RC V.E.P. Very Easy Plane, Built Using Polystyrene Pizza Trays

I've entered the contest Epilog VIII, if you like this project, please vote!

https://www.instructables.com/contest/epilog8/

After building 9 prototypes of the X-37ABC, without being able to design a fuselage that generates enough lift,
I've decided to use the last prototype I made, as a base for the shape of a proper new RC airplane... with wings... this time! This is the Very Easy Plane (V.E.P.) and I've flight-tested a couple of times, with very good results.

V.E.P. has been designed, built and flown, by me and assembled with £15 F939 parts...

http://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-F929-F939-RC-Airpla...

http://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-F929-F939-12-Receiv...

http://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-F929-F939-RC-Airpla...

http://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-F929-F939-19-EVA-C...

This nosecone will make the life of the propeller longer

http://www.banggood.com/WLtoys-F929-F939-RC-Airpla...

a female Losi connector to swap the JST 2.0mm PH JST of the standard PCB

http://www.banggood.com/DIY-1_25mm-2-Pin-Micro-Mal...

I own already a "multi-functional" FlySky FS-T6 Transmitter

http://www.banggood.com/Flysky-FS-T6-V2-2_4GHz-6CH...

If you don't want to build the V.E.P., you can always buy an RC airplane here...

https://www.banggood.com/Wholesale-Toys-And-Hobbi...

Jokes apart, you also need some UHU Por (foam friendly)

3 polystyrene Pizza trays (the less difficult part of this project was to eat pizza)

2 Bamboo skewers for barbecue

2 popsicle sticks

a piece of velcro for the battery

2x 1mm pushing rods

2x horns (I used servo arms shaped for this purpose)

Step 1: Development & Plans

I designed this plane doing a lot of trial and error.

When the plane was relatively stable, keeping the vertical position, I have attached to it some wings.

Again, I've started with the minimum wingspan, increasing it after every flight test (4 in total).

Download my drawings, printing them at 110%. Stick them together using some sell-o-tape.

Using (very carefully) an utility knife, start to cut the pizza trays, creating first the central part of the fuselage,

after cut the wings and the rudders.

Step 2: Install the Motor, the Pcb, the Pushing Rods and Make the Plane Stronger

Place the motor at the top of the fuselage with 3/5 degrees angle, toward right.

Ideally the motor should be pointed slightly below the line of the fuselage.

The right thrust angle counters the left yaw due to Propeller (P) factor and it will compensate the roll generates by the rotating propeller.

Place the pcb in the exact position shown in my plans and change the PH 2mm JST female connector with a Losi one (it will match the male one of the Eachine 3.7V Lipo battery 380mah 25C).

Glue 2 horns on the taileron/elevator, with 45 degrees angle.

Connect the pushing rods, keeping the arms of the servo almost neutral (90 degrees).

Attach a velcro strap underneath the fuselage (battery should be placed below the pcb).

The center of gravity (CG) should be at 30% of the fuselage.

Now, make it stronger!

There is nothing more frustrating of building and airplane, throwing it and crashing it irremediably after the 1st launch.

Therefore use the popsicle sticks and the Bamboo barbecue skewers to make it stronger (as I did).

Step 3: Test It

The AUW (All Up Weight) of this plane should be below 50g.

500g 0.1g LCD Electronic Digital Mini Pocket Scale

https://www.banggood.com/500g-0_1g-LCD-Electronic-...

There is just one downside using the F939 pcb.

In fact, it has one servo that activates the rudder and the other one the elevators.

Activate on your FlySky FS-T6 the V-tail, to mix both servos, you'll obtain a tailerons control (using the throttle/rudder stick). Generally speaking, tailerons are the control surfaces of the plane positioned on the tail of it, that work as elevators and ailerons (my plane is an example).

Elevons instead are the control surfaces of the plane, positioned on the wings, that work as elevators and ailerons (i.e. any flying wing).

The good thing of this pcb is that if you give a little bit of angle (5 degrees) to both the elevators, you can control this plane using just one stick (throttle/rudder). If you don't add a few degrees to the tailerons though, you can always use the elevators stick to climb/descend.

In the next prototype, I'll add the aileron control, installing another micro servo, that I'll connect to the F939 pcb.