F-16XL for 50mm EDF — Build Guide¶
At a glance
- Difficulty: Beginner to build, intermediate to fly
- Wingspan: 550 mm (21.7")
- Length: 864 mm (34.0")
- Flying weight: 650–750 g (1.4–1.7 lb)
Overview¶
Thank you for purchasing a model by Lofted Aero! 3D printed aircraft are an exciting new segment of the hobby, and we've got no shortage of ideas for new designs. Your support helps us make those reality.
The F-16XL is an exciting EDF jet designed to be quick and economical to build without sacrificing design details or scale looks. It delivers impressive performance and handling, and its unmistakable cranked-delta wing provides excellent high-alpha capability.
Skill meter¶
Build: With a simple design and low parts count, this build is just about as easy as it gets! It is well suited to be an R/C pilot's first transition into 3D printed models.
Flight: This model has good handling characteristics and a stable delta wing planform. But it's still a fast, nimble jet that is best flown by pilots of intermediate skill or above.
Specifications¶
| Spec | Value |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 550mm (21.7") |
| Length | 864mm (34.0") |
| Wing Area | 15.5dm2 (1.67ft2) |
| Print Weight | ~315g |
| Flying Weight | 650-750g |
| Wing Loading | 42-48g/dm2 (14-16oz/ft2) |
| Airfoil | PW-75 modified |
Recommended equipment¶
The following hardware & electronics are required to complete the F-16XL. In addition, you'll need some CA glue and activator, your R/C transmitter and receiver, and a LiPo battery charger.
Power system & avionics¶
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| EDF | XFly 50mm EDF for 4S |
| ESC | 40A ESC or Similar |
| Battery | 4S 1300 – 1800mAh LiPo (we use this 4S 1550mAh pack) |
| Servos | 9g Metal Gear (only 2x required) |
Filament¶
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Foaming LW-PLA for Wings and Tail | 3DLabPrint PolyLight |
| Regular PLA for Accessories | 3DLabPrint PolyAir |
Hardware & structure¶
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Wing Spar Tube | Carbon Fiber 6mm x 4mm x 400mm Tube (only 1x required) |
| Pushrods | 1.2mm Pushrods with Linkage Stoppers (only 2x required) |
| Fan and Hatch Mounting Screws | #2 x 3/8" Tapping Screws (or equivalent, only 4x required) |
| Canopy Latch | Pen spring (available here) |
Printing thin-wall models¶
Desktop 3D printers are perfectly capable of producing great-flying R/C models durable enough to withstand hangar rash and general use. However, aircraft designs contain a unique mix of thin surfaces and intricate solid supports that require some practice to print perfectly. Keep the following tips in mind when printing your model.
Slicing with OrcaSlicer¶
The model download includes .3MF project files for OrcaSlicer – a modern, free, and open source slicer with wide support for popular printers and the ability to utilize multiple plates and varying settings within a single project. These project files include print settings tailored to the model as well as filament settings with adjusted temperature and retractions. The provided settings have been tested to suit a wide range of printers – in most cases, no changes should be necessary aside from choosing your printer.
The video below provides a guide for opening the .3MF project files in OrcaSlicer and ensuring the included process and filament settings are applied properly.
Tutorial video¶
Modifiers and per-object settings¶
OrcaSlicer allows per-object modifications to slicing settings, and this method is frequently used in the provided .3MF files. When making settings changes, be mindful of these per-object settings as well as any height range or other modifiers that have been applied to each part. You can use the "View all object's settings" button to quickly view the modifications for all part files in each project.
(example screenshot shown – may not represent this model)
Compatibility note¶
Some versions of OrcaSlicer use "Lateral Lattice" naming to refer to the "2D Lattice" infill pattern. Opening the .3MF files in these versions will produce the following error. Be sure to manually change the infill pattern back to "Lateral Lattice" for the relevant parts listed in the table below if this occurs.
