A few TEMAC members are building a balsa construction jet featuring a 64mm ducted fan, low wing and V-tail design, and fixed (non-retracting) landing gear. Wingspan is 47¼ inches.
https://oldschoolmodels.com/raven.htm
I received mine today, and am getting ready to start building.
The kit includes some hardware, packages of sheets of laser-cut balsa and plywood, plain (uncut) balsa sheets, balsa sticks, rolled plans, instructions, and some decals.
A few corrections have been made to the instructions since they were printed, so I printed out a sheet with those corrections. The corrections are listed below:
On step 82, P3 should be the piece glued into the fuselage - where the EDF cover will evenutally mount to.
When building the EDF cover (step 106), P2 should be used, as it has the notches to hold the semi-circles.
Former F4
One more mistake that was pointed out to me this morning - regarding F4. F4 is a balsa former that goes in place just in front of the EDF.
The outer tabs on F4 are not in the right place - if attached to the fuselage as-is, it will make F4 too high and block the lower portion of the fan - robbing power.
So, trim off the tabs on F4 before attaching it - it glues into the same place as shown on the plans, and at the same height. That way won't block the fan.
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The instructions feature many construction photos, so I won't post similar shots, but I will post images of my progress and add comments.
Half-elevator construction took about 15 minutes, of slow and careful, but easy work.
Just follow the instructions. I used medium CA glue.
I've been flying electric ducted fan jets for over 20 years, but this will be my first ever self-built balsa EDF model.
Second elevator panel took about half the time.
Funny. I was working on a small jet as a test to build a larger version later.
Very similar!
Wing construction started. Instead of gluing down the bottom spar, I pinned it in position. I removed the ribs from the sheets and trimmed/sanded them. I'm using the triangle-jig (included in the kit) to make sure the ribs are glued on perpendicular to the building surface.
So far, I find the laser-cutting and parts fit to be excellent.
The small black-and-white images in the instructions are a little challenging to use as references, but the larger colour images on the OSMW website really help a lot!
https://oldschoolmodels.com/mpics/raven/
I'm keeping my ipad close to my workbench, but not too close, to prevent accidental contact with glue.
Taking my time. Ribs 3 through 9 glued on the hardwood spar. The larger inner ribs are glued on later.
I'm following steps behind Michael, double checking everything I do. Since this is my first build I'm trying to follow instructions exactly and slowly. The 2 tail sections are done, straight, and flat... so that's good. The instructions are very good. I used medium CA for the supporting structure, but I used wood glue for the sheeting. I couldn't see how to get the glue down and then getting the sheeting on exactly without the CA setting off too quickly. The wood glue gave me a bit of time to adjust. I'm not going to post everything I do... it'll just be duplicates. I just wanted to show a start, since this is my first. It's fun with such an exactly cut kit.
Looking forward to David's observations on 3D printer builds vs balsa and ply builds.
Don't forget to savour the rich aroma of balsa and plywood!
Andy 8)
Starboard wing ready for sheeting.
Wings ready for sheeting. Maybe tomorrow, or the weekend.
A Master Airscrew small razor plane made easy work (done carefully) of shaping the trailing edge doublers (step 22).
Builders must be sure to follow each step in the instructions. I overlooked one step (step 23), and neglected to cut out the center of rib 2 before gluing on the upper hardwood spar. Luckily, I was able to carefully cut it out later, through the slot for the dihedral brace.
I like this, two build threads in one!
Sheeting the upper wing; I'm deviating slightly from the instructions.
The instructions ask for the top sheeting to be softened with Windex and curved to shape, before being glued to the wing.
I've taped the sheeting sections together with masking tape, and used wood glue in the seems. I wiped off excess. When dry, I'll add some CA glue to the inside seams as a stronger bond.
Some of the balsa sheets are lighter and more bendable than others, and I'm using them for the front of the wings, where the curve is more prominent. I'll glue the full assembled sheet to the leading edge, and then carefully bend it back the ribs and to the trailing edge. If needed, I'll soften the forward part of the sheeting as I progress.
