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Views: 177
From the 1960's -
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Prather Product Land Sailer that donated a frame for my Parasail. -
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Even the over-size metal-arms on the servos was stuff on hand. -
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Wire fruit basket shroud around prop! -
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Before final assembly weight was a good 1651 grams. Which was too light!
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After the plastic battery tray was glued to the top of the keel, I cut a large hole underneath it for the two servos. The plywood is used as a guide for arm fore/aft placement. -
Views: 202
The two rotary servos stack one above the other, and have their control arms aligned vertically over the stock locations for the arms. -
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Servos are carefully positioned so that the top of their cases are in line with the sides of the fuselage and also perpendicular to the sides. So that only the output spline of the servo will show through the fuselage once wrapped in foam. -
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Servos casing were wrapped in clear tape, to seal them and add a bit of strength, then glued to the keel using UHU Por glue. -
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With the fuselage now wrapped in foam, one can see how the servos are in-line with this wrapping such that only the splined servo shaft protrudes. -
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Fun with creative clamping! Here securing the foam bottom cover to the fuselage with Super Phatic glue. -
Views: 212
The finished assembly with servo arm in position. The scale control arm in the kit can be added onto the servo arm for higher fidelity. The white foam bit underneath the arm is where the arm would have been if built stock. This will be painted.
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Views: 237
I started with this Electric Flight Bird. Shipped well protected and arrived in good shape. Simple 1-channel ON/OFF control. -
Views: 249
My Altaira Bird version # five next to box for size comparison. Wingspan is about 11 inches. -
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Altaira Bird version # five. Requires about 2 degrees of right rudder to counter drag from drooping left side wing. -
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Altaira Bird # 5 showing Spektrum brick control. -
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Altaira Bird version # five V-tail underneath smaller version 4 V-tail (minus control surfaces). #5 is 50% wider and offers stronger control response. -
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Weight of all stock parts is 15 grams. -
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Weight of Altaira bird version # four is 17 grams with 130mah flight battery. -
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The two wing crank arms were replaced with black carbon fiber. Now with holes spaced closer together the wings still open enough.
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AD/HD wing gluing to fuselage. Full size plan cut into templates for parts. All 3 of them! -
Views: 246
Motor mount is a metal tube glued to rear of fuselage. A temporary motor is aligned for zero side thrust. -
Views: 237
To balance at the recommended CG, two metal nuts are glued to the nose. After test gliding this AD/HD they were removed. -
Views: 259
Finished airplane ready for maiden flight. -
Views: 243
Bottom view showing component placement. -
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Foam fin is fixed and simply taped in place for easy repairs. -
Views: 270
Close up of the airfoil. The motor thrust angle is overly steep and was reduced about half prior to maiden flight.
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Views: 233
C-17 packaged well and arrived without damage. -
Views: 255
RTF apparently means something different to this manufacture. Notice picture on side of box of parts needing assembly before flying can be done. -
Views: 223
Fuselage before cutting lengthwise. -
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Fuselage cut easily enough with a sharp knife. -
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Fuselage hollowed out to reduce weight.
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DW Rainbow 800 flying wing kit fully assembled. -
Views: 305
Servos moved outward and forward, longer and taller fuselage center section fabricated, foam removed for propeller placement toward nose. -
Views: 319
Carbon fiber rods added to central wing and control surfaces, reinforced tape added across central rods and leading edge of wing. -
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A small twist causing right roll from joining the left and right halves of the wing a bit crooked. -
Views: 300
Foam nose cone added to protect longer fuselage. Reinforced tape allows for easy removal, repair, and redesign of nose. -
Views: 306
Weight RTF with 1050mah 3-cell is 295 grams. Recommended flying weight is 165 grams. -
Views: 308
Weight RTF is 10 - 3/8 ounces with 1050mah 3-cell lipo. -
Views: 312
Size comparison of Rainbow 800mm wing to larger Zagi 400X 48 inch wing. Both are 3-cell power with Graupner 12 or 13 cm propellers. Zagi OEM motor is 3100KV and Rainbow motor installed is 2300KV.
