In 2020, I first began to get into aerial photography on fixed wing rc aircraft. I fitted a cheap Iteck action camera from Lidl (which cost a pittance at 50 euro), onto a modified Flite Test Explorer. I made two versions of this plane.
Here is the first one (after a series of unscheduled landings!).
And here is the second version (using the same wing as the first).
Here is a short video I made with this setup. Be warned, the onboard footage is incredibly shaky and may induce motion sickness!
However, nearly two years after first trying out this exciting field of the hobby, I wanted something more. The basic Explorer design had reached its evolutionary route for me in this regard. So I began thinking about a design for the future. This would have to carry more cameras as well as be suitably equipped for FPV.
After thinking about it for a while, I eventually settled on a twin engine design. With two motors, I could easily carry more payload (batteries, camera equipment, etc). It would be interesting from a design perspective, as I have never designed or built a twin engine model before.
First I sat down, and sketched out a few designs. This is what I settled on.
Overall, the design is similar in configuration to the interwar French Amiot 143.
Then I sat down to design and build the fuselage and tail. This is documented in the video below.
Overall, the design turned out more curvilinear in overall form then the harsh edges of the blueprint.
If you want to get up to date process on the plane as it nears completion, check out my Youtube Channel . I hope to release plans for this design, if it proves successful in it's operation.
Thank you and I hope you enjoyed the video and article,
Finn.
Log In to reply