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Build Log
Hyperflight/Vladimir's Models ELF - Mini DLG
After a recent email from Neil at Hyperflight, A big, but very light box turned up on my doorstep yesterday. The majority of the contents in the box were fresh air, but also taped up nicely was one of the first production ELF gliders. The ELF is made by Vladimir's Models, and is a Mini DLG that weighs next to nothing! The ELF is from the same stable as the Blaster 2, and a number of other excellent little gliders! It is a pretty simple model, just a wing, pod/boom/tail feathers and the controls are rudder/elevator only. Estimated all up weight is going to be around 95 grams (3.5oz), and the wingspan is 1m. The wing loading is going to be in the region of 2.7oz/sq.ft, which means it should stay aloft on the slightest of updrafts! It will be available from Neil at Hyperflight imminently.
The parts that turned up in the box were very high quality indeed. The boom is a wrapped carbon affair with a pre-milled slot for the fin, and a flattened section at the front for mounting the RC equipment on. The fin looks like it has a rigid foam core with a vac-bagged glass finish, and live hinged rudder too.. The horizontal stab is similar to fin, although it is designed to mount to a carbon little standoff/pivot providing an all moving stab. Both the fin and the stab have carbon inserts to stiffen it up, and some kind of filler on the leading/trailing edge to provide a degree of ding resistance. Also included is a rather neat little pod assembly that has been moulded from transparent plastic. It is designed to be bonded to the boom, and has some threaded lugs to locate the wing onto. There is also a nosecone from the same material. The plastic is relatively thick, I was expecting a wafer thin part, but it is nice and sturdy (perfect for my landings!) The wing fit is brilliant, no gaps or fettling needed. The biggest bit of the kit, and the nicest, is the wing though. It has a large amount of dihedral, but as it is a rudder elevator model, that is to be expected. The construction is a blend of carbon, balsa and film. The spar is made up of carbon, with a vertical grain shear web. This interfaces with balsa ribs that have carbon cap strips, and a moulded carbon D box. The trailing edge is a carbon strip, and aft of the spar is covered with film. The D box and spar are nicely curved, and at the wingtip there is a slot for bonding in the launching blade. The centre of the wing has some reinforcement for mounting it to the pod/fuselage, and a recess to clear a receiver in the pod. The whole affair is amazingly light, and incredibly strong. It also looks rather nice ![]() The accessory pack looks to be quite comprehensive too, some carbon rods for the pushrods, end fittings, screws for the wing, the rudder horn, two launch blades (one for each end of the wing so it can be an ambidextrous model!), the elevator mount/hinge/horn and a few other little bits and pieces too. I've not had chance to weigh any of the parts yet, so I'll get that done when I get some workshop time on Sunday. Suffice to say it is featherweight though! I'll be fitting a pair of Ripmax SD100 servos for control duties, and a trusty Jeti Duplex R4 . The power source is also a new product that will be available from Hyperflight called the Shread RC Smart Lipo. It consists of a single 240mAh lipo cell, and a small chunk of electronics to provide a regulated 5v output at up to 1A. It also has a warning buzzer to report the cell voltage/low voltage, and a little 2 pin jack. The jack has a jumper fitted to power the device down (remove it to turn on) and the same jack is also used to charge the pack. Interestingly, the charge control is all done by the device, so you just need to connect it to a 5-15VDC power source. The charge rate and cut-off are all controlled by the Smart Lipo, and protection from over-discharge are all integrated too. All this weighs a paltry 11grams, and fits perfectly in the nose cone of the ELF ![]() I'll be taking some pictures of the build, and describing what I am doing, but that won't start until Sunday, but for more information, here are some links: www.hyperflight.co.uk - UK distributor of Vladimir's models (ELF, Blaster etc) and Shread-RC. http://f3j.in.ua/index.php?id=190 - ELF product page on Vladimir's website http://shread-rc.com/?p=6 - Shread-RC product page for the Smart Lipo Cheers Andy |
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Last edited by bigandy; Aug 03, 2010 at 05:00 AM.
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Last edited by DLGjunkyard; Oct 02, 2018 at 06:35 AM.
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Before you go off classifying this as a Mosquito class glider, it is NOT a Mosquito class glider.
Mosquito Class was by definiton a glider with a wingspan of 0.75 meters. Since this plane has a span of 1 meter, it is way out of of the class. There is a big difference in performance increase with the extra 25 cm. If you want to see Mosquito class gliders go to http://spieltek.com/SunbirdSoaring/M...aring-MHLG.htm. Chris |
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I've now put up a product page for the Elf:
http://www.hyperflight.co.uk/product...i-dlg&code=ELF I've also got a few of the amazing SmartLipo regulators: http://www.hyperflight.co.uk/product...SMART-LIPO-240 Until I get more stock initial SmartLipo 240 units are reserved to Elf purchasers. The other sizes are available for all. Thanks for the bandwidth. Neil. |
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Last edited by DLGjunkyard; Oct 02, 2018 at 06:35 AM.
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Thanks Registerwing. BTW I can supply SmartLipos worldwide, and we only charge £2.95 (~ $4.50) postage for small orders. However I cannot supply Elfs to US customers, please get them from KC.
Neil. |
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Last edited by DLGjunkyard; Oct 02, 2018 at 06:35 AM.
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rcgeorgeQuote:
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Quote:
BTW you don't need to remove the sheath nosecone from the Elf, you cut a small hole for the jumper/switch instead. Neil. |
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