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My Raven RQ-11 - Almost Complete

Posted by Robert Godlewski on January 15, 2011 at 6:30pm

3689385356?profile=originalA few weeks ago I was looking for a topic with pictures of the Project RQ-11 Raven in its entirety along with some close up shots of the fuselage but couldn't find one. To help you guys out, especially anyone here thinking of buying this model, I've decided to post some pictures of my almost finished Raven. 

 

A few comments about it:

+ there is barely enough wire provided so when you build, don't use more of it than you actually need (after using every single bit of it I ended up with only about 3 inches left over)

+ when you install the wires to the servos and the back, make them as tight as you can because if they're loose, you'll lose the ability to do some precise movements

+ the back pieces look like they might slide out, but they won't as long as you use a decent amount of epoxy on each side (not too much either because the wires will rub against it)

+ the two black screws holding the wing attached to the fuselage aren't enough, you might want to add a bit of epoxy under the wing (sure you lose the ability to detach the wing but there is no other way to reinforce the wing's attachment)

+ be careful when putting screws through the fuselage because it can crack if you put too much pressure when making the hole (I have a small 1 inch crack near the cover for the servos on the bottom)

+ this thing looks really nice and is quite strong, I think it can go through a rough landing without breaking or cracking

+ there is no paint job like others have commented, it's just a very light plastic film over the entire body and wings that is very delicate and is easy to peel off accidentally

+ there is a ton of room inside (measurements are 19 inches long, 5.5 inches wide, 3 inches height) and it is just empty space for the most part (I have a 4000mAh 3S battery, I think I can fit 4 of them inside easily along with all the other required parts)


Showing the entire plane (the bottle of water is there just for the size comparison):

 

Showing the propeller attached to the motor (it doesn't work as I'd like it to so I'll be changing it a bit):

3689385318?profile=original

 

Showing the amount of space in the front:

3689385374?profile=original

 

Showing the amount of space in the back:

3689385396?profile=original

Showing the servos installed:

3689385339?profile=original

 

Tags: projet, raven, rq-11
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Comments

  • John July 27, 2011 at 8:25am

    Nice looking project.  I am currently building one of these drones right now.  I am still waiting for my parts to come in, but I am documenting the entire build process on my blog.  Go to www.johncm.com.

  • Mauro Rodriguez February 2, 2011 at 9:58pm
    The guy on the video sounds like Ted Williams, did you hired him?? lol lol lol ;)
  • KKUSA January 17, 2011 at 5:18pm
    Yes, the wing area that the screws go through is a joke. It MUST be beefed up or your gonna lose the wing in flight.  You can drill some holes through the fuse and use dowels, and large rubber bands to secure it better.
  • Russkel January 17, 2011 at 3:46pm
    That's a bit disappointing. I was thinking this would be quite a nice model..
  • Robert Godlewski January 16, 2011 at 4:40pm
    Buy From:
    http://www.nitroplanes.com/projet-003-rq11.html

    Wingspan:
    1300mm

    Weight:
    1kg
  • Russkel January 16, 2011 at 4:31pm

    Looks cool!

    A few questions:

    • Wing span?
    • All up weight?
    • Payload?
    • How much?
    • Where to buy from?

    :) Thanks.

  • evilmacaw January 16, 2011 at 11:56am
    i got the same servos pictured and am waiting on servo extension cable parts ,Dubro 2-56 all thread , control horns and Dubro kwik lock clevises from Towerhobby, as for pics  no camera sorry
  • evilmacaw January 16, 2011 at 11:50am

    Andrew ,

    i believe you posted the pic`s from there at my request from Facebook  here on another thread  here http://diydrones.com/forum/topics/nitroplane-rq11-fiberglass-arf?id...

  • Andrew Van Der Plaats January 16, 2011 at 11:36am

    evilmacaw,

      Would appreciate it if you shared some photos and details on those mods you mentioned.

  • evilmacaw January 16, 2011 at 11:12am
    I am also going to change to the tail boom mounted servo configuration that uses only one control horn on each surface and push rods  like they have done on their facebook page  ,yes it adds 18+ gr to the tail and changes the CG  but consider that you have to add 6oz  to the nose to get it to CG in the stock configuration  a small price to pay for a better setup in my estimation (i hate pull-pull systems ) and it eliminates the need for a tail skid to protect the bottom elevator control horn from damage and elevator damage from stressing the bottom control horn .
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