Black Projects

[Mike Strohmeyer]

I've been lurking on here for the past week or so, just absorbing information. You guys have made some truly amazing airplanes. The last time I checked, Depron and other flat foam sheets were only being used in profile planes.... Turn your back on a hobby for just a little while, and the next thing you see is guys chucking scale F-22's and SU-27's into the air :eek: I feel like a kid with A.D.H.D in a candy store, nearly all of my favorite airplanes have versions in depron on here, along with free downloadable plans. I'll definitely be jumping on the Tom Nelson Flanker bandwagon as soon as I feel my flying skills are good enough.

I have had some ideas for airplanes that I have not been able to find on here yet though. Maybe some of you guys would be up to the challenge of trying some of these.

First: Project Aurora, the supposed replacement for the SR-71. No public photos exsist, but the Bill Sweetman design shown here looks pretty cool, and should be able to be converted into a flying version:

http://www.area51zone.com/aircraft/auroraviews.jpg

Second:The Lockheed U-2, probably not too exciting to fly, but still pretty cool:
http://mas.arc.nasa.gov/gallery/er2/U2-R.jpg

More to follow,

Mike

[Mike Strohmeyer]

This one might have some stability issues with the negative dihedral wingtips, but would be the ultimate in cool:
http://www.jimbrooks.org/web/aviation/full/firefox.jpg

Another Black plane, likely this would fly like a brick but the roll rate would be fantastic.....
http://aesp.nasa.okstate.edu/fieldguide/images/x15/airforce/ax15big.jpg

Remember this one from the 80's? HIMAT research plane used by NASA:

http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/images/content/109491main_himat_330.jpg

X-36, How cool would this be?

http://www.jefflewis.net/graphics/aircraft/X-36.jpg

[Mike Strohmeyer]

Nice 3 view of the HIMAT

http://trc.dfrc.nasa.gov/Newsroom/FactSheets/Images/FS25_HiMAT_3view.jpg

[im-sad]

Me id choose the fox bat. Its cool and sorta has the f 117 shape.

[Mike Strohmeyer]

Working on the plans as we speak. 1/25 scale, 22.5" wingspan and 30.25" length. The stability issues with its wing design should only be a problem at low speed, high AOA flying. I think it will have a tendancy to roll to the side. Buildup will be from 6m and 3mm Depron, and will probably be pretty ugly as this is my first attempt at making anything with flat foam :D

Mike

[Mike Strohmeyer]

A few more ideas:

Bell X-1:I know this has been done before, but I haven't seen one recently. This could lend itself to some really interesting paint jobs as well.

http://www.fiddlersgreen.net/AC/aircraft/Bell-X1/X-1-info/x-1threeview.gif

Coors Silver Bullet: Did someone say beer? Forget radio control, I bet if I make it from two layers of 6mm it will hold me.....

http://www.bd5.com/coor2c.jpg

Tacit Blue: Ok, so it looks like a protien bar wrapper with wings. Lots of flat panels there. If I didn't know any better, I'd say the real thing is probably formed of Depron.

http://www.hufos.net/images/tacit_blue.jpg

[Mike Strohmeyer]

I have the main delta shape drawn out. I still have to draw the rudders and skin foldouts for the fuse and engine nacelles. The skins are largely going to be a trial and error proccess until I get them to fit up. This is a lot like sheetmetal layout, which I've done quite a bit of so it should go smoothly. At this point, I'm not sure if I should just bend the downward angle into the wingtips, or cut, bevel and glue them on. Either way, the carbon fiber spar will only be able to extend out to about half the width of the wing, which could lead to some fluttering at high speeds :( Anyway, heres a quick look at what I have so far:

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y204/Z-TARD/firefoxplan1.jpg

[Scaledown]

I'm not sure how close those wing tips will be from the ground, but you might consider landing loads as well as flying loads.
My latest plane will have glassed wings instead of a carbon spar. You might consider this for your bent tips.
I can't fault the strength of a carbon tube though. My Flanker dove into the ground at top speed. The only part that wasn't broken was the wing!

[Mike Strohmeyer]

Doh! I hadn't even considered glassing the wings. I bought some carbon fiber spar material for making a Flanker, and was kinda fixated on using it for this one as well. I think now I'll leave it out and just glass it instead. Thanks for the tip,

Mike

[RCParkflyer]

Hi Mike,

I tried an Aurora for the Jet Design contest last year, and I didn't make it much past the chuckglider stage, http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2447208#post2447208

I tried a twin minifan set-up with mechanical retracts, and built the jet way too small, too much wingloading, so if your going to build it MAKE IT BIG :)

I'll probably re-visit the project over the winter again, it's too cool of a jet not to fly.
Don't have any plans though.

Tom

[Mike Strohmeyer]

Wow, thats an amazing project, I hope you get time to work on it again. I'd definitely like to see that one in the air. I'm a little less ambitious, probably would go with a pusher or single ducted fan for the sake of simplicity and a lower wing loading.

For now I'm going to go with the Firefox build, brushless pusher configuration. I'm not going to fly it until I've had sufficient stick time on my Ikarus SU-27 though. I'd much rather auger in with the mass produced plane....

Mike

[steve crewdog]

If you could get this to fly....


ST. LOUIS, October 18, 2002 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] today unveiled the "Bird of Prey," a technology demonstrator that pioneered breakthrough low-observable technologies and revolutionized aircraft design, development and production. The once highly classified project ran from 1992 through 1999, and was revealed because the technologies and capabilities developed have become industry standards, and it is no longer necessary to conceal the aircraft's existence.


http://www.boeing.com/news/releases/2002/q4/nr_021018m.html

[RicoJ]

Dave Blum has done a BD-5/ silver bullet, balsa with IPS drive, plans are available...

[roccobro]

Clause is doing the Dryden Himat, there has been a couple CD powered SR-71's, and I've seen some minifan U-2's. I think the U2 was FG not Derpon though. Yes it is a good time to be in RC! :D I kinda like the looks of the X-36 perconally.

Justin

[wbnemo1]

guess you didnt see my Firefox build thread :) this one is static but will be the basis for the 1/8th scale Turbine powered one
Enjoy da pics,
Will
ps is see you started with my old cads of the Firefox :) so many have started with those heh, does me proud :)

Firefox Mig -31 (http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=344200)

[wbnemo1]

got a little update over at my thread too

[Mike Strohmeyer]

Wow, definitely looking forward to seeing your 1/8 scale firefox project underway, should make for some extremely realistic in flight video. Thanks also for the CAD drawings, without them I would have been pretty much screwed for accurate 3 view drawings. I'm amazed at how little documentation of this plane exists on the internet. Such an amazing looking bird, yet no mass produced plastic models, no toys. Zilch. I must have made dozens of Firefox's out of cut up cardboard tubes and boxes when I was a kid. Finally the finances and technology are available to make an electric version out of Depron :D Eventually I may scale up the plans to 1/20 to make a twin ducted fan version. I don't think my girlfriend would let me make one in 1/8, you must have a very understanding significant other :D

Mike