Were the edges of the balsa sheets straight enough to glue together without sanding them first?
Looks like you put together 3 pieces... the 3rd piece is that little triangle corner?
Yes, yes.
I lightly sanded the outside skin, and then added a few drops of CA glue to the inside seams to strengthen the sheeting-joints. I quickly spread out the CA glue along the entire seam/joint before it dried.
Next I CA-glued the front edge of the upper sheeting to the leading edge, leaning on the front ribs tops.
Once the glue was thoroughly dry/set, I sprayed and wiped-smooth the Windex along the outside front upper sheeting. Within a minute, the sheeting started wrapping itself along the upper rib curves.
My next step was not planned; it just made sense, so I went with it.
The balsa sheeting easily fit the upper rib contours, so, holding the wing vertically, bottom (un-sheeted) facing me, I simply added CA glue to all places where the sheeting came into contact with the upper wing sheeting. I held the wing carefully to make sure it wouldn't warp when being glued.
One problem I encountered was that the sheeting wouldn't come into contact with some areas of the trailing edge, because the ends of the rib tops and the trailing-edge-doublers (hinging areas) were a bit higher than the trailing edge. I was able to squeeze most of these areas and glue with CA, but the gap at most inboard section was too thick, so I added in a small length of scrap 1/32-inch balsa sheet. It fit in perfectly.
Although the edges haven't been trimmed yet, the upper wing looks great!
The upper wing sheeting took only a few minutes. It may be challenging to work so quickly for some. Some builders may want to proceed more cautiously, and follow the instructions with slower-drying wood glue.
I had trouble visualizing the top sheeting instructions... they didn't quite make sense to me. The top sheeting is made up of 2 balsa sheets, eventually glued along the long edge. Taking just 1 sheet, the leading edge sheet, you're supposed to:
Soak the outer side of the wood to expand the fibers. Now hold it to the curvature needed. Place this sheet you just formed up against the leading edge of the wing."
Yeah... right. Then you're supposed to glue the 2 sheets together.
Instead, like Michael, I glued the 2 sheets together using Michael's tip on using a more pliable sheet for the leading edge... now I have 1 big flat sheet. Michael was able to figure out where to cut this balsa sheet for the trailing edge but I just couldn't see how to do that, even though he explained it to me. Instead, I wanted to form the sheet and then turn the wing over to see where to cut.
Michael is brave enough and has the talent to start by gluing the leading edge... I couldn't do that. I taped the leading sheet to the leading edge. I started using painter's tape but then I remembered Mark's advice and used electrical tape. Painter's tape will let go once Windex is spraying.
I started spraying and like magic the balsa started bending... all by itself! I draped and shaped it over the ribs, loaded it up with weight, and went over it lightly with a heat gun. I let it dry for the night. Now that the sheet is in the right shape, I turned over the wing and marked where to cut.
Having done one wing top sheet, I tried Michael's method on the 2nd wing of securing the leading edge, soaking, and then gluing with CA as the sheet was bending with the ribs. This worked out well. I couldn't have done that on the first wing, but knowing how the wood responds and how things feel, it was great for the 2nd wing.
Both wings-tops sheeted and trimmed.
Bottom sheeting is completed, similar to the top. I used yellowish wood glue thinned with a bit of water, brushed onto the structure where it would contact the sheeting. Windex soaked into the outer sheeting helped bend the sheeting to the bottom. I used a bunch of batteries to hold the sheet down as it dried. This took several hours.
I cut and glued on the trailing edges as per the instructions. The aileron (not glued on) will be shaped later.
I used the template provided (last sheet of the instructions) to cut an under-size square for the aileron servo area. I carefully enlarged it to meet the inside edges of the back of the spar and the front of the servo bay rear frame, and the outside edges of the hardwood strips (matching the inside of the ribs). The servo covers fit well (not glued).
Flying was great today. There were a few drops of rain for 10 minutes and then cleared. I brought a Raven wing and Michael and I talked about the HS parts, the 3 doublers that go between some of the ribs. On the top side these are not an issue as only a little bit sticks up above the ribs and is easily shaved and sanded away. The Top side process is Step 22.
