3m wingspan fiberglass UAV from Hobbyking

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http://www.hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__42809__UAV_3000_Composite_FPV_UAV_Aircraft_3000mm_ARF_USA_Warehouse_.html

When I checked the "new items" page at Hobbyking yesterday, I almost fell from my chair...

A HUGE 3m wingspan fiberglass UAV kit for $263 - $284, depending on the warehouse For some reason, it's not available from the international warehouse but from all local warehouses... Some features and specs from the website:

Features:
• Glassfiber/Ply Fuselage
• Fully Sheeted balsa/ply 2pc Plug In Wing
• Plug In V-Tail
• Huge Payload Capability
• Large Front and Mid-Mounted Access Hatches
• Heavy Duty Under-Carriage with Steerable Nosewheel
• Adjustable Motor Mount
• Large Air Intake & Cooling Duct for ESC/Motor Cooling
• Aerodynamically Efficient Airframe
• Flaps for Excellent Low Speed Handing
• Fast and Easy Build

Specs:
Wingspan: 3000mm
Length:1580mm
Weight: 5200g~5400g
Wing Area: 48dm2
Wing Loading: 108~112g/dm2
5 Channel

Requires:
Your own 6 Channel TX/RX
4 x 12g~16g MG High Torque Servo's, 3 x Standard Servo's
50mm Brushless Outrunner
80A~90A ESC
13"~15" Prop
UBEC
5s~6s Lipoly Battery
FPV Equipment/Camera
80~82mm Spinner

Now I'm waiting for someone to buy it, fly it and talk about quality and stuff :).

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Comments

  • Ordered one and was lucky to get the second last one in stock, can't wait for it to turn up. The oversize package was a bit of a price killer. But no pain, no gain. The spinner should be included, going by the pictures from HobbyKing. If the wing connection spar (carbon fiber rod) is not long enough I plan to put a longer one in. Mine will not butterfly. Will do some heavy testing on it, before take-off. Will keep you posted on progress. Hope it comes with instructions about weight and balance,. the last few different planes came with no instructions at all. lol 

  • Wouldn't something that size be more efficient with an engine? I'm waiting for someone in the know to review it too.
  • If its anything like its pre-decessor it will stall like a boss. My 2.5M reaper flew for about twenty seconds before stalling and piling into the ground from 60ft.

    I do hope it works good though and is a well thought out kit.

  • Developer

    @Vova,

    If you fly it with an APM please post a tlog and a video of it flying. I'd be very interested in knowing how well it flies.

    Cheers, Tridge

  • I ordered two, one for beach flying ;p

  • Small addition to above, why does it need a spinner? To look even more pretty? Only a pusher type spinner would be useful, they are long and thin. But this is not in my opinion a useful airframe anyrate! more than fifty years in the UAV business have taught me that "Form follows function", ie airframe design should be the minimum aerodynamic form that can be wrapped around a sensor, power,comms package and deliver the required flight profiles of duration, speeds, heights, in proposed working environments, ie precipitation, temps etc.Anything else is a (possibly expensive" toy aeroplane.

  • A more subtle possible problem,( on top of suspect scaled aerodynamics, and floppy wings etc) it has a very shiny polished finish.Looks good, and eases removal of bits from moulds, BUT the aerodynamics and lift will go to hell if it flies through rain; the water will bead on the surface and upset things. Ask Bert Rutan abiut that, he had one of his foreplane aircraft go into an uncontrollable dive after flying through rain, could only pull out at low altitude when the foreplane surface dried out during the descent.Two fixes on that plane, matt the surface with sandpaper,(allows wet to sheet instead of beading) and fix a number of close spaced turbulators. I have suffered from the shiny finish-loss of lift myself.

  • Moderator

    Rob, a better explanation than what I can give is here: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=952523

    It's an inductance problem rather than a resistance problem so apparently thicker wires won't help.

  • Really, interesting.  I would have thought it was the otherway, but OK.  I have heard it stated what you're saying by others as well.  I would like to understand why.

    Just curious, because on my H8, the motor wires are already long, and going to get even longer.  I don't know if I'll have a problem eventually?  IIRC, they are 30cm now, going to go to 50cm on some of them.

    Sorry for the off-topic.

    Will having larger battery wires help in the case of this plane?  I have also heard somewhere that that helps.  Either that, or more capacitors on the input side.  I think the problem has to do with the inductance in the long battery wires, and more capacitors would help that?

  • Moderator

    Battery to ESC must be shortest if possible, ESC to motor can be long.

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