Hi everyone -
Just wanted to let you know I was still alive and kicking! The FRC Su35 MK2 NAMCV2 build is clipping along well now, should have the build finished up over the weekend and maybe even painted. The bulk of the airframe is together now, then it will just be final finishing and sanding, installation of electronics and paint!
The build video is going to be fairly lengthy, but hopefully very thorough. And the fast forward button was invented for a reason... :) The video will be a step by step process, starting right from how I prep the plans before cutting out foam, how each piece goes together, some techniques I have discovered that make the whole process much easier as this will be the 9th FRC score and fold park jet I have built of this type that all have essentially the same build process, etc.
I have taken the opportunity throughout shooting each stage to also talk about some of the basic build techniques I use that can be used on any plane, so that accounts for some of the increased length as well as I often get asked about those, or at least I used to when I was still active on the RC Powers forum. I have also shot a bit of intro to put the whole thing in context and to put out some caveats about the video and why I do things the way that I do, including a bit of "soap boxing" about my opinions of what I think is important to remember about scratch building park jets (ie, do your own thing, not what I do or the crowd does, follow your dreams and remember to have fun... :) ).
So if all goes well, should have the build video edited and published by this time next week I hope if not sooner. Been a long gloomy week here weather wise, so if I do get some nice weather, I may have to go out and feed the flying addiction which might push the timeline above a bit to the right... :)
Cheers,
Scott
North American Mig Consortium (NAMC) was formed to share ideas, build techniques and test results in pursuit of a park jet that suits our flying styles. This additionally will be a forum to freely post and share ideas and have a lot of fun! If you don't have gmail or google accounts and want to send us questions, please do so at scott@migsrus.com. Your e-mails may be re-posted in the blog to benefit other followers. Puto, Consilium, Test et Convalidandum; Think, Design, Test, and Validate
Scott,
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to the build video as my first experience with a FRC build was rather frustrating. Still no maiden on the Mig-35v2. Blowing winds for the last couple of weeks and now relaxing on vacation with old college friends. Hopefully next week I'll maiden even if I have to get up at sunrise.
Take care,
Stephan
Hi Stephan -
DeleteI hope that the video will be useful to you and other folks, it is a bit of a "ramble fest" at times... :/ I think I am covering stuff that should be good for beginner to advanced builder alike, so even if folks don't want to build with full controls and go through all the finishing and sanding, it will be there as reference.
The build techniques of how the plane goes together also spill over to the FRC F15 MK2 and the Su37 MK1, so hopefully folks building those FRC planes can use the same video for reference.
I feel your pain about being weather grounded, haven't flown in over a week...OMG the withdrawals!!! Tuesday looks like the next nice day for flying, so hopefully I'll have the new Su35 finished by then and might get the maiden flight done.
I'm sure the video will take some time to edit, mostly for content, I'm not going to mess around with the length, folks can fast forward through what they don't want to hear. It is my first build video where I go step by step, so if I do another one at some point I'm sure I will learn where to make it better.
Hope you get some calm winds and blue skies soon!
Cheers,
Scott
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ReplyDeleteHi Scott,
ReplyDeleteIts hard to imagine anything that could be more detailed when it comes to the level that everyone has grown accustomed too with your walk around and flight review's. I cant wait until the release of this video and this closer look inside your build techniques, and thought process, and whatever else you want to discuss. Rest assured there will be many people who benefit, as well as enjoy your ever entertaining and always informative perspective.
RT
Hi RT -
DeleteThanks so much for your kind words, there will be a lot of stuff covered in the video and when I post it on this blog I will also put lots of links to other great sources of information on gear, build techniques, etc.
I am hoping it will be helpful not only for those wanting to build an FRC plane, but helpful in general, perhaps why it will end up being so long. But if you are having trouble sleeping, it may also be a great sleeping pill... :/
Thanks again for the kind words, I hope to have the plane completed in the next day or two, another rainy day here today, so good time to get started on the paint job.
Video should be edited and posted by the end of the week at the latest, that is what I am shooting for anyway.
Thanks as always for the support... :)
Cheers,
Scott
When comparing the FRC mk2's against the RCP Mig's my mind tells me that because they are slightly smaller and lighter there suppose to be better. I wonder if when using the same set up and if all other things were equal, does that alone might make them better? Never having built or flown an FRC plane I was wondering what your thoughts as someone who has might be, as well as your reaction to the lighter is better concept...
ReplyDeleteHi RT -
DeleteAn interesting question. The FRC Su MK2s are somewhere in between the V3 and V4 Mig from RCP weight wise. Although the FRC Su is slightly smaller, because of the makeup of it, it uses more foam weight than the Mig29 V3. I can't remember the weight of the raw foam, but I do remember after weighing it, I was surprised that it was heavier.
