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Avatar User Offline David Eichstedt
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Posted: May/22/2018 at 10:41am  Quote
 
Here's a project I've been working on for the last 16 months or so. First flight was a couple weeks ago on Saturday May 5th, and I still have a buzz since it went so well!

A little background if you don't know me. I worked at Horizon until almost 3 years ago, leading the Air Category product development team with David Ribbe. Took some time off after that, did some unsuccessful job hunting, then decided to start my own kit company. This will be my first product, but realistically it's still several months out from the market as I get the production plans in order. Since I'm so far away from having kits available, this isn't really a commercial announcement, it's just an insight into what I'm working on.

I wanted to do a project with fairly broad appeal that wasn't a Cub or a Mustang. I also want to focus on sizes that already have a large install base of engines & electric motors, which to me appears to be 20cc at the smaller size and 60cc at the larger size.

So I started with the DHC-2 Beaver at 1/6.3 scale for 20cc. It works out to a 91.4" span, which qualifies it as a giant scale airplane. 904 sq. in., 12 lbs for this first prototype. E-flite Power 60 400Kv on 6S 5000, but the next will use a DLE-20.

I worked from the original factory blueprints, so it's 100% scale. Development took a bit longer as I was learning Fusion360, my CAD program, while designing the airplane at the same time. Working in 3D is pretty involved, but it lets you guarantee the parts fit properly, especially the plastic and fiberglass parts.

I was pleasantly surprised the first prototype only required 3oz. of lead in the cowl to balance, and that's even debatable. The stall characteristics are so benign it's like a ParkZone plane or an E-flite Apprentice! I still have to explore the cg range.

Looking forward to reading your comments!

Links to YouTube flight videos following.






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Avatar User Offline Race90
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Posted: May/22/2018 at 5:35pm  Quote
 
David, please put me down to be noticed when the kit is ready. Looks great. Any plans for floats?
Larry Sutherland
 
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Avatar User Offline David Eichstedt
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Posted: May/22/2018 at 8:11pm  Quote
 
Quote: Race90
David, please put me down to be noticed when the kit is ready. Looks great. Any plans for floats?
Larry Sutherland


Of course there will be floats! I just haven’t drawn them yet.

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Avatar User Offline David Eichstedt
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Posted: May/25/2018 at 9:39am  Quote
 
Two days ago I got out to the field and put 7 more flights on the Beaver, including one flight by Ali Machinchy.  He was very complimentary of how it flew, and provided some good feedback.  YouTube link below.

I'm so pumped with how well this thing flies.  It's a blast!



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Avatar User Offline David Eichstedt
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Posted: May/25/2018 at 9:56am  Quote
 
Here are some photos of the first prototype.





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Avatar User Offline Alan
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Posted: May/25/2018 at 10:38am  Quote
 
 I have an unused DLE 20 RA and looking forward to see it with that engine.



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Avatar User Offline Bronco1
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Posted: May/25/2018 at 11:08am  Quote
 
Great work David.  This is the first completed aircraft design that I've seen in Fusion 360.

Cheers,

Kevin


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Cheers,

Kevin


Building: Bates 96.25 inch Fokker D.XXI, Top Flite P-47 RTC
Designing & Building: 136" Arado AR-240, 120" Mitsubishi C5M1
Designing: 139" Hs-129b


 
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Avatar User Offline David Eichstedt
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Posted: May/25/2018 at 11:25am  Quote
 
Quote: Bronco1
Great work David.  This is the first completed aircraft design that I've seen in Fusion 360.

Cheers,

Kevin

That doesn't surprise me.  I found it quirky and finicky.  Many, many times I had to walk away to avoid throwing my laptop across the room or punching the screen.  I found I couldn't create the cut files without purchasing AutoCAD LT.  Fusion's drawing environment doesn't let you edit views that you've created, which makes it impossible to create cut files or to create usable model plans (still working on that one).  The cut files I made were not able to be opened by any other CAD program but AutoCAD.

At the end of the day, though, the surface geometries worked out great for making the forms for the plastic parts and some CNC work for the fiberglass parts.  I also did some 3D printing from the Fusion model to make plugs for the wingtips and lg fairings.  I'll probably still try using Fusion360 for the next project, since hopefully things will go faster after learning so much on this first one.


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