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Not everyone appreciated my triangular fuselage shape, so succumbing to peer pressure I will redesign this in April 2018. -
Views: 248
Landing gear is not all enough to rise off of the ground. -
Views: 241
Most electronics on this side. -
Views: 238
64 grams without 2-cell lipo battery. Otherwise ready to fly. -
Views: 240
Comparison of my Twirl Tiny (1-cell on left) and Twirl Tween (2-cell on right). Note overly large wing added to Tiny to unload the motor in flight. Cheating, I know. -
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Working from scaled down plans for the Twirl I adapted a framework out of carbon fiber rod, music wire, wood, and heat shrink tubing. -
Views: 228
Foam from small food trays used for profile fuselage and stabilizer. -
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Test fit of foam, balsa, and CF rotors. -
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Spektrum circuit board installed and landing gear added. -
Views: 255
Looking very much the Twirl design now with modest wing and all pieces of fuselage. -
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23 grams total weight with a 7mm motor and a single 130-140mah lipo. -
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Indoor model flying group on January 30, 1982. Cheboygan Michigan. That's me on both knees at the bottom right of the photo holding a scratchbuilt pusher canard. -
Views: 370
Balsa Saucer as built and flown by Dad. -
Views: 393
Dad's original 8 inch balsa freeflight Saucer and my foam 11 inch RC version. -
Views: 397
Splash of orange on the fin and rudder is overspray from a Dynex 2.4 micro airplane kit. A scrap piece of foam from that kit is reused here. -
Views: 383
Saucer 1982 ready for maiden flight on January 30, 2016 -
Views: 380
Bottom view showing simple wire landing gear and tidy motor wire routing. -
Views: 378
Travel box cut from cardboard and styrofoam.
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Views: 344
Fuselage, fin, and rudder have holes added for weight savings. -
Views: 339
Stabilizer, elevator, and wheel skirts also received holes. -
Views: 362
Wing span increased by 25% with addition of one rib per half. Notice splices in balsa sheeting and length of leading edge stick. -
Views: 344
Coloring of landing gear plywood with a Sharpie prior to assembly. Two coats minimum. -
Views: 353
Splash of black added to battery cavity. -
Views: 342
Combination of Aerolite covering and Sharpies used for basic detailing. -
Views: 323
Headrest for pilot routed out to reduce weight. -
Views: 376
Partially covered and testing of wing fit on January 12, 2015.
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Views: 367
It's Ironman! Hard to miss this box on the shelf! The missing box corners make opening it a PITA. -
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He still fits in the box after my changes to the motors, TX, and landing gear. -
Views: 356
Added are gearboxes and GWS4530 prop to the OEM motors. More than doubled the thrust. Still counter rotating. -
Views: 353
Showing lines of the design. Quite a bit of reflex between the knees and toes. I haven't changed this, yet. -
Views: 375
Landing gear sprung from swiveling motor bar. Motor bar also supporting the RX and plastic head. -
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Propeller thrust angles are original and rather pronounced! Black patch on chest over white circle is Velcro for the battery. -
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Showing three levels to fuselage.
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Micro S-Pou! after a January 2016 refreshing of a 2010 build. The much taller and bit longer fin and rudder design resulted from much trial and error. Turns are now smooth and predictable. -
Views: 377
Back in 2012 the lifting stabilizer was replaced with this flat foam shaped a bit like the original fin. Covering the wing bottom changed it from under chambered to flat bottom with no flight degradation. -
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A few stickers added to the sides for the heck of it! -
Views: 382
Part of the refresh was a new storage box that has room for the unused stabilizer, fin, and rudder of the original design that I built.
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Views: 382
Fuselage rework showing the change to the landing gear holder with new square shape on the right for a friction fit with the music wire. -
Views: 366
Dry-fitted prior to sanding. -
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Looks good from any angle! -
Views: 342
Not a small micro airplane, and a bargain for the price of the kit. -
Views: 378
Fuselage stained with Danish Oil and the wing painted with Torch Red automotive paint that matches my Corvette! -
Views: 360
Aerolite covering partially applied, prior to assembly. -
Views: 358
Observe new shape of the landing gear wire. Specifically the center bends where it slides into fuselage holder. -
Views: 379
Assembled and awaiting finishing touches and the electronics.
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Majority of Sweet Dream ultralight kit is assembled and sanded. -
Views: 467
Dry fitting of pieces to admire the proportions. -
Views: 521
The open fuselage is what drew me to buy this model. -
Views: 458
Yes, looks good enough to finish. -
Views: 486
The British finishing kit is being installed. Stain is a medium-walnut Danish Oil. -
Views: 508
Underside of wing is spray painted with Valspar radiance blend. The undersized GWS wheels will be replaced with larger ones before they are finished too. -
Views: 507
Looks a little bare without the thread rigging and carbon fiber bracing! -
Views: 486
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Sandy-Witch and Son-Of-A-Witch (without rider). -
Views: 394
18 Inch span for Sandy and 9 inch for Sonny -
Views: 356
Grocery bag covering to be replaced with black ultra-light covering. -
Views: 399
Son-Of-A-Witch without rider and prior to maiden flight. -
Views: 389
Sonny with new LiteSpan cape and foam pilot version 1. -
Views: 354
March 12, 2014 the black cape was added. -
Views: 364
Sonny lost weight! -
Views: 343
Sonny is very thin :-)