C17 Globemaster III @ 1/15th scale - for PSS

Last week Bob and I saw that there was an upcoming big SW wind, so a plan was hatched to get to the Orme as early as possible to get two maidens done. I got up at 5am and made the 3 hour trip with a car full of C17, to be greeted by a 55mph SW on the top of the rock. Wow! If she doesn't fly in this, she is definitely going in the bin.

All rigged and ready (extra insulating tape to hold the engines on!), the hardy lads we'd corralled into meeting us there lofted the airframe above their heads, and gave her the heave-ho. The first launch showed some tail-heavy attributes, but nothing that couldn't be handled on trim, thankfully. A slight runaway in the dive, but not something that made me panic too much - I didn't even make any changes for the second flight.

All in all, I'm very happy with her. Quite manoeuvrable, not too fast, fairly easy to land even without touching the throttle stick for the huge flaps. I did give the flaps a go on the front side and she slowed up very quickly without too much pitching - at least they're there if I need them!

The second flight was cut a bit short due to the backup receiver losing signal.  I still have no idea why this was, and can only assume it's something to do with the "beta" pre-release RB30 redundancy bus I was using.  I really wanted the RB in there to keep an eye on the flap servo current as it has that feature built-in, but I have since found smaller servo-current sensors made by FRSky that I can daisy chain off the telemetry ports instead.  I'll lose the battery backup feature, but by adding two separate receivers, I can mitigate that risk through them using different batteries and cross-controlling the aircraft for redundancy.

All photos courtesy of Phil Cooke - many thanks Phil for capturing these great moments.

Some specs;

• Based on ZZ176 based at Brize Norton when she wore her anniversary tail art.  
• 32lbs AUW
• 8 servos (2 ailerons, 2 flaps, 2 rudders, 2 elevators) all high voltage.
• 2x 2 cell 4000mAh LiFe batteries, 
• FRSky RB30 redundancy bus (for now...)
• FRsky R8Pro & R9X receivers (2.4ghz and 900mhz links)
• FRsky X20S transmitter
• Flytron LED landing lights and strobing beacon (fantastically bright!)

Construction is foam veneered wings, then glassed.  Fuselage is white foam rear, built-up centre around the spar box, foam nose.  Fus foam parts then brown-papered and glassed.  ABS vac formed engine nacelles.  Everything sprayed in 2K high build primer, then 2K matt battleship grey.  Decals from Callie Graphics and Dave's Decals.

Own design Boeing C17 Globemaster III for PSS - near disaster

The C17 eventually got to the slopes in 2021, but it wasn't the best outcome unfortunately. All rigged and ready for launch, the chucking crew lifted her and started to walk to the slope's edge, whereupon it was spotted that one of the flaps had dropped. Hmmmm, odd.




Putting the airframe on the grass, it was obvious something was awry as smoke was pouring out of the top hatches. Oh dear. To prevent an out and out burn-up on the slope-side, I quickly tore off the hatch and ripped the batteries out. The rain had started to come in at this point (another lovely Welsh summer) so I quickly de-rigged it and shoved it into the van, feeling rather let down after 5 years of build and endless hours of setup at home.



The post-mortem at home showed that the bottom of one of the Savox flap servos was quite severely melted, and also the loom had cooked up badly. The servo was either faulty or was somehow out of position trying to pull the flaps shut and pulled too much current in it's stalled state. To top it off, the brand new 10 channel redundancy receiver had melted solder from the battery input terminals blobbed everywhere inside, and was also a write off. Great.  

The airframe was kicked into the bottom shed, servos removed, waiting for the early spring bonfires.

Fast forward 6 months, and I've stopped sulking a bit, and Simon Cocker talked me round into getting her airworthy again.  This time I'm using a redundancy bus to monitor flap servo current on the TX, and it also has resettable fuses if anything pulls too much current on each channel.  The servos are back in, and the engine and wing attachment method has been improved greatly, meaning I should get less angry putting it together.  

So now everything is set and ready to go at the 2022 April PSSA meet - we shall see what happens!

Own Design C17 Globemaster III for PSS

 The catch up with build progressions continues, this time with the big Grey Moose.

I had painted the entire airframe, before realising that I had no efficient way of keeping the wings on still!  I had thought of using a method similar to the A10, but it's quite heavy.  

Anyway, the pictures below show it just before I retro-fitted the wing retention tongues, and I'm also sporting a beard (now gone!).

Just the engines and hatches to spray now, a final balance and controls set up. 

C17 - keep on priming

Lots of bits still being primed and test fitted, final bits of priming hoped to be done this week, with a view to getting top coat started this weekend.

Engines test fitted for magnets :

Engines now have vortex generators and tail pipes added, then primed :

Flaps hinged onto wings : 

Flaps and engines mounted : 

Fuselage spraying has started too :

C17 - Paint at last, let's get her done!

