YF-19 and SV-51 for radio control

[HWR MKII]

Luke dont be suprised if i approach you to make one of those for me in a bout a year.

[IAD]

A VF-0S, you mean? Alright, I'm forewarned.

~Luke

[HWR MKII]

If the price range is similar to the SV it will take me about a year to save up the buffer money for me to get it. I am interested though.

[IAD]

If I ever get there, it should be about the same.

Moving along on the SV(s)... Got the new motors installed in my ship, so the thrust is up 2.5 oz., compared to the first flight. Thrust/weight ratio of 1:1.68, as I recall, as opposed to 1:2.5 before. (Good numbers, 1:3 is widely considered minimum.) Still no test-flight, but it should be good, when it happens.

I've started installing pushrod runs on your ship, and everything's falling right into place. The rear half of the body is pretty much assembled, and things are generally looking good. (I also finished opening up the ducting, which was a big job, which I'm very happy to be done with. )

~Luke

Edited June 15, 2006 by IAD

[HWR MKII]

all of it sounds like good news to me. Will the new motors be going into my ship as well?

[IAD]

Of course! Except for some structural improvements on yours, the two ships should be practically identical.

~Luke

[HWR MKII]

any new developments?

[IAD]

Just back from a week at Cape Cod. I should have things to report by tomorrow, though.

~Luke

[HWR MKII]

no worries just seeing whats up.

[IAD]

Yep, I'm gluing the airframe into a coherent whole, so-to-speak. So far everything is nicely aligned, though I need to adjust the size of the gap between the 'shin guards' and the nacelle tops. (Bit excessive, in some places.)

~Luke

[IAD]

Ok, here's the first half of the update: (Pictures later tonight.)

I've been filling in the gaps around the nacelles... At this point, I think I've got them worked out well enough. At least I hope so... The weather is so humid, the filler I'm using takes some time to dry... :mad:

I've also glued together the front and rear halves of the lifting body. (Finally.) However, in the process of doing that, I found some errors in the cross-sections around the wing root, which I'm addressing now. (Have to let the filler dry.)

Hopefully by the other half of this update, I'll have the pushrod runs installed, which in turn allows me to attach the LEX assemble.

In the mean time, I'm going to go build the CF-reinforced lower fins.

~Luke

[HWR MKII]

MMMMMM Carbon Fiber Fins

[IAD]

Yes, they make the lower fins quite nearly indestructible. (Which is good, since you land on them...) Techincally not carbon-fiber fins, though... (I wish.) More like 'carbon-fiber-rod-reinforced-sheet-foam-tissue-skinned-fins'... But that's a bit of a mouthful.

I ended up sanding the airfoil into the wings, instead, though. CF fins tomorrow. I did get the cross-sections fixed up nicely, and sanded in the faces for the fins to mount to... (Tricky job, done using a jig, to ensure the faces are parallel to the aircraft centerline, and at the correct angle.)

All things considered, much progress was made today.

~Luke

Edited June 27, 2006 by IAD

[IAD]

And here are a few pictures... Really, nothing stunning/hasn't-been-seen-before, but...

First, the usual partially-assembled overall... Note the nicely sanded wings.

After that, a few showing the process of getting the cross-sections fixed up and symetrical, and finally, rounding out with a couple shots of the nacelle tops, which still need work. (And, of course, the mandatory thrust-vector-vane shot. )

Oh, never mind. It mixed them all up, so there is no order... Oh well. (Note also that some of the photos were taken before I sanded the airfoil into the wing.)

~Luke

Edited June 27, 2006 by IAD

[HWR MKII]

Awesome. That is looking really nice Luke. It will be a head turner for sure even sitting still.

[IAD]

Got all the control runs in place, just waiting for the glue to dry/foam, so that I can sand everything flush.

~Luke

[IAD]

I also got the carbon reinforcements done on the lower fins. These things are about the strongest single component on the entire airframe. (Note that I still need to install the mounting plates that keep them from chewing up the slots I mount them in.)

~Luke

[HWR MKII]

MMMMMM carbon fiber reinforcements. (DROOOOOLLLL)

[Lightning]

so is there going to be a YF-19 sometime in the near future?

[IAD]

A VF-0S will be the next Macross project I work on, but a YF-19 is possible... (Eventually. )

~Luke

Edited July 5, 2006 by IAD

[Lightning]

hmm.....maybe a VF-4 could work then...*starts drooling*

[HWR MKII]

(Bangs head on desk) guys please i really need my money. The VF-0S sounds very tempting but for now i will have to digress. Ill be happy with a 51 for now. It looks better anyway.

[Lightning]

'tis fools talk to say that a Sv-51 looks better than the VF-4...lol.

[IAD]

Wait... The VF-4... Is that the ship that Vinnie has in that comic of his?

Hmmmmmm... It is.

Nice big canard, good bit of wing... And the intakes/exhausts don't look too crowded. (Exhaust might need a bit of adjustment.)

