What are these things called?

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Splash 1
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What are these things called?

Post by Splash 1 »

Hi chaps, what are these planes called, anyone got any info on them?
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Dane McGee
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by Dane McGee »

That would be a Mako.......

You can do a search here: http://pfcombat.hyperboards.com/index.php and find quite a bit of info.


I tried a search on this site and only came up with one result :?: Dunno whats wrong, cause there used to be lotsa good stuff here before the forum change.
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by ptsullivan »

Those are my planes, They are Mk2 Makos (that's my leg in the photo as well) I built 6 of them last year and finished the year with 3 (60ish rounds)
It is a design that Terry Harner and Myself have been refining since 2005. We did some kit runs in 2006 and since then Ken Martinez in the SF bay area
and Andy Erwin in Central CA have cut cores for it. Terry and I talk about a new kit run (in fact we have some 30 blanks stacked in his storage trailer) but
life and other factors have prevented us for pulling the trigger. The design fairly popular on the west coast. It is all I fly in open-B. There is a build thread (sort of)
on the forum listed an earlier post in this thread.

-Pete
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by ZenManiac »

ptsullivan wrote:Those are my planes, They are Mk2 Makos (that's my leg in the photo as well) I built 6 of them last year and finished the year with 3 (60ish rounds)
It is a design that Terry Harner and Myself have been refining since 2005.
I still happen to have the build link for the original version of the Mako (I still wish they would kit the MK2): http://members.cox.net/th-ca/index.html

I don't know what the differences are between the MKI and MK2. Maybe Pete or Terry can clarify.

-= Dave
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by ptsullivan »

Aerodynamically they are the same, but the construction/assembly of the Mk2 is more refined.
The Mk1 used a simple 2 inch wide by 1/4 inch thick plywood keel in the center which stuck out past
the leading edge. The keel was 12 inches long and stuck 3 inches past the LE. A motor mount plate
was screwed/bolted to that. Servos, receiver, and batteries were pocked
into the wings were convenient. I used 1/8th inch light ply tabs inlaid into the foam to mount my servos, others
potted them in place. The fuel tank was strapped to the top of the wing over the CG using some wire
and rubber bands. It formed a handle for launch.

The Mk2 has a 3.5 inch wide keel that only goes 1 inch past the spars and does not protrude beyond the leading
edge. The keel is CNC cut to have mounting holes for the engine forks and has pockets cut out for a pair of
HS-85/2s and a single HS-225. The HS-85 is for the elevator, the 82 is for the throttle and the 225 operates both
ailerons. The foam cores are also have a grove CNC cut to receive a golden-rod style linkage that links the 225 to either
aileron. The servos screw directly into the crutch and are forward of the CG. The battery also straps below the servos
and is forward of the CG. The only servo extension required is used on the battery and forms the switch.
Going to three servos saves weight and part count. Moving them ahead of the cg allows the motor to be drawn inward
and reduced the pitch moment of the plane. Pre-cutting the keel for the servos and pre-cutting the slot for the aileron
linkage reduces build/assembly time substantially. You glue up the foam blocks and keels, glue in the linkages, glue in the
spars, cover, glue in the fin anchors, tape on the control surfaces and the rest of the construction is bolt up.
One of the most novel and needed features of the Mk2 is the engine mount assembly. The mount plate and forks are
cnc cut and fit together very well. The forks have 1/4-20 holes taped in them and they are held to the crutch with 4 nylon
bolts which break on impact. On big impact the engine mount assemble pops loose and the airframe is not
permanently damaged, you replace the nylon bolts and reattach it. This year I had crushing midairs but was able
to reattach my engine pod and make the next round. We also added a vacuum formed piece that covers the servos/battery
and forms a platform for the fuel take. The MK2 is optimized to reduce the number of fasteners and extra pieces.
We really tried to put the complexity into the automated processes so that the assembly labor was easier.

Enough rambling for now, time to go to bed.

-Pete
Last edited by ptsullivan on Wed Jan 20, 2010 10:22 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by Splash 1 »

Thanks for taking the time to reply in such depth, most appreciated :wink:
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by Dane McGee »

Thanks for the info Pete!

I really admire y'all's wing/engine mount system and it seems you have it down. Good job
I just wish a production run would follow :wink:
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by Splash 1 »

Pete, I've stolen all the pictures from the Palomar Flyers forum, have you got any more? :D
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by David Drowns »

ptsullivan wrote:.........Terry and I talk about a new kit run (in fact we have some 30 blanks stacked in his storage trailer) but
life and other factors have prevented us for pulling the trigger.
-Pete
I'm still waiting for mine. :mrgreen: It's definitely the dominate plane to have.
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by The End »

Been trying to get out to the shop.... I need planes too!
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by o1moregil »

Pete/Terry any chance of selling a cupple of the new engine pods from you guys?
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by o1moregil »

I ment Buying from you guys?
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by The End »

We discussed the option of selling the motor mount parts, fins, etc....

Sadly, here I am halfway through February and I still don't have kits... Combination of motivation, and work... not enough of one, and too much of the other...

That front end could be used by folks like yourself who like to build their own, and it could be adapted to so many designs.

What pieces are you interested in?

Sorry for the late response, I haven't been visiting the forum as much lately... need to get back to cruising here at least every other day or so..
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by o1moregil »

Terry I'm Inerested in the hdpe parts, Looks like its 3 pieces (I think), I hate to throw away a good wing just because the stick got decapitated :( ,, even with 4-40 nylon bolt I still get the wood to break :?
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Re: What are these things called?

Post by The End »

The hdpe parts are the real deal...

As soon as I get my rig up and running, I'll let you know. I may even consider outsourcing them and just getting a few hundred cut.

th
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