The subject bird here was built from Walter Umland’s Profile Kell kit.  Because that kit is a profile it is not Nostalgia 30 legal.  However, with my modifications a lot of folks will not call it Profile legal either!  I’m over it.  What it represents is a slick way to build a minimalist fuselage that is nearly as clean as a full fuse.

Profiles used to be a slab of balsa inlaid with hardwood motor mounts and a couple slabs of plywood on the nose.  Simple, quick, durable.  However as profiles got bigger and especially as the engines got bigger profiles started getting fatter & more complex.  Electric profiles often look like a spaghetti factory.  There have been some nice profiles built with large add-on cheek cowls that cover up the spaghetti.  I wanted an electric Profile on par with the best of the IC profiles, Randy Powell’s Ringmaster Deluxe comes to mind.

The electric components will fit within a roughly 1” thick fuselage provided things are arranged properly.  Walter’s Profile Kell is uses two ¼” thick laminations to get the fuselage up to ½” thick.  In front it has two 1/16” thick ply doublers and two ¼” thick triplers.  However I chose to build it inside out, with the triplers on the center then the ply doublers  (I liberated the battery grid for the outermost layer) and the full fuselage pieces on the outside.  I made up some ¼” thick top and bottom pieces between the fuse sides as top and bottom longerons between the fuselage sides.  Makes for a very stiff shell with minimal twist at the tail.  I cut-off the canopy and used a bubble that had gotten curled during the RIT dye-ing.  A Miss Kell without the droopy stab – SACRILEGE!.

The layout shown allows the short/fat form Lipo pack to stick out of the fuselage by about 3/16”, but it has roughly a 1” fore-aft placement range to fine tune the CG.  There are longer/wider thin-format packs that would easily fit inside the 1” fuselage, but they would fit in basically 1 location.  The timer and ESC are exposed on the bottom of the fuselage so they are essentially out of sight but the ESC gets great cooling and the KR timer is accessible for programming.  All wiring connections except the timer and main power are internal and protected.  It is easy to connect or disconnect the main power using one hand.

The layout shown dispenses with Velcro battery straps and instead captures the battery in a pocket with a removable cover in the inboard side. .  The cover uses steel pins to lock in the battery and magnets to hold its position.  Arguably the battery SHOULD stay in place in flight even if the cover was left off, but I will let someone else try that.

I always liked internal controls on a profile – really looks clean & slick!  With this build it was also very easy.  Last feature I am trying to incorporate into all my new airplanes is a removable wing.  Its still a little big to fit in an airline sized box, but it will fit into an Econo-box a lot easier!

A modern built-up profile has as much work in it as a full bodied stunter – really makes you wonder why build profiles at all?    Instead, think of this as the “pencil bomber” approach to CLPA.  Next time I hope to have only the motor exposed.

Congaratulations Dennis!
Innovative work as usual!
By the way, are you still  using the self-centering bellcranks described in the FM articles for the "Orange Crate" and "Eclipse Mk 2"?
Introduced any changes in the geometry or dimensions?
I copied them many years back and liked very much.
Best regards.

Luiz

The question that begs to be asked is Walter going to incorporate your changes into a new electric version of the Kell?  Walter, you out there listening?  Great job Dennis you never fail to amaze me with you skill and creativity.
Andy

Hi Dennis,
WOW!!!!,  sOOooo freakin' cool. I already have a Brodak profile Cardinal kit, one of the very first batch made I bought from Windy Urtnowski from the first batch of them he got way back when.   It's a 100% positive FACT that it'll be built using your new fantastic technique, it looks....Idon't know;SOMETHING I can't think of an adjective great enough. Thank you Very much for sharing it with all of us, definitely a monster step beyond just internal control systems on profiles.---Thanks again, James

Dennis, I too am amazed at your design prowess.   The plane looks great and gorgeous.   I think only th nit pickers would protest it being used in profile competition.    

Their is a max thickness and the motor is not included.  I don't have my rules handy but is should come out under the max to be legal.  Whats the diameter of the motor/spinner?

THANKS for all the kinds words folks.  I am sure that any of us who have build an electric profile have thought about doing something to clean-up the installation.  I have built a couple dozen electrics in all shapes & sizes and I swear EVERY installis a little different as I seek the single BEST way to install the parts!  Hopefully someone will run with this and come up with something better still.

Aerodynamically this is a Miss Kell, and that should make it a great airplane.  Hope to test fly in the next week or so?  After test flights I will post to the list your set-ups thread.   

Denny,

Nice, very nice!!

I would like to see the details of your removable wing installation. Maybe you have posted them elsewhere but I am not aware of where (if you have).

Electric power has progressed so far now that you can design a battery mount for a specific sized battery because you can know just what battery specs you will need for a specific plane setup.

Electric power has come of age. Witness e-power stunters winning contests! Mike Palko's win in Expert at the Brodak Fly-In being the latest. Since Mike only edged Joe Gilbert by 0.33 of a point, I've got to wonder what Joe could do if he was flying electric.   

IC power is not going away anytime soon but more and more fliers are recognizing the advantges of electric - clean, quiet, affordable, PREDICTABLE, and highly competitive at contests.

Sorry for the rambling post I just got high on my morning coffee!!!

John