It's been a while since I've posted (happy new year by the way!) but things have (as always) been moving along in the background.

The C17 has finished most of it's glass, but I'm always finding bits to remake or re-finish to tweak it a bit.  The port wing and most of the control surfaces have now been primed in 2k high build primer, with more bits waiting for garage space to get in there and get the same treatment.

After a quick rub down :

I forgot the battery / ballast box in the nose, so had to cut in and get that installed :

Engines are all now being finished off, as is the starboard wing and flap arrangement. Nearly 4 years after starting, the finish line is almost in sight!

C17 - the long slog continues

Flap canoes have now been all printed and attached to the bottom of the port wing, and some more tidying of the rippled veneer was also taken care of :

This wing is now all glassed, final canoe installation complete.

Parts are now being primed for the C17, so we're getting there!

Antonov, C17 and some sport models

Some odds and sods being take care of now that the major builds for this year are done with.  First off, the Antonov engine parts.  The paper cups have been chopped to length, primed, then sprayed silver :

I printed 6 off spiders to hold these in the ABS engines :

And here is one mounted in the engine.  A bit of glue, then they're all done :

I bought a small sport model from Silencemodel in France, called the CeePee.  A smart little thing, and a complete CNCkit with hardware too:

All built:

Covering started:

Finished and ready for servos.  Removable wings and tailplane (all-flying tail), should weigh about 220g AUW :

Some mods to the C17.  I've decided to delete the top surface spoilers, due to the complexity and doubts about their stiffness at this scale.  I filled the pockets with soft half-inch sheet, carved them flat, and wiped over with some lightweight filler.  Just a little bit of glass over that, and the it's time to continue with the flap canoes:

A bit of a mix, but the C17 is now firmly back on the bench.

C17, Seahawk and Skyraider

The C17 has been plodding away gently in the background, with me glassing the myriad of parts as and when I've been building up a pile of bits that require it.  The entirety of the fuselage has now been glassed, and here I am finalising the tension system that keeps the two parts of fuselage together:

She's a big girl to keep in the workshop in once piece, so I migrated to the landing to add the first of the solid balsa end pieces of the undercarriage pods.  Bramble looks on, quite unimpressed:

I should be able to flip that over tonight and the other side.  Once they are carved to shape, they will need a layer of glass, and the joint between the two halves can then be finalised and gap-filled.  That will clear the fuselage for primer then!

The little Seahawk has been coming along well, the filler primer just about dry now:

Just the cockpit to finish up, top access hatch, then into final paint.  Nearly there!

This project has been tickling away for a while - an own design Douglas Skyraider.  It was originally intended to be next year's mass build model, but it looks like I'm too far behind so it might end up as 2022's model!  Crikey that seems far off currently.  Anyway, here are some pictures from CAD:

Apologies as they're photos of my screen, and not screenshots.  I hope to cut some parts for the Skyraider later in the year, will see how she goes.

PSS C17, Antonov, and Typhoon progress

Work is progressing well on all sorts of parts.  I've been on a bit of a glassing binge recently, getting a few parts done every night if I can.  Here the Typhoon ailerons, C17 elevators and wingtips are all getting their first sides glassed :

Then the second side :

Rub down and clean-up.  Really liking the finish on these ailerons :

The Antonov has had its middle-fuselage-piece faced with 3mm birch ply, and the clamp plates secured :

The rear fuselage piece has had the facing started, hopefully everything will be ready for covering by Sunday.

C17 Globemaster III for PSS - garden shot

Just an update to show the C17 alongside the Antonov.  I have done a few bits on the C17 this weekend, including changing how the tail section is secured to the nose, which will make it quicker and more secure to put together.

Workshop change-around; C17 / Typhoon / Rafale progress

It's been a while since I've posted, but things have been hectic.  I've moved a lot of models around the house in preparation for the new extension being built (work started today!), so now I've moved my benches around, creating a just "work" area and a storage area for the server and models where I used to have a workbench.

"new" workbench from through the room which is now model storage

"old" workbench, unmoved but cleaned up

So all that means is that I now have a lot more clear room to build in, and all my tools can be right next to each other.  Here is the C17 tail, undergoing a trial fit now as I am adding a location tab at the front.

Here's the location tab - two layers of 3mm liteply wood-glued together, and gorilla glued into the tailplane assembly.  This will then fit inside a liteply pocket in the fin.

So whilst all that was drying...the Typhoon fuselage also had some love - I removed all the servos and wiring, and started on sanding down the paintwork.  A couple more hours on the sandpaper and I will risk a light primer coat to see how smooth she is.  I'll be building new elevators and rudder, as well as a new cockpit installation in this one.

Then lastly, the Rafale is nearing the end of it's build.  Here ready for bottom colour..

Bottom colour on!

Cockpit masked ready for primer...

Primer done!

Lot's more to do on all the airframes, but things are so much easier now with the reconfigured work area.