Learjet from Dollarama

[rhyneheimer]

here's the model we were discussing last nite in class...

last year, i converted one of those little 22" learjet-ish foam dollarama planes ($1.25) to RC ... was wondering who else might be fooling around with it. i was working on it, and flew it a bit, but had to rip the gear out for another job. i'll have to continue it this year after more parts arrive. i based my mod on the learjet 28/29 which was the closest match i could find:
http://www.aviastar.org/air/usa/learjet-25.php
http://www.aviastar.org/pictures/usa/learjet-2829.gif

here's the original assembled blank (the wings and stab pull off)...

here's my mod... nacelles cover the 2.5g servo's... came in around 4 oz i think...

...and the hatch...

[trevor]

thats really cool

[Rob]

Interesting idea, like to see how it flys. What's the weight and dimensions?

[rhyneheimer]

just under 22" wingspan, 85g/3oz (i erroneously said 4 oz previously), 5g motor, 6a esc, 180mah 2S. i'll test it again soon... i never did get it trimmed up last year, and then lightly crashed it. will report on flight later... maybe today

[rhyneheimer]

was a lovely evening testing my private jet on the hill and on the commons, however it flew like a crap brick. back to the drawing board. probably averaged about 3 sec per flight, and only gave it some power on about a third of those flights trying to fly out of "trouble". although it's completely intact after about 50 landings (didn't crash it), i can't call any of my flights a success. it's not the thrust angle or anything to do with the power train - i couldn't even glide it very well, so it's probably a tail problem plus airfoil issues. it was like flying a piece of tissue paper - all over the place. was fun though. i got some junkers to fly well in the past, but it's a dose of humility when something refuses to fly. that's about all i have to say until i get it to fly successfully.

instinct always tells me to slope it.

[rhyneheimer]

finally found some links to some other conversions (some using old brushed gear) of the identical foam model from 2004, 2005, pretty cool:

2004, some initial tries:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=188268


2005-2010, a good and long "how to" thread of apparently successful versions, one a sloper:
http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=366537