FT Wea$el Soarer

by igull | March 6, 2014 | (22) Posted in Projects

 

Updated 1 Sep 2014 - Wea$el - The Movie :)

Apologies for the dodgy editing :)

Updated 10 May 2014 - fixed error in indicated CG position :-))

FT Wea$el v5.0 plan here

As the outstanding Dreamflight Weasel Evo is now no longer available (at least here in the UK), I lashed one up from UK foamboard. UK foamboard in general is slightly different from the dollartree/readiboard variety. It's still 5mm thick and has the same polystyrene core, but the paper covering is a 120gsm clay based paper which is essentially impossible to peel off. The paper is much stronger and gives a nice flat finish - but it's a tad heavier.

Because the board is different, you need to take a slightly different approach to the build if using readiboard.

The build instructions assume that you have a functional brain cell available for the build duration :-)

All full cuts are to the black outlines - blue outlines are bevelled and the red lines are 50% 'ish cuts. Dollartree builders can use their own favourite build/cut methods.

To bend the leading edge (LE), you need to make 6 cuts along the LE, squish down with the back of a felt tip pen  then fold over gently - but first (:-), relieve some of the foam from the area marked with the red diamond or the covering paper will split. The trailing edge (TE) is 15mm bevelled to about 1mm. The tip areas are bevelled 5mm to zero. Centre your servo and fit in the allotted space with hotmelt glue. Glue the bottom of the root rib to the lower half of a wing root, glue along the TE and root rib top - put a dab on the servo top too then fold over and hold until the adhesive sets. Roll over the tips using a clean implement - something plastic or stainless - the idea being to give a rounded tip shape. When done, join with hotmelt and wipe clean. 

The top of the final wing is flat to give a wee bit of dihedral - just turn the wing over so the top surface is on the bench then sand the root to 90 deg using the edge of the bench. Hotmelt the two roots together and wipe clean - make sure they're straight of course :-) No spar has been necessary so far - YMMV as they say :-)

Fold up the fuselage, run the nose cover around the front to give a nice curve - gut rolling or making 50% cuts across will help. Cut off to give some kind of hatch area. Glue the fuselage top edges to the wing under surface - hotmelt again - all nice and square of course ! Line up the fin and make a slot in the top of the wing joint to accept the fin tab - glue it all in with hotmelt.

Elevons need a 45 deg bevel before attaching with diamond or blenderm tape - regular plastic horns or some of the nice FT laser cut ply variety :-) (UK folks can get them from me for a small fee :-)

You can neatly cover joint misteaks and errirs  by pasting over with some nice matching white inkjet paper.

Add radio, battery, shake, set the elevons to the values on the plans, ditto the CG - find a slope and go fly.

Please DON'T use more than the suggested elevator movement - you will end up with a Wea$el embedded in the back of your neck :-)

Test flights up to 30 MPH windspeed have indicated that this Wea$el flies just as well as the original - however, it is absolutely NOWHERE near as impervious to battle damage as the real thing!

Plan updated (v4.0) to include barbecue skewer 'splints'. This reduces issues with the fin breaking in a hard landing - ditto the nose. Using foam doublers at the nose would also help.

Cheers

Neil

COMMENTS

finnen on March 27, 2014
Hey, looks cool. If I find I slope, I will definately build this. We only have access to the heavier foam board in Sweden as well.

Just one thing, I think you forgot to add the fuse to the drawing. Can you give a link so that I can build the fuse as well?


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igull on March 27, 2014
Apologies for that, my fault, I only set one artboard in illustrator :-)))
File v3.0 added - all on one big sheet now.
Cheers
Neil
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pablolc99 on March 27, 2014
more fotos please
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TehMaxwell on March 27, 2014
Looks awesome! I have been wanting a DLG for a while and this fits the ticket nicely! Shall have to get building :D
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igull on March 28, 2014
Hope your muscles are up to it, this is a slope soarer :)
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TehMaxwell on March 29, 2014
Oh right! XD
Could it possibly be scaled down to DLG size?
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Holski77 on March 27, 2014
Wow! plans?!
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igull on March 28, 2014
Link is at the end of the text :)
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PaladinDG on March 27, 2014
How about a build video?? Could this be setup for DLG??
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igull on March 28, 2014
It's more of a slope soarer than a flat field DG - unless you could hike it up to 1000m that is :-) I doubt the glide ratio would be up to much.
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dammuozz on March 27, 2014
I'd really like a build/review video!!!!! And even more if this could be set up for DLG!!
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igull on March 28, 2014
I'll need to build another one then :) I'll see what I can do - but there's not much to the build - four components really :)
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Yogenh on March 27, 2014
It looks like a really good glider. I will have to try one of them. Thanks a lot
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seansgrandad on March 28, 2014
Nice Job igull!
I'll get to use that foamboard you gave me.
It'll be flying it up the Lomonds soon I hope!

Jim S
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igull on March 28, 2014
You'll need another sheet then :)
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seansgrandad on March 28, 2014
Oops! Forgot to rate it!
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Aronnax on March 28, 2014
I wanted to build something that I can put in my luggage. This looks doable. Great!

Anybody with a hint how to make the wings detachable?