The Bottom side, Step 32, presents more of an issue. The Bottom side tabs on the Ribs are to be removed. This doesn't leave very much of the Rib at the trailing edge. Most of the doublers would need to be shaved away. Instead, I used scrap 1/16" balsa. Now, very little needs to be removed.
I also put a doubler between every rib. On the Top side, the sheeting in the sections without doublers could be depressed. So, not only did I put a doubler between every rib on the Bottom side, I also cut and sanded a wedge shape piece of 1/16" to fill the gaps on the top side. I pushed these into the space from behind the trailing edge and only pushed them so far as they touched the trailing edge. Pushing them farther into the trailing edge would bow the sheeting. I only want to support it.
I skipped step 39. The wing tips are optional, and I may decide to redesign later, to a shape I like better. Also, the wing will be easier to cover if the wingtips are not installed first.
Step 44 indicates that there will be a 1/4" gap at the bottom of the FS7's and FS9's when glued together. The plywood and balsa pieces must be glued together, even at the top, front and rear edges (remember to build a right side and a left side.) There is a 1/8" gap on the bottom edges of mine; not a 1/4" gap as indicated in the instructions. I believe the 1/8" gap is correct; the center-section builds properly as such.
Be careful and aware of what is top and bottom.
I assembled the wing-center-box as per instructions, steps 45 to 49.
In step 50 (and step 49), when gluing plywood to plywood, with epoxy, I scored (scratched or cut) the surfaces, so that the epoxy would have more to sink into and hold.
I sanded the landing gear section (bottom part LG2) flush with the 1/4" strips. See my photo 35.
I used elastics to hold the bottom plywood LG1 while drying. I used epoxy.
I glued together the dihedral braces as per the instructions. They fit into the wing center section without any sanding. I did need to sand the braces to fit into the wing slots.
I did not glue the braces, center-section and wings together at this point. It will be easier to cover them first.
Essentially, I'm building a kit into an ARF, which will be assembled later.
I did not find aileron-shaping or hinging instructions in the manual. I will do this next.
(I want to finish the wing construction soon, as I want to put some effort into another model of mine, due the consequences of a bad landing.)
Shaping and hinging deflection surfaces. This next bit of work is not covered in the instruction manual. I'm sharing this for anyone who hasn't done this before. Note: Nothing is glued here. Gluing in the hinges will take place after the model is covered.
I sanded the ends of each aileron, to make sure there was enough clearance for easy movement, especially for after the model is covered. 42.
I drew a center line along the rear wing edges, and the front aileron edges, and then marked off where I would put hinges. 43.
Then I drew/dug deeper indentations where the hinge cutter would cut. This was to make sure the hinging-cutter didn't slip and cut in the wrong place. 44.
I used a razor-plane to shape a V-edge on the aileron front edges, carefully so as not to cut into the hinging line. The rear-wings (where the ailerons will be attached) remain flat/square. 45, 46, 47.
Hinge-pockets are cut. 48, 49.
Pins are put near the center of the hinges to make sure they don't go in too far on one side, more than the other. The hinges are inserted, and the ailerons are fitted onto the wings. Nothing is glued yet. 50, 51, 52.
I repeated the process for the tail surfaces. Nothing is glued yet. 53, 54.
Before proceeding with the fuselage, the wings and tail surfaces will be sanded. The rear elevators/rudders will be left square; they do not need to be tapered to be sufficiently aerodynamic.
Fuselage started; steps 56 to 63.
I simply followed the instructions carefully. Photo 55.
Photo 56: Make sure the plywood lines up with the balsa, the ends of the tabs flush with the balsa; not overlapping.
Photo 57: I drew a line on the inside fuselage where the front side of Former F6 will be glued, as a guide for the 1/4" balsa strip.
Photo 58: There wasn't enough 1/4" square balsa in my kit; I used some scrap that I had from before.
Fuselage is going together just as per instructions, so far, up to step 68. The lower corners of former 7 are not cut enough to fit over the 1/4" balsa strip. I just cut it to fit. The other formers fit accurately.
