Hello all,
Firstly I would like to thank you all for your response to my last project! 800+ Views is just something I wasn't expecting. But less of the past, theres no time like the present.
This project is about my latest project, the Versa Wing. This is a fantastic design by Josh Bixler, fitting the needs of anybody in one plane. However I was particularly attracted to its FPV capabilities, as even before getting into the hobby for the first time that was something I was interested in. I have decided to put my FPV experience in another article, so if that is what you are looking for then scroll to the bottom where you will see a link to that article (when its finished :D). Much like the F22 Raptor article I have published, I will be going through all aspects of the build in this video. From cutting to painting, I will cover all of my experiences.
Before we begin just a slight disclaimer, I am relatively new to this hobby with only a years worth of experience. So any constructive critiscism is welcome and don't take my word as law. As most likely on more than one occasion there will be a better way of doing things. However, if you are getting into the hobby like me then this article will definately help you to get a good experience for a good price. I have learned from my mistakes so in a way you dont have to.
So without waffling, lets begin!
Equipment
In this section I will be looking at the equipment I ended up using to finish the build, and what is the most worthwhile purchase if you are looking to be a frequent scratch builder. The most essential items I used were:
- Hot Glue Gun + Glue Sticks
- Sharp Cutting Blade (Be Careful)
- UHU POR + UHU Multipurpose Adhesive
- Gaffa Tape/Extreme Packing Tape + Insulator Flooring Tape
- Junior Hack Saw
- Selection of Screw Drivers
- Tape Measure
This is pretty much all you need to get this plane built, apart from your other materials (Foam, Control Horns, etc.) So lets have a more in-detailed look at why each of these pieces of equipment are important, but ultimately why they saved me money!
Hot Glue Gun: From my experience you cannot go wrong with a hot glue gun, it is literally the most multipurpose adhesive I have found and its cheap! I can really understand why the Flite Test crew have a devotion to the Hot Glue Gun, because it is an awesome piece of equipment. I bought a small hot glue gun at my local DIY Shop, along with 20 Glue Sticks. The glue gun cost £8.00 and the 20 Glue Sticks cost £1.50, this is a massive saving compared to UHU POR, as the Glue Gun can be safely used on all types of foam and I dont have to pay £5.00 just for one 50ml tube. Once you have bought the glue gun, which will last a while, all you have to buy is the good value gluesticks. Each stick lasts for a good amount of time, and they only cost 10p when bought individually. Overall you are getting much more "Bang for your Buck," as our favourite hosts would say!
Sharp Cutting Blade: This needs little explanation, as it is a must for any modeler. Regardless of the materials you use, a cutting blade will come in handy at some point or another. Make sure it is sharp, as this will greatly improve the accuracy and overall success of your cutting!
UHU POR/Multipurpose Adhesive: These products both have individual specific uses. UHU POR is used for glueing together foam and forms a rubber joint between the two surfaces you are glueing together. It makes a really strong joint, but ultimately it takes ages to dry (meaning that you have to sit there forever holding the shape of the joint) and it is quite costly. You cannot buy this in supermarkets or other stores, as it is modeling specific and therefore not commersially viable to Tesco's, etc. However your local model shop should have it. It is available on the internet, however in my opinion it is just not worth the premium price you pay, as hot glue is much cheaper and more efficient. UHU Multipurpose Adhesive is for sticking together all types of material, such as woods and metals. DO NOT USE IT ON YOUR FOAM! The solvent inside the glue "chews" away at the foam, ending in a very bad look for your plane.
Extreme Packing Tape: This is extremely useful for all sorts of techniques, such as the hinge for your control surface, etc. It is widely used in all Flite Test builds so if you are making a Flite Test design make sure you have some available. Preferably the cross hatched type, but any strong, thick tape will do.
Insulator Flooring Tape: As can be seen below, I have used Insulator flooring tape on the front of my plane. This is just to make the plane look estetically pleasing, and has little function what so ever.
