Chris's ChtiCat Racer

[McG 6969]

Hello to ‘all’,

… well at least, if there is still somebody out there?

Anyhow, we’re back in biz’ness. Especially Gaston as he loves this part of a build as much as I do.

Not much ‘literature’ needed here. Just have a look… and hopefully enjoy.

The pontoon is totally finished but fuselage and fin are just a dry fit.

Questions always welcome of course.

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Deco Scheme Control

[Stephen Jones]

Are you hoping it`s going to be a one horse race with that color scheme

Steve

[Max Z]

Nice decoration! I am sure it will dazzle the competition......

Max.

[AndyD]

looks like a winner to me,fantastic scheme.

[Andy G.]

Looking Very Dazzling! Tempted to put one of these on my build list!..

[Steven S]

Nice job - I'm also tempted, but nowhere to run it around here.

[McG 6969]

Thank you all for commenting and fine to read that the ChtiCat deco scheme is 'acceptable'.

Maybe I should call it the ChtiZebra from now on...

Now regarding "one zebra race", "dazzling" or certainly "winning", I don't know as there must be at least some 'competition' to be able to win.

Just try one, gents. It's a quick and totally inexpensive build and can even be used outdoors - on concrete or tarmac - with the appropriate bottom 'roundels' being plastic pallet bindings or Teflon furniture leg protectors.

As for my build progress, after the fun of the vinyl lamination, I had to proceed with the correction of my lousy soldering, so not really much to show right now.

But I did a bit of plan view matching in Photoshop for the Danny Fenton's Fury Scale Classroom coming up next year in October... I guess one could call it "planning".

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Plan View Control

[McG 6969]

Sorry gents,

I'm afraid to admit I didn't go for some progress with the ChtiZebra at La Grotte today.

An unforeseen 'call for duty' at Danny's Fury thread seemed like taking advantage of my free time.

In doubt, you can always check it here.

Together with some very formal apologies...

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR 3 View Control

 

 

Edited By McG 6969 on 18/11/2017 21:05:52

[McG 6969]

Hi everyone & back to biz,

I wrote before that I would add a concave triangular former at the back of the 'splitter' with the idea of having less torsion at the front end, hence preserving the fairing to be ‘chucked’ by the prop as it happened to Don. Well, here it is:

And a closer look, showing the yellowish colour of some Deluxe Superphatic. I’m really ‘in love’ with that glue and even ordered half of a container of it for my next Vicomte build.

My earlier ‘guestimate’ for the ChtiCat’s all in weight was around 250gr. The bare frame is now coming in at 87,4gr, complete with the Depron vinyl lamination.

The powertrain + MG servo + Rx (Redcon 6ch) weights 98,5gr and my 2S 850MAh Lipo is 49gr. So at a bit short of 235gr, it comes very close to Don’s weight figure, taking in consideration that his 3S Lipo is about 20gr heavier but then my motor is also 20gr heavier.

Of course, the ‘beast’ isn’t supposed to get airborne, but with a bit less than 90W for that weight, we have around 180W/lbs… the ChtiZebra should accelerate quite well, I guess…

... not to speak about getting a ‘3S inside’.

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Dragster Control

 

Edited By McG 6969 on 19/11/2017 19:59:10

[McG 6969]

Hello again,

After a small Hawker Fury intermezzo, time to get back to the ChtiCat and the… soldering bits.

I ordered some XT30 connectors as they were added recently to the Amass catalogue. I never saw any of these IRL so I was a bit surprised when they were delivered. I thought I would have a direct comparison to the big brother, the XT60.

Nice & ‘cute’ at about 1 square cm. It’s probably just me, but I feel JST connectors are fine for a few LEDs but not really for a 20A junction.

So, I finally managed to get my electrical bits sorted out.

If you want to have a closer look, you will notice that I cut out the heatshrink of the ESC. It’s one of Simon Chaddock’s tricks to have a better heat dissipation, but he also reminded me that then the heatsink is only kept in place by the heat conductive ‘pasta’ layer, so the trick is to use a fine thread circled around a few loops and kept in position by two half drops of glue. In my case it’s Dyneema 105lb fishing wire, but of course largely OTT, as is the MG90S, by the way... Thanks again, Simon.

I made another ‘cooling’ detail in the shape of a tiny lip - from a scrap of acetate blister - glued at the front of the fuse opening. The purpose is double as it will avoid too much air entering the aft fuse, but will also create an inboard vacuum zone to extract the ‘hot’ air from the motor & ESC.

Comments - even partially or totally destructive ones - always welcomed...

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Air Flow Control

[Don Fry]

Chris, stick it together.

Open the throttle.

Enjoy, or not.

[McG 6969]

That's what I'm trying to do, Don.

But then, my 'measuring' is slow, mu 'cutting' is slow and my 'sticking' even worse.

Regarding "open the throttle", that's when that 'panic' feeling will really step in...

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Panic Control

[McG 6969]

Hello gents,

Well, there is some ‘bad’ news together with ‘not that good’ news as well.

The bad news is that I was officially told today that our local gymnasium is closed for some months due to ‘roof repairs & general renovation’…

The not so good news is that our (very recent membership) flying club had to cancel several of their indoor sessions, the following one being (hopefully) at mid-december.

Additionally to that is the fact that it’s been raining here since more than a week now.

Anyway, the positive part is that I’ll have the possibility to finish the ChtiZebra properly. Sorry, Don.

I took some time today to ‘raid’ some drawers, mainly the ones belonging to The LotH (but I’m pretty convinced to be able to count on your utmost discretion) …

The pirate’s treasure now includes some Velcro strips and pads, felt sheet and roundels, plastic binding straps in two dimensions and even some Nylon furniture protectors.

