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$5 Faom Chuck Glider into a R/C EDF? Stupid right? Everything Related to Scratchbuilding!
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Moderator 11,503 posts JettaManDan Moderator 11,503 posts
JettaManDan
2nd Rainy Day Musings post...

Once again into my spare parts drawers of stuff. Bought my kids those $5 chuck gliders you see at Walmart and places like that. These were the 3 foot wingspan ones...

20210828_123706.jpg 

My kids have been flying theirs a bunch this summer. I just "happened" to buy a couple extras (Of course!)

I watched the videos from FliteTest on theirs recently. And said WTH and why not do my own? Truth be told i did one of these a bunch of years ago..but didn't test out the CoG first...and built it badly...so it didn't fly  - me and my father in law then used it for target practice on the ground with our R/C trucks lol

But being older and wiser (maybe!) I said "screw it" and i'd try it again.

This time i marked the CoG 1st...and pulled out some power systems and decided on a plan.

EDF! And well...smallest one I had was 64mm! lol - why not right?

So got to building.

20210908_102012.jpg  20210908_102009.jpg 
EDF Right behind the CoG line...and some EPP wedges to keep it in place....yes the thrust angle is not straight but whatevs!

Then built out the tail...dual elevon servos...

20210908_141311.jpg 
and then loaded the wing with some ailerons...and mounted everything else (sorry got lazy on the pics taking again.) I mixed the controls so i have 4x4 ailerons with the elevons..but only tail elevator. It balanced out with a 1000mah 3s lipo right behind the "cockpit.

Finished pics...

20210908_165516.jpg  20210908_165523.jpg  20210908_165525.jpg 
YES....the Giant EDF looks dumb lol. My thought is that it will be a burst of power to climb..and then hopefully glide for a bit. Maybe....

At least this time...i think..it will work....i think. Did i say that I think? :-)

Dan
My YouTube Channel - 250+ Video's! http://www.youtube.com/jettamandan09
I'm an R/C Junkie! 40+ planes - 12 Heli's - 6 multirotors - and ground vehicles galore! I've got issues.
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solentlife Top Gun 1,572 posts
solentlife
Those pods look 'cool' !! 

My chuckie is sitting there waiting to finish off .... IF I do finish it - I'm hoping I can fly it in the garden !!

I keep looking in our shops - but no-one sells any chuckie like yours .. 
I'll fly anything if I can launch it ! Youtube : solentlifeuk
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quorneng Top Gun 689 posts
quorneng
My chuck glider conversion was rather more conventional but a bit more sophisticated than might appear.
Started with this.
Orange.jpg
All foam 1000 mm (39") span weighing 175g with a steel ball as ballast.
To me the wing looked to have a modest area for the rest of it. It has the same thick trailing edge as other cheap foam types so the the wing trailing edge would be extended to give a fine (less than 1 mm) thick edge. At the same time I built a new matching parallel chord centre section than took the span out to 1540 mm! With the trailing edge extensions the wing area nearly doubled.
Complete1.jpg   
Three 3.7 g servos worked the ailerons and the elevator. The rudder was fixed.
A small 18g brushless out runner with a nose cooling duct drives a 6x3 folding prop and a 10A ESC is let into the outside of the cockpit wall for cooling.
A micro 4ch 2.4 GHz radio and an 950 mAh 2s are under the canopy now retained by a front peg and a rear magnet.
Cockpit2.jpg
It weighs 198g so under the 250g limit. Only a modest powered performance but with an 950 battery it has quite a fair endurance.

A quiet flyer, you can hear the birds! 
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JettaManDan Moderator 11,503 posts
JettaManDan
cool setup
My YouTube Channel - 250+ Video's! http://www.youtube.com/jettamandan09
I'm an R/C Junkie! 40+ planes - 12 Heli's - 6 multirotors - and ground vehicles galore! I've got issues.
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