TEA RACER Build Thread.

vinay · March 07, 2010, 08:27:25 PM

Quitting on using retracts, the space inside the airfoil is too less to fix servos in an angle so as to use retracts

. I will try to use standard spring wire landing gear instead. If even that is not possible, then this plane will belly land

RotorZone · March 07, 2010, 11:30:24 PM

Col,

Do you have those torches ? If so, would appreciate if you can test on Al. The ebay page mentions it works only for thin foils or small pieces.

Vinay,

I have an ultimate bipe that needed a custom muffler. I was not happy with the workmanship of the fellow who made it. I think I can do a much better job than him

sundaram · March 07, 2010, 11:37:08 PM

You mean like Die Cast the Custom Muffler?

ujjwaana · March 08, 2010, 12:39:38 AM

Quote from: vinay on March 07, 2010, 08:27:25 PM
Quitting on using retracts, the space inside the airfoil is too less to fix servos in an angle so as to use retracts . I will try to use standard spring wire landing gear instead. If even that is not possible, then this plane will belly land

Stitch in time saves nine. Great that you took a timely decision! Pictures...

vinay · March 08, 2010, 08:29:36 AM

Quote from: ujjwaana on March 08, 2010, 12:39:38 AM
Stitch in time saves nine. Great that you took a timely decision! Pictures...

Only the cuttings/glueing are complete, Electronics needs to be mounted. I can fix the servos inside directly, but for the sake of Gyros, I am planning to make a removable square box, that can be easily removed from the plane if I dont need gyros/ or for tweaking the Gyros. I can set the gain/mode for the Gyros remotely from the TX as I will be using a 7 channel receiver, and all the channels on the TX/RX are proportional.

Looks like I wont be able to do much till this Saturday.

EDIT: I have increased the wing span of the plane by 2 cms on each side, chord remaining the same. I have increased the tail fin by 1 cm on each side and the control surface of the tail fin by 1 cm. Rudder height by 1 cm and length by 1.5 cm. to accumulate the extra weight of gyros and the wheels/landing gear. and more to behave like a 3D plane. Hope it at least flies

The wing is a 2 layered coro, yet to give it a symmetrical aerofoil shape. The Rudder fin(just the part that moves) on the final plane will be yellow.

vinay · March 08, 2010, 08:50:38 AM

Where to put the landing gear? To the wing or to the fuse in front of the wing?

ujjwaana · March 08, 2010, 12:01:47 PM

Yuppie!! great top see the pictures!! Great man!! Now my F-22 is 80% done, I can start the Tea Racer!! do share some pain to learn experiences ! I have scores from F-22

vinay · March 08, 2010, 12:08:47 PM

There was absolutely no pain till now except that the coro used was 3mm instead of the designs 2mm. So you have to change the cuttings accordingly.

ujjwaana · March 08, 2010, 01:20:58 PM

Planned any re-enforcement for fuse ? like Veneer Ply or Balsa cage structure ? I wonder where were you planning to put the retracts !

The plan is so tight!

As for the landing gear, get some good spring wire (get some for me as well) and put it under the Fuse, tack on the CG (1/3 from leading edge). Going with this, you have no choice other than dreaded Trail dragger config. Nose wheel is suited only when you put the main landing gear under the wing. But sky is limit!

RotorZone · March 08, 2010, 01:41:19 PM

Quote from: sundaramvelar on March 07, 2010, 11:37:08 PM
You mean like Die Cast the Custom Muffler?

No, just welding it together.

vinay · March 08, 2010, 02:13:08 PM

I already had the spring wire Landing gear from HK(available at Sai also - info for BM*). So no worries to go hunting for them, I am still thinking about putting it exactly ON CG, I saw that the Mustang that Abhay had was actually running on 2 wheels before taking off. And a small stone on the runway will make the plane tip and nose dive. Still thinking what to do.

Should I put it a little further front of CG? Will that be OK?

No reinforcements, the plan already makes the fuse have 2 layers of coro in it. And there is no way I am going to use balsa in it for any reason

.

*BM = borrowman!

sundaram · March 09, 2010, 06:01:06 PM

Quote from: RotorZone on March 08, 2010, 01:41:19 PM
No, just welding it together.

I am sure about copper tubes and brass tubes bracing since it is done in AC copper tube bracing with Butane torch, but is it not the alluminium melting and bracing requires inert gas atmosphere for prevention of Al Oxide formation and burning of alluminium?

