Maybe I'm obsessing, but I'm on the 6th version of this RC model. My requirements are high performance, light weight, slow flying, rugged, and a compromise between scale appearance and easy build. I leaned a little more towards scale looks.
It took quite a lot of designing to accommodate the EDF, and electronics in a way that makes changing the battery simple, and being able to switch the pod between jets without trouble.
The answer was building the plane around the fan. Then a tube that surrounds the fan and that also joins the pull apart fuselage.
The newest version weighs 1.75 oz empty and will end up at 2.75 oz
The wing area is .60 sqft. The glide tests have proven very successful.
The pod now has a jet tube to direct the airflow straight and hard out the tail. There is plenty of free airspace in front of the fan. My goal is to fly pulling 2-3 amps max on the 180mah 2S lipo.
How does this scratch build compare to the UMX EFlite Mig and Great Planes Sabre? Those models are smaller but weigh about the same, so they fly faster. Wing loadings on the RTF planes is about 7.5 oz/sqft. The Old Guy RC Mig and Sabre has a wing loading of 4.5oz/sqft and so will fly slower and look less like a Bee buzzing and more scale.
The RTF micros look better, but where's the pride in buying a styro- foam RTF? They cost about $80 and the transmitter will be a more expensive one. The Old Guy Rc design lets you change the 1 System Jet pod between planes and will set you back about about $55 for the 1System Jet pod and about $4 for the plane.
Of course this scratch build is not targeted to expeienced expert RC pilots. It is targeted to rookies, kids and old Guys that aren't quite ready for 100 mph and 4 channel control.
It took quite a lot of designing to accommodate the EDF, and electronics in a way that makes changing the battery simple, and being able to switch the pod between jets without trouble.
The answer was building the plane around the fan. Then a tube that surrounds the fan and that also joins the pull apart fuselage.
The newest version weighs 1.75 oz empty and will end up at 2.75 oz
The wing area is .60 sqft. The glide tests have proven very successful.
The pod now has a jet tube to direct the airflow straight and hard out the tail. There is plenty of free airspace in front of the fan. My goal is to fly pulling 2-3 amps max on the 180mah 2S lipo.
How does this scratch build compare to the UMX EFlite Mig and Great Planes Sabre? Those models are smaller but weigh about the same, so they fly faster. Wing loadings on the RTF planes is about 7.5 oz/sqft. The Old Guy RC Mig and Sabre has a wing loading of 4.5oz/sqft and so will fly slower and look less like a Bee buzzing and more scale.
The RTF micros look better, but where's the pride in buying a styro- foam RTF? They cost about $80 and the transmitter will be a more expensive one. The Old Guy Rc design lets you change the 1 System Jet pod between planes and will set you back about about $55 for the 1System Jet pod and about $4 for the plane.
Of course this scratch build is not targeted to expeienced expert RC pilots. It is targeted to rookies, kids and old Guys that aren't quite ready for 100 mph and 4 channel control.