MOC Fairchild A10 (WIP) pics added

[Jeroen Ottens]

This looks like an awfully complicated version of a clutchgear function, are you sure stopping with weed was the right choice?

As a mechanical engineer I of course love the intricasy of the solution, but keeping it simple is also a good engineering practice. How do all these functions fit inside? Cause by the looks of it, you are not skimping on structural bracing to make room for it.

 

Edited July 12, 2021 by Jeroen Ottens

[MinusAndy]

1 hour ago, Jeroen Ottens said:

This looks like an awfully complicated version of a clutchgear function, are you sure stopping with weed was the right choice?

As a mechanical engineer I of course love the intricasy of the solution, but keeping it simple is also a good engineering practice. How do all these functions fit inside? Cause by the looks of it, you are not skimping on structural bracing to make room for it.

 

Haha. It’s actually fairly simple, but built fairly rugged. It is basically a mechanism that returns the switch to centre when the undercarriage hits full extension and retraction. I’m very open to suggestions for other ways of doing this though. 

I’ve built the gearbox as a separate module but it anchors into the body of the plane to become a structural member as well.

All the functions fit in quite nicely so far, the bit I had the most trouble with was routing the control of the tail plane around the motor that runs the engines but I think I’ve addressed that with this latest incarnation.
 

[MinusAndy]

Quick update:

I have moved the Knobs of God to behind the canopy as I needed to keep the fuselage lower at the back and also need room for the motor and hub. I think I will “invest” in a new buwizz to save on space and give a decent amount of power to the functions. My original plan was to have the hub as part of a working ejector seat but in order to make the seat big enough the plane would have had a 2m wingspan!
I have been working on the canopy structure and that is now somewhere near How I want it. If I can squeeze a remote mechanism to open it I will but it’s getting tight in there. 

 

[captainmib]

Good thing that you are still going.

Love to see the end result.

Love the canopy.

My project is gathering dust. I have moved, and don't have much time.

Lego is stored away, and I don't have a place to build yet.

[Gray Gear]

I need an explanation when it is finished. I don't get anything that's going on in there 

[suffocation]

9 hours ago, MinusAndy said:

Knobs of God

As a fellow Brit I just had to laugh

Anyway, it looks phenomenal. Still can't make heads or tails of what's going on - the build is far too complex for my CTE-riddled brain - but I love it.

[MinusAndy]

13 hours ago, Gray Gear said:

I need an explanation when it is finished. I don't get anything that's going on in there 

I think mainly my terrible photography is to blame! I now have a separate video camera so I can film functions whilst using my phone to control them. I shall attempt this over the next few days. 

[MinusAndy]

Here’s a quick clip showing the joystick and rudder pedal functions.

There is an output from either side of the knobs of god so the joystick and pedals move as the control surfaces move.

https://flic.kr/p/2mks1Bz

 

Edited August 31, 2021 by MinusAndy

[MinusAndy]

Back to square 3!

I needed to address some fundamental issues with this build so last night I bit the bullet and stripped it down. The gearbox was still too high so I gave now made it three studs lower and strategically form locked it. Next step is to shrink the auto switch off mechanisms and route the control surfaces more directly through the plane. 
Im keeping my cockpit design, wing root and joystick mechanism, tail plane and engines. Also the Knobs of God as I found it surprisingly tricky to make a low profile way of joining the three axis of control and staying within a 5stud wide area on the top of the fuselage.

 

https://flic.kr/p/2mHnn1Y
 

I think this is my third full on strip down of this project but I’m so invested in it now that I have to get it right. 

[nerdsforprez]

Yes! Keep at it.  This is an amazing build with high complexity.  I am loving what you are posting.  Especially that you are concentrating on getting all the colors right.  Very detailed oriented.  Keep the pics coming!

[Jeroen Ottens]

Always a tough decision to make when you already have so much invested in a build. I usually switch between digital and physical versions when I have to make these big overhauls, for me that somehow feels less painful.

Keep going

[MinusAndy]

11 hours ago, nerdsforprez said:

Yes! Keep at it.  This is an amazing build with high complexity.  I am loving what you are posting.  Especially that you are concentrating on getting all the colors right.  Very detailed oriented.  Keep the pics coming!

