I went to a 1/16x1/2x1/2 "U"shape extrusion for strength.

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AL, lookin good man!! ya got a great start, well actually your almost done, lols. the hardest part is waitin for the hardware...a friend came over and wanted to see mine fly...i hoovered in the back yard 10 feet up...he was in total amazement, he loved it, he wants to make one now, lols. like the idiot i am i forgot video...i really want to get the top done first thou...still waitin on the chip. randy.

 

blindflight, for some reason the arms are to elastic, you could epoxy poplar strips into the channel to make more rigid if necessary. and you probably be lighter and stiffer than my 5/8 sq arms. looks great bud. randy.

 

Thanks Randy! I've tried some twisting of the "U" extrusion and there's no way I can twist them at that length. I really don't think there going to be an issue, but .....
I went to the large local recycling center for plastic and metals. I bought some more extrusion cheaper than I got at Lowes or HomeBase. There price is $3.00 per pound for aluminum and they also have alot of bins with screws, rivits, washers etc.I usually give them a visit to see whats new.Today I picked up screws, small washers, small brackets etc.There price for metal is $1.00 per pound up to 50 pounds,what a bargin!! Its DIY heaven for nits & bolts. They even have several industerial Bridgeport mills....
Thanks

 

fellas, Trish i got my new controller chips today, tested the printer on the Celtic cross, everything is good...going to be working on the tri-copter top next....

 

Hey Randy , any flights yet?

 

no way man...the high has been like 15deg.f...have been working on the top now my printer is back up. will update when done..randy.

 

How about now? :mrgreen:
Mark

 

real funny mark, lols...you musta seen the -2deg low 12deg high weather here....don't worry, its coming your way, lols...got the top cut lastnite. gotta hollow a lil from the bottom so it can sit over the radio. i have a total of two short hoovers on the tri...i think the gyros are temp rated just to 28deg f , lols. i think when it hits 40 out i will get some video. randy.

 

just messing with you..lol I know the cold is already starting to show up here right now its 18 degrees and I have had to spend most of the morning outside.
Do you have any pics of the top you cut yet?A little something to wet the appetite
Mark

 

this is what i have so far...im trying to figure out if i really like it...i tried to make from the depron, but it really didnt work out. the edges of the folds had to be sanded good, and i dint feel like doing that. i think i will try cutting the rounded top next to see how that looks. also, i would like to try my hand on some vacuum forming, but dont have the stuff to heat the plastic..its so darn cold here, i have nothin but time to mess with, lols. tryin to stay warm, randy.

 

Looks good but maybe make it wider to cover the whole top.

 

i was going to do that Shaun...i drew it up in sketchup, and it looked to fat to me...decided to go for the slimmer look. randy.

 

until i figure what i really want to do...i just took a dremel to the back of the plug i cut..i will glass or carbon cover and finish it up like it is...or do what i really want to do, get a heater and vacuum some plastic. if i decide to do that i will remake the plug with finer step over cuts....as i just roughed this one out with coarse cuts in 17 minutes. be cool to use some of that foam hardener stuff on it now. actually its fine as is, all i gotta do is throw a lil airbrush on it. common al, im waitin for you to start your spam posts...and get this thread rollin...anyone wants to join in here feel free. peace, randy

 

Actually looking at it with those new pics I think it looks great just like that. Just put waterbase poly on it and airbrush it. It looks mean man!

 

That look's cool Randy!! Next week I'm going to try to make a mold out of wood or EPP and do a simple pull with some 1/6 Kand see what happens. May be too heavy...Well see..

 

blindflight, i don't have a clue what "kand" is...is it like vacuum forming?

 

Sorry Randy ( a slip of the key lol lol) I'm going to use "Kydex" plastic. We have some scraps at work I can use. And yes for vaccum forming. We have a 24" x 18 bed we use and also use a neopreme gasket on top. Its not aerospace quality but it works for our use.

 

cool man...i dont think i worry about weight to much...the tri seems to have alot of power. you can always leave it off if you fly a camera. randy.

 

"Kydex"

Good stuff wish I had more.

and the tri-copter is looking too

 

blindflight, sounds like some cool stuff...i am trying to find some instructions online on a DIY plastic sheet heater...i have everything else to make. as i type this, i have a plug almost cut on the phlatty. be cool to get some of that brush on foam coating... then i could vacuum form some .032in sheeting. paint from the inside, it would look so smooth and shiny..

 

thanks bird...flew two flights only lasting a couple minutes...thing is rock solid. like one of them little co-ax things...except more stable. video is coming soon as it gets over freezing, lols. randy.

 

made a new program for the tri-top...made a little more rounded...white foam dont cut as clean as blue but it was all i had left. the total machine time was 1:11 even thou the estimated time was 55mins.. i ran 1.300 total depth, with the first cut being -.750 deep. the model size is 5x12. man i would love to try some of the plastic molding. also this gave the new z-axis chip a real workout..randy.

 

we had a heat-wave in Michigan today...finally got up to 30 deg f. the gyros are rated for a 28f low temp, so i wanted to test some radio settings.. it seemed fine at the start, then i think the cold started to mess with the gyros...at least i got some basic coarse settings until it gets a little warmer out...and tweak some settings...randy.

 

You did it Randy! AWESOME JOB!!
Mark