Not in sequence.
Previously, I didn't glue on my wings to the dihedral braces nor the center-wing section/box. Good thing!
Dave and I, and others, were perplexed by the airfoil-shaped 3/32" deep openings in the wing center section. Apparently, although not in the instructions, the wing is supposed to be inset into these spaces. I cut the area at the rear of the opening to accept the trailing edge (I could have cut the trailing edge too), and carefully recut the opening and/or sanded the root wing area to fit.
I'll make sure there's adequate spacing so that the wings will fit when covered later. I will glue this section together after the parts are covered. It's just easier to cover this way.
Quote from: Michael on August 13, 2024, 07:50:29 PMNot in sequence.
Previously, I didn't glue on my wings to the dihedral braces nor the center-wing section/box. Good thing!
Dave and I, and others, were perplexed by the airfoil-shaped 3/32" deep openings in the wing center section. Apparently, although not in the instructions, the wing is supposed to be inset into these spaces. I cut the area at the rear of the opening to accept the trailing edge (I could have cut the trailing edge too), and carefully recut the opening and/or sanded the root wing area to fit.
I'll make sure there's adequate spacing so that the wings will fit when covered later. I will glue this section together after the parts are covered. It's just easier to cover this way.
I don't have the talent to cut a trailing edge shape into a panel, so I opted for cutting 3/32 off the trailing edge. I would have preferred to glue it a rib width over, but there you go.
Thanks for talking about the covering again. One of my wings fits perfectly... tight... but that's no good. I need room for covering... so I'll do that now.
Not in Sequence.
Going back to step 51, for the wing center box. There is a gap between the bottom plywood sheet and the box sides. I simply filled it in with scrap balsa.
Step 73 is incorrect in the instructions.
The tabs on the former must be cut off (they're in the wrong position), and the former must be glued in position but flush with the top of the side sheeting.
See the photos here.
Step 76 asks for the nose landing gear mount/block to be mounted to the F1-F1A and F1B plywood former.
This is not a difficult task, especially for builders who have done this many times before. Remember, this kit is intended for experienced builders.
I've shown how this step is done for anyone who hasn't done it before. The photos are self-explanitory. Note the the drilled holes must be wide enough to fit the T-nuts; I used a 5/32" drill but. The T-nuts are pushed in from the back of where the mount is to go (the t-nuts technically go on the forward face of the former). Once pushed into the plywood, I applied thin CA to the wood to hold the t-nuts in place. It is imperative that no glue gets onto the threads of the t-nut.
I test-fitted the former (with the mount installed) in place, and noticed that there was not quite enough clearance for the landing gear to come through the lower plywood platform (part TR1), so I enlarged the whole a bit.
I made some adjustments that helped me with my build. Contact me if you'd like them.
Placement of F4 and F5 formers. Official photo is wrong, mixing up balsa and plywood F4 and F5. The placement as shown in my post 33 above is correct.
Plans are correct, also showing diagonal stick angles down lower than horizontal 'spine'.
Also instructions do not indicate that 1/4" strip be glued to upper forward inside wing-saddle. It should be done (by) now.
Step 81 has 2 plywood strips P1 glued to each other to form one unit ( a double for each side) and glued in place.
I had to cut a notch in one plywood strip so it would fit nicely. The gap in front is for the fan-front to fit. See photos here.
Step 82 incorrectly asks for part P2 to be glued down. This is wrong. It must be part P3.
After step 82, I cut out the temporary cross beams because I felt it would be easier to install the fan inlet sheeting and fan exhaust sheeting without them. I test-fitted the fan unit.
Step 83 explains how to install the fan-inlet sheeting. Seeing as I used up most of my 1/16" sheeting incorrectly when sheeting the wing, I used one of the shorter sheets to do the inlet sheeting. (I still have one 24" sheet to do the fan-exhaust-sheeting later.)
I used a slightly different method for this step.
I carefully cut and fitted a piece of light cardboard into the area to be sheeted, and made a slightly oversize template. I made 2 pieces.
