Dreams About Clusters
I have started building a Delta Star rocket plane kit by R & R Model Aircraft.
http://www.randrmodelaircraft.com/R&...t%20Planes.htm
This is a very detailed kit with many laser cut balsa parts, 52 pages of instructions, two full scale plan sheets used for placing and assembling parts and a number of other parts.
latest photo
Where DID you find this kit???I want one so bad!! I scoured my back issues of R/C mags for the Ladyhawk which I believe this evolved from. Akit w/laser cut parts is sooo much betterer!! Details, my boy, details!!!
TRA 2383
I'd like to have a smart phone, but I don't qualify.
I'm not user friendly, I have Anti-Social Security.
I don't always do things, but when I do, I think I'm busy
I'm usually left holding the bag. If I got a Right bag, maybe it would be better.
Why is it a launch lug? They are usually too small to carry your rocket to the pad with.
Why do I need an altimeter that talks back to me? I can get that at home.
Dreams About Clusters
The kit is classic in its use of many balsa pieces to build up the plane. The quality of the laser cutting is excellent. Solid building skills and a very delicate touch are required.
I have been looking forward to this build for a long time.
As my experience is more rockets and less planes, I am having to read the instructions several times going in to each section of the build.
The build starts with the wings and is done primarily with CA (Super Glue). This allows for quick bonding, which is good as there are many bonds to be made.
Some of the smaller laser cut balsa pieces break very easily and are difficult to handle. There is supposed to be one more tiny wing cross section two inches further out from the wing tips pictured. As they broke in several places I decided to take a little off the wing tips.
As the area I fly in is frequently windy, this is the first of several things I plan to modify to toughen up the glider and aid in wind penetration.
Dreams About Clusters
Post 1 has link to the vendor's website and first picture has additional contact info.Originally Posted by fyrwrxz
Where DID you find this kit???
I got this kit a couple years ago but it is still available in all its laser-cut balsa goodness...
Order your kit Today!
Dreams About Clusters
The kit's instructions recommend using two Hitec HS-82MG servos to control the two elevons, so that is what I plan to do.
> Looking for advice on Tx Rx electronics.
The Hitec Optic 6 Sport 2.Ghz seems to offer the exponential and dual rates the instructions recommend.
http://www.servocity.com/html/optic_...hz_system.html
Any opinions on this or other suggestions are appreciated.
Last edited by delta22; 27th November 2011 at 07:52 PM.
NAR 89056 L3
Kind of a taste question; any 2.4GHz should be fine (I wouldn't suggest using 72 MHz for a new purchase). I use Spektrum myself and the DX5e http://www.spektrumrc.com/Products/D...ProdId=SPM5500 should also do what you need. It's a little cheaper though less capable. (It doesn't have expo and the dual rate is not adjustable nor do you have travel adjust, so maybe the DX6i would be a better choice.)
Last edited by mikec; 27th November 2011 at 07:20 PM.
Member
I had a Gamma Star up until last week, I had the battery go dead while it sat on the pad and had four igniter failures, my fault for not checking. Crashed, repairable but I probabaly won't get to it.
It flies OK, nowhere near as nice as the phoenix but OK. I think the trade off for the rear motor mount in terms of CG is just not a good one.
Make sure your CG is well forward for trim flights, but remember your glide and flare will be faster. And the roll rates are incredible at high rate radio settings so be careful. Shortening the wing will likely make this rate even faster!
very nice kit and instructions BTW, and decent wood selection.
Lurking member
The Delta Star was designed by John Boren (now of Estes), who occasionally posts here and on YORF...
Chris
Lifetime Member
The scissor wing version looks tempting, too.Post 1 has link to the vendor's website and first picture has additional contact info.
I got this kit a couple years ago but it is still available in all its laser-cut balsa goodness...
Order your kit Today!
Lifetime Member
There's a lot to this. The biggest and first choice is between Spektrum brand or non-Spektrum. Spektrum has the most market share, partly because of packaging their receivers into "bind and fly" models from their parent company. Walk into a hobby store, and you're almost guaranteed that they will carry Spektrum gear in stock, and models that will work with a Spektrum tranmsitter as soon as you plug into a battery That can't be said for any of the other brands. The other advantage to it is that there are really cheap Spektrum-compatible receivers available from HobbyKing. The downside of the brand is that the user interface for some of the more advanced functions is maddening. If you get into sailplanes with complicated setups on more feature-packed radios, the owners of non-Spektrum gear tend to be more satisfied than the Spektrum owners.
When a friend of mine got into flying sailplanes, I recommended to him to get a Hitec Aurora 9, and helped him set it up, despite the fact that I have a Spektrum DX8. It was much more straightforward than mine was.
Last edited by Adrian A; 29th November 2011 at 07:10 PM.
Member
I can recommend the spektrum dx6i I have used it for helicopter and had an opportunity to trade up to the dx7 fine radios that can be used for most anything with the model storage settings you can use them for many different craft without reprograming or changing things. once initially set up of course
-Z
-Jesse
What was I doing?..
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Member
PLEASE bug him about it! Maybe between the 2 of us we gan get him to finish it up.
He was working on a final design but busy at his real life I suppose. I would buy one in a heart beat. He is a great designer and his other kits look great.
Dreams About Clusters
Worked on the fuselage over the last several days.
