F3B Eagle Multitask

JOHNSONS   LUTTRELLS   NEVADA SMITH   JACK FRYE   DIE-CAST   MUSIC

"Fastest"

After the multitude of crashes due to radio glitches, mid-air collisions, poor building decisions and techniques, dying flight batteries in flight, wrong radio set-ups and the like, and how about this one. "PILOT ERROR" while flying inverted a few feet off the deck, pulling the stick back to go up instead of pushing it forward! That one hurts. I could go on and on but the point is, we had WRUNG OUT almost every possibility that keeps these models grounded. We were now very capable and confident in our flying abilities that this next and final step towards the "Ultimate Soaring Plane" was ready to be undertaken.

We  finally choose the F3B Eagle multi-task planform because of it's great success in the competition world, also I figured it to be the best constructed model for durability and longevity. After all if I were to invest a thousand dollars or more in a model (toy) I want it to last in structural integrity and ability to perform. This ended up being the best choice. Also the Eagle has a great aftermarket value should I dare part with it.

When we figured our wives were ok with our new path into the Ultimate, and we had saved some bucks to get started we looked for a guy by the name of Larry Jolly. Larry was an active pilot on the US Soaring team that had a business building Hollywood stunt models and video equipment. We had earlier met Larry at the Team's practice field one day while eyeing their Eagle's and kind of got to know him. We showed some interest in the planes so he invited us over to his shop.

Larry was a real nice guy you know, as he let us take all the critical dimensions off his Team plane right there in his office. He also shared with us the correct building techniques and materials along with those gems of information in setting them up. He must have thought we were just a couple struggling model builders with no clue at this level. Whatever the case, Larry was a great help.

The following is a basic info-page on the Eagle's construction including pictures. If you are interested in more detail of the construction and or material list please feel free to inquire by E-mail or by the message board below.

Thanks for your patience in viewing my little journey and I hope you learned a little bit about Radio Controlled Sailplanes and their beauty in flight.              EJ

Here it is, one Awesome RC Sailplane that I built to realize those "Dreams of Flight"

The wing is the whole thing when it comes to max  performance.. This one has the great RG-15 airfoil for multi-task. Dry weight wing loading is 11oz. per sq ft.,capable of carrying an additional 4 lbs of lead ballast bringing the loading up to 22oz per sq.,ft!  The composite layup consists of 2 layers of 4.7oz., unidirectional carbon fiber sheeting on top and bottom surfaces over a  blue foam core. 2 layers of 6oz. "S" fiberglass and 1 layer of 2oz. "S" glass on top and bottom. The final prep and finishing process is done in a Vacuum bag which is pumped down to 22" hg. The panels then are left in the vacuum state for 48 hours min. The 55" wing panels fully outfitted with Airtronics 95141 mini servo's, paint and hardware weigh out at 19oz.ea!

You need Java to see this applet.

The bottom side of the model is painted a darker color for ease of spotting the plane at very high altitudes. This keeps it from blending in to the sky and helps the pilot to readily know if the model is turning, dipping or climbing at great distances.

Tail feather's below with "full flying stabilizer" and rudder flight surfaces.

The view above shows the "wing root" section with the massive 5/8" diameter carbon fiber wing rod installed. Note the small 1/8" hole aft of the servo wire. This is the only pin receptacle that keeps the wing from rotating around the wing rod in flight.

Here at right is the wing panel root showing the anti-rotation pin, the flap hinge, wiring harness and the wing rod receptacle tube which is also made of carbon fiber. Nothing but the best.

Picture left shows the horizontal stabilizer root with the large pivot rod receptacle and the smaller elevator actuating pin recepticle. These are constructed with fully symmetrical blue foam cores and vacuum bagged with 2 layers of 1- 1/2oz.,"S" fiberglass matte.

The servo bay to the right houses the rudder and elevator servo motors, both Airtronics 95141 mini's also. These have a 55oz rated torque making them a great choice. The in-flight battery pack is a 4-cell, 1200ma unit. Note the receiver aft of the servo. Behind the receiver is the ballast bay.

This gives you a good look at the ballast bay which can hold 4 to 5, 16oz., lead bars for those times when you want to get with it!

Here are the 16oz., lead ballast bars. Note the alignment pin hole and the "T" nut for securing in the fuselage.

This is the tow hook that is used to hook up to the power winch that propells the model into the sky. Note the hole forward that is used to secure the lead ballast in the fuse.

And finally the brains of the Eagle. It is an Airtronics Vision model "PCM 8SP" computer mixing F.M. band radio system. It has approximently 46 individual settings pertaining to flight surface mixing, presets, on demand in-flight configuration templates so that you can observe a whole new set-up in the air! It also has an 8 plane memory. It will store settings for all of your fleet of RC models with one radio, a great savings in gear. The radio has a superb stick feel that is adjustable and makes you feel safe in those real tense situations. I highly recommend it.

And the Dream finally comes true some 30 years later. I had no idea it would come to this but I'm sure glad it did. This is a wonderful RC sailplane to sport fly. I've never competed with it for I think it would be too disheartening to break it up. So I enjoy tearing up the Southern California slopes as often as I can for fun.  Maybe I'll see you there also......EJ

Radio controlled Soaring with this class of model is the ultimate challenge. It's the satisfaction which is felt at having created a machine which masters the forces of nature and is under the immediate control of it's creator as it soars amid the fleecy clouds in the blue skies. It's about teamwork and friendship amid some of the most demanding circumstances that this sport has to offer in finally mastering those Dreams of Flight.