Cheers man. I sometimes wish I’d gone the lbg route with all of it as stuff like the long fairings aren’t available in dbg, even from one of those companies we dare not speak of!

Having built this new compact gearbox I’m pretty excited about it again so I’m cracking on.

[Gray Gear]

@MinusAndy I don't know where you've been looking, but I can get any panel in dbg except the wheel arches (from china)

I like this project, so if you need some help with getting some bricks needed feel free to hit me up 

[MinusAndy]

I will give you a shout. Go bricks don’t do them. They’re the only panel they don’t do in that colour but if you can find them then I’m very interested.

[Thirdwigg]

Just a note of encouragement @MinusAndy; this project is great, and I am excited to see it come to completion. When I built my Spitfire and Typhoon, both took multiple full scale rebuilds. Each time was frustrating and discouraging. In the end I am most proud of these two MOCs because the final build was the result of perfecting all the big and little details. I look forward to seeing this complete, and the final project will be well worth the work it took to get there.

Keep it up. I'm happy you kept with the DBG. 

[MinusAndy]

On 11/9/2021 at 2:26 PM, Thirdwigg said:

Just a note of encouragement @MinusAndy; this project is great, and I am excited to see it come to completion. When I built my Spitfire and Typhoon, both took multiple full scale rebuilds. Each time was frustrating and discouraging. In the end I am most proud of these two MOCs because the final build was the result of perfecting all the big and little details. I look forward to seeing this complete, and the final project will be well worth the work it took to get there.

Keep it up. I'm happy you kept with the DBG. 

I just checked out your typhoon. That’s a great model! I’d forgotten what a beast of an engine they put in that plane!

Does anyone on here have any experience of the cada carbon fibre cross axles? Are they genuinely stiffer? Or is it just marketing hype? 

[Gray Gear]

@MinusAndy I have no experience myself, but I have heared from others that carbon fiber axles in general really do perform better in high torque cases than normal ones.

Not for purists:

Spoiler

I'd recommend to just buy a few from YWoBB if you do decide to order the missing DBG Panels from GoBricks with Loy as your agent. Just ask him to add them to your order. He has MK carbon fiber axles in his store: Link

 

Edited November 10, 2021 by Gray Gear

[2GodBDGlory]

3 hours ago, MinusAndy said:

Does anyone on here have any experience of the cada carbon fibre cross axles? Are they genuinely stiffer? Or is it just marketing hype? 

I've got some MK ones. They are definitely stiffer and make very metallic sounds when banged together. They're not invincible, though--I twisted one to fibers under the brute power of my quasi-hobby motor geared down about 30x, but this is an extreme use case. I'd say they're between ABS and metal in strength, but a much better deal than metal.

[nerdsforprez]

 

[MinusAndy]

Yup. Imma get me some of those. I think for the longer axle runs they will make a huge difference.

[MinusAndy]

Having spent a few days staring at a pile of bits I’ve managed to shrink the auto switching mechanism and run the axles for the rear control surfaces through the gearbox which should eliminate around 8 universal joints from them. I’m excited about this build again!

 

[Jeroen Ottens]

Reducing the amount of universal joints will definitely reduce the slack in the system. I would also try to replace any remaining universal joints with CV joints as these have less slack.

[MinusAndy]

 

Having got this to the point where this all works I still have no space for a battery box. 
I have decided to power it with two l-motors in the wing roots and that will free up a load of room behind the cockpit for a battery box so it’s time for a strip down of the wings and gearbox again.

[efferman]

29 minutes ago, MinusAndy said:

have no space for a battery box

Why not in an Container under the Wings?

The warthog has so many payloadoptions, there must bei something available to fit a battbox into it.

[MinusAndy]

53 minutes ago, efferman said:

Why not in an Container under the Wings?

The warthog has so many payloadoptions, there must bei something available to fit a battbox into it.

I did look into a central drop tank but it would have to be far too big to fit the battery box in. There’s a couple of other parts that I felt could be upgraded too so this rebuild was inevitable really. My desk already looks like a crash site so it’s time to get back into it.