Antonov AN 124 Rusian

Easy, Paul, it was Simon's great great great grandad's dad! :woohoo:

And sometimes I feel like I am!

I have got to the stage where I really need to know where the CofG is and how it might compare to the calculated value.
I used this charming formula
MAC = rc x 2/3 x (( 1 + t + t2 ) ÷ ( 1 + t ))
rc = Root Chord
t = Taper Ratio = (Tip Chord ÷ Root Chord)
To calculate the mean effective chord line which comes out to be almost exactly at the outer nacelles. I have set the wing spar at close to 29% chord and I would expect the CofG to be just ahead of that. As I cannot easily support the AN124 that far out along the wing I marked the fuselage at a point perpendicular between those points and supported it by my Mk 1 finger tips in the tried and tested manner.:woohoo:

So does the fully assembled AN 124 with batteries come anywhere close to that? To my relief it actually does.
If anything very slightly tail heavy but I doubt it will need more than 1 oz nose weight.
It weighs 3 lb 3.9 oz (1.47 kg) with its 1500 mah 4s.
Now I know where it will balance, and thus where it needs to be held, I can set about building a suitably reinforced hand (actually thumb and finger) hold at the required spot.

Nothing very dramatic but a start made on the finger holes. There will be 3, two for the thumb and second finger with reinforcement between them so they can grip sufficiently and a third behind for the index finger both to keep the plane level and provide a bit more 'urge' on release.
To carry the weight a portion of 'floor' has been added over the holes.

The thumb and second finger holes under construction.

As always it is a toss up between strength and weight.

The completed finger holes.

They feel like they are strong enough but I won't know for sure until I am holding it ready to fly.
This now releases the front and rear fuselage sections to be permanently joined together which will give me another problem - where to put the ***** thing for the next 3 months until the weather improves! :woohoo:

Send your suggestions on a 40 foot container! :evil: [badass]

The fuselage is joined so I now have the storage problem!
I don't imagine it will ever be hard to see but I have painted the underside of the fuselage 'ultramarine', the rest will have a light coat of white, both acrylic.

It hides the finger holes pretty well too.

Well it is now complete and painted.

I don't normally paint first but I am really not at all sure it will fly (or land!) more than once. :woohoo:
The inside showing some of its over 250 printed parts.

How long it will be before I pluck the courage to actual try it is open to question.

looks a treat Q, strongly suggest you find a gentle slope for it's maiden flight, at the very least it'll give you some altitude.
Incedently, just had a quick count up of my latest project, 186 individual parts all hand cut and it's only 36" span!

Crash
186 balsa parts is quite a bit.
But if I include all the hand cut Depron planks the total part count is getting on for 500.

Quorneng wrote: Crash
186 balsa parts is quite a bit.
But if I include all the hand cut Depron planks the total part count is getting on for 500.

Er, It was Paul's post, but an interesting fact all the same. :lol:

Quorneng wrote: Crash
186 balsa parts is quite a bit.
But if I include all the hand cut Depron planks the total part count is getting on for 500.

Er, It was Paul's post, but an interesting fact all the same. :lol:

Ooops!
Sorry my bad.

Calm this morning but cold and everything covered in serious dew.
Some outdoor piccies for the first time.



Will it ever fit?

I suppose with the calm weather really I should actually try and fly the thing. Call me a wimp but I just did not fancy the attempt on a cold, very muddy and wet grass field. If it is to get wrecked it might as well be in the relative warm and dry.

That is looking like a very nice piece of work. I hope it fly's as well as it looks.