Testing setup for ducted fan and motor
Testing setup for ducted fan and motor with track
Ducted fan mounted and ready to go
Side view
Power source used for initial testing
6 channel 72Mhz FM transmitter
Without track, right before turning the power on
Fan blowing with a small amount of thrust
Measuring the amount of thrust using various hanging masses
Testing is fun!
We concluded that we needed a power source with greater output, like an ATV battery
A and B combined to make foam for molding the body
After mixing the 2 parts together well, it's just like making a cake
Foam mixture cures pretty quickly
Fully cured foam blocks
Forming the foam to fit our needs
The foam has to be cut just right
Resulting molds
Fiberglass sheets to be used for the body
The fiberglass sheets soaked in resin are placed onto the mold
Moving quickly and carefully is a must since the resin tends to dry at a fast rate
Out to dry
Let's see if our new motor, power source, and fiberglass body can attach itself on a vertical surface
Almost there...
Success! Now we know our concept works!
Body mounted with foam wheels
Top view
Angled view
Bottom view
Measurement of an uncut body
Ground clearance
Testing to see wall attachment with ground clearance
Good to go!
We decided that the best way to secure the ducted fan was to mold the fiberglass directly onto it
Ducted fan and fiberglass body out to dry
Brackets for wheel driving motors mounted
Side view
Brackets on two different bodies
Motors mounted on the brackets
Receiver mounted opposite motors
Receiver mounted adjacent motors
Testing the newly mounted motors
To increase traction, various types of tape can be used for adhesive tracks
Rubber band track
Electrical tape track
Double-sided Scotch tape
Side view
Bandage tape track
Side view
Various body types and wheel configurations
Body with receiver, 2 motors, and two speed controls
Front view
We decided that to shave off excess weight (2+ oz) and excess torque from the motor/speed control setup, modified servos would do the job
The mechanical and electrical stops were removed from these position servos to make them run continuous
Servos mounted
Top view
Side view
Raised wheel up front to aid in the horizontal to vertical transition
Only 3 channels were used for the platform, so the 8 channel receiver was swapped out for a smaller receiver to shave off even more weight
Making the transition!
"Stealthy" camouflage paint job done by Ryan, hardly detectable by radar!
Final Design
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Testing setup for ducted fan and motor