Willy Nillies Falcon 250 Twin!

[Turbojoe]

Very nice job on the canopy! Several years back I spent a ton of time constructing a vacuum "pulling" system. I had many more failures than successes. I just never could get the plastic temperature (droop) right before doing the pull. I've even tried doing the heat gun on a balsa "buck" too. I suck at that as well so I don't even try anymore. Some got it and some don't. I don't got it.......

Joe

 

[rockyboy]

Thanks! I'm at 50% on the mild-success (ripples in the front of the canopy still) vs. miserable failure (plastic potato chip)

Having three hands would have been very helpful - next time I do this I want to rig up a holder for the heat gun so I can use both hands for moving and pulling the plastic at all times.

 

[RKeller]

Thanks! If you wouldn't mind testing the 3" prop on 3s that would be great - either 2s or 3s is my planned configuration for this build.

Hey I finally tested 3x1.8 prop on 3s. 135-140g thrust! Two will be awesome on a sub 250g plane.

 

[rockyboy]

Hey I finally tested 3x1.8 prop on 3s. 135-140g thrust! Two will be awesome on a sub 250g plane.

Thanks - that's about perfect I think!

I've finally got a little paint started on this build. The idea is some sort of red / orange / yellow gradient fade thing with some clear spots to see through to the structure. First coat of red airbrushed on - it'll take at least one or two more to be opaque enough I think. Luckily airbrushed paint goes on very light weight

 

[bracesport]

@rockyboy - you need a few more tools for your birthday!

 

[rockyboy]

@rockyboy - you need a few more tools for your birthday!

That's what I ask for every year!

 

[TooJung2Die]

@rockyboy - you need a few more tools for your birthday!

No Joke. Is there a spot in there somewhere to build something? I think I see a cutting mat in there ... but it's covered up! I know, you start something simple like, "All I gotta do is solder this little connector" and 15 minutes later you can't see the bench top because of all the tools.

 

[rockyboy]

Yeah, it's a little crowded. Here's what it looks like to walk into my workshop on an average morning. In this case I've got all the airbrushing equipment / tubs pulled out and cluttering up stuff.

But after a couple minutes of putting all that away (the tub of airbrush equipment lives on top of the fridge behind the transmitter & field cases) it's ready for working again. There are actually 3 working surfaces hidden in here. On the right is the table for my home built Lowrider CNC router & needle cutter. When I'm not using the CNC, the gantry pushes all the way to the left end of the table and the right side becomes my larger work space. I've got a sheet of glass I use for covering work pushed up on the foam spoil board for the needle cutter - usually the glass lives in a slot under the spoil board.

The white flat spot on the left of the screen is my magnetic building board covered in protective slick paper. Since the workbench underneath was covered in stuff when I first got that building board, I decided to "temporarily" raise it up on a support to make it a standing desk height. Five years later, I've decided I really like having it up high

Way in the back on the left side is the cutting mat @TooJung2Die spotted - that's sitting on top of a movable stainless steel dentist office tool support tray. I usually use that as the holding place for the instructions & hardware for whatever kit I'm working on (hardware kept from rolling off in little trays). When I don't have those %@#@$ chairs in the way, it's easy to move the dental work stand around - but at the moment it's sort of stuck hovering over my main bench vice. The chairs are an almost year long recaning & repair project that's delayed again and again by my better half changing her mind again and again on how she wants them finished.

I'm happy to talk more about the workshop if anyone wants (two more pictures below that give a better view of each side) but let's get some airplane pictures in here too



So here's the Twin Falcon with the masking tape pulled off. I'm pretty happy with how she's turning out so far

One big mistake I made doing the paint was starting with the red side. I should have started with the lighter color - the yellow - and then added a couple drops of red instead of going the other way. Would have made it easier to get a more even gradient with the orange in the center instead of off to the side. But I'm just getting nit-picky I think - she looks pretty neat and unique this way. Just needs a couple RockyBoy penguins

 

[OliverW]

Yeah, it's a little crowded. Here's what it looks like to walk into my workshop on an average morning. In this case I've got all the airbrushing equipment / tubs pulled out and cluttering up stuff.

View attachment 167340

But after a couple minutes of putting all that away (the tub of airbrush equipment lives on top of the fridge behind the transmitter & field cases) it's ready for working again. There are actually 3 working surfaces hidden in here. On the right is the table for my home built Lowrider CNC router & needle cutter. When I'm not using the CNC, the gantry pushes all the way to the left end of the table and the right side becomes my larger work space. I've got a sheet of glass I use for covering work pushed up on the foam spoil board for the needle cutter - usually the glass lives in a slot under the spoil board.

The white flat spot on the left of the screen is my magnetic building board covered in protective slick paper. Since the workbench underneath was covered in stuff when I first got that building board, I decided to "temporarily" raise it up on a support to make it a standing desk height. Five years later, I've decided I really like having it up high

Way in the back on the left side is the cutting mat @TooJung2Die spotted - that's sitting on top of a movable stainless steel dentist office tool support tray. I usually use that as the holding place for the instructions & hardware for whatever kit I'm working on (hardware kept from rolling off in little trays). When I don't have those %@#@$ chairs in the way, it's easy to move the dental work stand around - but at the moment it's sort of stuck hovering over my main bench vice. The chairs are an almost year long recaning & repair project that's delayed again and again by my better half changing her mind again and again on how she wants them finished.