I soaked them with Windex, and when pliable, carefully bent them around some epoxy tubes and taped them until they dried.Then I glued one in (with CA) to half of the diagonal 5/16" square pieces and to half of F4. Then I added, as needed, more Windex, and carefully and slowly bent, fitted, cut, and glued the front and outer side. Then I did the same on the other side.
When dry, I trimmed and sanded the sheeting, and test fit the fan unit again.
I'm satisfied with what I did, but I'm sure the method in the instructions will work too.
The instructions in Step 85 indicate the option that the exhaust sheeting can be done in 2 sections; the first from former F5 to F6, the second from F6 to F10.
I chose this option because the sheeting in this area sits below the plywood rails on the sides, so it's slightly different from the rest of the exhaust sheeting. I did it with one piece of balsa (probably easier with 2 halves), soaked with Windex. I carefully measured, cut, over and over, until I had a nice fit, and then glued from the bottom. The sheeting here covers the top edge of F5, but only half of the edge of F6, so that the later rear sheeting will have something to sit on. The sheet was cut a little long facing forward over F5, and I trimmed it after the glue had dried.
I sheeted the rest of the fan exhaust area my own way, deviated slightly from steps 85, 86 and 87.
I used a single 4"-wide sheet and soaked it with Windex. Then carefully curved it to fit, and started to cut, shape and measure. It almost completely covers everything, lacking a sliver on each side just behind F6. I cut and shaped the front edge to match the rear of the sheeting I already did, sitting half-way on F6. I glued everything from the bottom and the top sides. I added small slivers of scrap balsa to the sides near F6, and then I trimmed everything, except the overhang at the back; That'll be trimmed later.
Note, the exhaust area/curve sheeting becomes slightly shallower and narrower towards the back of the fuselage (at F10).
I glued the 3/32" thick strips (laser cut sheets approx. 1/2" wide) to the top sides of the fuselage behind F6. This was simple. The instructions state that the strips may be too wide and would be trimmed after. My strips were not wide enough, especially towards the rear of the fuselage, but there was ample material to fill in as needed. I then sanded the strips to match the inner curve and the outer fuselage sides.
It's not in the instructions at this time, but I trimmed and sanded the back (rear of F10).
Stabilizers/elevators sanded (surfaces and edges), and test-fitted following instructions as per step 89.
Cutting, sanding, trimming etc., for a nice smooth fit and a bit of a gap on the top for covering material; a larger gap on the bottom will not affect the structure.
There is no need to trim the hardwood spars to much, as the formers F8 and F9 will only allow the stabilizers into the fuselage a small amount.
I marked each piece as L (left) and R (right).
I did not glue at this time, as previously mentioned, to make covering easier. Because the stabilizers need to be glued from the bottom, I will find a way to keep the bottom open (not fully sheeted later in step 95) until after the covered parts are glued together.
I am both shocked (my lack of talent) and very pleased that my fuselage halves fit together with very, very little adjustment. One former corner needed sanding to fit around a 1/4" balsa piece, and the tabs of the F5 and F7 formers were too tight, so they got a little bit of sanding.
For the Stabilizers, it "looks" like they are way off... but they are not. Just a bit of sanding, as instructed, allows the Stabilizers to slide into the fuselage... very easy process.
I sailed through steps 90 to 96.
I did a modification to suit my finishing preference. Since I plan to cover the model before it is assembled, I left the second to last rear bottom bay open, and installed some supports from scrap balsa. This is so I'll have access to where I need to glue the stabilizers in the fuselage. I make a hatch and attach it then.
The bottom sheeting was pretty simple. I did add Windex to the outside curve of the first front sheet to help with the curve.
Next I'll sand the edges smooth.
I assume that a hole will be cut later for the nose gear.
Changed my mind. I added a strip on each side to form a frame for a hatch.
Again, this is my preference, to make it easier to cover.
I made a minor deviation from sheeting the upper forward fuselage in step 100.
Added a few scrap strips in front of F1 to allow the upper front sheeting to have something more to be glued onto. I made sure there was clearance for the latch pin.
I used sheet and strips back until the fan-shroud opening (near F4), and then carefully sanded the top to match the air-inlet.
