600mm RC Aeroplane Dolly

cults3d

Having spend a lot of time building and covering my P-51 Cambrian Funfighter, I was loathe to have someone "lob" it form me on it's maiden flight, so I scoured the internet for a simple to build launch dolly. I eventually stumbled upon a design by Romeo Whisky in 2010 on the RCME model flying forums, and this version is inspired by that design. My design benefits from being a simple glue and pin kit that will not need any lining up other than assembling the main frame on a flat surface. The two plastic parts can be made in whatever material you like, and can be printed using a fast 0.3mm layer height. Use 2 perimeters with a 0.4mm nozzle and 3 top/bottom layers to give a decent skin thickness of about 0.8mm. I also found a 10% infill was adequate. Use 3mm wire throughout and approx. 75mm wheels. Parts list: o Front and back printed parts. o 2 x 18mm x 600mm wooden dowels. o 2 x 425m copper pipe insulation tubes (for 12mm pipes). o 1 x 50mm copper pipe insulation tube. o 2 x undercarriage wires. See diagram for bending info. o 2 x model restrainers. See diagram for bending info. o 1 x 75mm tailwheel axle. o 3 x 75mm wheels. o 4 x 40mm locking pins (optional). o 6 x 3mm washers (spacers for tailwheel). o 10 x 3mm wheel collets. Assembly: Drill holes to 3mm after printing. Cut dowel and insulation to size. Slide the insulation over the rod. Using a small amount of glue on the ends, assemble the two rods to the front and rear 3d-printed parts, ensuring they are the right way round (see assembly image) and the rods are pushed all the way in. Lay on a flat surface and adjust so that both printed parts are sitting flat on the surface. You will need to raise one end slightly to allow clearance of the insulation. Optionally, once the glue is dry use the 4 x 40mm locking pins to pin the printed parts to the dowels. Assemble the tailwheel using the 75mm axle, 2 x wheel collets, and as many washers as are needed. Insert the two undercarriage wires and hold in place using 2 x wheel collets. Fix the wheels using 4 x wheel collets. Add heat shrink tubing or electrical tape to the two restrainer wires and fit using two wheel collets on the underside to hold in place. Finally, use contact adhesive to glue the short piece of insulation pipe to the rear printed part. The restrainers are free to rotate by design. Rotate them forwards before placing the model on the dolly.