But the SV-51 still looks better. (Much more real-world, which is a big plus to my eye.)

Sean, don't worry, with the level of head-banging trickiness these things represent in terms of carving and rigging, I'll be in no particular hurry to further deplete your savings account.

I've got all the control surfaces cut out, by the way. Getting closer.

~Luke

[IAD]

Disclaimer: This post does not indicate intention, only ability:

The VF-4, at ~1:25 scale would be 24" long, with an 18" span, and some 105"^2 of wing, including the canards. Total weight would be approximately 9 oz., as opposed to the SV, at 12.6 oz, but thrust would be the same, or higher. (7+ oz. of thrust.) No adjustment to the intake/exhaust areas would be required. Thrust vector would be feasible, and of higher effectiveness than that of the SV.

I'm off to work on the second SV, before I waste another day doing CAD models!

~Luke

[Lightning]

Disclaimer: This post does not indicate intention, only ability:

The VF-4, at ~1:25 scale would be 24" long, with an 18" span, and some 105"^2 of wing, including the canards. Total weight would be approximately 9 oz., as opposed to the SV, at 12.6 oz, but thrust would be the same, or higher.  (7+ oz. of thrust.)  No adjustment to the intake/exhaust areas would be required.  Thrust vector would be feasible, and of higher effectiveness than that of the SV.

I'm off to work on the second SV, before I waste another day doing CAD models!

~Luke

414151[/snapback]

hmm....how big can you make it? 1:10 scale? (at least it's feasible...)

[IAD]

Making it bigger is generally easier, though expense is seemingly exponentially proportionate to dimensions, in terms of the power and control systems required...

By the way, why is it that all the top-view of the VF-4 don't match the dimensions given in the Compendium? All of the drawings I've found have the wingspan too short...

~Luke

[Lightning]

i'm not sure on the second question...

could it be possible to use gas jet engines for a 1:10 scale model, and make it out of aluminum?

[IAD]

Well, if you have about $10,000 for gas turbines, etc... And are prepared to fly an airframe fully capable of killing someone, in the event of an accident.

Aluminum would be a poor choice of material, in my opinion... Though very scale-feeling, it wreaks havoc on the radio gear, is relatively hard to work with, and isn't especially light.

Fiberglass/carbon are the materials of choice. (Come on, this is a variable fighter! Composite construction all the way! )

1:10 scale isn't impossible for an electric, I might add. Some EDFs put out 4.5 lb. of thrust... A pair of those would be more than enough for a 6' long VF-4... But designing/building/flying aircraft that size/weight are outside of my area of expertise.

~Luke

[IAD]

Just so there are no concerns that I've degraded to an all-talk-and-no-build mode...

Only two pieces of foam left to cut on the second SV! (Specifically, the control-run covers that go on the front half of the lifting body.) I've got the LEX glued in place, and except for the canards, all the control/lifting surfaces are now airfoiled.

I recut the intakes, since the first set weren't very good... The new ones came out perfect, so I'm happy. I also cut the under-LEX fuselage section, which, once installed, will allow me to cut the electronics bay... Tomorrow I'll sand the new pieces to shape, and glue them in place.

~Luke

[IAD]

Sean, quick question...

Take a look at these photos... Note how the front face of the top thrust-vector vane is visible from certain angles... (As shown with the red arrow.)

Is this acceptable, or should I rework the hinge-points to properly conceal the front face/pivot? On my ship, the mounting arrangement is slightly different, but much harder to maintain/assemble/disassemble, something that may have to be done, on occasion... (Particularly when painting.)

On the other hand, my ship has the thrust-vector vane further inside the nacelle 'glove', thereby concealing the front face...

This is an aesthetics-only issue, mechanically, it's fine now, and would be fine if I moved the pivot-point around a bit.

~Luke

P.S. None of the vanes are glued to the pivots yet, nor are the pivots attached to the airframe. Any misalignments in the photos will be corrected.

Edited July 11, 2006 by IAD

[HWR MKII]

Looks fine to me. As long as it deflects the air im happy. Will you be giving this a FCF before you send it to make sure its flightworthy?

Edited July 11, 2006 by HWR MKII

[IAD]

Ok, fine by me.

Yes, as long as you don't mind, I planned on taking it up for a couple circuits, to make sure it was trimmed out, and what-not.

~Luke

[HWR MKII]

Get a friend who is experienced at flying similar airframes and take a vid of the 2 in the air

Seriously though it would help if you were to fly it not just for the initial trim issues but also to take notes to get to me for any little quirks this airframe may have compared to yours.

[IAD]

Unfortuantely, I'm one of those lone-eagle types... I don't really know anybody I'd trust with my SV. Besides, experienced with similar airframes? What's similar to this?! (Joking!)

I'll make sure to note down any strange characteristics, though I'm quite confident that it will be well-behaved.

~Luke