Simon Chaddock Posted December 10, 2019 Author Share Posted December 10, 2019 With the wing in place at long last the wing root fairings can be completed. I sure they will make no difference but they are an obvious characteristic of the full size. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted December 12, 2019 Author Share Posted December 12, 2019 The next step is to wire up the motors and as in my other lightweight EDFs using 0.7 mm solid 'magnet' wire. It is only 60% of the weight of silicon insulated flex. A suitable length is soldered to the motor tails and then fed up through the pylon, through the spar shear web and through the ribs to the wing root. It is then soldered directly to the very small Little Bee 20A ESCs. The four ESCs are spaced out across the root wing ribs. The solid wires are held by small Depron retainers as they pass through each wing rib. The two batteries will slide into boxes built into the wing "D" box. The wiring is arranged so that the right hand battery and ESCs power the inner motors, the left the outer. Each ESC is held in a 3D printed mount. The Little Bee ESCs have no BEC and generate very little heat so the generous volume of the wing root should provide sufficient heat dissipation capability, particularly as the flight duration is not expected to be that long. Power for the rx and servos will be provided by a separate switching UBEC. This is rather slow going. As everything will eventually be completely 'built in' each step is carefully tested before proceeding to the next. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted December 21, 2019 Author Share Posted December 21, 2019 Really just for my own encouragement the completed fuselage stacked together. It is 2200 mm end to end. With the ESCs and UBEC installed the final part of the wing skin can go on. The fairing to match the fuselage with a generous battery hatch just behind the spar. The twin batteries slide though the spar into the wing leading edge. A small hatch for the gyro rx is still to be made. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted December 22, 2019 Author Share Posted December 22, 2019 Ooops! A correction. The fuselage is 2.4 m long not 2.2. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 I came across a rather unusual problem with the Little Bee ESC in conjunction with the Lemon 'stab' rx. They did not arm correctly and made beeps that appeared to suggest the throttle range needed setting although they refused to do so. The throttle and trim were set to minimum. When I substituted another rx (actually an Orange) and bound it to same tx model memory all the ESCs armed normally. A bit more experimenting and the answer for the Lemon was the closed throttle setting was too low! Setting the trim to the mid point and the ESC behaved perfectly. With the centre section complete, the wiring completed and the batteries installed a short run to make sure it all still worked. A great relief as I did not fancy replacing all the now 'built in' ESCs. Edited By Simon Chaddock on 30/12/2019 10:01:38 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted December 30, 2019 Share Posted December 30, 2019 Sounds promising Simon. Did you notice it nearly ingested a blanket there!? Trevor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted December 30, 2019 Author Share Posted December 30, 2019 Trevor Yes but only when I reviewed the video! Just as well in didn't. Had it actually gone in and hit the prop the sudden stop at full power would of almost certainly have wrecked the nacelle, never mind what it would have done to the blanket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted January 3, 2020 Author Share Posted January 3, 2020 The Antonov is going to be hand launched, well that the idea, but the fuselage is far too wide to hold in one hand so it will need three reinforced 'finger holes'. Thumb & second finger side by side to grip with one behind for the index finger as a 'steady'. First a floor is added so the weight and launch forces are spread into an area of the fuselage. The finger holes have solid Depron between them to resist the finger pressure required to adequately hold its 50 oz between two fingers of one hand. I had to calculate a CofG position. Hopefully the holes will 'straddle' the CofG. The fuselage can now be glued together. Storing the two halves was bad enough but the full length fuselage will be an even bigger problem. Edited By Simon Chaddock on 03/01/2020 20:24:36 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cymaz Posted January 5, 2020 Share Posted January 5, 2020 How will you reinforce the depron for the belly landings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted January 9, 2020 Author Share Posted January 9, 2020 cymaz It will be landing on grass, and rather carefully, so no reinforcement necessary apart from a coat of paint. At least that's the plan. My other 'airliners' have all manged like this without any problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted January 11, 2020 Author Share Posted January 11, 2020 With the finger holes complete the two fuselage sections can be glued together. Storing the two parts was bad enough now all one piece it is a bit of a nightmare. But it does allow the whole thing to be put together for the first time. It is by far my biggest thing in Depron. To provide some 'ding' resistance the fuselage underside with be given two coats of dark blue acrylic. The rest of the Derpon will be given a light coat of white. It is amazing how 'off white' bare Depron looks in comparison. As I am not all sure it will fly or even if it does that it will land in one piece I will complete the paint scheme before I attempt to fly it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 “It’s going to be interesting” hardly describes this one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted January 12, 2020 Share Posted January 12, 2020 There are a couple of equally large models at a club near you, a Lancaster and an A400m. Arguably a large Vulcan.I guess the big difference is probably power and weight. They are all in the Sale club. All have UC, albeit retracting. So, I agree launching could be interesting. Flying in anything other than calm weather could also quicken the pulse. As for landing, it has already been said previously, needs to be very gentle. Apart from these minor issues, what could go wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted January 20, 2020 Author Share Posted January 20, 2020 A nice calm but cold day today so I took the opportunity for a "outside" picture, in fact the first time any of it hass even been outside. The cavernous inside. And the rather more serious "Will it ever fit?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Freeman 3 Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Great work, love the view from the front showing all the formers. Reminds me a bit of the old Robbe BAE 146 with the brushed motors and Nicads. I never thought it would fly and it sure showed me just how well it went. I was told that it was the only model that needed a silencer on the undercarraige as it made a huge noise when landing, the foam fuselage amplified the noise. Good luck with the test flight and thanks for the updates as it is great to see projects like this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 lovely work as always Simon well done.. ken anderson...ne..1......admiration dept. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Manuel Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 I'm sorry Simon, but that thing looks like it will never get off the ground. Massive great fuselage and wings like a bumble bee. Great job - just like the real one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul d Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 lovely work Simon....small point, have you tried it in the car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Holland 2 Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 Simon, I avidly follow several threads on the forum although I rarely comment (I think the technical term is "lurking"!!). There has not been one of your builds that has not been completely fascinating. I am in awe of your tenacity, skill and ability to think outside the box. At the start of some builds I think that no way can this end well, always to be proven wrong. You have caused me to have a bit of a Depron Dabble, sometimes as the only material in the airframe and sometimes as a sort of composite, and I have grown to really enjoy working with it. Thanks for your inspiration and keep 'm comin. David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted January 20, 2020 Share Posted January 20, 2020 It certainly is Big. It looks as though it is going to gobble something up. Tell me Simon does the body flex under it`s own weight when you lay it on the ground. Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 I'll bet that with some tape over the seam, that would take off from a large puddle.. Looks amazing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Chaddock Posted January 21, 2020 Author Share Posted January 21, 2020 Thanks for the kind words. Posted by Stephen Jones on 20/01/2020 23:26:59: does the body flex under it`s own weight when you lay it on the ground. Stephen I can assure you that the body with its huge dimensions is incredibly rigid. The wings on the other hand....... Paul The fuselage does fit in the Clio but there is not much room for anything else, including me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gliggsy Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Ha ha now we know why there's a world short supply of depron!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 This is beyond words Simon! I could say that you will never surpass this one, but I know you will! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted January 21, 2020 Share Posted January 21, 2020 Just need a printed / depron trailer to cart it around on now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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