them in the airflow inside the engine, they should be fine. But before all that I got to cut all that foam by hand

 

[Captain Jay]

Very cool!! I would like to see it put together... what size battery are you thinking to use? I have my F15 twin 64mm and will try 2 different batteries out. 1 x 3s 2200 which will give me 1.5 minutes of flight and I'll try a 3s 5000mah and hopefully get 3.5 minutes... with very different placements in the plane due to weight and C of G.

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Very cool!! I would like to see it put together... what size battery are you thinking to use? I have my F15 twin 64mm and will try 2 different batteries out. 1 x 3s 2200 which will give me 1.5 minutes of flight and I'll try a 3s 5000mah and hopefully get 3.5 minutes... with very different placements in the plane due to weight and C of G.

I have 3 options:
1. I have one 4s 4200mah which should be capable of giving well over 80 amps long periods of time, but the battery is like 4-5 years old and it definitely is weaker now.
2. 2x 4s 1550mah drone batteries in parallel, they will definitely be strong enough
3. only one of those drone batteries if it gets too heavy, the battery is 120c after all, probably going for 2 anyways so the voltage doesn't drop as much

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

It already looks like a tomcat doesn't it? All the peaces are cut out and the center wingbox is almost done so you can expect some build progress soon

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Here are some clearer pictures of the foam parts, there are the wing parts, middle fuselage parts and the main engine fuselage parts

 

[Captain Jay]

Here are some clearer pictures of the foam parts, there are the wing parts, middle fuselage parts and the main engine fuselage parts

You obviously have a CNC machine to cut things perfectly for you. Oooh, I wish I had more than a ruler and a knife. Hahaha looking good

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

You obviously have a CNC machine to cut things perfectly for you. Oooh, I wish I had more than a ruler and a knife. Hahaha looking good

Ummm

 

[Matagami Designs]

Long time no update on the Tomcat, I picked up the project again and finished the 3d model, there was quite a bit to do on the internal structure. I also finished the first version of the plans. It is 8 sheets foam, but its the European sized foam (70x50 cm) so they are a bit smaller than us foam, so I might be able to fit it on 7 20" x 30" sheets.

I also got a pile of foam that is lighter than the foam I used on the mirage but still quite a bit heavier than the ft board, but Im going to build one now. Im going to remove as much of the paper as possible on the inside of the pieces to save some weight. The electronics I will use are 2 fms 61 mm edf, 2 9g servos for the all moving elevons, 2 23g metal gear servos for the sweep and 2 40A esc, yes 40A is barely enough but I will place them in the airflow inside the engine, they should be fine. But before all that I got to cut all that foam by hand

Wow. this looks amazing. Following

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

I built both engine housings and part of the middle fuselage today. The second engine ended up nicer than the first one, practise makes perfect. the fans I'm using are 64 mm, not 61 like I said before. The engines are looking good expect for the seams, they could be nicer too. I did not put any glue to any of those score cuts to save some weight, I used break away formers inside the housings.

 

[Flitedesign 3d]

Well that sucked... literally. I checked the edf wattage on full throttle and it literally sucked the reciver into it from the small esc cooling hole. I checked at least two times that the intake is clear but of course I forgot about that small hole... I feel stupid now. Shit happens. Thats how you burn money in like few milliseconds. This is definitely not the end of this tomcat project, it just takes a bit longer now. I will continue building, I can replace the edf from below where I removed it. The reciver is fine btw, the hard case saved it.

 

[Captain Jay]

Well that sucked... literally. I checked the edf wattage on full throttle and it literally sucked the reciver into it from the small esc cooling hole. I checked at least two times that the intake is clear but of course I forgot about that small hole... I feel stupid now. Shit happens. Thats how you burn money in like few milliseconds. This is definitely not the end of this tomcat project, it just takes a bit longer now. I will continue building, I can replace the edf from below where I removed it. The reciver is fine btw, the hard case saved it.

Shitty!! Don't feel to bad, it has happened to me as well in the past...