When built stock, the FRC Su is not as stable as the Mig29 V3 or V4, but that is more because of the design rather than weight in my experience. One of the reasons I started playing with the mods I did was to try and make it a bit more stable to match my flying abilities. Fortunately although I did a lot of stuff to the first one, it all worked together very well and I have loved flying this plane for quite awhile.
The lightest RCP Mig I have built was the V3, for some reason the V4 gained almost an oz of foam weight due to it's construction and that is without KFs. I think I remember the raw weight of the parts of the V3 being 135 grams and the V4 was about 165 grams, so that is why I have found it to be such a challenge to get the V4 as light as the V3 I built. Of course going with the full KF4s with the extended KF along the LERX make a big difference in performance, so the extra weight is worth it in that situation. And in general, the V4 is a big improvement over the V3 in every category even if it is a little heavier right out of the gate.
A couple months ago, I wrote this article for the blog about thrust to weight and my thoughts on motors and prop choices http://migsrus.blogspot.ca/2014/07/some-thoughts-about-thrust-to-weight.html
In the first paragraph of that post I link to another article I wrote about my thoughts on the weights of the V3 size planes and their FRC counterparts.
Both Stephan and I think that building lighter is always the best way to go, but at the same time keeping in mind what power setup you might use on the plane. If you are going to stay with a very light setup, then reinforcement isn't as much of an issue, but if in the back of your mind you might use a big motor like the NTM 2700, you might have to build your plane strong enough to handle it which is going to add weight.
If you build light, then that gives you the option of using different batteries weights to adjust to wind conditions or how you like the plane to fly. Both Stephan and I like our planes in that 20-21 oz range for the stability and scale handling in pretty much any wind condition, which is why we build our planes light, but still use the 2200 batteries the most. However, if you get to the field and it is dead calm, you can drop a 1600 battery in there and lighten the plane by 1.5 oz right off the bat and really be able to scream around.
One of the ways I have been finding to make my plane "feel" lighter is to really concentrate on doing a good job of shaping and sanding. The symmetrical leading and trailing edges on wings, elevons, vert stabs and rudders as well as a good overall job of sanding down the rough edges all over make for a significant difference in how the plane feels in the air. I have found a good sanding job saves my planes on average over half an oz of weight and improve it's handling and "slipperiness" though the air immensely. It is a fussy job sometimes, but pays huge dividends in speed and efficiency of how the plane goes through the air regardless of weight.
The FRC Su MK2s are definitely more snappy than the Mig in aerobatics as they are significantly shorter, 36" versus 41", so less surface area to move around. Having said that, the Su MK2s are more of a handful to fly when comparing stock setup to stock setup and was one of the reasons I started testing mods on it.
Hopefully this "ramble fest" has answered your questions... :)
You may have read that Stephan and I are looking into shortening the Mig29 V4 a bit to bring it in line with the wing to length ratio of the modern Mig35, I am sure that will make it snappier in aerobatics as well.
Cheers,
Scott
Trumpy959,
DeleteWelcome to the blog. I'm the "silent" partner. I'll admit, I'm very proud of this blog and should post more, but life's a bitch when your job interferes with your hobbies! Scott and I have a kindred philosophy of think, build, test and have reproducible results. When it comes to airframes, we are both migaholics.
Look forward to your continued posts.
Stephan
Actually I didn't mean to make you have to go into a lengthy response, I had forgotten about your SU37mk2 review from November of 2013. I just watched it again and I'm sure most of your thoughts regarding my comment are contained there. This blog is such a great resource and virtual wik-a-pedia for RC Mig enthusiasts... or should I say Mig-a-pedia?... lol
ReplyDeleteOnce again i'm really looking forward to your new and improved more detailed build video, it's really going to be HUGE! It could possibly turn into a new part time career and supplement your retirement income once the DVD's come out. I'm sure it's just the beginning and will be the first of many to follow!
:-)
Hey thanks, RT :) We are very happy to hear that someone is getting some good use out of the RC park jet resource we are trying to create here, makes it all worthwhile. Now that I seem to have my camera set up just right, I am going to try and do some more "how to" videos over the winter and I think Stephan has mentioned he might do the same. The more ways to do things the better in my opinion, gives you more options depending on how you like to build and fly.
DeleteI also did a fly off between the Su35 and Su37 MK2s awhile back, you can read my thoughts and see the video here http://migsrus.blogspot.ca/2014/02/frc-foamies-su37-and-su35-mk2-flyoff.html
I don't think I would be living too long from the money made from my DVD collection... :/, but I get a kick out of doing them and I was very passionate about being an instructor when I was in the Air Force, so it fuels that need as well. Fortunately for my students though, the classes had time restraints, so they got relief from my rambling, but I did try to keep it "faster and funnier" with comparisons to my own life experiences.
Thanks again for the kind words and keep the questions coming, we hope that this blog will turn into a bit of a discussion group as well for us all to learn from each other and freely exchange ideas in an open minded, honest, non-judgmental environment.
Cheers,
Scott