Upscale Aurora Clipper rc rg for G12 motors

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It's a scale up of the kit exactly 1.5 x, wingspan is 23.5 in from tip to tip with no dihedral, the root length is 22.5" the body tube length is 27 in and the nose cone is 9.5 in Long, take those dimensions and multiply them by 1.5 x and you'll be right on using lightweight 3-in BMS tubing. You'll have to run the body tube longer than scale to compensate for the shorter PS-II nose cone which is also 9" long.
 
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The original Clipper (kit) is about 36" long, so that 1.5x scale-up would be 54" long. However, your first post gives the large Clipper as 58.5" long and my measurements from the photo's give about 59" long. I agree on the Clipper (kit) wing span of 23.5", which would make the 50 percent scale-up wing span be 34.5". However, the first post gives wing span as 37.5". I am using the lightweight 3-in tubing.
 
Ignore the dimensions I posted at the top, I had a different longer nose cone that I used that skewed the total length longer than scale. I also did not radius the wingtips as much as the kit so that skewed the wing span.

Please use these dimensions from the actual kit I produce with a scale factor of 1.5x:

Total length 36.5" long.
body tube total length is 27"
Nose cone length exposed is 9.5"
Wing span is 23.5" without dihedral
Wing chord at the root is 22.5"

In the kit I place the wing 1/2" ahead of the rear of the body tube to help with CG, but for this scale up I'd use the wing right at the rear of the tube since you will normally need nose weight anyway.

Since the pro series II 3" nose cone is nice and light, I prefer that one but it is shorter at only 9" exposed length so you can run the body tube longer to compensate for total overall length. It is also much cheaper than any other 3" nose cone.

I would use:

body tube length total 45.75"
Nose cone 9" ps II cone
wingspan 35.25" without dihedral tip to tip, with about a 1.5" wingtip with radius
Wing chord 33.75"

Mount the wing at the rear of the body tube.

CG using these dimensions and the wing even with the rear of the tube should be 18.75" forward from the rear of the wing/body tube.
 
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I'm making some progress slow but sure on the large Aurora Clipper patterned after Frank's model. I plan on building this model so that it will only use the 29 mm H13 motor.
 

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I had a strange occurrence at the launch I powered up the model on the pad and one of the servos was running really really slow and I was getting a receiver voltage warning and one of the servos was really buzzy so I swapped flight battery and eventually the servo started moving like normal and I got a good flight out of it but I came home and replaced both servos it turns out those have been recycled from another big model that I had flown and maybe one got some gear damage or some other type of damage to it and I didn't think it was worth the risk. I've had only one or two of these hs65hbs ever fail on me.

Another great H-13 flight on the Aurora Clipper upscale.

 
I did a trim flight after replacing the servos this week at George Rachors, got my longest glide at 2:33 and highest boost at 1300' recorded with an altus metrum micro peak.

 
I had a strange occurrence at the launch I powered up the model on the pad and one of the servos was running really really slow and I was getting a receiver voltage warning and one of the servos was really buzzy so I swapped flight battery and eventually the servo started moving like normal and I got a good flight out of it but I came home and replaced both servos it turns out those have been recycled from another big model that I had flown and maybe one got some gear damage or some other type of damage to it and I didn't think it was worth the risk. I've had only one or two of these hs65hbs ever fail on me.

I recently noticed something similar. I was recently bench testing a model that had been refurbished after a crash. The servo's were chattering and didn't reach the full deflection I expected. I have been thinking of scrapping the whole model. However, maybe I should first try replacing the servo's. I have been using the Spektrum A3040 servo, although they are expensive and sometimes I have trouble finding them, I know they are compatible with the Spektrum AR400 or AR410 receiver. I glue my servo's in pretty good, so it may take some doing to remove them. Are there cheaper compatible servo's out there?
 
