kjohnson
mox nix
- Joined
- Jan 19, 2009
- Messages
- 1,368
- Reaction score
- 69
A couple of years ago I started an Aerotech Phoenix kit with some friends who had purchased the SkyKing RC version. We got a great start on making the wings (using epoxy and a food saver vacuum bagger) and then sort of put the project away for a while.
This year a couple of us started up on the project again, and just did our maiden flights on Saturday 11/19- 3 years and 3 days after the first build session. Wow.
Unfortunately I wasn't taking photos of the build back then, so I don't have anything of the wing construction, but here are some photos from the recent months of the progress, starting with the alignment of the motor tube:
Jim holding his model with the wing bolted on. I think we were checking alignment for the tail feathers.
The bare fuselages with the already covered tail feathers attached.
A close up of the tails.
Jim working on the covering for his model. We made templates (the white piece in the foreground) for all the bits of covering.
Here are the fuselages with part of the covering done.
My wing covered.
Everything but the fuselages covered.
Jim looks like he's having lots of fun!
Here they are with all the covering done.
This was the inspiration for the color scheme. We chose our colors based on the rolls of oracote that I had purchased when a local hobby shop closed down a few years ago.
We built switch jacks for the planes so we didn't have to pull off the canopy to turn the electronics on. When the jack is in place, the circuit is open, pull the plug and it closes. Here is the jack, and then the installation on my plane.
We flew them on Saturday at the NARHAMS sport launch. Here's Jim posing before his flight:
He of course made me fly first. Here is the video of my 1st flight using an F13 reload.
[YOUTUBE]YFeWI1PXc0Q[/YOUTUBE]
I need to work on my landings. There was a minor bit of damage which was repaired with some thin CA right there on the field. I flew another 3 times, once more on the F13 and then 2 G12 loads.
Here is Jim's maiden flight, also on the F13 reload.
[YOUTUBE]oFwEaI7Bt_I[/YOUTUBE]
He also needs to work on his landings. Jim had a little more damage from the tweaked landing, popped off the vertical and horizontal tails right at the glue joints. Should be an easy fix.
Super fun project, one of the more involved RCRG builds I've done, but also one of the most rewarding. My glider ended up being mostly from the old Aerotech kit, with the substitution of the SkyKing tail parts (laser cut, made it a lot easier!), and carbon pushrods.
kj
This year a couple of us started up on the project again, and just did our maiden flights on Saturday 11/19- 3 years and 3 days after the first build session. Wow.
Unfortunately I wasn't taking photos of the build back then, so I don't have anything of the wing construction, but here are some photos from the recent months of the progress, starting with the alignment of the motor tube:
Jim holding his model with the wing bolted on. I think we were checking alignment for the tail feathers.
The bare fuselages with the already covered tail feathers attached.
A close up of the tails.
Jim working on the covering for his model. We made templates (the white piece in the foreground) for all the bits of covering.
Here are the fuselages with part of the covering done.
My wing covered.
Everything but the fuselages covered.
Jim looks like he's having lots of fun!
Here they are with all the covering done.
This was the inspiration for the color scheme. We chose our colors based on the rolls of oracote that I had purchased when a local hobby shop closed down a few years ago.
We built switch jacks for the planes so we didn't have to pull off the canopy to turn the electronics on. When the jack is in place, the circuit is open, pull the plug and it closes. Here is the jack, and then the installation on my plane.
We flew them on Saturday at the NARHAMS sport launch. Here's Jim posing before his flight:
He of course made me fly first. Here is the video of my 1st flight using an F13 reload.
[YOUTUBE]YFeWI1PXc0Q[/YOUTUBE]
I need to work on my landings. There was a minor bit of damage which was repaired with some thin CA right there on the field. I flew another 3 times, once more on the F13 and then 2 G12 loads.
Here is Jim's maiden flight, also on the F13 reload.
[YOUTUBE]oFwEaI7Bt_I[/YOUTUBE]
He also needs to work on his landings. Jim had a little more damage from the tweaked landing, popped off the vertical and horizontal tails right at the glue joints. Should be an easy fix.
Super fun project, one of the more involved RCRG builds I've done, but also one of the most rewarding. My glider ended up being mostly from the old Aerotech kit, with the substitution of the SkyKing tail parts (laser cut, made it a lot easier!), and carbon pushrods.
kj