The Lifting Body Fighter Project

This is my first FT article and part 1 of this series. Stay tuned for part 2 and additional articles about other designs and experimental projects. Enjoy!

The Concept

A lifting body is essientially any airplane that integrates its wings and fuselage into one structure, like a wing. In many ways, these aircraft have already taken the RC world by storm. If you're reading this, you probably have a wing or two in your basement waiting to be flown. In fact, the airliners and transports being operated decades from now may look a lot like the RC planes we build today. But what about lighter aircraft, like fighters?

In the 1990s at Area 51, Boeing developed the Bird of Prey, a light, fast lifting body fighter.

Instead of a traditional flying wing, which would be inefficient at high airspeeds, Boeing opted for a slender fuselage with very small, rear-mounted wings. I was intrigued by this idea and decided to take the Bird of Prey concept and put my own spin on it.

Design and Prototype

I don't have or know how to use Sketchup or CAD, so I drew up my plans the old fashioned way:

So, the Stingray SR-2A Javelin glider was built.

With a steady throw and a low angle of attack, the Javelin flew beautifully. It would stay perfectly straight and level until it either stalled or landed on its belly. With the concept proven, it was time to design a powered version, the SR-2B.

The plane pictured is a glider, modified from the A-model. I added the intake scoop and a slighly different tail, as well as a ventral fin for extra stability. It's designed around a 64mm EDF and has provisions for a vertical thrust-vectoring system. This also flew very well with a good throw.

Overall, I'm confident that the SR-2 will perform well when powered. Part 2 of this project will probably be coming out in a month or so. Also, keep an eye out for the SR-1 flying wing build article and plans, which will be released soon, as well as an interesting project involving a tubular wing.

If anyone has any suggestions on which motor to use or anything else related to this project, please let me know in the comments!