Here is a great plane I have built for use for FPV – First Person View flying with a camera, as well I use it as a small unmanned aircraft with Tiny211 Autopilot and firmware. It’ works great with any type of A-20 / A-30 hacker style brushless engine, 25 amp ESC and a 9×6 pusher prop. Use basswood to make a rear box firewall to glue on the rear between the 2 sideframes, and 2 servos for ELEVON control. You can tape the servos right on the wing, or prefer you can cut into each sideframe and mount the servo as I did.
CG is varied depending on how you like to fly, high rates then put the CG in the 7inches range, more nose heavy then go out to 8 inches all the way to 9inches rear of leading edge of wing. Measure from front of wing as it meets the body.
You can add rudder as well, but I never use it.
The front is setup to accept a FLIP HD Camera with velcro, or a Video Camera system like the KX-191 550 line CCD camera with pan/tilt servo setup with 500mw Transmitter. I fly it FPV style like this with a Heads Up display unit that presents Airspeed, Altitude, GPS coordinates, Artificial Horizon, Battery Charge Level, Amp usage. It’s a great little plane, this was made for FFF. If you want to use Depron just readjust size down 10% and she should fit on a depron sheet – 2 sheets minimum. First sheet is already prepped, just push GCODE, then move out and move in the wing, and do the next sheet.
She is ready for GCODE push, but since alot of you modify anyway I left the GCODE out – since we all seem to do that ourselves custom to our printers.
Hope you enjoy her 
, she’s a simple airframe purpose built. If you want to try aerial photopgraphy, or video, or get into FPV then she is the perfect airframe. She also has exceptional payload capability, like Video gear, Onscreen HUD, FMA Copilot and camera and batteries. She doesn’t stall at all with the KF airfoil added. Just drops at high angle of attack like a f-18 sitting back on her rear on slow flyby at airshows. Pictures posted, upload video of a FPV flight as well for those interested in FPV.
Plane can accept a KF Airfoil, for those who are up to speed on them. Mine has it, but not required. If interested PM me and Ill share the KF info.
(Added Some pictures of her in a V-Tail Rudder configuration with depron 6mm. You can see how I mounted the servos. – I did the carbon on top of wing on this one, but this version is pre-set for carbon insertion under wing and groove is already in the code to push 50% into bottom for carbon insertion.)
Cheers,
-Peter
- Attachments
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Camera Mounted on PAN servo KX191 550 line CCD
-
- Rear showing firewall and A-20 Engine A-20 to A-30 will work for her – A-30 is like a rocket.
-
- Servo locations, one on each side of frame. Elevon wing type on radio.
-
- Bigger Version in FFF Mock Up – not glued yet.
-
-
Here is the Build Log Start to Finish.
In order of build out. Total Time 50 minutes from start to airframe complete. Then another 1 hour for engine and servos, esc and receiver. Mount moves from one airframe to another, my own design called MEM – Magnetic Engine Mount. It allows me to use the same power pack from one UAV/UAS to another without the need to build one into each airframe.
If you get a chance, cut her out. Its a simple kit, and with a USB Camera, or FLIPHD you can get tremendous aerial video and photography from her.
Cheers,
-Peter
- Attachments
-
- Both Sheets cut on 6mm Depron
-
- Fuselage and Winglets – Sheet 1
-
- Wing – Sheet 2
-
- Taped up Mock up before Gluing.
-
- Mockup – Another angle.
-
- Back View Mock up.
-
- Close up showing just how awesome Phaltprinter cuts 6mm Depron. No Sanding Required!!!
-
- Wing and Fuse joining with Super Gold CA
-
- Wing Glued
-
- Rudder Glued and Winglets.
-
- All Done. All parts glued, now for gear install.
-
- Servos with homemade basswood Control horns.
-
- Magnetic Hatch to get to gear and battery.
-
- Hatch Opened!
-
- Hatch Stand alone.
-
- Inside rear showing servos and magnetic engine mount holes.
-
- Engine Mounted to Magnetic Engine Mount, also known as MEM. It comes out with one hand, yet stays put and doesn’t move for flight. Allows me to swap from one UAV to another – including ESC. All stand alone in the mount.
-
- One more shot of MEM from the rear. Slides in semi-tight. Small tolerances here in order for magnets to fuse with MEM magnets and hold in place.
-
- Final Shots from Rear. With Phlatprinter as stand
-
- Another angle.
-
- Bottom wing shot, showing Carbon rod for stiffness and strength.
Here are some Aerial Photography Pictures I have completed with this airframe.
Here are some aerial photos that MD-8 takes. Its perfect for aerial photography. Use any camera up front, or HD video unit like FLIPHD and you can record some awesome pictures and video.
I have tons more, here are some great shots. Still Camera used on this flight with 5 megapixels.
- Attachments
-
- Water Shed after takeoff
-
- Turning back 1 minute after takeoff – tree level
-
- Looking down at my son on the trail – lower left side.
-
- Turning back looking at lower watershed.
-
- Shot of road flying over my launch point.
-
- Another Road shot from higher altitude.
-
- Shot of me while flying her
Until next time, keep it safe and fly hard.
