Astron Invader or Batplane?

[burkefj]

I was watching some of my older RC RG videos and watched a couple of my batplane. This used a long body tube to compensate for the rear mounted motor and flew really well. However, while I was taking a walk this morning I thought maybe I could apply what I did to the upscale Astron Invader R/C RG I built that has the motor up front and avoid the long body tube.

So, here she is, 19" diameter, 6 oz rtf with D2.3 rocket motor and R/C gear ready to fly. For finishing, I applied trim vinyl to the white areas to mask them off, heated them with a hair dryer then pressed them into the foam, then sprayed the entire thing with flat black, then removed the vinyl, and voila, bat plane outline but I get to keep the entire disk area for reduced wing loading and it makes the elevon controls much simpler to do. unfortunately I could not add any cockpit since it would get melted by the motor exhaust...

For the design, I re-worked the triangular stabs on the Invader to more batplane like stabs and angled them outward a bit like on the Keaton version of the batplane. Without the long stabs the disk lost a bit of it's longitudinal stiffness so I put in a small doubled keel on the bottom to compensate.

It's all set up for maiden tomorrow.

BTW, small disks/holes in the wing are for the rail buttons on the top to keep the rail away from the radio eqpt mounted on the bottom.

 

[tab28682]

Very cool, as always.

Years back there was a plan or kit for that style of Batplane. RC glow power, motor on the front center, the planform cut out of 3/4” or 1” EPS foam. Flew fine.

I bet if you enlarged yours slightly, experimented with the CG and control surfaces a bit, added a bit of carbon here and there, you could cut away the white area and fly the actual Batplane shape. Still must have the front motor position, of course.

This also looks like the perfect candidate for a flying version of Captain America’s shield.

 

[burkefj]

It probably could but with the vertical fins I have less option on the elevon placement and I just didn't feel like reducing the glide performance any more, it will look great on a bright blue sky day with the light shining through.

Very cool, as always.

Years back there was a plan or kit for that style of Batplane. RC glow power, motor on the front center, the planform cut out of 3/4” or 1” EPS foam. Flew fine.

I bet if you enlarged yours slightly, experimented with the CG and control surfaces a bit, added a bit of carbon here and there, you could cut away the white area and fly the actual Batplane shape. Still must have the front motor position, of course.

This also looks like the perfect candidate for a flying version of Captain America’s shield.

 

[burkefj]

I had a little fun with this one...

 

[Ez2cDave]

Me, too !