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Dawn Flyer


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  • 2 months later...
  • 4 weeks later...

Hi all, anyone building a one of these from the RCM&E plan yet? I have a TopFlite Elder 40 with open rear fuselage which I love so couldn't resist Lyndsay's masterpiece. I made a start on the weekend and have got the fuse, wings and tail surfaces pretty much complete. Will post some photos tomorrow. Cheers, Rob

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 2 weeks later...

Hi all, a little late but as promised, the beginning of my build.

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I'm actually pretty advanced with fuse, wings and tail feathers close to complete bu I'm afraid i've not been diligent in taking photos so will have to jump from here to where I am now for the next installment. Great model Lindsay.

Cheers, Rob

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Hi folks, just finished my Dawn Flyer, great model Lindsay and fun to build although mine did need couple of ounces of church roof in the front. All being well maiden flight will be tomorrow and couple of pictures will follow.

Then to build another one for my non builder mate.

Thanks for great plan.

Martin.

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Never have I read a more apt descrition of a maiden flight, your right, the grin stayed on my face for ages.

What a little darling this plane is, straight off the board it flies an absolute treat. Next one will have a lighter tail and a slightly wider undercarriage. Lovely, whats next Lindsay?

(would put couple of pictures in but haven't read how to do it yet, sorry)

Martin

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Martin, I am so delighted you enjoyed the build and the flying qualities. I always find it incredibly rewarding when someone chooses to build one of my designs and enjoys the experience, many thanks for posting I look forward to seeing the pics. As for whats next, well I have a new Biplane design Skywriter already with the editor a Bristol Blenhiem about to be started and something a little more complex to follow for next year, I guess a smaller sport model will appear as well possibly a Lockheed Vega but not made a final decision just yet. Glad you are having fun with Dawn Flyer, it seems she is proving quite popular which is nice. Linds

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My "downunder" Dawn Flyer is ready for her maiden next weekend. I'm afraid I'm not a very good build logger and failed to take many photos - a number in its completed state below.

Some specs:

  • DualSky 3550 (250W)
  • 40A HobbyKing Blue Series ESC
  • Cedar varnish stain
  • White SolarTex (left over from another project)
  • 2 x Hitec HS81 (ailerons), 2 x Hextronix MG mini (rud & elev)

I had a bit of lithoplate available so thought I'd be a bit different with the nose (needed a bit of weight up front anyway). Fake hingeline up the centre. Exhaust pipes bent up from heated PVC tubing.

Also modded the tail skid to use a spring acting under pull tension rather than compression.

Will let you know how it goes next Sunday, weather permitting - winter here in Oz and its been pretty blowy of late.

Cheers, Rob

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100_3704.jpg100_3703.jpg100_3702.jpg100_3701.jpg100_3700.jpg100_3706.jpg100_3709.jpgHi guys,just happened to see this post on the Dawn Flyer and thought I would jump on wagon and share my build log with you.

I started out by making photo copies of all the parts and made cardboard templates which I have stored away for when I want to build another one.100_3708.jpg

I have used 4mm balsa instead of 6mm and it has worked out very well,I must say I have been building for about 20 years now and this must be one of the first scratch builds I have really enjoyed (very easy build).Here are some pictures of the build so far and will post more as I go along.100_3707.jpg

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Well an astoundingly successful maiden on Sunday - no problem at all keeping it straight on our grass field, into the air, a little left trim on the ailerons and smiles all round. Not a pylon racer but ample power on 250 Watts behind an old 11.5x5 IC Bolly prop that I'm using till I can chase up a suitable electric prop.

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Thanks again Lindsay for a great model. More pics in my album **LINK**

Cheers, Rob

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Great model..How did you get the wood colour so dark?..Nice little touches on the design Lindsay.

I see,... the fuz angle on the underside changes behind the cockpit,suiting it to open framework..genius..

did you sketch the design on paper Lindsay? .To visualize the end shape or was it a pc job?

Im defo going to give this designing a model go.beer mats work well tooo ,

so says old skool RCM&e

Roy

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Hi Roy,

The dark fuz colour is courtesy of a tin of mahogany acrylic varnish, several coats, probably 5 or six with a light sanding between each coat, for that added zest i even used some pledge furniture polish to make it shine!