After looking closely at the plans and parts, made some modifications as it went together. Removed 1/4" from the bottom (reducing drag) and 2" from the back (shifting motor forward). Replaced 6" x 32mm motor tube with 10" x 29mm and added two 24mm motor tubes near the CG for fun. Plan to do in flight boosts with these.
Dreams About Clusters
Had a problem with the nose alignment the first time and had to strip off top and bottom sheeting near the front. Second time was the charm.
Didn't bother with front opening the second time as I intend to insert battery through top hatch.
Nose piece required a quarter turn from what was noted in the instructions. Made a nice tip once sanded to form.
Dreams About Clusters
Beefed up rail button attachment points by pressing Tnuts into light ply rectangle epoxied to a bottom section of 1/8" basswood.
Went with a 6 x 32 threaded rod for retention.
Dreams About Clusters
Sheeted the top near the main motor tube and sanded entire fuselage.
Applied Elmers wood putty thinned with water, then sanded.
Fuselage is completed.
Vertical stabilizers will be moved to wing tops due to motor placement.
Mox nix
Nothing like jumping in with both feet. It'll be interesting to see how your modifications work out.
kj
Dreams About Clusters
Received RC gear from ServoCity: http://servocity.com/
Website is well organized and has lots of information to help with product selection and low prices when ready to order.
Hitec Optic 6 Sport 2.4GHz Transmitter
Hitec Optima 6 Receiver
2x HS-82MG Servos
2x 4-40x12" Stainless Steel threaded rod
4-40 Metal Clevis (12-Pack)
Rocket Boffin
I asked and, as you surmised, he has been "overcome by events." But he is actively working on prototypes. As with so many of our kit suppliers he has a "day job."
James Michener said: If wine, women, and song interfere with your job then quit your job.
Happy Holidays,
Will
Will Marchant, KC6ROL
NAR 13356, Tripoli 10125 L3, AMA 800142, FBIS
Dreams About Clusters
Added 1/4" to elevon cross sections as their length is slightly reduced.
Attached and formed the wingtips.
Built servo boxes with the (basswood?) braces.
Dreams About Clusters
Formed the vertical stabilizers from 1/4" balsa. Total surface area is slightly more than the single fin original design.
Added a balsa sheet inside wing where the vertical is attached. Added cross braces in both directions, making sure of alignment.
Dreams About Clusters
Sheeted top of wings with 1/16" balsa.
More thinned Elmer's wood filler and sanding to get smooth surfaces all around.
Dreams About Clusters
Attached wings, using braces as specified and repeatedly checking alignment.
Used epoxy at key join points.
Balsa airframe is 15.2 oz.
Senior Member
COOL plane,, I was thinking of modding one of my Diamond Dust deltas for rocket power, Might have to buy one of these though,,
Hey did the kit come with instructions for the electric conversion?
Tom
MDRA member since 2001,
TRA 9826 L3
KB3ZZT
Big project to date 90% Harpoon (it now has a new home)
Fleet includes, Full scale AMRAAM, 3" Mongoose, 50% AMRAAM, Gizmo XL, 33% Nike Smoke, 50% Nike Smoke, Jart, 5" Jart, Dark Star Extreme, Ultimate Dark star, 4" extended Little John, Spools,, yes I said SpoolS, Art Applewhite Stealth, Upscale Stealth, Many LPR class birds
The build pile includes;, Flying Pumpkin, 2 5.5" Harpoons, Broken Arrow, Sublime, 3 Estes Maxi brute Ho-Jos, 3 Estes SaturnVs, couple of UFFOs, Couple of Frik & Fracs, and too many other LPR class birds
People laugh 'cause I'm different, I laugh 'cause they're all the same.
Dreams About Clusters
Instructions are pretty thorough for the rocketplane build, but no info on electric conversion.
May get info by emailing R and R Model Aircraft at David@randrmodelaircraft.com.
If you do get info on this please post it in this thread.
Lifetime Member
Wow, nice work. Don't crash it!
-Adrian
Dreams About Clusters
Thanks.
Got the switches, thank you. I like Featherweight's screw switches, robust and tiny:
http://shop.featherweightaltimeters....sc?productId=3
Definitely my goal.
For the first few flights, will practice gentle controlled turns and flaring while the glider still has altitude to get a feel for it. Also adjust trims as needed.
Dreams About Clusters
As I was building this model I broke balsa pieces in the wings 7 or 8 times. Always easy to repair, but caused me to be very concerned about travel and flight durability.
So I gave in to my rocketeer's instincts and filleted the wing and vertical stabilizer join points with a very light bead of epoxy.
This step added 0.3 oz to airframe.
Dreams About Clusters
Then I fiberglassed the entire airframe with 1.3 oz glass and West 206 Slow Eopxy.
Two layers on the bottom and one layer on all side and top surfaces.
The airframe is vastly stronger and harder.
To try to cover curved airframe edges as effectively as possible, I taped dry edges of glass to underside of surfaces being covered. This worked fairly well.
Dreams About Clusters
Bare airframe after sanding now weighs 20.4 oz, a gain of 4.9 oz over the filleted airframe.
With the addition of the fiberglassed elevons and hatch cover, complete airframe as pictured weighs 21.2 oz.
Fringe benefit is that I can leave most of the balsa in view.
As most of the launches I attend are moderately windy, the added weight will help me cut through gusts.
I realize the extra weight will shorten flight times, but the greatly added strength will hopefully give this glider a long life.
Flight times can also be boosted with the central 24mm motor tubes.
Last edited by delta22; 29th December 2011 at 10:54 PM.
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