R/C Boeing Phantom Express

[burkefj]

My musing today, I got a set of bt-20 cones and a Viking kit from the lhs to make the top second stage for my take on a boeing phantom xs-1 or what estes is marketing as the leo space train. BT-60 based, this has the wing upscaled in depron for glide recovery with R/C. 16.5" span, 18" length, 2.5 oz empty, 5 oz rtf. Still have to install the radio equipment and work on the color scheme and markings. I mis planned slightly and actually came out slightly nose heavy so had to trim the body tube back to this length to allow a CG without added weight. This is a very similar layout to Tom Blakeneys Black Horse glider, also for D2.3 motors, but slightly lighter, his has a slightly bigger wingspan...

 

[burkefj]

She flies really nicely, just a slight tweak to boost and glide trims for the second flights and it was perfect. Now I can finish it up.

 

[burkefj]

Here she is all finished up, hopefully some flight video this afternoon, it's like spring and 57 degrees with no wind.

 

[burkefj]

 

[tab28682]

Another fine looking glider!

 

[Brian V]

I like that a lot nice lines good looking model like everything you design looks great and flys excellent

 

[burkefj]

Another phantom express inspired R/C rocket glider, 23" wingspan, 27" long, 2.6" diameter, only 8.25 oz rtf w battery and E-6 motor.. I've done a bt-60 version for d2.3 longburn motors but I like this size/weight combo...wing loading is only 4.45 oz/sq foot.. This could be a pretty simple kit, it should boost to around 700' on the E motor if you went straight up....I've angled the wingtips in about 1/4" or more to hopefully avoid any flutter.

 

[burkefj]

It flew nicely but even though I had angled the tip fins in and thought the gussets would support them enough, I still got some tip flutter that caused a small crack in one of the wing tips...Boost and glide were ok, trims were spot on, no nose weight needed. I switched to 9mm depron for models with winglets due to this, and in my smaller bt-60 models where the span is smaller and relative thickness is higher I haven't had any issues.

 

[burkefj]

I got home, trimmed the wing tips off, and replaced them with a single fin and moved the rail buttons to the side. I did the fin in a similar shape as the wing planform, I think it looks nice, and is still right at 8.4 oz rtf. It should make a simple kit for me to make.
I'm calling it a proposed autonomous winged SSTO called the Orbital Express

 

[burkefj]

Here is the maiden of the larger version with single tail, flew great, max saved my ass as I lost it right at burnout in the cloud deck but he kept it in sight and even got the rest of the video after my panic attack, there is about 25 seconds missing of the video

 

[burkefj]

 

[burkefj]

 

[burkefj]

Here is the 18mm kit version just released...