Junior Hack Saw + Screw Drives Selection + Tape Measure: This is just all round highly useful for any modeller, as you will always need to cut, twist and measure things.
With these pieces of equipment you should be fine and dandy to complete this build, other things can be useful but not absolutely essential. But dont think you need very expensive tools to make a great flying plane, your plane will fly just as well with older tools from your tool box!
Materials
Materials are key to this build, much to my dismay, models arent just magicked (what a word!) out of thin air, they arrive either in a box. Or you build them yourself. As this is a scratch build you will either need to get your hands on a Flite Test "Speed Build Kit" and "Firewall" or a series of materials. If like me, you want the hardcore building from scratch experience, the materials you will need are:
- Depron/Dollar Tree Foam (Which can be found in the UK, more on that later)
- Lightweight and Strong Wood
- Control Horns
- Push Rods (Carbon Fibre Rods, Piano Wire, etc.)
- Velcro
Again this is pretty much all you need to make this model, don't be fooled into thinking you need expensive materials, Mr Bixlers frugality does by no means sacrifice the structural stability of this model. As can be seen in Flite Test Videos, this model can be held up by the wing tip.
A few quick notes on these seperate materials where applicable:
Depron/Dollar Tree Foam: Depron can be bought at most UK model shops and online, although delivery can be quite expensive. Having surfed the internet, I have found an almost identical foam to the one used by Flite Test available in the UK. Of course you can have Dollar Tree Foam Board sent over from America, but the shipping costs will make it very expensive, so probably not worth the risk of damage or the money. My substitute is by no means as cheap as a dollar per board of foam, but you can get 25 Sheets of 20 Inch by 30 Inch by 5mm foam relatively cheaply. This foam is found here: http://www.foam-board.co.uk/5mm-white-foamboard/
Wood: The wood mentioned above is for use on a motor mount, you don't have to use wood. You can use metal and foam. However wood is advisable as it is much lighter than most metals and much stronger than foam. So you can have a rigid construction which will be able to cope with the direct force of the motor.
Velcro: Velcro is great for attatching and securing electronics to planes, especially to wings which are just flat or curved surfaces. If you have this available to you then use it, as it is strong and very vesatile in where it can be placed, etc. If you are looking to do FPV, like me, then a velcro strap is a good idea for securing your camera to the plane. As you can tighten it to the correct size, so multiple cameras can be used.
Thats all for the materials section, if anyone has anything to add to this section or any good ideas for materials then please comment down below. As I and others would love to know good sources of materials.
Parts
The parts I used on this particular craft are the same as the parts I used on the LM F22 Raptor, as I "cannibalised" that Airframe to make this plane. This not only saved money, but also the Raptor has a few imperfections which annoyed me, so I wanted to keep learning and make a better plane.
The electronics and parts used are:
- 1600kv Turnigy Park 300 Motor
- 8 by 4 APC Prop
- 20amp Speed Controller
- Hextronic 9g Servos
- 1000mah 3s 20c Turnigy Lipo Battery
This is a fairly simple set-up, however there are a few key things to mention:
8 by 4 APC Prop - I think this prop may be too big for this particular set up, either the prop needs to be made smaller or the battery and ESC need to be changed. It would be much easier to get a smaller prop, so I will update this section if I look into that idea.
1000mah 3s 20c Battery - This battery is a good idea for those looking to get into an FPV set up like me! However if you are looking for a pusher wing without putting FPV on it, then you need a bigger battery to provide the nose weight for the correct CofG.
This set up works for the application I want to use it for, admittedly the battery could be bigger and that will be something I look into when I get further into FPV. I would advise you tailor your set-up to your needs, if your looking for a slower flyer then use the Blue Wonder suggested by Flite Test. Do not look at this set-up as the be all and end all of Versa Wing set-up's, it is just what I have used. Again if anyone wants to add anything then please do, as it would definately help me!
