Frenzy Concept. . Revisited

[KrisW]

3 years ago at Joe Nall, my buddy Tony Dupaquese and I brought out a "brainstorm" that we had collaborated on. It was named, quite aptly, the "Frenzy".

Several versions of the original followed, in an atempt to dial in the planes characteristics and improve its already hyper-manuverability. For anyone who has not witnessed this thing in flight, just think OH WOW!!!

There's no point in elaborating on what the plane could do, just it's limitations.

Roll rate was too slow. Sweeping the leading edge and going to large ailerons helped, but at low speeds the roll rate was still less than desired.

Rudder-pitch coupling. It's there, and the cure seems to be impossible to find, though certain changes have helped.

Power-Weight ratio. Never stellar at 16-17 lbs with a BME50/canister for power. The plane had decent vertical, but not really ballistic as you would expect of a plane with this sort of manuvering capability.

Prototype #3a (#3 with modified wing tips) seemed to have most of the limitations addressed in a much better way, and plans called for raising the wing to 3/4" off thrust line to help with rudder coupling and to improve the roll rate. Weight was still a factor at 17 lbs, but it was easy to see where the plane was overbuilt (and too large) and structure could easily be redesigned in order to get some of the pork out of the plane.

Then, last September, disaster struck. I learned once and for all to NEVER let anyone else fly one of my planes, since in the middle of night flying the big-talking nimrod with the transmitter managed to get the plane so far away it was unmanageable, then splattered it in some trees. To add insult to injury, most people would have at least said they were sorry, and offered to pay for the broken plane. Nope. .not happening "Not his fault".

So, out an airplane, many damaged parts and radio gear, the project sat. . .

Until now. Between now and Joe Nall I will be completing not only the last (hopefully) prototype flight test bed plane, but will be finishing it's 110cc powered big Brother, as well as a couple of foamy-sized versions to play with.

In the two pics with this post are the current foamy test plane, to work out the basic design flaws of the airframe. It measures exactly 1/2 scale to the 50cc model, and weighs 24 ounces with a 2808 Axi and 2100ma 3-cell pack for power. Span is 42" and length is 40", and it flies great int he wind, being extremely stable and forgiving, while at the same time exhibitting he hyper manuverability of it's larger brethren.

So, for the next 8 weeks I'll be plugging along on the planes, building at least the 50cc bird for night flying, and maybe getting the 110cc plane finished in time as well. The planes are dead-nuts simple to build, and I already have many parts finished and ready for installation, so things should progress quickly.

Final weight goals are 15.5 lbs for the 50cc plane and less than 20 for the 110 cc bird (which ought to prove very interesting. .. )

[KrisW]

Some pics of version 3a, before it was destroyed (I'm STILL mad about that ! ! )


Expect the next planes to reflect 90% of these shapes and lines.

[GremlinX]

I am looking at those ailerons, thinking another 2" deeper! I am shocked that you have not gone to full flying wings.... I wish it would have run right last year.... would have been wild!

[KrisW]

	Quote: Originally Posted by GremlinX
	I am looking at those ailerons, thinking another 2" deeper! I am shocked that you have not gone to full flying wings.... I wish it would have run right last year.... would have been wild!

I already considered the fully articulating wing idea, rotating the panels on the tubes. A bit more complex than I wanted, since eventually this plane is supposed to be an ARf or kit.

The ailerons were increased in size with a different set of wings, and performed better, but the next ones will be even larger. The limit is how expensive do you want the radio and servo setup to be for the plane. Two 5945's per wing should be the limit on an 80" plane, with one per stabilator half and a 5955 on rudder at most. Ailerons will be increased to 7" at root and 5.5" at tips from 6" root and 4.5" tip on the last version.

We got 6 flights on it last year at the Nall, including 3 night flights, before I broke the gear plate in a Elevator landing attempt at night. .Not the smartest move I've ever made. Plane had about 80 flights on it before Mr. Dumb Thumbs broke it.

[SleepyC]

Kris..

Looking forward to the new version.

Hey off track a bit.. but what ever became of the rebuild on the DR 109?
I was looking forward to seeing that completed!

[KrisW]

This is a fuselage. . . . .truly, it is.

[ShortBus]

Are you making a Kite now?

[KrisW]

	Quote: Originally Posted by SleepyC
	Kris.. Looking forward to the new version. Hey off track a bit.. but what ever became of the rebuild on the DR 109? I was looking forward to seeing that completed!

I have one 150, and a really great WH300 to put it in Sleepy. The DR is in hibernation once again, but this time in a nice warm place instead of under my home.

That's how this hobby goes. I have several uncompleted airframes in storage, including a Comp-Arf 2.6m Extra, 44% Geoff Combs Extra, the DR-109, and several others.

So many planes. . so little time.

[KrisW]

	Quote: Originally Posted by ShortBus
	Are you making a Kite now?

One wooden motor plate, and many .. MANY Cf rods and tubes SB.

Let's see how stiff, strong, and LIGHT I can make this thing. The less wood, IMO, the better, for this one.

CF has a tensile strength of 300,000 PSI, versus about 5-6,000 for good spruce, and about 1,000 for balsa, and weighs less than spruce for the same sized piece.

[rodman]

I remember watching you guys fly that thing at Nall Crazy stuff
Good luck with the new build.

[KrisW]

Some already completed parts of the plane.

It's funny how parts in the tail tend to survive crashes, while the rest of the plane is obliterated. . .

The rudder and stabilator assembly survivied unscathed. The stabilator, which proved itself to be very flutter resistant as well as effective in it's job as a control surface,will be reused. The rudder is replaced with a taller, wider replacement that is also lighter, even after a couple of ply reinforcement strips being added after this pic is taken.

Note the size of the Stabilator. It's span of 42" is over half as wide as the wing span of 82". The new fin piece is 29" tall, and is bigger than the rudder/fin on about every 40% plane I've ever seen.

[KrisW]

This is how every Frenzy has begun it's life. . . .

NO CAD. . . NO computer. . NO Fancy Schmancy electronic geegaws.

A board, a pen, circle guide, 90-degre square, and a few long steel straight edges, and some parts I want to fit into place.

The plastic coated blue foam can easily be drawn on with a Bic pen, and then the ink removed with alcohol and a paper towel if you make a mistake. Kind of like a dry-erase board

Set up the thrust line, position the fin, position the pivot for the stabilator, postion the engine, position the wing tube and CG, then draw the rest of the airframe around them.

The close up of the nose plan shows three sets of parallel lines in a triangular shape, intersecting with the wing tube, LG mount, and engine. Two are 2" apart, the third is 1" apart. These are 1/16" aluminum flat stock, positioned to act as a support for the wing tube, engine mount and landing gear, tying all three together in a rigid, and very strong structure, that weighs about 4-6 ounces, and includes the F1 former and forward nose circle to match the spinner. The rest of the aircrafts frame will be joined to this structure.

The all wood 110 cc airframe is used as a reference guide for the smaller plane.