2018 Red Bull Air Challenge: Red Bull "Vee-Tail" Racer
Red Bull "Vee-Tail" Racer In Action!
Introduction
For over 30 years Red Bull has been encouraging people to engage in competitions as a way of maximizing performance and having fun. On June 18, 2018, Flite Test announced “The Red Bull Air Race Challenge.” Feeling energized and inspired, I decided to compete in the challenge.
Design Overview
Many of the activities that Red Bull sponsors revolve around speed. With the need for speed, I decided to design a speed plane, a Red Bull Vee -Tail Pylon Racer! I wanted the plane to have the looks of a vintage 1930’s Golden Age Racer and a sleek design that looks fast even at rest. I believed designing the plane with a vee-tail, elliptical wing tips, and a faired in low-profile canopy would achieve the desired aesthetics. Also keeping within the spirit of past Flite Test planes the racer is built using foam board and poster board from Dollar tree. The standard Flite Test build techniques including the folds, bevels, score cuts, and hot glue are used to build the plane. If a modeler has had experience building any of the Flite Test planes then assembling the Vee-Tail Racer will be easy. In addition, most high end composite pylon airframes cost from $200-$600. The cost for this airframe is three dollars!
Other Design Criteria included:
- The use of 3s to 4s 1000mah to 1800mah lipo batteries.
- 36-inch wing span, large enough to see while flying at high speeds
- Power NTM prop drive 28-36-1800kv/2200kv. Good for 600 watts.
Design & Methodology
Preliminary construction began with some sketches and mockups using foam board, poster board, and lots of masking tape.
Full size plans were drawn up ,scanned and then converted to a PDF
I built prototype #1 just to make sure the plans were accurate and everything fit.
Yes.....this is every man's dream ..my bedroom is my work shop !
I also constructed a prototype # 2. This is the one I would be putting the maiden flight on. Colored packing tape was placed on all the parts
Wing construction using Flite Test techniques
A motor box was built with 4-40 blind nuts and 4-40 allen head bolts to hold the motor X-support in place. The motor is a NTM Prop Drive V2 28-36-1800kv. The motor can also be interchanged with the NTM Prop Drive V2 2200kv and 3000kv versions.
motor box
Vee-tail servos mounted on top of fuselage
aileron linkage: there must be absolutely no slop in the linkages
prototype #2
Prototype #2 ready for maiden !
Maiden Flight of Prototype #2
The maiden flight of pototype #2 took place at Laguna Park, San Luis Obispo,Ca on July 31,2018 at 8:30am. Ambient temperature was 70F, sunny, with a wind of 1mph. I was a bit nervous about the maiden flight. High speed pylon planes are challenging to launch and often have a violent torque roll to the left resulting in devastating crashes. In addition the pilot only has milliseconds to launch and then regain control of the TX to resume flight of the plane and avoid a crash. So with those thoughts racing through my mind I launched the plane………and it had a slight torque roll/stall and then it was off to the races.. The plane required 3 clicks of right aileron trim and no elevator trim. I thought it was one of the easiest pylon planes I have ever launched and flown. I flew the plane for about 90 seconds and landed the plane at my feet. The maiden flight was flown with a 1000mah 40C lipo. The 90 second flight drained 250ma from the battery. The video tells it all, enjoy!
Final Evaluation
- Great flying model. Easy to build, fly and land. People at the flying field will be surprised that this is a plane made from Dollar Tree foam board and poster board.
Flying Set up
- CG @ 25mm
- AUW 21oz with a 1000mah 40C lipo
- Aileron high rate 5mm up and down, low rate 3mm up and down
- Elevator high rate 5mm up and down, low rate 3mm up and down
- Mild set up: NTM prop drive 1800kv motor, 6 x4 apc prop 4s 1000 40c lipo.
- Faster set up: NtM propdrive 2200kv motor, 6 x5.5 apc prop, 1600 4s 40c lipo
- 40amp esc
- 51mm Turnigy Turbo Spinner. Spinner is well balanced.
Recommended Parts and Materials
- 2 sheets of Dollar Tree foam board
- 1 sheet of poster board from Dollar Tree
- 5mm x 800mm hollow carbon fiber tube from Hobby king.
- 4” x 4” piece of 3/16” plywood to build the motor box and firewall
- 4-40 allen head screws x 4 for fastening the motor cross mount to the fire wall
- 4-40 blind nuts for the firewall
- 1 pkg of dubro control rods and guide tubes for the vee –tail linkage
- 1 pkg of dubro micro control horns for the ailerons
- 1 pkg of small vee-tail control horns from Art Hobby
- 9 gm servos x 4 for the ailerons and vee-tail
- NTM-Prop Drive V2 28-36 1800 -kv motor or the NTM Prop Drive V2 28-36-2200kv motor
- 30-40 amp esc with bec
- 3s-4s 1000-1800mah 40C lipo battery
- 6 x4, 6 x 5.5 apc prop
- Turnigy Turbo prop 51mm spinner
- 6 channel receiver
Total cost of for the Red Bull Vee-Tail Racer was $100 including an airframe cost of just $3.
Ending Remarks
Although I have been building models for over half a century, I had never worked with foam board or hot glue. After watching several hours of Flite Test build videos and practicing doing the various folds, score cuts and bevels with a utility knife, I was ready to take on the Red Bull Challenge. I also learned how to download plans to a flash drive and send them via e-mail, as well as how to write a document using Microsoft Word with photos and videos.
Thank you Flite Test and Red Bull for sponsoring the challenge. This endeavor was highly motivational and educational. I believe the final design and prototypes met my design goals and criteria. The aesthetics and flight characteristics of the racer exceeded my expectations. It definitely improved my modeling skill set and was an exciting and stimulating journey! I never had so much fun in my life!!
“Red Bull Giving Wings to People and Ideas”
Log In to reply