nnChipmunk - 800mm

by nerdnic | December 24, 2014 | (22) Posted in Projects

Flight video

Speed run with radar

-AkimboGlueGuns from the FT forums

Nic you've outdone your self this time! it looks like a proper airshow Chipmunk and it is one of the cleanest tape jobs I have seen.

-SOOFLY from the FT forums

Great plane design as always nic. The tape job and color choice really are amazing. When I login to FT forum, the first posts I look for are your build threads. It nice to see somebody taking the FT designs to a more advanced level for the more seasoned pilots.


DETAILS

Hi Friends.

Even before releasing my own designs I focused on 800mm size planes. The FT Spitfire, and especially my 800mm version were my all time favorite planes to fly. That is until I created the nnChipmunk.

For those who have followed my previous builds it will come to no surprise that the nnChipmunk became my new love after just the first flight. It's stable, quick, forgiving, responsive, and a joy to fly. It only makes sense that it would be my first 800mm conversion. I have been planning this one for a while now and I'm very excited to finally have the plans ready to share.

Outside of the normal changes needed to reduce down the plans I also made the following changes:

Increased side of wingtip area near the ailerons
-On my full size these thin 'tabs' were some of the first areas to show wear. They are just a tad thin and on a reduced size plane it would be even more fragile.

Increased side tabs of h-stab
-Same issue as with the wing. These tabs were just too thin for DTFB.

Firewall top plate moved back .5 inch
-As you scale the plans down some parts don't work right. The size of your motor only changes a little, if at all on a 800 size bird, so this helps prevent the entire can from sticking out.


SPECS

WINGSPAN

33.5in

FUSE

24.2in

CHANNELS

3

WEIGHT

AUW        700g

ELECTRONICS

BEEF Equivalent
MOTOR - Turnigy D3530/14 1100kv 73g 315w 22a
PROP - 9x6 APC
ESC - HobbyKing Blue 30a
BATTERY - 1000mah 3S to 2200mah 3S
SERVOS - 3x 9g

PROJECT Speed
MOTOR - NTM 35-36 1800kv
PROP - 7X7 APC
ESC - Dynam 80a
BATTERY - 2200 40c 4S
SERVOS - 3x 12g Emax ES08MA II metal gear
 

MATERIALS

2 sheets DTFB
4 BBQ skewer
1 sheet poster board
1 landscape flag
1 2 liter bottle
1 flat aluminum 1/16" x 1/2" x 3'

 

BUILD DIFFICULTY 

Beginner – You’ve never flown a plane before, let alone done a scratch build
Novice – You’ve flown a plane but have no experience with scratch building
Intermediate – You’ve flown and built a few FT style planes before
Advanced – You’ve mastered the standard FT build style and are looking for a new challenge
Expert – You’ve mastered all build techniques and aren’t afraid to improvise or tackle tedious builds

The 800mm nnChipmunk is a Intermediate to advanced build.

 

PLANS

nnChipmunk - 800mm

Version 1.2
January 19th 2015
Change log
--Added 800mm pod
--Added pod holes to fuse
--Added cooling notch to fuse top plate
--Added exhaust vent on belly plate

Version 1.1
January 13th 2015

 

Change log
--Added Super Chipmunk options
Version 1
November 22nd 2014
Plans no longer available
Change log
NA




 

 

FAQ

Will this plane work with the standard FT powerpod and electronics?
No. While the Beef package/park 425 or greater will work just fine, the standard FT powerpod is too large to fit in the nnChipmunk 800mm. You can use the same electronics but you'll need to build a new powerpod for my 800 size planes. A Blue Wonder type motor would also work just fine.

So if I want to build an 800mm nnChipmunk I don't have to fly it really fast, right?
That's correct. You can even use the same power setup from the smaller swappables like the FT Flyer and it will still fly great. 

How did you color your plane, it's amazing!
I used carton sealing tape from TapeBrothers.com It is very easy to work with and the results are very impressive.

You list flat aluminum as a needed material for this build, what's that for?
If you're planning to build a fast 800 nnChip then you need a wing spar. Please see this FT Forum post for more info on how to make an aluminum spar.

