Hi all,

At the beginning of the second Scale build Off I had great plans. I wanted to participate in both categories with a Dornier Do335 in the multi engine category and a Mig-9 in the EDF category. But a new job combined with putting the house up for sale and designing a new house put an end to my cunning plan. The Do335 is almost ready for cutting, but I just don´t have the time to build it right now. The Mig-9 was constructed as a “Keep-It-Simple-Stupid” design and will be used as a test bed for a future double size Mig-9. I did cut some corners during the design process in order to minimize the construction and build time. I´ll try my best to get the plane done and flown before the deadline, but the level of detail will suffer.

I choose the Mikoyan-Gurevich Mig-9 because it looks very agressive with it´s big round fuselage with those big guns and cannon sticking out and it´s a plane you rarely see modelled. Actually I wasn´t able to find a single Mig-9 RC-model when doing an internet search. I´m not saying it hasn´t been done, but it sure is hard to find. Plenty of Mig-15´s out there, but no Mig-9´s. Here´s a bit of info about the real Mig-9:

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 Fargo was a first-generation Soviet turbojet fighter and attack aircraft developed by Mikoyan-Gurevich in the years immediately after World War II. It was an orthodox design with a straight wing and a nose intake. Performance and handling suffered because of the primitive engines, copies of the German BMW 003. The MiG-9 were commonly armed with a single 37 mm cannon and two NS-23 23 mm cannon. The mounting of the three cannon were unusual with the NL-37 being mounted in the centerline engine intake bulkhead, and the two smaller cannon firing out the lower lip of the intake. This unusual location of heavy cannon is suspected to have caused several pilot deaths due to gun gas ingestion and led to restricitons on the heavy cannon use at various altitudes. The Mig-9 reached a speed of 565 mph (910 km/h) during initial tests, and after further refinement, it entered service with the VVS as the MiG-9 during the winter of 1946-47. The jet had many performance- and steering-related problems, however it was put into service mainly because of political considerations. The MiG-9 was deployed largely in the ground-attack role and 610 aircraft were built in different versions by the time production ended in 1948.


The specifications of the model are:

600 mm wingspan
650 mm length
55mm No-Name fan with KV 5300 Motor2409H-7T
Elevator and ailerons
Balsa fuselage and fan tube
Depron wings.

- Michael Hammer

An update to the MIG-9 build can be found in my blog

The Mig-9 was constructed using Rhino 3D, my favorite CAD tool. The fuselage was drawn in 3D and cut into cross section. Then the cross sections were manipulated to something "buildable". Sounds fast and easy. It´s not

- Michael Hammer

Wow. Cool project, Michael. Lots of visual impact. Single EDF with split exhausts? Won't that cause a lot of lost thrust?

Watching with interest,

Regards,
Jeff

Thanks Jeff,

You´re are probably right about the loss in thrust, but because of the unique way the fuse is shaped from the exhaust to the tail there was no way I could avoid it. You will see it when I upload the pictures of the finished planked fuse. BTW It´s a pain in the B.. to plank

But judging by the amount of thrust that exits the split exhausts I don´t think it will be a problem. After all I´m building a 1946 jet with straight wings - it doesn´t have to have unlimited vertical performance

Take a look at this movie featuring the Mig-9:



- Michael Hammer

Hi Michael,
I'm signing up. I, too, love your choice of design programs. Looking forward to your posts and nice choice of subject.

Mike

Mike,

Rhino rules!!! I´ve worked with 4-5 different CAD programs from AutoCad to Inventor and they all have strong and weak points. Rhino just seems to do everything right. I´m very impressed with the program

Have been watching your Howard "Huge" Spruce Goose with great interest. Amazing work, Mike. I do hope you manage to finish it before the deadline. Great workmanship.

BTW. I bought my 1969 VW Karmann Ghia in Redding back in 1998 during a vacation i SF. Testdrove the car around Redding. Boy was I smiling like a kid in a candy store

- Michael Hammer

Originally Posted by michaelghammer

I bought my 1969 VW Karmann Ghia in Redding back in 1998..Testdrove the car around Redding../I smiling like a kid in a candy store - Michael Hammer

The locals still talk about the giddy foreigner terrorizing the streets in the 'Ghia.....T shirts were made and sold...."Hammer-Time" if I recall......wait, different legend.

Tom (Wacco) is doing very nice Rhino work as well. I'm hoping he finishes in time as it will be a tough vote between his awesome Comet and the beautiful Baron (something about those mountain snow shots has me on a rocky mountain high )

Can't wait to see your build posts. Next time you're in Redding look me up!

Mike

Mike,

I actually worked as a camp counselor in Connecticut while MC Hammer was at his highest. Boy did I consider changing my name that summer

Thank you for the invitation

Well, on with the build:

Wings were made from depron using 3mm skins, 5mm ribs and 3mm balsa main spars. The leading edge was done in the Pibros way (belgian designed depron delta plane). Everything was gluede with polyurethane glue. A pair of wings made this way can be fabricated in a couple of hours + a night for the glue to cure.

- Michael Hammer

The fuselage is made in two halfs - vertical split.

1/8" balsa keel and 1/32" plywood formers. Nothing fancy here...

- Michael Hammer

The ducting was made with 1.5mm balsa. I tried to use one piece of balsa cut from a template generated with Rhino´s powerfull "Unroll developable surface" but it was too difficult to get right. So I ended up strip planking the whole duct. If I decide to build a double size Mig-9 the duct will be redesigned

- Michael Hammer

Left and right side ducting done...
When the whole fuse is planked, the little piece of the keel between the duct exits will be removed.

- Michael Hammer

Holy cow!. Planking that duct goes way past PITA. Not to mention trying to keep everything true while you do it. Nice work.

Jeff

Originally Posted by michaelghammer

The ducting was made with 1.5mm balsa. I tried to use one piece of balsa cut from a template generated with Rhino´s powerfull "Unroll developable surface" but it was too difficult to get right. Michael Hammer

I've not successfully used the Unroll command yet either. Have you tried "Smash"? I've used it many times and it works well for me. You do have to halve the surface but that's usually not a big deal.

I agree that admiring your interior planking job goes beyond building a ship in a bottle!
Mike

Woow, nice build!!! I love those Rhino jobs
Subscribed

Unroll developable surface works only well for wooden parts when they are of simple shape, simple bending and thin regarding there surface. I've tried it too ;-)
My Comet's sides are made with this function and they have a perfect fit. But they are of very simple form.
I once tried to make a cardboard pylon racer. I drew the fuselage in segments so I could unroll them all with that fucntion. The paper model was finished in no time and looked good. But I never found good cardboard that could make the bends and shapes that I made in paper. After a zillion attempts I gave up. What was I supposed to do with a pylon racer anyway???

Michael,
Why are the holes in your formers not circular form but polygonal?

Mike,
Thanks for the compliment
I fear I'll come to late with the Comet. But we'll see

Tom

Originally Posted by michaelghammer

Left and right side ducting done...
When the whole fuse is planked, the little piece of the keel between the duct exits will be removed.

- Michael Hammer

Hi Michael!
Here how I did somewhere similar job.
Kostya