A scratch built Bachem Natter

[quorneng]

If you 'build' as you would with sheet balsa but use Depron instead the result is light, very light.
What I wanted was scale subject that really made use of this characteristic and the Natter seemed an ideal subject with its ridiculously small wing in comparison to its fuselage volume.

I posted this build some time back as an Electric Warbird, which I suppose it is, but it probably is more of a pusher jet. Strictly its a pusher 'rocket'!

An advantage of such a huge fuselage is that it can be made entirely of Depron and needs no reinforcing. Actually built is 3 pieces very much like the original.

The fuselage was only joined together after the wings and tail were attached.

The only reinforcement is in the wing spar which has balsa flanges over a Depron web. The symmetrical wing section is scale as well.

By keeping down to a 'park flyer' wing loading (10oz/sqft of the wing area but the fuselage lift reduces this to about 6oz/sqft) means it flies at park flyer speeds and only needs park flyer power as well, despite its bulk.
Like the original it uses elevons with no ailerons.
A 1500mAh 3s and a 1500kV Blue wonder motor driving a 7x4 gives both adequate performance and substantial (20 min) endurance.
Flight testing showed the elevons could not control the motor torque at slower speeds (particularly at launch) so scale rudders were added but connected to the aileron channel to become 'rudderons'.

Takes a bit of getting used to but it flies, glides (and lands!) quite well.
http://vimeo.com/37768227
I suspect it would be very hard to match this using conventional building techniques.

[baz49exe]

Fantastic result!! To see such a highly unusual subject flying so well is inspirational!!