How fast is the 800mm nnChipmunk?
I will be posting the video soon but I got her on radar at 107mph!

Is there a forum post I can visit for more information?
Yes! Myself and other community members would be happy to help with any build questions you might have. FT Forum thread

PICTURES

 

REVIEW

The review is broken down into major characteristic groups that capture what most pilots will look to learn when researching a plane. I have also included details about how the slower BEEF Equivalent (BE) and faster PROJET Speed (PS) stacks up.

STALLS
BE: No tip stalls even at slow speeds. The wing tip under camber really helps here.
PS: Will tip stall if you’re not careful. She’s much heavier in this set up and you’ll want to keep your speed.

WIND
BE: Wind performance is great. Side winds are no problem and in a light breeze the 800mm nnChipmunk will hover in place.
PS: Handles wind with no issues but you won’t get a solid hover out of this set up.

LAUNCHING/LANDING
You’ll need to give her a good toss on launch and come in a tad hot.

ACROBATICS
Rolls, loops, and inverted are solid. You’ll need a decent amount of up elevator when inverted but the 800mm nnChipmunk is very stable upside down.

GLIDE SLOPE
BE: Does very well.
PS: Wants to drop pretty quickly.

LOOK AND FEEL
The Chipmunk is a unique looking plane with its tail ridge and cockpit. The final product really captures the look of the Chipmunk.

As far as feel goes, like the full size nnChipmunk the 800mm version is a real treat to fly. Finding a truly fun plane to fly can be tricky but the 800mm nnChipmunk is a solid bet. It has a huge speed envelope and appeals to a wide range of skill levels.

 

FINAL COMMENTS

If you’re looking to try a 800mm size plane then do yourself a favor and start with the nnChipmunk. I know you won’t regret it! Also, please share any photos, stories, or questions you might have. I love hearing from everyone and I hope you enjoy my planes.

Thank you for checking out the 800mm nnChipmunk! If you built a 800mm nnChipmunk and enjoyed it please consider donating a few bucks so I can buy more supplies to make more great planes.

COMMENTS

marc60 on December 24, 2014
As always a very nice build Nic. Really nice canopy on this one. She looks fast and makes a fast sound too.
Happy holidays
Marc
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nerdnic on December 24, 2014
Thanks marc! I started using laminating pouches for my canopy material, works really good and you get a nice shape. The outlines on it are from colored electrical tape.
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JamesWhomsley on December 24, 2014
Excellent job there man. Looks proper nice to fly. :)
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nerdnic on December 24, 2014
Thanks James, it is a treat to fly. Am I gonna see you building one? ;-)
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808aerosquadron on December 24, 2014
Great build. Please keep those 800mm designs and plans coming.
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nerdnic on December 24, 2014
You know it! Next 800mm will be the nnMiG 3. Plans are done just need to finish testing and get a video made.
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jarpy on December 24, 2014
YAY he's back!
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nerdnic on December 24, 2014
Heh, and you can expect a steady stream of content over the next few months! Right now I've got a handful of projects 80% done - 800mm MiG 3, A-10, Clipped Wing Spitfire, P-38, and a Hotliner.
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jayz 84 on December 24, 2014
Great to see you back in the featured articles, with another great build/video and nice review. Very excited for the builds to come. Keep up with the great work Nic
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nerdnic on December 25, 2014
Thanks man, it's going to be an exciting 2015 that's for sure!
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bpopp on January 3, 2015
Anyone done a tiled version of these plans? I'd love to build one.
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nerdnic on January 4, 2015
Hi there. You can actually print the full size as tiled:
1. Open the PDF you want to print using Adobe Reader X.
2. Click the Print icon.
3. In the Print dialog box, click Poster.
4. Set Tile Scale to 100%.
5. Set Overlap to 0.005in.
6. Click Print.
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Bjorn on January 10, 2015
Nice build , the plane is very fast .
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Tyson Haslam on March 18, 2015
Wow. I'm impressed!
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nnChipmunk - 800mm