Cat's Eye 1 - Drawings
The following drawings are for my Cat's Eye 1 Aerial Photography plane. For information on this plane, please visit my overview page. For a blow-by-blow description of the build, please refer to my build log thread on RCGroups.
The following drawings are in PDF format. If you plan to actually make parts from these, then when you print them out, make sure you specify "Page Scaling: None" so they print at full size. All control surfaces are 6mm (approx 1/4") Depron. Plywood pieces are "aircraft grade" and the thicknesses are given in the documents.
Vert Ctl Surfcs.pdf (17K) - This drawing contains the rudder and vertical stabilizer at full (1:1) scale. The small box near the front of the vert stab is a hole for the rudder servo. It is sized for the HS-65MG based on specs provided by Hitec (it had better be correct, or I'll be pissed!). The vertical bar is where a .057" x .177" Carbon Fiber bar is inserted for stiffening. Finally, the holes in the rudder are for a control horn. I'm using Great Planes "Small Nylon Control Horns", part no. GPMQ3900, and the holes are positioned for these parts.
Horiz Ctl Surfcs.pdf (35K) Note this is a two-page document. This drawing shows the horizontal stabilizer and elevator at 2:5 scale (since they obviously won't fit on a sheet), along with details of certain parts at full (1:1) scale. Detail A is the left side of the elevator and the holes for the control horn (see note above). Detail B is the other end of the elevator. Details C and D are the ends of the horiz stab. Detail E is the centre of the horiz stab showing three 1/4" holes, 1/2" apart. The outside holes are for the mounting screws that hold it all together, and the centre hole is for a short piece of dowel, to keep the Depron from being crushed when it's screwed together. As with the vert stab, the horiz stab has a .057" x .177" CF bar inserted for stiffening.
Tail Feather Ply.pdf (33K) - This contains the bits and pieces of plywood that go into the tail feathers. The 1/32" wedge-shaped pieces are strain reliefs for the control horns (one on front, one on back). The very small posts are to hold the elevator servo, and I will have to wait until the servos arrive to glue this on.
Fuselage.pdf (70K) - Note this is a two-page document. These are the ply parts for the fuselage. The first page should be printed out twice, once for each side. It is designed that a 1/8" CF rod be glued into the slots for rigidity and support of the rear piece. The 1/4" holes are for wing hold-down dowels (I'll probably use 1/4" CF tube). The rear dowel will also double as the pivot for the motor mount. The three pieces on the lower-left of the second page are for the motor mount, an AXI 2808/24. This mount will go around the rear wing hold-down "dowels" (I'm using 1/4" CF tube actually) and has adjustable downthrust. Be sure to glue it in place as you won't be able to get it on afterwards!
Camera Mount.pdf (27K) - Plywood pieces for the camera mount. It is not a generic mount -- it is for the Nikon Coolpix 7600. The servo holder is for an HS-55 (just 'cause that's what I had floating around). If you're using a different camera and/or servo, some adjustment (if not a re-design) will be necessary. The center holes in the sides are for the front pivot and should be located as shown. The outer holes will mate with screws mounted on the servo horn, and should be adjusted for whatever spacing those screws have. Both the centre and outer holes are drilled in both sides so the mount is reversable. The outside holes are at a 30º angle so the mount will be reversible without having to readjust the servo extents: 30º down will be considered "centre" and the servo will tilt 30º on either side of that, i.e. from the horizon to 60º down. When assembling the mount, make sure the right side is "out" before gluing. With the holes straight up and down, the camera should point downward.
Note, I've included the drawing files here FYI only; they should not be taken as "building instructions" (though you are welcome to proceed at your own risk if you'd like to). If you'd like me to come up with some instructions, please email me.