flight outside

I took my glider outside today and did a flight test.
I think it's time to add a motor.

test glide with elavons in up position

I fitted some wooden elavons and servos, yesterday, and tried a test glide indoors. It seems to glide OK.

Three v-tail splitters from giantcod.co.uk arrived today ( they were only £2 each ). The first one I tried worked!
So I should be able to fly it outside now. I think I need to charge my battery.

vtail splitter

I ordered a V-Tail Splitter and it arrived yesterday, but it doesn't work, the servos just wiggle a litte constantly.

Maybe there are different kinds of servo systems and I've got the wrong sort?

Ritewings Zephyr

I watched most of Trappy's awesome FPV videos during the last week. This is one of my favourites http://www.youtube.com/user/nastycop420#p/u/32/zrm3eqh9Yjk
So, now I want a plane like that.
I bought a sheet of polystyrene from the builders' merchants and some gaffer tape from B&Q.
I made a hot-wire cutter from a bit of wood, some wire from an old fan-heater and two old PC power supplies.

I estimated the dimensions of the wing; I have read that 54" is a common size. I digitized the other dimensions from a photo ( with elavons included ). Here is my diagram in millimetres.

I used up most of the sheet of polystyrene learning to hot-wire, but I got a couple of good wing halves. I glued them together with Araldite Rapid ( two part epoxy ). I put gaffer tape along the lengths of wing. It didn't seem rigid enough so I taped on some pieces of stiff, thin, backing board I found lying around. I need to make some elavons next.

 

I threw the plane in the workshop to see if it might work.