Throwing Down The Gauntlet

THE CHALLENGE

Winters are long in Minnesota and we all need to find things to keep sane. Over the summer I started flying RC airplanes with a buddy of mine. As winter approached we were discussing builds that would keep us busy. As the discussions progressed, the tone turned more competitive. An RC speed competition, where the only rules are that the plane must use electric power, and must continue flying after the top speed run has been captured.

The prize is for nothing more than the honor of building the fastest plane, but I plan on creating some sort of traveling trophy for the winner to hold until the next challenge. The competition will take place some time in early March, but a firm date has not been set.

THE BUILD

My initial build plan was to create a mid-body pusher YF-22. I had some initial models created, but was worried that the amount of design work would keep me from meeting the March deadline. I started to focus on commercially available foam airframes that others have already modified for speed, and had a proven flight envelope. The final decision was to go with the Parkzone F-27 Stryker airframe. It's cheap, it has good slow flight characteristics, and it has been modified to fly at speeds of 130+ mph. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSM2kAYxIx4

STATUS

At this point I have all the components to start the modifications to the airframe. Specific details regarding those modifications will be outlined in the coming days. At this point I am sanding the body smooth of all molding imperfections and surface defects. After the sanding is complete, there will be some information regarding reinforcement of the airframe. Unfortunately this work can not be complete until I receive the motors from Hong Kong. Stay tuned...