I prefer the hitec HS 65 Hb servos

I recently noticed something similar. I was recently bench testing a model that had been refurbished after a crash. The servo's were chattering and didn't reach the full deflection I expected. I have been thinking of scrapping the whole model. However, maybe I should first try replacing the servo's. I have been using the Spektrum A3040 servo, although they are expensive and sometimes I have trouble finding them, I know they are compatible with the Spektrum AR400 or AR410 receiver. I glue my servo's in pretty good, so it may take some doing to remove them. Are there cheaper compatible servo's out there?
I recently noticed something similar. I was recently bench testing a model that had been refurbished after a crash. The servo's were chattering and didn't reach the full deflection I expected. I have been thinking of scrapping the whole model. However, maybe I should first try replacing the servo's. I have been using the Spektrum A3040 servo, although they are expensive and sometimes I have trouble finding them, I know they are compatible with the Spektrum AR400 or AR410 receiver. I glue my servo's in pretty good, so it may take some doing to remove them. Are there cheaper compatible servo's out there?
 
On my bigger RG’s I use HS65 HB servos and on the small ones I use HS55 servos have had no issues with either ones. Hope this helps.
I'm going with your advice and Frank's and ordering the HS65 Hb. I remember one time checking some servo's that I had and they were not compatible with the Spektrum AR400 receiver and the Spektrum DX 6e transmitter.
 
When I was looking at Jim Wilkerson's photo's of your large Aurora Clipper At NSL 2021 on the pad, I think I noticed that the wing-side was facing the flight-line. Was there a reason for this?
 
I launched that one with the model sideways to me so that I can watch the flight from the side Jim was set up on the left side so it just gave the appearance that the model was facing the flight line that way. I was set up over to the right so I could see the model from the side just fine.
When I was looking at Jim Wilkerson's photo's of your large Aurora Clipper At NSL 2021 on the pad, I think I noticed that the wing-side was facing the flight-line. Was there a reason for this?
 
I have finally completed the large Aurora Clipper based on Frank's design. The C.G. with no motor is about 22.25" from the aft end. With the H13 in place the C.G. is about 18.75" from the aft end, which agrees with Frank's value reported in post #33. I have the H13 with aft thrust ring and it is a loose fit so I will need to do a friction fit or maybe tape the thrust ring to the motor mount tube or both. I am wondering how much up-elevon I should give for the glide mode?
 

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I think I'm using about a half an inch of up trim.

What's your ready to fly weight with the motor installed?


I have finally completed the large Aurora Clipper based on Frank's design. The C.G. with no motor is about 22.25" from the aft end. With the H13 in place the C.G. is about 18.75" from the aft end, which agrees with Frank's value reported in post #33. I have the H13 with aft thrust ring and it is a loose fit so I will need to do a friction fit or maybe tape the thrust ring to the motor mount tube or both. I am wondering how much up-elevon I should give for the glide mode?
 
I think I'm using about a half an inch of up trim.

What's your ready to fly weight with the motor installed?
So, I'm thinking that 1/2 inch up trim is the top of the elevon to the wing top surface. That seems to be in the ball park, but my wings are thicker, roughly 12 mm versus your 9 mm. My glider seems pretty light. The weight without motor is 25.0 oz and for the motor I get 7.2 oz, so a combined total weight of 32.2 oz.
 
That's right about where mine is so that should be a good weight.


So, I'm thinking that 1/2 inch up trim is the top of the elevon to the wing top surface. That seems to be in the ball park, but my wings are thicker, roughly 12 mm versus your 9 mm. My glider seems pretty light. The weight without motor is 25.0 oz and for the motor I get 7.2 oz, so a combined total weight of 32.2 oz.
 
Wow! That's quite a flight. It looks like you did some kind of loop on the way up. The zoom on the camera is really pretty good, because it makes the glider look like it is not too high. On occasion the camera pans out and the viewer realizes that the glider is very high. Did you have trouble seeing the glider? Evidently, the transmitter range is far enough to reach the glider. I can hear a little bit of wind in the background.
 
Wow! That's quite a flight. It looks like you did some kind of loop on the way up. The zoom on the camera is really pretty good, because it makes the glider look like it is not too high. On occasion the camera pans out and the viewer realizes that the glider is very high. Did you have trouble seeing the glider? Evidently, the transmitter range is far enough to reach the glider. I can hear a little bit of wind in the background.

Indeed, a heck of a flight.

No worry about range. Spektrum range with a decent Spektrum RX is well beyond that altitude, multiple times that altitude.

I had the same problem as Frank on the first flight of the Dynasoar Centauri Friday before last. It was right at the edge of my vision.
As soon as Youtube editing updates are active on the video, I will post a link on that thread.
 
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