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Predator plans (make one out of bluecore foam)

Posted by Chris Anderson on May 8, 2010 at 12:30pm


Very nice plans to make a smallish Predator out of bluecore foam. Too small for a decent UAV (and as we've said here many times, Predators are not the best flyers, being both short-coupled and prone to twitchy pitch, and vulnerable to tip-stalling on landing). But if you want to scale this up, these plans are excellent and would be a good place to start.


Sample:


Plans are here


RCG thread is here.


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Comments

  • Admin
    Morli May 11, 2010 at 2:09pm
    Ok Mike , thanks for the clarification, I have slightly bigger one and no I wasn't talking with EZ* in mind, just plain little messing with the designs( if necessity is mother of invention then curiosity & frustration are fathers IMHO) ,
    Easystar is poor little bird because it never dreamed of ending in diydroners hands, get abused every day as wanabe UAV :)
  • Tim McMahan May 11, 2010 at 10:18am
    It sure does have ailerons. The intent was to allow several configurations of controls. I prefer good old fashioned "bank and yank" myself.
  • Ron Jacobs May 11, 2010 at 10:16am
    Does your KF Predator have ailerons?
  • Ron Jacobs May 11, 2010 at 10:09am
    I'd say the real predator gains stability from weight and wingspan, plus the "dihedral" that occurs while airborne.

    Our small foamies hardly weigh anything so are unstable because they get pushed around by air currents and are more sensitive to corrections.

    I thnk you are onto something Tim...load it up with lots of gear, let the wings flex and I bet it will fly well

    my 2cents
    Ron
  • Tim McMahan May 11, 2010 at 8:23am
    I have been wondering about the Predator's instability issues, and it doesn't make sense. I have a theory to run past you guys. If it were inherently instable, the military would surely abandon it(barring overwhelming political good ol' boys network BS). So, we say the instability is only in the RC versions. Have any of the RC models been made with Dihedral or polyhedral? When you look at a real Predator that's on the ground, the wings are nice and flat, perhaps even drooping just a touch, but when in flight, the long, thin wings flex upwards significantly. Could it be that the flat wings don't give the same stability that real Predators gain in flight?

  • Dustin Romero May 10, 2010 at 11:28am
    very nice. will be building one shortly
  • Mike May 10, 2010 at 9:43am
    Moril I was referring to when you started talking about making modifications to the design - wing on top etc. it just sounded like you were going towards an EZ* design!

    I would not say the EZ* is a 'poor little foamie' - it is a glorious piece of aeronautical engineering!
  • Tim McMahan May 9, 2010 at 6:40pm
    Hey guys,
    glad to hear some of you like it. keep in mind, these plans are for DIY builders. Mod the heck out of it, and I don't mind, but results may vary. The interior is hollow from one end to the other, so it should have decent space. Besides an ArduPilot, what space would you like to see?? I need examples to get it right in the future.
    Part of this summers plans are to build another Predator (foam already ordered) out of entirely EPP. Also, the nose at that point will be completely hollow, and we'll update the plans for the new nose, made completely of external skin plates(EPP bends). If you can think of anything useful let me know. I plan on using my keychain cam in the chin, so it has about 15 degrees of downward angle. However, with the nose laid out as it will be, the front will be flat enough to replace with plexi or some other windshield material. The tip stall, I've seen it, and hope to help it, with wing tips. This is not your uncle's predator drone, this has a KF wing. ;)

    Thanks for the comments,
    Tim McMahan
  • Admin
    Morli May 9, 2010 at 2:58pm
    Thanks Daniel, Hmm , obviously I don't know that but How does predator relate to easy star when I am talking about messing with predator plans/design ? EZ*is no where near predator looks and shape let alone the power system location and available space !! Easy star is poor little foamie that got adopted by us lacking any thing better ;) .
  • Moderator
    Gary Mortimer May 9, 2010 at 2:53pm
    Your inviting even more drama there Chris, predators are short coupled, this plan is super short coupled with a way too flat V

    Just look at the site image and compare.
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