I did step 103, but it took a lot of sanding and cutting, in order to get a reasonably smooth fit. See the photos for where I sanded the most.
I regret not sanding the 'sandwiched' plywood pieces considerably more, prior to gluing the into the fuselage.
Once done, step 104 was done exactly as per the instructions.
Next is overall sanding and then the fan-cover. Components still not glued.
Nose landing gear.
I used a round pointy file through the nylon nose gear mount, to locate and enlarge a hole in the bottom sheeting.
The instructions show that a 5/32" collar be placed on the nose gear wire just under the nylon mounting block. This is to prevent the nose gear from moving up into the fuselage. There wasn't enough room to slide it in, so I cut a small area out from the sheeting below. I then enlarged the plywood plate inside (see photo) and then made an equal size hole in the sheeting. This way, I could install the collar on the nose gear, and install it in position from the bottom.
While moving the fuselage around, I noticed that the balsa sides were not very strong, and could be cracked later if held too strongly. I simply put in some cross-grain doublers (from scratch balsa) and glued them in place.
When installing the ducted-fan unit, the instructions suggest cutting a rectangular hole in the center of the air-duct for the motor wires to pass into the fuselage to plug into the speed control. That will work just fine, but I came up with my own idea. By cutting/drilling small round holes instead for the wires pass through, it looks neater, and I didn't have to cut through the balsa spine which supports the duct sheeting.
Servo installation.
I carefully penciled the location of the servo (with control horn) onto the plywood plate, and glued on supports as per the instructions. I drilled all holes where necessary, and glued in some very thin shims into the fuselage servo locations for a snugger fit.
I will not assemble the nose gear steering servo until all radio programming is done, to make sure I place the servo on the side that will steer in the right direction (I don't want to add any more radio-mixes than the obligatory V-tail set up).
I fashioned my own wing tips for the model (I'm not fond of the shape of the tips that come in the kit).
I used (glued on) some of the left-over tapered aileron balsa on the last wing ribs so my wing tips are angled out slightly.
These will be applied later (glued or screwed on), after covering.
Ready for covering.
Thank you
@Michael for sharing this build. Very informative and some ideas are transferable to other models too.
Covering is done.
Once the assembly is done and the electronics are installed, I may add a few decals.
She's a stunner... nicely done!
The holes on the control horns should be in line with the hinge lines.
My hatch made installing the rudder-vaters and servos much easier.
Any servo connections that will be difficult to reach should be secured well.
Y-connector is needed for the aileron servos.
I used a "black box" gyro-stabilizer. (I did a separate thread on installing black box gyro-stabilizers. Link below.) This made the V-tail mixing super easy! Just leave the transmitter set up for standard 4-channel control, flick the V-tail switch on, and it's done! Of course, you still may have to reverse servo directions on your transmitter.
I used to scrap pieces of tapered balsa, glued together, as a 'table' glued to the diagonal spine under the air-flow scoop. I simply double-taped the black-box to this support table.
The Speed control and the receiver were attached with velcro on the sides.
https://temac.ca/smf/index.php?topic=7899.0
The model is assembled, the radio and power system installed, and the nose steering system has been set up. These all took some time, but nothing was too difficult.
I still have to balance the model (it'll need some nose weight), and I have to set up dual rates and exponential servo travel.
The wing tips I designed look nice. My opinion.
Looks great!
Looking forward to the maiden
Beautiful... what a unique EDF.
Successful maiden. A few issues, all mine; not the plane.
Details and a few photos later.
I set up the moving surfaces' dual rates and the stabilization at the field. Although the V-tail was functioning properly, the stabilization system wasn't. It was correcting the 2 moving surfaces in opposite directions. I simply reduced the stabilization on the rudder-vaters to zero. No stabilization on the tail, but fully flyable nonetheless.
I did check the CG, but still added 3½ ounces of lead at the front. MISTAKE!
On the first take-off attempt, the model kept diving into the ground, whacking the nose wheel several times. Take-off was aborted.
I took out the lead, and tried taking off again. No problem. Nice take off.
