Mick
2011-03-26, 04:08 PM
Just started putting it together so I thought I would document it so others can learn from my mistakes as usual.
The shopping list:
Skywalker 163cm wingspan FPV foamy: http://www.bevrc.com/skywalker-168cm-epo-airplane-version-iilimit-time-offer-p-17.html
Motor: TGY AerodriveXp SK Series 35-36 910Kv / 310w http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=7074
ESC: Mystery 40A Brushless Speed Controller (Blue Series) http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9482
9x6 prop and a 5000mAh 4S battery
4x HS-65MG servos. I originally intended to use HXT900 as I had them but decided it was too expensive a plane to trust to cheap servos. I swapped them after taking the pics.
I will use my existing 1.3Ghz video Tx/Rx, OSD Pro combo and Hitec Aurora 9 2.4Ghz radio for now, I am still waiting for Eagle Tree to release the Eagle Link http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1205574 for conversion to long range.
For stabilisation: FY-20A http://www.feiyudz.cn/a/gb2312/product/Flight%20Stabilization%20System/FY-20/2010/0802/3.htmland and AHI http://www.firstpersonview.co.uk/on-screen-displays-osd-gps/s-y-link-eagle-tree-to-fy20a-interface. This is an interim to the new Eagle Tree Guardian http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1399687
You may gather I am an Eagle Tree fan, true but also once you have the core of their system you can add extras very easy as they daisy chain together via the bus. Their strategy works for me.
The build:
I spent a long time reading threads on RCG http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1223595, laying out what would go where and planning everything. I like to do this slowly and I am forever changing my mind what to do. There is never the perfect solution, just lots of different compromises.
Finally got the glue out and started to put it together. Following many tips from the RCG thread, I strengthened each wing with a 300 x 4.5 x 1.4mm carbon strip from between the two main spars out to well beyond the aileron servo. I put these in with medium foam safe CA and then sprayed the kicker, this worked well.
I opened out the channel normally used for the Vtx cable and added a large diameter carbon tube so I can feed cables through this later or change the configuration at any time. I found the tube in my box of junk, for those eagle eyed it is the remains of a carbon tail boom from a TRex 450 that ended its life some time ago, doing the funky chicken.
The glue is drying on the fuselage as I type. I noticed that when I put the sides together using the supplied slow fix glue it was easy to take any twist out of the tail relative to the fuselage by over-twisting then it relaxed to the right place. This would not have been so easy with CA or contact adhesive.
So far so good, hope to have this flying when the weather warms up a bit. The main advantage of the Skywalker over my original EasyStar is the volume of the fuselage, it is huge, so plenty of room for more gadgets. It will also take a much larger battery for longer duration flights.
Lots more fun to be had yet.
The shopping list:
Skywalker 163cm wingspan FPV foamy: http://www.bevrc.com/skywalker-168cm-epo-airplane-version-iilimit-time-offer-p-17.html
Motor: TGY AerodriveXp SK Series 35-36 910Kv / 310w http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=7074
ESC: Mystery 40A Brushless Speed Controller (Blue Series) http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/uh_viewItem.asp?idProduct=9482
9x6 prop and a 5000mAh 4S battery
4x HS-65MG servos. I originally intended to use HXT900 as I had them but decided it was too expensive a plane to trust to cheap servos. I swapped them after taking the pics.
I will use my existing 1.3Ghz video Tx/Rx, OSD Pro combo and Hitec Aurora 9 2.4Ghz radio for now, I am still waiting for Eagle Tree to release the Eagle Link http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1205574 for conversion to long range.
For stabilisation: FY-20A http://www.feiyudz.cn/a/gb2312/product/Flight%20Stabilization%20System/FY-20/2010/0802/3.htmland and AHI http://www.firstpersonview.co.uk/on-screen-displays-osd-gps/s-y-link-eagle-tree-to-fy20a-interface. This is an interim to the new Eagle Tree Guardian http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1399687
You may gather I am an Eagle Tree fan, true but also once you have the core of their system you can add extras very easy as they daisy chain together via the bus. Their strategy works for me.
The build:
I spent a long time reading threads on RCG http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1223595, laying out what would go where and planning everything. I like to do this slowly and I am forever changing my mind what to do. There is never the perfect solution, just lots of different compromises.
Finally got the glue out and started to put it together. Following many tips from the RCG thread, I strengthened each wing with a 300 x 4.5 x 1.4mm carbon strip from between the two main spars out to well beyond the aileron servo. I put these in with medium foam safe CA and then sprayed the kicker, this worked well.
I opened out the channel normally used for the Vtx cable and added a large diameter carbon tube so I can feed cables through this later or change the configuration at any time. I found the tube in my box of junk, for those eagle eyed it is the remains of a carbon tail boom from a TRex 450 that ended its life some time ago, doing the funky chicken.
The glue is drying on the fuselage as I type. I noticed that when I put the sides together using the supplied slow fix glue it was easy to take any twist out of the tail relative to the fuselage by over-twisting then it relaxed to the right place. This would not have been so easy with CA or contact adhesive.
So far so good, hope to have this flying when the weather warms up a bit. The main advantage of the Skywalker over my original EasyStar is the volume of the fuselage, it is huge, so plenty of room for more gadgets. It will also take a much larger battery for longer duration flights.
Lots more fun to be had yet.