Most of my designs start life as a sketch on a scrap of paper mulled over till it looks reasonably in line with what I was aiming for, being able to visulise in three dimensions is probably a plus and having attended art college (can't claim to have studied) it sort of comes quite naturally these days. The back end actually has several inspirations behind it but when completed was very close to a crane jib my brother and I built from Meccano when we were kids. Being 11years apart and me being the younger we had a pretty extensive kit and could virtually hoist a house brick up the stairs with it, drove my mum crazy, always being told off when she kept finding nuts and bolts in the carpet for months afterwards. Anyway when the sketches make sense I commit the design to cad basically now because its what I am used too as I use it in my job and have been doing so for many years. It makes little difference though just as easy to draw on paper - give it a go. Linds

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Hi Lindsay,just been down to B & Q to pick up my wood stain,i have gone for the same as yours or very close,so painting is on the job card for tonight

I do a lot of scratch building and i must say i am really enjoying this one.Maybe one day you could do a eastbourne mono plane in the same easy build format with a 50 inch span that would be great.

Any tips on a motor for this baby would be great.

Regards

Wayne

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Wayne, I've used a DualSky DSXM3550CA-14, 1000kV propped (11x5) for just under its rated 250Watts. More than adequate and fits in quite nicely.

Lindsay, I was thinking the very thing myself re a larger model. Increasing the size by 50% would give a 6ft wingspan (pretty close to my TopFlite Elder) which is powered with a Saito 56. Experience with that model is that electric power would be preferable as the open rear fuselage structure gets very messy with dirt and grass sticking to the exhaust residue and being very fiddly to clean off. I'm thinking something like an E-Flite power 40 brushless with 4S power pack. Dont think there would be any need to scale up the material thicknesses but maybe use 6mm spruce for wing spars and fuse longerons. I've been experimenting on the computer and can scale up the wing ribs & formers easily. Fuse sides are a bit big for A4 but could easily redraw them by hand. Will ponder a little longer before deciding.

Was hoping to get another flying session in on Wed morning but the weather was not kind - Sunday is looking good so far.

Cheers, Rob.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Mine's a little different.

And only my second 'build from plan' project so still some things to learn.

My Dawn Flyer

Differences are:

- I've used plastic snakes for the rudder and elevator

- No support wires from cockpit to wing surfaces (yet)

- Cockpit formed from balsa 'planks' then stained

- Wings: top covering is antique then underneath is white (better buy enough covering next time)

- Skid made from toilet cistern wire link

- Ugly aluminium undercarriage until I get some 10SWG wire and some decent wheels

- Corona wing servos, Hitec HS-81 for rudder and elevator

Just need to slightly adjust the C of G as it needs some weights in the front - then maiden flight next weekend.

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Very nice - a good job! I know that necessity is the mother of invention and we aeromodellers are famous for pressing household objects into aviation use - but I think this is possibly the first time I've encountered part of a loo being used! 10/10 for inenuity!

Hope she flies well - let us know how the maiden goes!

BEB

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Disaster!!!!!! I pushed it a bit too much in the wind Sunday befor last. It was gusting badly but I decided to have "one more flight" (5th for the day). It wasn't pleasant and I decided to bring her in - a handful on the approach but all seemed to be going well. At about 2ft off the deck a crosswind gust from the aircraft's right caught it and flipped it on its back. Fuselage was a total write off but wing and tail surfaces unmarked.

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Interestingly, the open framework of the rear fuselage pretty much survived. Well, I decided you can't keep a good (Dawn) flyer down and immediately set about building a new fuselage which I am happy to say is now complete and ready to be assembled. The new model will be christened "Phoenix" and weather permitting will take to the air again on Wed.

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Afraid Lindsay put a seed in my mind and I have scaled up the plans by 1.5. Construction will commence as soon as I get the Phoenix Dawn Flyer back together. Power will be an E-Flite power 46 off a 4S LiPo. All seem to fit in when laid over the plans - I'll pay more attention to build photos with this one.

Rob

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Where do I go to source litho plate these days, we used to have a printing department at the College where I worked and It was free, but i have no idea where to get it from now.
 
Cheers,
 
Chris.

 

I managed to get hold of a reasonable substitute in the form of aluminium flashing strip from my local hardware store here in Oz. Width is 150mm and is 0.35mm thick.

Tried to add photo from album but it won't let me!

Edited By Ausferret on 12/08/2013 06:48:11

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