Cutting
For those of you looking for a relatively simple building fix, this is a great build! Although I would not recommend this as your first scratch build, as the construction of the airfoil can take a few tries. If you have plenty of foam board you will be ok, but if you are on a tight budget I would suggest trying something simpler first. The F22 Raptor for example *Hint Hint*.
Anyway, apart from the construction of the airfoil this build is fairly simple and can be completed in a few hours if you have everything ready. In terms of cutting, there are a few things to mention. You must be careful when cutting the score lines for the airfoil, as well as have care when cutting the curved edges on the plane. If you want a quick build then the easiest way to cut the curve is by hand. But those looking for a more professional finish will want to cut it larger than the needed size and then sand it down. This will give a much more smooth edge. When cutting the score lines for the airfoil, TAKE YOUR TIME, it is one of the most important steps in the whole build.
The rest of the build is fairly simple, due to the use of mostly straight lines. Make sure you use a metal ruler and sharp knife to get the best results.
Assembly
For a more in detailed description for the assembly of the plane, please go and see the video made by Josh Bixler and the Flite Test Crew. As the video is perfect in its explanation! However there are a few things I would like to mention:
Foam Thickness - If you, like me, are using a foam thickness which is thicker than that used by Flite Test. Be Careful. Especially when mounting the servos, make sure the arm you are using on your servo will stretch through to the other side and give you the needed movement. If the arm does not fit through, do what I did and mount the servos on the top of the wing sticking through the foam. This gives them a lot of protection and also makes them accessable for centering. (See Picture Below)
Winglets - When mounting the winglets I would advise running a bead of hot glue along the joint between the main wing and the winglet, as this will give much more strength with double the amount of glue joints then before. The winglets are important for stability so you do not want them falling off in flight. (See Picture Below)
Electronics - In terms of mounting electronics for the pusher version of the versa wing, it is always a personal venture. By no means look at my picture and copy it, as everyones aircraft is different. Take them time to get the CofG proper for your own aircraft. However as I guide I suggest getting most of your electronics near the front if you can, as this is needed to counter the tail weight of the motor. If you are looking to get into FPV then make sure you factor in the weight of your FPV gear as well.
Other than these things assembly of this aircraft is fairly easy, as there isnt a large amount of glueing to be done. Make sure you give each glue joint time to set before you fly, as this will be the key to a stable and strong aircraft.
Painting
When painting your aircraft, you can let your creative side go wild! Whatever you want to do, you can, especially with an aircraft like this which is not particularly based on any real aircraft. However remember, your aircraft must be practically visible in the air. So it may be a good idea to paint one side one colour and the other side another. That way you will be able to distinquich the orientation of the aircraft, this is especially important with a wing, as they can be confusing at longer distances.
A technique I use to get the result that you can see below, is to put masking tape around the edge of the shape I want to paint. Then I can paint in the area as well as over the masking tape, let the paint dry, then peel off the masking tape. That way you get relatively clean lines of paint for little trouble. If you want inspiration look at these pictures of my wing, I have used several simple shapes to make a design. It is fairly easy and productive to just make it up as you go along.
The tape on the front is insulator tape, used for flooring. I just thought it looked cool! :D For more information on that go back to the materials section. When painting make sure you are careful and take your time, if you are unhappy with the finished result you will regret it later on. Especially if it was because you rushed.
Testing and Maiden
Where do I start, this plane flies like a dream, I have never flown anything better. It is perfect for my FPV usage due to it's inherant stability, as well as it's ability to smoothly turn through the air. With the throw settings I have, it flies very much like a cruiser. However when dialed up the plane has plenty of roll rate and pitch authority to get you through aerobatic manouvers. This really is the plane for everyone!
(Sorry, the pictures are a bit fuzzy, hard to take a photo of this thing in 16mph winds! :D)
The only thing I will say is check your CofG and check it again. If the plane flies, but nose heavy, then check the amount of reflex you have inputed. As this was a problem I originally had.
Thanks for reading and Happy Flying,
TehMaxwell
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