View attachment 167339

I'm happy to talk more about the workshop if anyone wants (two more pictures below that give a better view of each side) but let's get some airplane pictures in here too

View attachment 167336 View attachment 167335

So here's the Twin Falcon with the masking tape pulled off. I'm pretty happy with how she's turning out so far
View attachment 167337


One big mistake I made doing the paint was starting with the red side. I should have started with the lighter color - the yellow - and then added a couple drops of red instead of going the other way. Would have made it easier to get a more even gradient with the orange in the center instead of off to the side. But I'm just getting nit-picky I think - she looks pretty neat and unique this way. Just needs a couple RockyBoy penguins
View attachment 167338

The falcon looks amazing! BTW, I can't find your monster Focke Wulf in those pics 😉😉

 

[rockyboy]

The falcon looks amazing! BTW, I can't find your monster Focke Wulf in those pics 😉😉

LOL! It's a game of "Where's Waldo in there for sure!"

The right side nacelle and part of the fuselage are visible to the left and down from the band saw, the canards are in a wing bag to the right of the Tiny Trainer Canard (you can see the carbon fiber spars sticking up) and the main wings are in wing bags behind the green fan-fold foam under the Tiny Trainer Canard.

 

[OliverW]

LOL! It's a game of "Where's Waldo in there for sure!"

The right side nacelle and part of the fuselage are visible to the left and down from the band saw, the canards are in a wing bag to the right of the Tiny Trainer Canard (you can see the carbon fiber spars sticking up) and the main wings are in wing bags behind the green fan-fold foam under the Tiny Trainer Canard.

View attachment 167349

It's really tucked in there! I think that since everybody has time during the quarantine, you should finish it up! I've been dying to see it fly! I wish I could he there in person yo see it though

 

[rockyboy]

I'd love to see her fly (or crash) too! Everything is installed, wired, configured, etc, except a final weight and balance. She's just so big I can't get her assembled in my shop, and haven't had a combination of good weather / time to try and hang her from my pergola out back to balance her. Maybe I can get that done during quarantine though...

 

[rockyboy]

Aileron control rods and horns installed.

Getting to a short punch down list now

• Rudder & Elevator control rods & horns
• Install motors & solder to ESCs
• Wheels
• Canopy
• Weight and balance
• Radio end point programming

 

[rockyboy]

With the cramped space my wing wiring has created, I put the z bends on the servo end instead of my usual linkage stoppers.

The linkage stoppers work OK on the tail end though. A little tricky to tighten up that elevator one - with just the right wiggling and angle I can reach through the hole in the rudder to access it.

 

[speedbirdted]

With the cramped space my wing wiring has created, I put the z bends on the servo end instead of my usual linkage stoppers.

View attachment 167501

The linkage stoppers work OK on the tail end though. A little tricky to tighten up that elevator one - with just the right wiggling and angle I can reach through the hole in the rudder to access it.
View attachment 167503

Thats exactly what I did with linkage stoppers. Though, I ended up using the plastic retainer thingies instead of Z-bends and they seemed to fit inside the fuselage fine.

 

[rockyboy]

Still need to solder up the motors, but I got impatient and wanted to check the weight and balance so I put the wheels on.

She took a 1/2 oz of lead up front to get her balanced on the spar, for a total weight of 8.6 oz.

Doing some quick calculations, that drives the wing loading up to 7.4 and the cube loading to 6.9 - right at the high end of the "park flyers & trainers" range and a touch under "general sport and aerobatics" http://www.flyrc.com/wing-load-calculator/ - she won't quite be the floaty glider a stock Falcon would be (wing loading 4-5), but way less of a handful than the GLH (wing loading 12)!

 

[speedbirdted]

Still need to solder up the motors, but I got impatient and wanted to check the weight and balance so I put the wheels on.

View attachment 167571

She took a 1/2 oz of lead up front to get her balanced on the spar, for a total weight of 8.6 oz.

Doing some quick calculations, that drives the wing loading up to 7.4 and the cube loading to 6.9 - right at the high end of the "park flyers & trainers" range and a touch under "general sport and aerobatics" http://www.flyrc.com/wing-load-calculator/ - she won't quite be the floaty glider a stock Falcon would be (wing loading 4-5), but way less of a handful than the GLH (wing loading 12)!

The wheels look a little excessive Did you use CA or epoxy on the plywood wheel collars? CA has issues trying to adhere to anything metal, keep that in mind.

 

[The Hangar]

Still need to solder up the motors, but I got impatient and wanted to check the weight and balance so I put the wheels on.

View attachment 167571

She took a 1/2 oz of lead up front to get her balanced on the spar, for a total weight of 8.6 oz.

Doing some quick calculations, that drives the wing loading up to 7.4 and the cube loading to 6.9 - right at the high end of the "park flyers & trainers" range and a touch under "general sport and aerobatics" http://www.flyrc.com/wing-load-calculator/ - she won't quite be the floaty glider a stock Falcon would be (wing loading 4-5), but way less of a handful than the GLH (wing loading 12)!

Sweet!! It looks amazing!

 

[TooJung2Die]

That looks cool. I like how you applied just enough paint to leave it looking translucent. Pinstripe on the edges will make the colors pop even more.

 

[rockyboy]

The wheels look a little excessive Did you use CA or epoxy on the plywood wheel collars? CA has issues trying to adhere to anything metal, keep that in mind.

Yeah, the wheels make it seem like a bush plane! Not many other options in my junk drawer, so I might stick with these for a while. The wooden collars were just the right size for a tight press fit so I haven't made them more permanent yet.

That looks cool. I like how you applied just enough paint to leave it looking translucent. Pinstripe on the edges will make the colors pop even more.

That's what it's missing - pinstripes! I'll get on that today! Thinking white might be a good option here...