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The Lone Ranger - a Ranger/SD-1/Aeromax based design

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rtfm

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jan 3, 2008
Messages
3,900
Location
Brisbane, Australia
Hi,
I got really excited with Fritz' Ranger design, and when he provided the DXF file for the cabin structure, I thought I'd landed in builder heaven. A mostly CNC routed airframe - what could be better? I had found a sub-$500 full-sheet CNC router called the Lowrider2, and ordered it. I also had an Ender3 3D printer, so I could print all the parts.

Long story short, I had a CNC router, and the DXF files for the cabin. And then, the source of DXF files seemed to dry up. I waited, but nothing more arrived from the inspired pen of Fritz. So I decided to roll my own.

I already had the Aeromax wings and tail feathers. I've been a long admirer of the SD-1 as far as construction methods are concerned. And, of course, a great admirer of the Ranger. So this is what I came up with:

View media item 79553
The "wood" parts you see are 3mm Birch ply. This forms the perfect template for the 19mm square Spruce doublers. Bonded with T88. Once the spruce/ply has been bonded, 1.5mm ply is bonded to the outside. The SD-1 is built this way (without the CNC cut ply "template") and is incredibly rigid and light.

The profile is pure Aeromax, of course (especially the nose section), with touches of Ranger.

Like the Aeromax and the Ranger, the fuse is extremely narrow - actually 216mm wide. The tail section tapers down to 114mm

The tail feathers are actually Aeromax parts.

I hope to begin cutting the plywood for the fuse and tail section next weekend.

Regards,
Duncan
 
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