And more photos please :-)
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igull on March 28, 2014
The original model it is based on has detachable wings, making this detachable would be a challenge, but not impossible. An extra rib mid-span in each wing for support with a hole to take a carbon 6mm tube spar would be a starting point, then cut 20mm off each wing root and attach to the fuse with an extra rib pair to give you stub wings attached to the fuse. That will then give you a fuse with fixed fin and two wings - voila :0)

I'll see what I can do about photos, the prototype is a bit messy underneath right now as I modified the old nose to make it longer to get the cg further forward (new nose on the plan).
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Aronnax on March 30, 2014
I will try that soon - ten days till holidays :-).
I wonder how to get the shape of an inner rib.
There's no other way than try and error I guess.
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Aronnax on April 6, 2014
I try to build my Wea$sel today.

I wonder if this is right:
"The trailing edge (TE) is 15mm bevelled to about 1mm"
When the elevons are 5mm thick. Wouldn't it makes sense to have 2.5mm instead of 1mm? Or do I misunderstand?

By the way. I use 6mm Depron. So I have to change some measurements. It would be helpful to have the airfoil shape at the position of the root ribs. Also because I make the wings detachable.
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igull on March 30, 2014
Scaling it down would make it worse :-)
It's only 900mm span.
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Dontarose on April 1, 2014
Two words, Thank you
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pablolc99 on April 5, 2014
please add more fotos
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7sp on April 11, 2014
Nice work, Suggestions on best way to print out your plans please ?
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igull on April 13, 2014
Use Adobe Reader, it can tile the plan to whatever size of paper you are using in your printer.
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7sp on April 17, 2014
Thanks Igull, Adobe Reader poster option, got it.
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coldbloodedtx on April 21, 2014
Definitely just made my build list.
One question after perusing the plans...where are you gaining access to the electronics/batt? It doesn't seem like that nose design is very 'hatchy'. I was thinking of maybe adding a lightweight hatch cover like on the FT SS nose hatch or the FT 3d cockpit hatch, but it seems like it would get trashed quick.
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igull on April 23, 2014
Hi
Take a look at the pic, the access hatch to the rx and batt is simply the top portion of the nose - just don't glue it in. There's plenty of room to get all the gear in through there. A simple adhesive/velcro tape latch or a 2+1 set of 10mm HK magnets works well. You can extend the length of the centre portion so that it runs over the front top of the wing and mount the 2 magnets in series in the wing upper surface - then 1 magnet in the hatch - bullet proof hatch retainer :)
There are another couple of mods coming too - doubling up the fin (still with the skewer inside) and also doublers inside the front nose - gives it a bit more 'bounceability' :-))
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coldbloodedtx on April 25, 2014
Yep I just finished building mine tonight, sort of figured out the hatch thing. I was definitely thinking it needs at least some doubling on the nose, pretty weak. I was planning on adding some gift card bits inside the nose, and perhaps sandwiching the vertical stab.
Good idea on the magnet retainer...I was just leaving a packing tape tab and sticking it down for now.
BTW for those interested, mine is built with Dollar Tree foamboard, paper off the inside, paper still on the outside, reinforced packing tape for leading edges & ailerons, and colored packing tape covering...270g AUW with an 800mah 2S batt (50g overkill, but it's what I had). Seems quite noseheavy based on the plans (probably the batt), but we'll see in the wind.
We're supposed to have 15-20mph winds on Saturday, I've got a decent slope near my house scoped out I'm going to try it out on :)
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coldbloodedtx on April 25, 2014
FYI I think your CG on the plans is waay too far back. I had to add ~35g of weight in the nose to make it remotely stable. That made my CG line about 3" closer to the nose than is marked on the plans. When I played with adding tailweight, it literally just did a backflip flutter.
Oh, and the nose is gone after a few fairly tame nose dumps while testing...pretty much no resistance to impact...rebuilding a new nose from laminated layers of DTF or Depron tonight.
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Aronnax on May 6, 2014
I agree regarding the CG.
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igull on May 10, 2014
OK on the nose, yes, as I said - not as sturdy as moulded EPP :) Doubled up board sides and some credit cards will help a little. Short of cutting a nose from EPP, your going to have to keep a roll of glass tape in your flight bag :)
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Sidlaw Soarer on May 5, 2014
I was lucky enough to see Neil's Wea$el flying yesterday and it went very well indeed. Every bit as good as the original and amazing for a foamboard model. George :-)
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igull on May 10, 2014
Oops , sorry :-(((
What I SHOULD have written was 175mm in front of the trailing edge (TE) and _not_ the LE - my apologies - I've changed the plan to suit and uploaded v5.0. I checked the plans quite a few times before uploading them too :) Your 3" (~75mm) in front of the incorrect 175mm from the LE brings it to the correct position. Thanks for spotting that.

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Damig on November 11, 2015
Nice Job igull! and I find the video FUN! Dramatic Music, Great Scenes... We do Not get that kind of flight areas here in HOUSTON, tx. Flat flat flat. I will try at the beach in Galveston, where the gulls soar and the pelicans glide past like great squadrons of Bombers, and If I make a wrong flight correction, It will be "In the Drink with ya mate!"

Thanks!

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FT Wea$el Soarer