This
radio-controlled C-17 model is 1/9th scale and built in the
United Kingdom. It has about 20 flights on it. Built as
the centerpiece for a 15 program television series produced in the
U.K.
for the Home and Leisure satellite TV
channel.
Three friends
spent over a year to building and it is powered with 4 Jetcat P-120
turbines with a total thrust of 108 lbs. The models weighs over 250
lbs fuelled, and carries 3.3 gallons of 95% kerosene and 5% turbine
oil fuel. Other details include 5 Futaba PCM receivers, 16 battery
packs (93 cells), 20 Futaba servos, on board air compressor,
electro/pneumatic retracts, etc.
The four
builders are shown in the lower left image above.
Colin Straus is at the nose of the air
craft. Wingspan is 20 feet 8 inches, and the top of the fin is 6 feet
2 inches above the ground and Takeoff weight is 264 lbs. The
rear cargo doors open and they drop an R/C jeep on a pallet, and 2
freefall R/C parachutists. The model also has a smoke system on
both inboard engines, and uses 2.4 GHz data link to provide real-time
data to a laptop computer on the ground while in flight. This
data includes airspeed, turbine RPM, EGT, fuel consumption, etc. and
is covered in fiberglass and epoxy resin. It is built mainly
from balsa and ply, with many glass and carbon fiber parts for weight
reduction. The C-17 Globemaster III is one of the largest jet
models in the world today! It is complete with retractable landing
gear and pneumatically operated flaps.
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