Projet Nitro-003 RQ-11 Raven - Structural Reinforcements
- Featured Video -
For prior video's check the discussion posts below.
Greetings, I'm starting a build log for the Nitro-003 RQ-11 Raven model by Projet. This is the first entry in the build log and covers most of the planned build. Subsequent entries will be made detailing portions of the build.
Project: From my personal experience with the Nitro-003 Raven model I have found that the model flies great but is very light weight and in desperate need of structural upgrades if you plan to fly in the field where landing is on anything other than manicured lawn. I fly in a farmer's field, a good portion of the year there are huge chunks of earth and clumps of grass or weeds that are landing obstructions. Structural upgrades are not an option.
Nitro-003 week points/Upgrades:
1. Tail. The tail is way too weak and will break. Our model will utilize a Coroplast tail of the same dimentions as the stock tail wing. Our tail will be removable.
2. Vertical Stabilizer. Not as weak as the tail but still weak. Our model will use the stock structure but covered with 1/32 balsa sheet. Sheeting will be prepped and painted. Stabilizer will be removable.
3. Fuse. Single layer fiberglass is fragile. Our model will be reinforced on the inside surfaces with a second layer of 2oz fiberglass. Surfaces will also be covered with a reinforcing fiber sheet. It's lightweight and super strong. Our model will also have a removable skid plate made to cover the entire front of the plane and the bottom surface. This will help to reinforce the structure and reduce damage that occurs during harder landings.
4. Center Wing Section. The bolts provided with the kit are too small and rip out frequently even on gentler landings. Our model will utilize upgraded Dubro Nylon Wing bolts. They are easier to install and plenty strong. The center section of the wing is also prone to crushing if you tighten the wing too much. Our model will have the center section filled with rigid expanding glue to reinforce this area and a disk to disperse the force of the bolt clamping down on the wing. The wing will also get little wing former's with tabs that allow the wing to be broken down.
(anyone who knows how to embed a video on DIYDrones into a discussion page, please let me know)
Replies to This Discussion
-
ModeratorPermalink Reply by Brian on -
As soon as I'm done with the molds I'll be putting a fuse together and will video the process. First one will be a FG fuse, then kevlar. Sorry for the delay, thought I had replied.
-
Permalink Reply by Marcelo Gomes on -
Hi Brian, nice job!
I don't find to buy this Projet Nitro-003 model, anywhere. Could you please tell me where a get it?
You planing do these upgrades for comercial proposes?
Thanks in advance!
-
Permalink Reply by james sowell on
-
Permalink Reply by Jake Stew on -
Even the million dollar military versions of this don't fly well. Not sure why you'd want to copy the design.
-
Permalink Reply by Marcelo Gomes on
-
@ Jake,
Sometimes pilots can topple even a airbus with "fly by wire" system etc...
-
Permalink Reply by Jake Stew on
-
Sorry, I didn't have the link I was looking for and just found a similar one. But there seems to be a lot of different pilots making many attempts, and they're all supposed to be trained on this.
I don't see anything obviously wrong with the air-frame design, but it sure makes you wonder.
-
Permalink Reply by Jake Stew on
-
There's a lot of crash vids out there for the Raven.
Here's another one...
http://www.bust-video.info/v/yt:IaIVcwVWps4/1
The military ones cost $35,000 each and that video shows 4 of them in a row failing miserably.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElLzZg157_o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltIq63zG5hs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMyOvCUS5E4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HDXoVf1p1b0
There's a few more. From what I've seen there must be something major wrong with the Raven airframe design. Both military and model versions I've seen flying have tremendous pitch stability problems and just seem like they can barely fly.
I'm just mentioning all this because it's easy to think that because millions were spent on the design and the military uses them that they are actually well designed or actually fly well. Lot's of people want their plane to look cool, but this often just results in lots of crashes and people being turned off from the hobby. Ye have been warned!
-
ModeratorPermalink Reply by Brian on -
@Jake - Not to be too defensive regarding the Raven platform, but they fly great. Have you ever flown one?
If they are not setup per the instructions then they will NOT fly well. For a lot of folks it's more about getting over the idea that instructions are for beginners. If you have too much control setup then it will pitch and roll and crash, very quickly. It will behave a lot like the example in the second video clip you posted.
The first and fourth videos show the landing technique employed by the platform. It's called near vertical stall. The "Failure" you are seeing on the ground side of the landing is by design. The raven platform is designed to pop-a-part upon landing. This dissipates the impact energy and allows the platform to not break or be damaged. The video you posted yesterday where the elevator popped off is suspect... Either they did not connect the controls and click it together or it was intentional.
The other video crashes, believe it or not, I believe are training being conducted on field reassembly procedures. I know it seems ... unlikely but to me that's what seems to be going on. There is a reason they are made out of kevlar and carbon fiber...
Now I'm not saying these are perfect models (Nitro-003) but when they are setup correctly they fly great and are very stable. Even without stabilization I could let it fly on it's own w/no input from one side of the flying field to the other, but that was only done on calm days.
@Marcelo - I'm making the replacement fuse as a replacement for myself but once it's all done and if someone else needed a replacement...?
-
Permalink Reply by Jake Stew on
-
Glad to hear they work better than what I've seen online.
Some of the vids I've watched it seems like the pitch stability is not good. Maybe they're balanced wrong or the thrust is too far off center.
This video shows what I'm talking about. The first flight looks pretty rough, but it seems they get it tuned and the other flights look WAY better.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCgLc_tc1KA
Mainly I had seen a few of these and the military crash vids along with people complaining about the price spent on them. There was a video posted in a blog here where the soldier was saying they don't work worth a damn.
But it's good that this thread now explains that these vids might not be typical and they can fly well.
-
ModeratorPermalink Reply by Brian on -
I forgot to say that mine can even rundown my friends stryker (even after flying for 15 minutes and his with a fresh bat).
-
Permalink Reply by Marcelo Gomes on
-
Brian, sounds great. Yes, I need one!
Let me know when it's done, please.
Best regards!
- ‹ Previous
- 1
- 2
- 3
- Next ›
Social Networking
Top Content
Contests
Season Two of the Trust Time Trial (T3) Contest has now begun. The fourth round is an accuracy round for multicopters, which requires contestants to fly a cube. The deadline is April 14th.A list of all T3 contests is here.
Groups
-
Documentation Editors
51 members
-
ArduCopter User Group
1299 members
-
Moderators
24 members
-
Melbourne
48 members
-
UK Ardupilot Group
111 members
Advertisement
© 2013 Created by Chris Anderson.
Powered by