Some light trim and reduction in throws was necessary, but within a minute I had it flying nice and straight. It was windy, with substantial cross-wind, but it was flying very smoothly.
With reduced throttle, it still stayed up and level, so in order to lower altitude, I had to lower throttle and add a bit of down elevator.
The bright yellow and red colours make it easy to see in the sky. The fan-shroud stayed on, just with the magnets.
I did a nice roll on high rates. It was fast, so next time I'll try it on medium rates.
I misjudged on landing, and landed about 10 feet before the runway/grass. The plane seemed fine, but the nose wheel was smashed back/in a bit. It's possible the difficulties from the first take-off attempt caused this damage, and only showed itself after the landing.
It's not a difficult repair, and I'll show it in the next post.
Overall, I think this is a good and stable flyer, and I plan to enjoy it.
Mark took the images.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Does this mean the CG on the plan is incorrect?
I assume you added weight to match the indicated CG location.
Inquiring minds wondering.
The plan was right. I was wrong.
Repair.
The nose gear mount and some plywood got damaged.
I cut sheeting from the bottom to expose the area, and cleaned up and cut out wood shreds. Then I glued the plywood former back in place.
Next step was to glue in some strong balsa square stock on the front and rear corners where the former meets the fuselage sides, and one across the front of the former, and 2 as braces to the front inside of the fuselage.
Then I glued the sheeting pieces back in place, and added another layer of covering to make it look nicer.
I may fiddle around with the V-tail mixing to try to get the stabilization gyro (black box) working at the tail.
Other wise, ready to fly again!
I've built more printed planes than balsa. The printed parts all go into 1 box. When the box is full of parts it's always a bit intimidating. But, as I take out 1 part at a time from the box, the parts transition from pieces of plastic to wings, tails... you know. As I start using the last of the parts I get this melancholy feeling. I do see a plane but, as with the box, I feel a bit empty.
When I opened the Raven box and was met with 20+ sheets of balsa all nicely aligned, laser cut and labelled I felt the same apprehension. And now, seeing the leftover bare bones of empty balsa shells I'm sad again. The build is over. I'm going to term this feeling FMS. Finished Model Syndrome.
3rd, 4th and 5th flights today for my Raven.
I got my stabilization system working on ailerons and elevator last evening, and dialed rudder stabilization down to 0.
My plane balanced perfectly with a 4 cell 5000mah lipo battery pack.
Each flight was excellent. Good takeoffs, smooth flying, low passes, rolls, loops, nice slow and medium flight speeds, excellent gliding, and very nice landings. I was unable to stall the plane; it simply slowed down and glided forward.
For those interested, Dave figured out how to get all stabilization surfaces working correctly, with Corona brand servos. If you're using servos that rotate in a different orientation, then this may not work.
1. The port servo (left side from the back) must be plugged into the Elevator pins on the black box gyro stabilizer. The other servo starboard (right side from the back) is plugged into the Rudder pins. The steering servo is placed on a Y-connector with the rudder servo, preferably before the black box is plugged in; the Y-connector plugs into the receiver.
2. The rudder-vaters must have the servo outputs forward to the front of the plane, and the pushrods connected to the servo-arms oriented away from the rudder-vaters. See photos.
3. The black box gyro-stabilizer cannot be upside down. It must be facing up (pins and switches and pots up), pins to the rear of the aircraft. If mounted upside-down, or pins forward, the stabilization will not work with the V-tail or the nose-wheel steering.
4. The black box can be mounted with Velcro, on the plywood shelf, just behind the battery area (former F3).
5. The transmitter is set at normal; no V-tail setting, or anything. In my transmitter, the elevator function is reversed.
6. The black box stabilization direction switches are all down, except V-Tail and aileron.
7. The pots are set at approx. 40%.
Adjust dual rates as it suits the pilot.
Sunday, September 29, 2024: 3 Ravens fly together at TEMAC. Rob, me and David.
My addition to the Raven Squardon.
Thanks to Michael & David for this build log. I referred to it several times for guidance and inspiration.
Stunning colour scheme!