Eric's build blog

Yes but you're a tyro, what about us mere mortals?

Tyro - or tyrant?? :evil:

ty·ro
[tahy-roh]
noun, plural ty·ros.
a beginner in learning anything; novice.

:S

As previously reported, the first landing following the first flight of the Raven saw the F2 shatter, and the wheels fall off!
So - mod number one - make a new former, and stick it in the fuz. - with two differences - one, I used real wood, not spit and cardboard, and two, there's a big bolt in it!
The bolt is a pivot. Next in line is a school eraser. (I won't put rubber, because our American readers think it's a rude word!) Then a ply plate with the wire undercart attached, and finally a nut. (No, I won't fit inside!)
This is the Issigonis hint I referred to in the 'Been Flying' thread. Alec Issigonis used rubber blocks in compression for suspension of his mk 1 Austin mini car.
So, I've done the same thing, rotated 90' to fit, and the mod has survived four landings since, with no problems.
A minor secondary one was that the legs always pivoted over under the take-off torque from the prop, and on any uneven bumps on landing, giving the model a drunken appearance on the ground.
Now I know the rubber block idea works, and the fuz doesn't just break somewhere else, I've UHU POR'ed the block to the woodwork, so it can't twist round.
I used the UHU because it was at hand, and because it stays rubbery itself.

Eric wrote: Tyro - or tyrant?? :evil:

ty·ro
[tahy-roh]
noun, plural ty·ros.
a beginner in learning anything; novice.

:S

Hmm, I've always taken it to mean expert, the person always up at the front!

Haha! I thought you had it inverted! If you recall the Boddo Tyro was a trainer model! :evil: :whistle:

Second attempt - got a 404 can't find the server message on the first go!

Seagull mini MSX - all 36" of it - another model from my pile in the corner, upstairs.
What's in the box

Not much inside

And a glimpse at the confusing instructions - since when did electric motors have a needle valve?

The fin doesn't fit too well - note the gaps.

Before someone comments - I know the elevators aren't equal! They are driven by separate rods, and I've not got them set up yet!

Ha but you have always commented on my uneven elevators :lol:

Mieow!

Mini MSX all assembled, and with the 3S1800 flight battery in, it weighs 2lb.
That motor, with my tired old set-up battery, gives 198 watts at around 20 amps.
I've had to leave the supplied spinner off, because with the back-plate on the motor shaft, then the prop, there is no thread left for the prop-nut!
The motor claims to deliver 1250kv, the prop is a 9 x 6, and the speedo can take 40 amps.
Test crash tomorrow - weather permitting.

MSX is a pocket rocket! The ailerons are a bit sharp, it rolls faster than I can move the stick! It isn't too happy for slowing down, so it lands a bit like a guided missile, but then, it IS a racer! Slow it down too much, and it suddenly drops like shot duck!
Second flight, on landing, it tripped over in the grass - and the 3mm motor shaft snapped like a carrot! (The prop didn't break!)
I've now got a bolt-on driver, and had no further problems - yet.

Miss Dara now has begun to sprout a wing. Glass tube spars, the two bits of dowel at the wing-tips are the intended way of setting up matching wing incidence! I think I'll add a sheer web on the leading spar, for about half span. The wing will be fully sheeted.

Bit more done - now waiting for the pva to dry!
Have you spotted the deliberate mistake???

I've done a 'Tony', and forgotten to provide holes for the aileron servo wires!

ha ha i am glad its not just me that does that.

Some progress - all the fuz blocks are on, the bottom one doubles as the battery hatch, so has a tongue and groove at the front, and a bolt into a blind nut at the back.
I've rough-shaped it, now, and trial-fitted the canopy/turtledeck.
Now I can fit the tail feathers and engine 'blisters', wing skins, etc, and sand it all down properly, then cover, put in the gear, and either blow the speedo up, or crash it!

Very neat!
I presume the wing is film covered.
With that type of construction it would be a good candidate for achieving control reversal when at speed!