rtfm
Gold Member
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2004
- Messages
- 531
- Location
- Brisbane, Australia
- Aircraft
- Robin R2120
- Total Flight Time
- 105
Hi,
Well, it seems like things have taken a turn for the better at RTFMaero. After battling away in my double-garage workshop for over a year on the pre-prototype design of the Razorback, and recording mostly failures and dead-ends, I have finally secured some (modest) financial backing, enabling me to take the project to the next level.
Starting early next week, I'll be engaging a team of specialists to translate my ideas into tangible form.
To start with, my 2-D CAD drawings will be used to create a full 3-D model of the aircraft. This will allow us to have the entire plug shaped on a CNC machine, ready for the mold to be cast. Then I've secured the services of specialists in this area, and within a week or so of the plug being finished, we should have the first glassfibre/foam sandwich monocoque fuselage ready for bulkhead fitout.
There's nothing like a bit of money to oil the wheels, that's for sure.
I took this opportunity to tweak the Razorback design, and realised that by the simple addition of a nose cone, and by slightly altering the centreline of the fuse, I can either leave the prop at the back in the Pusher configuration or (if I wish) mount the prop up front in the Tractor config simply by reversing the engine, and re-routing the exhaust. Everything else (including CG) remains identical. The Razorback will be able to fly either as a pusher, or as a full tractor design. I think this is probably the first aircraft ever to offer this sort of functionality, and I'm very aware of the growing interest in Tractor gyro designs. In fact, my preference is strongly for Tractor designs, so this is the option I'll be configuring first.
I have also cracked the problem of how to add collective pitch control to a standard offset gimbal teetering rotor system, and will be getting a local engineering company to build it for me.
The single rotor RX-8 rotary engine will be ready by the end of the year, together with a matched reduction drive and 72" 3-bladed Bolly prop. The engine weighs 220lbs (a bit heavy, but @ 135hp, it's not too bad). On the positive side, the engine is extremely compact which allows it to fit easily into the heavily streamlined rear fuselage, and it is, of course, velvet smooth. I'm using the RX-8 single rotor because I've been promised one as payment for work done in the past. Cobra Aviation in Melbourne, Australia have developed the engine, and it works well in their FW aircraft.
Finally, to celebrate the Razorback prototype moving up into the actual production phase (as opposed to the pre-prototype what-if phase) I've started redesigning the website to reflect the future direction of RTFM-aero as a serious aircraft manufacturer.
Thank you for all your help and encouragement so far.
Regards,
Duncan
Well, it seems like things have taken a turn for the better at RTFMaero. After battling away in my double-garage workshop for over a year on the pre-prototype design of the Razorback, and recording mostly failures and dead-ends, I have finally secured some (modest) financial backing, enabling me to take the project to the next level.
Starting early next week, I'll be engaging a team of specialists to translate my ideas into tangible form.
To start with, my 2-D CAD drawings will be used to create a full 3-D model of the aircraft. This will allow us to have the entire plug shaped on a CNC machine, ready for the mold to be cast. Then I've secured the services of specialists in this area, and within a week or so of the plug being finished, we should have the first glassfibre/foam sandwich monocoque fuselage ready for bulkhead fitout.
There's nothing like a bit of money to oil the wheels, that's for sure.
I took this opportunity to tweak the Razorback design, and realised that by the simple addition of a nose cone, and by slightly altering the centreline of the fuse, I can either leave the prop at the back in the Pusher configuration or (if I wish) mount the prop up front in the Tractor config simply by reversing the engine, and re-routing the exhaust. Everything else (including CG) remains identical. The Razorback will be able to fly either as a pusher, or as a full tractor design. I think this is probably the first aircraft ever to offer this sort of functionality, and I'm very aware of the growing interest in Tractor gyro designs. In fact, my preference is strongly for Tractor designs, so this is the option I'll be configuring first.
I have also cracked the problem of how to add collective pitch control to a standard offset gimbal teetering rotor system, and will be getting a local engineering company to build it for me.
The single rotor RX-8 rotary engine will be ready by the end of the year, together with a matched reduction drive and 72" 3-bladed Bolly prop. The engine weighs 220lbs (a bit heavy, but @ 135hp, it's not too bad). On the positive side, the engine is extremely compact which allows it to fit easily into the heavily streamlined rear fuselage, and it is, of course, velvet smooth. I'm using the RX-8 single rotor because I've been promised one as payment for work done in the past. Cobra Aviation in Melbourne, Australia have developed the engine, and it works well in their FW aircraft.
Finally, to celebrate the Razorback prototype moving up into the actual production phase (as opposed to the pre-prototype what-if phase) I've started redesigning the website to reflect the future direction of RTFM-aero as a serious aircraft manufacturer.
Thank you for all your help and encouragement so far.
Regards,
Duncan
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