Impressive project Derek.. Sorry it did give more promising results. Should try it again! Was that motor enough? What sive motor was it? How much did the bird weigh? Any idea on the cause? I'd sure like to see that beast in the air!
Thanks! yeah...it's very disappointing. I've been working on that plane "off and on" for the last two years.
Should I try it again? well...it's not gonna happen, lol. I've already stripped the electronics from the plane and the plane went out with yesterdays trash, lol.
Was the motor enough and what size was the motor? yes...I believe that the motor was enough to get the job done. The motor is a Tacon Bigfoot 160 245kv brushless outrunner. you can find it at
HobbyPartz.com - Lowest Price for Arduino/RC Hobby Parts, Digital Servos, Brushless Motors, ESC, LiPo Batteries/Chargers for RC Helicopters, RC Planes, RC Cars, Robots. I think it was around $53 US.
how much did the bird weigh? approx: 23lbs
Any idea on the cause? Actually, I have done a lot of thinking on that. At first I was blaming the steerable tail wheel bracket that I made. After some further thought....as the plane was getting up to speed, the tail lifts from the ground and then the plane erratically bolts to the left. This leads me to believe that I may not have had the two front wheels as "straight" as I thought. Chances are, one (or both) of the wheels was directed to the left. After the tail lifts from the ground, the front wheels (not aligned properly) direct the plane to the "curb of destruction". I should have checked the direction of the front wheels and then rechecked them.
Nonetheless, this chapter of my scratch building has been closed and I'm opening the next chapter. Fortunately, I have all the electronics that I'll need for the next project. Awesome!!!