Vinay

Nice pictures there, waiting to see the finished product and expecially when it flies. Best wishes to you.
Since in my opinion tail dragger seems to be the best configuration for this plane, Landing gear is surely required to be ahead of CG to prevent nose tipping during landing and take off.

vinay · March 09, 2010, 06:47:46 PM

Thanks Sundar, I will take care of the CG part for the landing gear as you suggested.

ujjwaana · March 09, 2010, 07:48:08 PM

I think the new member Sethji's planes have your landing gear answers

http://www.rcindia.org/rc-people/sethji-from-kolkata-calcutta/msg16461/#new

sundaram · March 09, 2010, 08:25:07 PM

Quote from: RotorZone on March 07, 2010, 11:30:24 PM
Col,
Do you have those torches ? If so, would appreciate if you can test on Al. The ebay page mentions it works only for thin foils or small pieces.

The bigger torch surely is melting Alluminium disc of size 1 Inch dia 4 mm thick in 3 min it was round blob of liquid alluminium. middle one is melting the same size disk in 7 Mins. the smaller one is just getting it red hot.

vinay · March 09, 2010, 10:35:17 PM

Quote from: ujjwaana on March 09, 2010, 07:48:08 PM
I think the new member Sethji's planes have your landing gear answers

http://www.rcindia.org/rc-people/sethji-from-kolkata-calcutta/msg16461/#new

Not able to find any tail dragger there and no discussion of landing gear either!

ujjwaana · March 10, 2010, 02:50:13 AM

Vinay, above link was for landing gear as general, esp ones having a nose wheel instead. Tail dragger you would anyway like to avoid.

vinay · November 18, 2010, 02:17:29 PM

Ok, after a long long time with the updates. Finally got some time and interest to continue with planes.

Iam keeping the build as simple as possible.

1)Motor mounted with epoxy.

2)Servo mounted with servo tape from great planes. Note that the manual says that when I fold the wing it will form a aerofoil. But IT DID NOT. instead it formed 2 flat plane surfaces touching each other. To get the aero foil, I wanted to keep a strip of something hard but light thing. After thinking for some time, came up with the idea of mounting 3 coro strips on top of each other.

3) I have inserted the CF rod inside this coro bar itself to get all that strength.

4)The finished wing.

vinay · November 18, 2010, 02:21:58 PM

Since I THINK there was a VERY MINUTE disturbance in the line I cut, the wing got warped when I bent the coro on the leading edge. I will go home and fix this somehow.

Any suggestions welcome.

vinay · November 18, 2010, 02:27:14 PM

60 Year old switch at my native still working LIKE NEW

ujjwaana · November 18, 2010, 02:54:31 PM

Wing wrapping (shear)is pretty serious and would give a 'Trimming nightmare once in air.
Balsa builder use "shear webbing" where they place 2/3mm Birch/Plywood strip between the top and bottom spars. The grain of the webbing sheet is a perpendicular to the Wing span (along the chambering/thickness of the wing).

The Coro sheet you have placed along with the CF rods have flutes parallel to direction along the the wing span. Remove them and neatly cut 4 coro sheet with the width as much as the thick the wing should be. Stack them in group of 2 on either side of the CF rot, 'Verically' instead of horizontly you have done currently.

Would love to see your TeaRacer fly this weekend. Hope it doesn't rain.

And the 60 year old toggle switch reminds me a smilar one in my parternal grand father house. 80Y old. You can use them between your battery and the LiPO balancer

vinay · November 18, 2010, 03:58:36 PM

I thought of doing as u said - the spars idea, but looks like then I would need a spar at every 1 inch distance or else the wing is warping.

Ya, I will remove the wing warping some how after going home.

anwar · June 30, 2011, 06:15:18 PM

Old one, but what happened to this thread ?

Remembered this when someone brought a beautiful Tea Racer to our field !

praveen · June 30, 2011, 11:43:19 PM

even i think so

once he showed me this plane when i visited his place ,build quality was excellent ! even though he has best and superb gadget (Electric heli) he not flying past from few monthssssssssssss!! hope tooooooooo busy with his work!

i hope he will get back to flying soon and try my glow models!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

vinay · July 01, 2011, 09:08:42 AM

Will soon be back with vengeance.

Need atleast 2 months from now. Been busy searching for house near new office(which would mean hoskote would just be 10 KM or so for me). Have to shift settle down and reboot. Will make sure even Rajesh joins back

BTW the servos needs to be attached and trust angle is slightly wrong I guess, which probably ujjwal or ashta should be able to help me out in the first shot.

I haven't got the time even to visit Sujju's store which is 3 KM from my house