Let’s have that battle…

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Gliding Control

[McG 6969]

Hello out there,

Looking at he reactions, I presume everybody is anxiously waiting for ‘Black Friday’ and counting their shiny cash already…

Well, I’m not, as I’ve been spending all my money on building the ChtiCat already. At least, it’s somehow shiny as well…

In fact, the aft fuselage makes me think of the rear part of one those fuel drop tanks from the A4 Skyhawk… but then 'way to blingy’.

Humm… so, I decided to have a go at some panel lines and a few rivets.

No, absolutely not ! No ‘Fentonitis’ at all !

Just a bit of practice for the forthcoming Fury Classroom.

When I wrote “a few”, I meant a few ‘hundreds’, of course… A quick jobbie & a bit of exercise never hurts.

Apologies, as it doesn’t show well with all the reflections of the artificial light. It might need a tiny bit of ‘weathering’ as well, I guess.

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Practice Control

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Just keeping quiet Chris, don't want to cop any flak when Iris finds out.

John...yer on yer own control.

[McG 6969]

No worries, John.

I will only need a very small part of the 'treasure'. Starting with the free recycled plastic straps anyway...

Nowt to fear about "flak" then, young man.

Besides, as she's very aesthetical minded, adding some detailing rivets will please her a lot.

Jobs a good un, me thinks...

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Flak Control

[Iris Vlieghe]

The loth just found out... GRRRRRRR!

Just kiddin' ! I do love the detailing and thank you McG for freeing up some space in my drawers

By the way, I took te liberty to free up some space in your drawers too...

Don't worry John, no flak!

That's all folks!

Iris

BRU - BE / Drawer Space Control

[McG 6969]

Hi again,

… first thing first, thank you so much, Iris… for cleaning up my drawers.

I was a bit surprised not receiving any comments about “wasting sóó much building time with some panels & rivets” on this suicidal vehicle…

In fact, measuring and drawing up the basic lines took most of the time, say around 15 minutes, the total amount of time needed to score the panels and to ‘make’ the rivets was LESS than 10 minutes.

But then, I must publicly admit that I’ve been ‘cheating’ a little…

This is the ‘secret tooling’. Even in French, I don’t know its name, but it was used - in the good ol’ days - to score paper sheets to make a detachable part. A bit like our grand’mam post stamps, I guess.

So a steel ruler, the ‘cow-boy spurs’, done in no time. Et voilà.

I feel less ashamed now that I’ve told the world.

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Spurs Control

[Max Z]

Hi Chris,

I recognise your "secret tool", but as a tool for a slightly different purpose than the one you mention. I checked with my wife, and she confirmed that it is a tool for copying sewing patterns onto plain paper (but a special kind), which is then cut along the imprinted line to create templates for cutting fabrics. In Dutch it is called a "radeerwieltje", in English a sewing tracing wheel (I believe).

Max.

[Don Fry]

In English a "spur cutter"

[Don Fry]

Used in the tailoring trade.

But Chris, hurry the builders along. Then you can open the throttle.

[McG 6969]

Thank you both, gents.

I had a broad smile at reading your comments and glad to stand corrected with my presumed 'post stamp cutter'.

I only saw my sis using it once - ages ago - when making some wardrobe tickets for her college theater production... and I'm truly convinced that she never was into sewing or tailoring. Great fun anyhow.

Sorry Don, but unfortunately "the builders" are going to give some priority to the Abu Dhabi F1 final this weekend. Go Stoffel, go... !

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Vandoorne Control

[Robin Colbourne]

'Wee Chti Cat' is the term my girlfriend, born in in Glasgow, and grown up in Ayrshire, uses for what the rest of us would call a pussy cat. Having said that, I'm convinced her family have their own dialect, as even other Scots don't understand many of the terms she uses!

Am interesting model. it reminds me of a rubber powered hovercraft I built from a 12" polystyrene ceiling tile (remember them?), with a skirt from a plastic shopping bag. It worked pretty well. I can't remember where the plan came from.

[McG 6969]

So, the ChtiCat is known in Scotland as well, Robin. Even in the shape of another 'animal'.

Dialects... !!! Well in this really tiny country, I had to 'translate' between a (western) Flanders Flemish guy and a Eastern one, being only a distance of 250Km. Not to mention I'm a native Walloon (Belgian French)...

I've been thinking of having a hovercraft project - the Griffon 2000 type - but too many projects and not enough time, I'm afraid.

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Dialect Control

[McG 6969]

Hello everybody,

Maybe just one pic to start with, but quite a few things in progress.

I finally installed the servo, but decided to screw it in to some acetate bits protecting the Depron. I know hot glue is sometimes a favourite here - ask the Flitetest guys - but I must admit having a different point of vue.

As Peter Miller likes to quote: “If you can't get at it easily, you will need to’. Well it seems that it has been the case with my former full size building experiences, so I’ll keep that same approach.

I realized that the rudder could possibly bind at one side with full deflection, so a bit of surgery resulted in a bevel at the fin side as well.

A new rudder hinge, a pushrod & control horn, centering the servo and adjusting the rudder were next.

I also epoxied a piece of 0,5mm ply - 30x20mm - at the four corners to receive the ‘gliding pads’ or ‘skids’. As my first tests will very probably be on a concrete or tarmac surface, I took the decision to have some pieces of plastic straps. I also used 3M ‘mirror’ double side tape allowing the straps to be removed easier for replacement when needed.

Hakuna matata

Chris

BRU - BE / CTR Progress Control