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Why the B.A.T.?
Why the B.A.T.?
I love all things aviation, including everything from the physics to the history of aviation. As such, I have made many airplanes that I add electronics to and fly at my local field. However, how could I share my passion for aviation with others? My friends and I enjoy discussing WWII airplanes and mechanics, but they have never gotten the chance to fly an RC airplane before. That is where the B.A.T. comes in, also known as the Backyard Airplane Trainer! Inspired by RCWithAdam's build plans, this is a design that is easy to build and easy to fly. I've already cranked out two B.A.T.s, and they provided my friends and I with hours of fun!
Testing Phase
Testing Phase
The B.A.T., 40 feet up in the tree
Ahhh, It's In A Tree!
Ahhh, It's In A Tree!
In an effort to save time, I tried flying my plane at a smaller field that was closer to my home. Unfortunately, this ended up costing me four hours of my day. I stalled the B.A.T. into a 40 foot tree just minutes after I first took off, and I struggled for the rest of the morning to get the plane down with a long rope and a counterweight. Long story short, I got the plane back and vowed to never fly at that field again. Only the farther away but larger field from now on!
The B.A.T. after retrieval, minor dings and scrapes
Flight Characteristics and Features
Flight Characteristics and Features
Resistant to rolls
With the wings being high above the main fuselage, including the battery and motor, the plane has a natural tenancy to level itself in flight. This is ideal for beginners who tend to go crazy with inputs
Wide speed envelope
With its abnormally large wing surface area, the plane is able to cruise at very low and relaxed speeds. When the pilot is more comfortable with the plane, it's also able to speed up and do rolls
Durability
With the nose of the plane so tall, it is able to protect the propeller from most rough and tumble belly landings or controlled crashes. This prevents beginners from constantly having to replace propellers, a problem that even experienced pilots can become frustrated with
Ease of construction
With the simple wing and fuselage design, the B.A.T. is one of the simpler airplane models to make for beginners. As an intermediate pilot, I was able to crank one out in about three hours from start to finish. This makes it ideal as a trainer because the pilot will not have as much emotional attachment to it when it inevitably crashes, or "retires" from flight
Fun With Friends
Fun With Friends
The B.A.T. was a blast to fly with my friends, and I was even happier to see that it inspired them! As you can see in the GIF, a friend of mine got his own plane and started learning how to fly!
Welcome to the hobby!
Next Steps
Next Steps
Unfortunately, the original B.A.T. had to be retired due to wear and tear. However, I hope to use my next build as an opportunity to make some design upgrades! With the new B.A.T. pictured to the right, I hope to add features such as ailerons and slight dihedral to the wings. The ailerons should help provide the pilot with more roll control, and it could be useful for performing more aerobatic tricks in the future. The dihedral could further help the B.A.T. with roll stability, for I noticed that the flat nature of the wing hindered some of its natural stabilizing abilities.
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