[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEf_wevMTUg[/yt]
I’m pretty much a beginner although I did try flying a few times many years ago (about 16 I think) and I spent quite some time practising in Realflight.
Naturally I bent up the original fuselage and tail a bit, did a number of repairs on the tail which seems to be the weakest spot of the original.
Decided to rebuild the plane and add a brushless setup to it – mainly to make it more efficient and add a little more power.
I bought new foam bits for the rebuild which I strengthened with carbon rod on the weaker spots that I had found during my early flights with the BNF one.
I used an AP05 motor, XP-3A ESC, GWS 5×3 prop, a prop saver mount and a piece of carbon fibre to mount the motor:
Servo horn mount glued in
Linkages taped down
Wing glued down
Cutting ruts for carbon re-enforcements – these will help keep the fuselage straight on a harder nose first landing
Carbon glued in
With extra tape hinges adding – the hinges can come apart on harder impact.
Hole cut for carbon
Carbon rod glued in – this is a very good mod as the tail is very fragile
Servo glued in and tested – have since put it on the more aggressive setting but the servo throw needs to be limiting or the servo and lock up.
Wing glued on
Elevator glued and re-enforced with a thin carbon rod. I added extra tape hinges.
Tail glued in, the carbon goes right down in the fuselage
AR6400 glued in and ESC trial fitted
The motor mount is a piece of 1.5mm carbon fibre cut to shape and air holes added (to aid in cooling the internal electronics)
Prop & prop saver test fit
The spinner need quite a but of hacking up to fit
Tail re-enforcements
Had a little oopsy with some solvent on this side so I’ve replaced the missing bit with a chunk of the old fuselage
The gap here is a bit bigger than I would have liked but its OK.
[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Bde_SsM2js[/yt]
Flown it about 15 times since the rebuild and it’s much improved – stability and power.
I’m using the bigger 150mah batteries and a DX6i with some expo set on the ailerons and elevator. It does seem a bit zippyer with the smaller 120mah batteries due to the weight saving.
It just needs stickers now to finish it off.