Eurofighter FPV build

[SouthPawPaul]

Thanks for explaining your antenna choice.

I have to admit I find the whole SPW, CL thing quite baffling at the moment and your choice gave what little knowledge I had gleaned a slap in the face. Hence why I asked :) I never even knew about having a lobe point forward to make sure that video is stronger on your return journey.

The information about them is out there, there's just so much of it!

Anyhow, that's a enough thread derailment for now.

[Funky Diver]

Beautiful, seriously :)

What are the dimensions of the helical (roughly)?

[Zeeflyboy]

Tiny!

The base plate is 52mm diameter, the whole antenna from back of base plate to tip of helical is 92mm long and the helical section is 22mm diameter.

[skyscraper]

Skyscraper - I can see one possible flaw in your design (unless I missed anything)... Your sled will hit the cross bar pieces that hold the frame together.

My design was actually made with different planes in mind. The sled is merely the base unit if you like. It is made small (I'm actually going to cut it down substantially from the pics I posted) so you can keep the weight down thus reducing the power requirement.

You can then mount an "adaptor" plate to the sled itself to suit different aircraft. For example for my euro it will be a 50cmx25cmx0.5cm plywood plate with a tow hook ring at the front, which is then just screwed onto the sled.

For a wing, it could be a smaller plate with raised bars on which the wing can sit and still get prop clearance.

You get the idea. The sled is merely a small piece that rides the rails, the adaptor piece attaches to it and is made to suit the aircraft being launched.

Oh Yes Silly Me :-[

Deleted..

regards
Andy

[Funky Diver]

Sweet, cheers :-)

[Zeeflyboy]

no problem... I want to wait until I've flown with them before fully recommending them, but testing seems promising and they are so well made I can't imagine them disappointing.

well a couple of quick pics - sorry for the lower quality but they are iPhone snaps

So my new toy arrived:




which then allowed me to drill my spar alignment jig (the fancy name I give my wudden stik wiv 2 'oles in it). I drilled it out with a 7mm drill bit, then used an 8mm reamer to get a perfect 8mm hole for a tight fit with the spar.





Puuuuurfect! Lines up beautifully with my measured lines for a gross error check, cue smug face and girlfriend telling me I love myself too much.




And in case you're wondering, I didn't buy the drill press just for this one job... I've been wanting one for a while and it'll also find use in the catapult build, and many future builds!

[SouthPawPaul]

Jealous of the pillar drill. I'd love one of those. I'd also like a workshop for it to go in too :)

[Funky Diver]

Pillar drill is one of my favourite tools in my *ahem* "workshop".

I'd love the space for a CNC mill/cutter though.

[Zeeflyboy]

One day when I'm aaaall grown up I'd like a workshop down the garden... CNC mill included.

[Zeeflyboy]

Just got done setting the second wing tube into the fuselage for the right wing, and I am happy to say the "jig" worked perfectly!

The wing is easily inserted and removed, so everything must have lined up just right.

Very solid wing when mounted, If this doesn't hold up then nothing I could do would work I think!

[Pooch]

Just got done setting the second wing tube into the fuselage for the right wing, and I am happy to say the "jig" worked perfectly!

The wing is easily inserted and removed, so everything must have lined up just right.

Very solid wing when mounted, If this doesn't hold up then nothing I could do would work I think!

Sweet man, what's left to do once you've got the other wing done?

[Zeeflyboy]

Well...

- finish the other wing
- glass at least the belly and underside of wings (the rest, plus painting, can wait)
- few small bits and pieces (elevon control links, some connectors, wing retaining mechanism)
- build the catapult
- get ezuhf lite rx back from sander.

I've actually pretty much finished the catapult frames, all that's left is mounting the pulleys, bungee attachment points and the release mechanism.

Got a busy week or so ahead of me, so time will be limited, but hope to be able to finally say its maiden worthy withing the next 2 weeks or so. No idea when I will get the ezuhf rx back, but I do have a diversity rx I could possibly shoe horn in just for a test flight.

[FPVSteve]

Get off the forum and get to work, slacker! We want to see it fly! ;D

[Funky Diver]

 :yeahthat:

[Zeeflyboy]

I do apologise...

so I got a little build time today while the GF was watching corrie lol.... I will do a separate thread eventually with some more details but not until I've tested it and it's all working. Don't want to make a build thread for a useless massive paperweight!

So here's the business end - you can see the foam impact stops that the sled crashes into, the pulleys that the bungees loop round, and the leg mounts.