X-34 Concept Scale Build

Like Wayne and Garth: We are not worthy!

Apart for maybe two more coats of primer on just the control surfaces which I will do today I consider these two builds ready to be assembled for flight. These images contain all the bits and pieces of the wing models. All the detail stuff and paint will come after a test flight. Both of these models are similar in their overall size. These once light weight models are quickly turning into Pigs.

As seen in the photos the Navaho is at 11.6 ounces, so depending on how much nose or tail weight I will need to get a correct balance I may still be close to my 14 ounce goal with the radio, fans and paint.

The X-34 is now at 15.5 ounces with the 29mm motor tube but not the screw on retainer. I see a good 17 ounce weight for this one ready for flight, which could go much higher depending on how much weight will be needed for flight balance. Then of course there is the empty weight of the motor as well.

John Boren

I made a HUGE decision this weekend. The first flight of my X-34 and Navaho will in fact be at NARAM 56. I am running out of weekends to test fly these models and even if they just happen to crash on the test flight I most likely wouldn’t have time to build something else anyway so I might as well do my test flights during the contest. With this said I needed to confirm the Center of Gravity for both models so I made these flat foam scale models. They both glide very nicely. The flying CG location on the X-34 matches almost exactly with the CG shown on one of the drawings I got off the web so I am pretty confident this is where I am going to balance my scale model at. The bad part is it is going to take around four ounces in the nose to achieve this CG. I’m not as confident on the CG location for the Navaho since I don’t have any published location for it but having designed and flow several canard type models I the past it looks about right so I am going to try it. Hopefully I will get a chance to do some under arm test tosses of both models over some nice green grass. The hard part is finding this type of grass in Colorado.

The other two images show the rear end of the model and the servo installation. The servos are small 4 gram servos while the 2.4 Hitech Receiver is the little black item to the right.


John Boren

The X-34 is about 90% complete. I still need to add more decals, some rear details and install the receiver and 3-axis auto pilot system. I’ll get some better photos of the completed model in the near future.

John Boren

JumpJet said:

The X-34 is about 90% complete. I still need to add more decals, some rear details and install the receiver and 3-axis auto pilot system. I’ll get some better photos of the completed model in the near future.

John Boren

Click to expand...

:y::y::jaw::jaw:

WOW!

Mag. Nif. I. Cent. You are an artist.

Here is the X-34 waiting to be judged in the judging room. Hopefully I'll get this one back in one piece when it flies this Friday.


John Boren

I think I'm pretty much out of words

This is another one of those builds that both puts me in awe, and leaves me feeling like a caveman banging away with stone tools by comparison. Well done.