I've got a GWS 30mm EDF with the 10mm HK B/L inrunner, and I've shrunk down the plans for both the microfan Super Bandit (http://www.parkjets.com/bandit/) and the F-35 (http://www.parkjets.com/f-35/) to 60% so the 30mm fan will fit. Which one do people think I should build? I've got two pusher jets (F-22 and F-15, both by jetset44 like the SB) so this won't be my first jet, but it will be my first EDF.

I've tested my fan at 54g w/o thrustcone, and well over 60g with the cone (my digi scales are only rated to 50g but will show up to 62g ish) using an XP7A ESC and a 240mAh G3 2s lipo, which is what I'll be using with either a lightweight 35Mhz rx or an AR6400, more likely the latter. Controls will most likely be elev/ail, though if elevons are highly recommended I'll go with them, I have a separate servo for the '6400 so this would be no problem, neither for that matter would would flapperons or spoilerons.

I'll be using mainly 2mm depron, with a little 3mm and 6mm if needed in places, and I cannot be bothered with laminating canopies or nosecones so they'll be made of carved blufoam, glassed and then hollowed as on the planes below.

I'm not looking for all out speed or aerobatics, nor am I too concerned about a scale looking plane, what I do want is something that will teach me a bit about EDF, like how it takes longer to get to speed and slow down again, and will penetrate a little wind. I'm leaning towards the Bandit at the moment as I've already got an F-22 which looks pretty similar to the '35, I like jetset44's planes, and it looks more streamlined to me.

Edit; as I've decided to build the Bandit and post pictures I've changed the title of this thread and changed it to a build log.

TWW,

Great minds thinkalike! I have been tossing around the idea of shrinking jetset44's bandit also. Its not scale but would make a great flying model. The F-18 and his F-15 would also work well but for some reason a micro sport jet appeals to me.

I scaled down Mr Boogie's F-35 and it gave me grief.

I also am thinking of doing a Bandit for EDF30. I have the plans printed out but haven't gone the next step. After seeing a fellow flyer maiden his full scale Schumate Bandit and then showing up with a great white scheme paint job, I am now really itching to make it.

I would recommend the Bandit for ease of build and better chance of a smooth maiden.

PDawg, If you go the other way you were thinking of, can you double up and I'll square you away as needed. Let me know either way.



Full post here

Having spent a sleepless night reading the EDF Bandit thread, and what you two guys have said, I'm going for the Bandit. I've downloaded the duct patterns for the inlet and outlet ready to print, and I've decided that I'm using the '6400, not sure yet as to whether I'll go with elevons but probably not just to simplify things.

Equipment weight is around 38g including a generous allowance for pushrods and control horns, the airframe should be less than 25g so AUW will be under 75g including paint, shoukld be a nippy little bugger with a wingloading of 5.9oz per ft². I've been working out a few mods in my head, mainly an experiment to do with forming the inlets so they'll be one piece folded and shaped rather than a top deck and side pieces, and I'm planning on using 6mm for the wings to avoid the need for spars and to allow a basic aerofoil to be shaped, 3mm for the empennage and 2mm depron for the fuse with a glassed blue foam nose with some 1/16 balsa doublers up the front of the fuse.

I read that this plane knife-edges well so I'll build with the option to add a rudder if wanted, but I'll go 3ch to start with.

I'm up at the inlaws at the moment but will be home this evening so I'll make a good start tonight, only a few bits to cut and glue on this one, I'll post pics as I go along.

Wildweasel, you may be on to something! I still have one of Mcross's 30mm edf units with no home. It gets good thrust (about 50gms) and I now have very light gear. I think I'll build one also and post here if you don't mind. Maybe this could be the official Micro bandit thread!? Your planes posted above are all super btw!

Thanks Mutcake, and not a bad idea on the thread, please do post anything you build here. The Bandit's coming together nicely apart from the ESC I was using deciding to give up the ghost just after I'd glued the fan and all the electronics in. Luckily I always test everything at each step as I go along so it will be easy to put another in in the morning.

I'll post pictures of what I've done later, but nothing majorly different from the original design.

Can't go wrong with a Bandit. Here's one I did a few years ago, recently remotored and PZ brick controlled. Not as eloquent as Jetset44's but Devmonkey's is easier to build quick and makes a good testbed.

I spent a couple of hours on the Bandit today and got it mostly finished, it's got all the electronics installed, been sanded to shape and had a coat of klear floor polish ready for the final sand tomorrow. The only things left to do are to make the canopy and paint it.

I took pictures as I went along but they saved to the internal memory on my phone and the software's playing up so I can't get them to transfer to the computer, I'll dig out my bluetooth dongle in the morning so I can post them. I had to do some work in the ducts as the ESC was right in the airflow in front of the fan and I've not got around to testing the thrust now it's installed.

If anyone else does do this plane with a GWS 30mm then I'd say to do it a bit larger than 60% of the EDF plans, I had to carve slots into the side and top pieces to fit the inlet lip so maybe 65% would be better.

Weight so far with lipo is 56.38g, about half a gram will be lost with sanding the klear down so if I'm careful with paint and the canopy hatch it should be almost exactly 60g AUW, a 4.2oz ft² wingloading. I went with tailerons after all and sanded a basic aerofoil into the wings, which are two layers of 3mm depron. I used two layers so I could cut recesses for the equipment into one of the laminations.

I've finished my Bandit, I'm not 100% happy with the finish I gave it, but never mind.

AUW with lipo is 64.02g, so not too bad. It glides across the living room nicely at any rate.

I still can't get the build pics off my phone, but here's some of it done.

Looks like a lot of fun TWW. What wingspan did you end up with?

Bandit at 10 oclock!
Now that's a good looking plane. You may not be 100% happy but it still looks great. I'd like to know the dimensions also. When I get around to building mine I want it to have some aerobatic flying qualities. I hate flying edf's fast just to keep them airborne. I hope it flies well for you. Good luck.

The ws is 345mm, or about 14". Just waiting for the wind to drop before dusk and then I'm off to maiden it, and try out one of those keychain cameras on a motor glider.

Great job on your micro bandit, i look forward to your maiden report and curious to see how long your flighttime is with that setup.

Weasel, did you get a chance to maiden your bandit? I built mine mostly of 3mm depron and I think its too heavy! I will try again. I also wanted to do aileron/elevator instead of elevons. I think I will try with thinner material next.

The wind's been a bit too high to maiden lately, hopefully soon though. I used 3mm on mine, there's such a small weight penalty compared to 2mm (a lot of the weight of depron is in the skin) that it seemed foolish to trade it for the extra strength of 3mm, plus the extra thickness is handy when sanding curves into the body.

I've added a few more bits of solartrim to it and it looks a lot better now.