Chuppster
Well-known member
Okay, I finally was able to finish the build. I can honestly say that was possibly my favorite maiden ever. I enjoyed it so much I immediately grabbed another battery and put her right back into the air! Here's some pictures:
I did my battery hatch by adding some support to the center of the opening (to keep it from bowing out) then putting some velcro on the back of the hatch. The front is tucked under the paper from the nose piece.
I made a battery tray out of two pieces of foamboard stacked. It seems to work really well! I also added a NACA duct for electronics ventilation.
Now, for things I don't like (gotta get the bad out of the way...). I found it to be a major pain to attach both "halves" of the fuselage. I don't have suggestions for how to do it better but I'm hopeful that we can find another way. Also, some kind of former for the intake would be helpful for me. I had to make two of them after I screwed up the first one. Another complaint is that the roll rate isn't quite what I enjoy. I love jamming the sticks left or right and seeing the model rotate 900 degrees/second. Seeing as this doesn't have ailerons, though, I suppose it's forgivable. Finally, I think we could move the servos inside the fuse to secure them a little better. I would have, but that would have required planning ahead and I failed to do so (you would have to install the servo wires before you install the motor).
Okay, time for the stuff I like. Can I start with the looks? Man, I'm quite satisfied with the design! I mean, I saw the photos and though "this is cool," but then I build it and I think to myself "dang, this thing looks amazing!". Next, I'll talk about the glide slope. Wow, I did not expect this. It glides for DAYS (for an EDF). I'm used to landing my jets by more or less controlling the fall, but not so with this beauty! Then there's the control during a stall. It's so nice!!! I got in trouble and found that I could still tell the airplane where to go. That's not common among the airplanes I typically fly, so I say A+! And, because it has a nice glide slope, I can fly it, even loop it, at half throttle. Now, I do have an FMS motor that draws 60 amps on 4s (1000w...) on a 12-blade, but I very much enjoy that I can cruise around for awhile before my battery drains 100%. This is by far the best EDF I've flown hands down (so far at least), and I very much look forward to enjoying it for as long as it holds together. Also hoping paint doesn't change its flying characteristics...
@Mid7night, thank you for sharing this bird with us. As it stands, it's amazing, and if you continue to iterate a bit and improve it's going to be awful hard to beat. You are a wonderful asset to this forum and I appreciate your designs.
I did my battery hatch by adding some support to the center of the opening (to keep it from bowing out) then putting some velcro on the back of the hatch. The front is tucked under the paper from the nose piece.
I made a battery tray out of two pieces of foamboard stacked. It seems to work really well! I also added a NACA duct for electronics ventilation.
Now, for things I don't like (gotta get the bad out of the way...). I found it to be a major pain to attach both "halves" of the fuselage. I don't have suggestions for how to do it better but I'm hopeful that we can find another way. Also, some kind of former for the intake would be helpful for me. I had to make two of them after I screwed up the first one. Another complaint is that the roll rate isn't quite what I enjoy. I love jamming the sticks left or right and seeing the model rotate 900 degrees/second. Seeing as this doesn't have ailerons, though, I suppose it's forgivable. Finally, I think we could move the servos inside the fuse to secure them a little better. I would have, but that would have required planning ahead and I failed to do so (you would have to install the servo wires before you install the motor).
Okay, time for the stuff I like. Can I start with the looks? Man, I'm quite satisfied with the design! I mean, I saw the photos and though "this is cool," but then I build it and I think to myself "dang, this thing looks amazing!". Next, I'll talk about the glide slope. Wow, I did not expect this. It glides for DAYS (for an EDF). I'm used to landing my jets by more or less controlling the fall, but not so with this beauty! Then there's the control during a stall. It's so nice!!! I got in trouble and found that I could still tell the airplane where to go. That's not common among the airplanes I typically fly, so I say A+! And, because it has a nice glide slope, I can fly it, even loop it, at half throttle. Now, I do have an FMS motor that draws 60 amps on 4s (1000w...) on a 12-blade, but I very much enjoy that I can cruise around for awhile before my battery drains 100%. This is by far the best EDF I've flown hands down (so far at least), and I very much look forward to enjoying it for as long as it holds together. Also hoping paint doesn't change its flying characteristics...
@Mid7night, thank you for sharing this bird with us. As it stands, it's amazing, and if you continue to iterate a bit and improve it's going to be awful hard to beat. You are a wonderful asset to this forum and I appreciate your designs.