Three Dimensional Flying with a Two Dimensional Plane!

TooJung2Die

Master member
Wow! I just found this. You guys have been messing with this idea for over a month?!? Wish I knew sooner. I'm usually in the Mad Scratch Builders forum. I got the 3D bug a couple of weeks ago after flying a friend's store-bought EPP foam 3D. Here's what I made using two layers of DTFB with the paper stripped off. Yak-55 Dollar Tree Foam Board It's heavier than I want at 11.5 ounces but it flies okay with a 2208/1400kv motor with a 8x6 SF prop.


I built another Yak from the same plans using 6mm MPF. It's 50% lighter than the DTFB. I hope to maiden it this weekend.
Jon
 
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Wildthing

Legendary member
Elevator needs to be at least 45deg both up and down, I cut the openings to allow for 60deg in each direction. You may need to set travel to 150% to achieve this, I used long servo arms and set travel to max.

I am at 75% right now , I can set my end points to 120% max which is fine and if that isn't enough then I can always put a longer servo arm on so good there.
 

Headbang

Master member
So as you all might know I have built a total of 3 of @Headbang 's A/F Easy Edge and love this plane. My first two didn't survive long and broke after their first maiden but the 3rd one will see his third maiden tomorrow. Thus I will use this post to sum up my experience with this model. First I would like to stress that this plane as easy as it is to build is not a joke! It's not a beginner plane and any beginner trying to fly this might very quickly get discouraged to continue with the hobby. With that being said if you have flown a plane or two and know the basic handling, rolls, loops, levelled flight and have the ability to save a plane from various scenarios but want to up your game into 3D flying this is a plane for you to start practicing with; build it, fly it, crash it, repair it, re-build it have fun I am!

I am still new to 3D flying an attempting to learn means I crash and break stuff, and thus try to re-enforce things to break less things and have to repair less things. Let me tell you a bit about my take for strengthening the plane up, based on my experience. I'll start off by saying that all planes have used the same setup 20A ESC and 5g servos, and all three have flown with both the A and F pack motors using a 6x4 prop.

The first plane I built had no re-enforcements to anything and was glued completely with brown gorilla glue, that made everything very stiff and didn't allow any flexibility thus caused things to break instead of bend. The second one was built using Super77 and had the fuselage re-enforced with a BBQ skewer going front to back above and bellow of the wing. This didn't work to well because the glue didn't cure fast enough and the BBQ skewers made a huge cap between the fuselage halves, giving it more thickness. In theory this is where I should have used brown gorilla glue because the foaming up of the glue would have filled in the gaps created and would have made for a super strong fuselage, because the BBQ skewers made it hard for the fuselage to actually break. The third one I built had no re-enforcements to the fuselage like a CF rod or BBQ skewer because I forgot to add it and when I realised it, it was already to late to add it :(. It was glued with Super77 which allows flexibility avoiding a break but rather a bend. Because I forgot to re-enforce the fuselage the way I wanted I wrapped it with vinyl which made it bend instead of break and the vinyl actually holds the FB together even if a break does take place :).

If I would have to recommend how to re-enforce the fuselage I would say use Super77 with a CF rod front to back above and bellow the wing. Another something I want to recommend is not to use Super77 on the wing because it will not hold well. Use either hot glue or brown gorilla glue and let it dry good. Another thing I want to mention is that I managed to balance the plane with 800mah/1000mah 3S batteries just a matter of moving the battery a bit back towards the wing center.

Any how here is a video of the first maiden flight of the A/F Easy Edge by @Headbang, enjoy.
Finally got to watching the video! Good job, seems it is flying as expected!
 

Headbang

Master member
Ok, much better maiden this time and camera for the most part is pointed in the right direction. Roll is definitely there but pitch was sluggish but I contribute that to being now slightly nose heavy with that 1500 battery up front but my lateral balance is 100% better centering the battery in the fuse. I was going to throw the 1300 battery in next but I flew over my head and of course zagged when I should have zigged so a few repairs required to the nose.

Watched the vid, looking solid! Now it is just practise and practise more! If you can fly the easy edge then the ft edge will be a walk in the park!
 

TooJung2Die

Master member
I just finished reading all the way through all 24 pages. Do I understand correctly that you are leaving the paper on the foam board? Has anyone weighed their Easy Edge ready to fly? I like the looks of this Edge better than the Yak.
 

Headbang

Master member
I just finished reading all the way through all 24 pages. Do I understand correctly that you are leaving the paper on the foam board? Has anyone weighed their Easy Edge ready to fly? I like the looks of this Edge better than the Yak.
With an A pack, 5g servos, 800mAh battery it comes in at 260g, with an f pack and 9g servos same battery it comes in at 290g. I designed it as light as possible while still keeping enough strength to handle high energy maneuvers.
 

TooJung2Die

Master member
I think this kind of airplane helps make you a better pilot. It eliminates a lot of the fear factor of crashing. One of my flying buddys coached me into a few short inverted flights today. You'd never talk me into that with a balsa airplane that took months to build.
 

buzzbomb

I know nothing!
So I got the plans cout out.

20191019_231552.jpg

@Headbang I'm curious about the PowerPod. The wider area demarcated by the dotted lines are for foam removal, so we can do a B-fold. The dotted lines right along the edge have me confused. Is that also foam removal? I could see it if one edge overlapped the other, but it has us removing the foam, leaving a paper tab on both sides.
 

