Mark's aircraft

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page updated: 2009.07.16

aircraft - electric - filip400
aircraft - gliders - filip400

early electric power gliders helicopter indoor technology future

aerojet powered glider filip400 simply the best

zagi zagi thl stiletto siesta filip400 simply the best nano floh skorpion

selection

Bought as a stand in for electric glider competitions while waiting for my simply the best. Something relatively cheap and quick to build - artf.

construction

Almost ready to fly - not.

Wing joiners need to be cut to shape and fitted into new holes in the end ribs of the wing panels with epoxy. Need to fit wind locating dowel in front of wing and through a new hole in the fuselage.

Wing retaining captive nut and plate has to be epoxied to the top of the fuselage about 8" down the tube. I used a peg held by a pair of thin nose pliers - well fiddly. Avoided the nightmare of servo tray and snake fixing by installing 4.4g saturn electron servos in the fin. T tail needs fixing bolt bush gluing in, together with captive nut and seat gluing to the top of the tail. Rudder post to be hinged and glued into fin.

Have to align and epoxy the motor bulkhead to the fuselage. Fitted a 4:1 geared speed 400 unit with a jeti 40A speed controller. Graupner 12x10 gear prop. Hitec 555 5 channel mini Rx. 300mAh nimh Rx pack. No switch - just plug in and go.

flight

Popped over to wolston for test flight shortly before the 1st competition of 2004. Starting with a 7x cell 500ar pack. Disappointing climb rate and pitch control all over the place due to too rearward c of g. Got it down safely. A bit too windy for another go.

1st competition in drizzly rain. Still trying to get it trimmed out. Rather a lot of right rudder eventually traced to a wash in twist to the right wing tip panel. With no d box, the whole wing is a bit twisty. 8x cell 500ar pack better, but climb rate still uninspiring, and only 3-4min flights.

2nd competition just damp. Wing straightened out. Managed 5min flights.

Retired

Nothing much wrong with it, but my simply the best arrived.

Coverted it to a glider for less windy days at the mynd.

statistics

photos

video