GreatPlanes Extra 330L

Wing Area:

 1670 sq. in.
Wing Loading: 31.7
Motor: Hacker 2 C50 13XL w/6.09-1 Innerdemon Gear Drive
Prop: apc-e 27x13
Cells: Thunder Power LiPoly 2000 16S4P
Amps: 70
Ready to Fly Weight: 368oz
Watts Per Pound: 160

This is the GreatPlanes 1/3rd scale Extra 330L built with 2 C50 13XL Hacker Motors, InnerDemon 6.09-1 gear drive, 2 Hacker Master 30 cell 77 amp ESC, 27x13 apc-e prop, 8 Hitec HS-225BB servos, Hitec SuperSlim receiver, 2700ma nimh receiver battery, and 16S-8000 ThunderPower LiPoly cells. The all up weight can in at 368oz to give me 160 watts per pound.

The 2 boxes.  One contains the wood while the other has the cowl, canopy, wheel pants, and hardware.

The building starts with the Stab and elevators halves.  After gluing the framework together you sheet the stab.
After sheeting the other side you build the elevator framework.

Then you glue in the hinge blocks and sheet the elevator.

Sand everything flush and separate the elevator from the stab. 

Add the leading edge to both the stab and elevator and start sanding.

After repeating everything for the second stab you build the fin and rudder.  Frame up the fin.

Sheet the fin and glue on the leading edge. 

After sanding the fin you frame up the rudder.
Sheet the other side of the rudder, add the leading edge and start sanding.
The wing turned out to be easier than I first thought.  When framed up the peaces lock into place.
I use batteries and tape to hold the sheeting in place.
After sheeting the other side the same as the first I add cap strips.
Sheet the ailerons.
I added ply plates to the servo slots to allow for my smaller servos.
The smaller servos will be recessed into the wing.
Completed wings ready for covering.
The fuse is wear I hope to save a great deal of weight.  This is the first set of wood I replaced with balsa.
Hear is the replacement wood.  11.8oz saved!
The fuse construction starts with the right and left inner fuse sides.
After gluing the peaces together I inserted the wing tube and dowel to check that all edges were aligned.
Now it is time to frame up the sides.  This plane is so big it doesn't fit on my work bench!
One down one to go.
After the second side is framed up it is time to install the formers.
Add the cross trusses and landing gear plate.
With the inner structure complete I bolted on the landing gear.
With the landing gear on, it is time to mount the wing and stab.  Check that every thing is strait and glue in the tubes.  It's starting to look like a real plane!
Second round of replacement wood.
3.6oz saved
On to framing the outer shell.
Add the side stringers.
sheeting and wing cut out.
The fuse is really starting to take shape.
On to the top deck.
After sheeting the top deck I worked on the firewall.  I used 2 3/16" ply instead of 1/4" and added cut down 1/8" ply side walls.
The back framed and ready for sheeting.
The sheeting was much easier than it looked.  Just take your time and let the water and gravity do the work.
Take your time with the cutout for the fin and glue it in place.
Original aluminum gear 2lbs. 1.1oz.
Replacement Carbon Fiber gear 1lb.3.8oz.  (13.3oz. savings)
Cockpit glued and canopy trimmed.
Ready to cover!
So far so good
I found it quit challenging to cover such a large model.  To avoid seem lines I used single large peaces and getting the wrinkles out proved to be difficult.
Everything still fits.
Mounting the motors in the new high power InnerDemon gear drive.  This new design has about 4 times the teeth contact as the old one allowing a lot more power transfer.
Final weights:
Wing tube         7.0
L w                  30.4
R w                  29.7
L s                   9.9
R s                   9.8
S tube              1.2
Fuse                 82.7
Canopy            22.5
Cowl                13.3
Motors/esc/prop/spinner 52.0
Land gear         19.0
Total                277.5oz without batteries
Thunder Power Batteries:
2-8S4P     88oz        23 pounds RTF
Ready for test flights.  I will paint the canopy/cowl and add stickers if she survives testing.