The Hangar

Fly harder!
Mentor
Ok guys, I’m eagerly anticipating the return of my transmitter, but as I got it shipped out late, it probably won’t be back till next week or later... 😣. The mini scout is fun, but really REALLY miss 4 channel. The weather really hasn’t been cooperating either though. Really looking forward to the 135% bravo though! A three channel, BUT it has ailerons!
 

mayan

Legendary member
Somewhat maiden flight.
3 things wrong :)
Tail Heavy
Not enough prop
Lateral balance way out.

Mods on the way :D

What how could I have missed this. I just realised I missed two pages on this thread, going through it now. Nice video

@Wildthing can't wait to see more of you flying this.
Lateral balance way better now , hope the battery doesn't fall out :D . Also I have a little more nose weight now just to get a better prop on it.

View attachment 145718 View attachment 145719
You can make a slot for a velcro strap on the top of the battery hole that would avoid it flying out the sides. You only need one slot and then wrap it around from the bottom of the airframe.

Do you know, it never occurred to me that I could put a bend in a pushrod to take the strain off the servo? On the one hand, I feel like an idiot. On the other hand, we learn something new every day. :)
I did that once with my Simple Storch with the flaps worked like a charm, no need to make a U shape bend just slightly bend the push rod :). I have to ask though @Wildthing why have a bend in the wire if you have a linkage stopper on the servo arm? You could have leveled it with the linkage stopper.

Ok, much better maiden this time and camera for the most part is pointed in the right direction. Roll is definitely there but pitch was sluggish but I contribute that to being now slightly nose heavy with that 1500 battery up front but my lateral balance is 100% better centering the battery in the fuse. I was going to throw the 1300 battery in next but I flew over my head and of course zagged when I should have zigged so a few repairs required to the nose.

Nice skill set you have there :).

View attachment 145876
Well, my first attempt is kind of butt ugly but maybe she'll fly. Ready for electrical and then I'll glue on the winglets.
The ugly ones fly better and hurt less on a RIP crash :p.

I have flown my Easy Edge a few more times. The fuselage isn't in best condition but the plane still flies OK so who cares if the plane is about to break, I'll fly it till it says STOP, DON'T, NO, or is it the opisite way around, NO DON'T STOP, who cares :).
 

TooJung2Die

Master member
why have a bend in the wire if you have a linkage stopper on the servo arm? You could have leveled it with the linkage stopper.
I have to ask how you level the wire with the linkage stopper. I have had to bend the push rod wire so it lines up with the linkage stopper. Photo maybe?
 

Headbang

Master member
So I got the plans cout out.

View attachment 145855

@Headbang I'm curious about the PowerPod. The wider area demarcated by the dotted lines are for foam removal, so we can do a B-fold. The dotted lines right along the edge have me confused. Is that also foam removal? I could see it if one edge overlapped the other, but it has us removing the foam, leaving a paper tab on both sides.
The lines right along the edge of the sides of the pod are for a thin bevel so the outer edges can meet when you fold. On the top piece the lines are for paper tabs so the top can slot into the bottom.
 

mayan

Legendary member
I have to ask how you level the wire with the linkage stopper. I have had to bend the push rod wire so it lines up with the linkage stopper. Photo maybe?
I might not have been clear. I was asking because I said if you have the linkage stopper just push the rod futherer out into the linkage stoper and level the ailerons/rudder/elevator. Didn't understand why add the bend if you can just pass more push rod through the stopper. I would bend the wire if I had 2 Z bends and couldn't get the control surface to level out.

The lines right along the edge of the sides of the pod are for a thin bevel so the outer edges can meet when you fold. On the top piece the lines are for paper tabs so the top can slot into the bottom.
I actually didn't do it on my last build and it still ended up with it being OK.
 

Wildthing

Legendary member
What how could I have missed this. I just realised I missed two pages on this thread, going through it now. Nice video

@Wildthing can't wait to see more of you flying this.

You can make a slot for a velcro strap on the top of the battery hole that would avoid it flying out the sides. You only need one slot and then wrap it around from the bottom of the airframe.


I did that once with my Simple Storch with the flaps worked like a charm, no need to make a U shape bend just slightly bend the push rod :). I have to ask though @Wildthing why have a bend in the wire if you have a linkage stopper on the servo arm? You could have leveled it with the linkage stopper.


Nice skill set you have there :).


The ugly ones fly better and hurt less on a RIP crash :p.

I have flown my Easy Edge a few more times. The fuselage isn't in best condition but the plane still flies OK so who cares if the plane is about to break, I'll fly it till it says STOP, DON'T, NO, or is it the opisite way around, NO DON'T STOP, who cares :).

Hey Mayan,
I did use a Velcro strap around the battery . For the bent push rod you said level it with the linkage stopper , I am still adjusting and leveling my control surface with the linkage stopper. But in the short distance and when the control horn changes it's axis (couldn't come up with the right word :D ) you have the rod pulling down and actually twisting the servo arm slightly. The bend allows the rod and servo arm to go through it's full travel with less binding.
 

mayan

Legendary member
Hey Mayan,
I did use a Velcro strap around the battery . For the bent push rod you said level it with the linkage stopper , I am still adjusting and leveling my control surface with the linkage stopper. But in the short distance and when the control horn changes it's axis (couldn't come up with the right word :D ) you have the rod pulling down and actually twisting the servo arm slightly. The bend allows the rod and servo arm to go through it's full travel with less binding.
Ahhh makes sense now :).