Converting an old Trainer

I needed a Demo hack for FPV so dug out this old Thor 40 from the junk pile.



Obviously badly needing a cleanup, and it's had stuff dropped on it from time to time.

The first decision after clean up was to change it to a taildragger, they're easier when flying off grass, I understand.

I moved the Undercarriage abou one inch (25mm) forward of the intended CoG. And fitted larger wheels.

You can see the autopilot I've fitted here, as well as the new re-inforcing.

This is the Pan&Tilt

As you can see I've let the Pan servo into the floor, it really needs to be deeper in (out of the slipstream) but if I do that the Tank won't fit.

You can just see the Camera Transmitter lurking in the Tank bay.
You can also see that I've added two Obeche engine bearers behind the fire wall, I wasn't very happy about the engine (OS 40LA ) just hanging there.
I've also fuel proofed the entire inside with Poly C, what a pleasure to use.

Gosh, I've been hanging back on this one, I didn't think there'd be the interest!
It's called Domestic Fraud Garry! I buy stuff, chuck it in the back of the workshop and leave it for 12 months or so, then, when I pull it out it's, 'this old thing, I've had it for years!'
A word about the work area, it's not mine!, Mary insisted that she wanted to help with this so we've moved to her work area!

The cowl seems to have been cut for a few different engines in its time!

You'll notice I've tried to keep the oil as far away as possible.

When I did the engine run ups the camera got covered with oil so I hope this screen will help.

Some more of the fitted cowl.

Tank fitted.

Note there's no attempt at vibration control, but it didn't foam at all on the run-ups.

I'll never ever fit a tank with aluminium pipe again!

Whne we did the run-ups I had a problem with air bubbles in the piping, I removed the tank and when I removed the bung, pipes started to fall off, they're corroded right through!

Ones of the problems I had was hooking up the Pan & Tilt so that it worked, I believe some people have had endless problems with this. This is how you do it with a Futaba 9
1:- connect the Pan to channel 8
2:- connect the Tilt to channel 7
Then go into *aux-ch on the TX
Now set Ch7 to Vr-E and Ch8 to Vr-D
This sets up the left and right sliders on the TX to control Pan & Tilt
At this point play a little and set your end points and sub trim.
Then go to Trainer, set Trainer to OFF, then set 7:AV1 to NORM and 8:AV2 to Norm, then switch off, this is ALL you have to do, because the Gyro on your Goggles is wired to Chans 7&8


This is how you mount the Gyro on your goggles.
When I want to use the head gyro function, I hold my head up with the goggles on, press the reset button and then hold the Trainer switch (some people hold it with an elastic band) now the Pan&Tilt works when I move my head.

Next is the set up of the FY21, this is an Autopilot that has features that are very useful if you want to do things like, anti poaching patrol, game counting, border patrol, hot persuit, or just having fun.
This Autopilot needs two channels to operate, but first, plug everything in without it and set all your channels, this includes setting Reversing, Subtrims, Dual rates and Exponential, pretty much in that order. Once everything is set up and you're fairly confident that the plane will fly, then you fit the FY21 into the control mix. First is it must be fitted on the CoG, and it's got it's own antivibration mounting. Since you're going to be pulling it in and out a few times, Velcro (hook&loop) is a good idea here.
Now, unplug each servo from the RX and plug it into the correct location of the FY21 (channel out), then using the supplied leads plug each RX output into the correct channel in of the FY21.
Done, now you have to control it (the FY21), I used Channel 5 & 6 here, I need 7 & 8 for the Pan&Tilt.

Control of the FY21 needs 2 3-position switches, I used C and E of the Futaba 9. First, using the supplied cords, plug Channel 5 to Control-in-1 and obviously Channel 6 to Control-in-2. In the TX link Chan5 to Sw C and Chan6 to Sw E.
At this stage you can plug in the GPS, yes The FY21 even has one of those!
Now switch everything on, TX first as usual. You should have lights on the FY21, put C and E to centre, if it's working the FY21 will have a solid red light, this means that Stabilization (auto leveling) is on, this means if you let the sticks go the plane will fly straight and level until it hits something solid! Push C one way, and you should get continous flashing, this means Stabilization Off, the other way gives 3 flashes every 2 seconds, this means fly at this fixed altitude, usefull if you're flying a fence line, or some such, in this mode, do not throttle back! The FY21 will attempt to retain height, with disastrous consequences!
Now get some Masking tape, stick it next to the switch and mark it, before you forget!

Switch E, will always overide Switch C! Centre is off, push one way and you get a single flash every 2 seconds, this is RTL, Return to Launch. Useful hey? Even if you don't know where you are, or where the plane is, flip this switch and the plane will return to you! (as long as the engine is still running) and then circle the launch point at a 60metre radius. The last available option is circle here, this means that, if you see something interesting, you can flip the switch and circle over it while you study whatever it was that you saw.
Now mark this switch as well.

This is the GPS by the way.

Hi Mike, see pics in posts 7 and 9, I've fitted a manifold extension and a pipe extension!
Went out to do the Maiden today, did the motor run-ups, lots of oil all over the tailgate of the truck, nothing at all on the fuselage or the windscreen, However the prop wash over the camera jerked the camera all over the place, The images were unuseable.
Then I noticed the elevator flopping around, the clevis was broken! I didn't have a spare, and if one broke, the others will be suspect. I gave up for the day, I'm going to have to rethink the camera arrangement.
Stephen, remember I need to see the ground, putting the camera behind a windsreen on top, in the normal position isn't going to work.
Tony, it's actually not that complicated, I use a thing called Occams razor, I'm sure you do the same thing with your Vickers build, deal with one problem at a time, and pretty soon you've run out of problems to deal with. A bit like pealing an onion, one layer at a time.

Hi Tony, you just don't get the duration with Leccys.
Stephen, there just isn't the room, I thought about cutting the floor in front of the Undercarriage, but that will compromise the strength. See pic 9. At the moment I'm looking at using a pair of 9gm servos to reduce the height of the Pan&Tilt, then finding a clear cool drink bottle and cutting it to use as a canopy over the camera. Sadly I don't have a Vacform machine, otherwise I'd make one.

will this help

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