Other printing options¶
If you'd rather configure and slice the STL files yourself with the software and method of your choice, refer to the table below to configure slicing settings for the different types of parts.
| Parts | Material | Perimeters | Infill | Top/Bottom Layers | Print Temp | Bed Temp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wings, Tail, Elevons | Foaming LW-PLA | 1 | 3-4% 2D Lattice (Lateral Lattice) | 4/3 | 235C | 56C |
| Fuselage, Canopy, Fan Hatch | Foaming LW-PLA | 1 | 3-4% Cubic | 4/3 | 235C | 56C |
| Nozzle | PLA | 1 | 0% | 4/3 | 210C | 60C |
| Cheater Inlet | PLA | 3 | 15% Grid | 5/4 | 210C | 60C |
| Inlet Lip | PLA | 1 | 10% Grid | 3/2 | 210C | 60C |
| Battery Tray | PLA | 3 | 15% Grid | 4/3 | 210C | 60C |
| Wingtip Rails | PLA | 1 | 15% Grid | 4/3 | 210C | 60C |
| Belly Skids | PLA | 4 | 100% | 5/4 | 210C | 60C |
| All Other Parts | PLA | 3 | 100% | 5/4 | 210C | 60C |
Quality filament¶
Using good quality filament can be the key to successful thin-wall prints. Foaming LW-PLA is the filament of choice for these prints due to its low warp and high interlayer bond strength – but not all LW-PLA is created equally. With poor quality filament, you may notice surface imperfections, underextrusion, or inconsistent foaming. We've had the best results with 3DLabPrint's "PolyLight" LW-PLA and strongly recommend it for printing Lofted Aero models. If it's not available in your region, Colorfabb's LW-PLA is a good substitute. Bambu PLA Aero and eSun LW-PLA will produce acceptable results, but weight and surface finish tend to be worse than the 3DLabPrint or Colorfabb materials.
Print log¶
Reference print weights for each part.
| Part | Weight |
|---|---|
| LW-PLA | |
| Wing L1A & R1A | 15g each |
| Wing L1B & R1B | 16.5g |
| Wing L2 & R2 | 11.5g each |
| Elevon L1 & R1 | 2.7g each |
| Elevon L2 & R2 | 2.2g each |
| Elevon L3 & R3 | 3.3g each |
| Vertical Tail | 14g |
| Fuselage 1 | 4g |
| Fuselage 2 | 13.5g |
| Fuselage 3 | 38g |
| Fuselage 4 | 45g |
| Fuselage 5 | 32g |
| Fuselage 6L & 6R | 1.5g each |
| Fan Hatch 1 | 3g |
| Fan Hatch 2 | 3g |
| Canopy 1 | 7g |
| Canopy 2 | 5g |
| PLA | |
| Wingtip Rails | 3.6g each |
| Elevon Joiners | 0.4g each |
| Battery Tray | 10g |
| Inlet Lip | 4g |
| Cheater Inlet | 3g |
| Hatch Latch | 3.7g |
| Fan Hatch Tabs | 0.5g each |
| Fan Mount Tabs | 0.6g each |
| Belly Skids | 3.2g each |
| Nozzle | 10g |
Joining parts¶
Unless otherwise specified, medium CA and activator are recommended for joining printed parts. In addition, many joints use ~18mm lengths of 1.75mm PLA filament for alignment. Preparing a handful of these ahead of time can help speed up the build.
Fuselage assembly¶
-
Using CA and filament alignment guides, glue fuselage sections 4 and 5 together.
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Insert a pen spring and the hatch latch into its slot in section 4. Then, glue sections 4 and 3 together.
-
Glue fuselage sections 2 and then 1 to the joined assembly, using filament alignment guides as needed.
-
Prepare the fan area by gluing in the PLA fan mount and hatch mount tabs. Don't worry about orientation – they are symmetrical.
-
Glue the auxiliary inlet cover to the underside of the fuselage.
-
Attach the PLA inlet lip and belly rails. The forward edges of the belly rails are angled backwards.
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Join the two halves of the fan hatch cover.
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Join the two halves of the canopy.
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Attach the nozzle, which self-aligns using a keyed slot feature.
-
Install the left and right fuselage section 6 pieces to complete the fuselage assembly.
Wing assembly¶
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Glue wing sections 1A and 1B together. Standing them up on a flat surface can help ensure the root remains flush.
-
Using a piece of filament and the 6mm carbon spar for alignment, glue wing section 2 to section 1B. Be careful not to get any glue on the spar itself.
-
Prepare the inboard elevons by gluing elevon sections 1 and 2 together. You can use a piece of filament as an alignment aid if you'd like – just be careful not to accidentally glue it in.
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Glue the elevon joiner into elevon section 2. It is keyed such that it maintains a fixed orientation.
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Insert the inboard elevon and joiner through the hole in wing section 2. Then, glue elevon section 3 to the protruding half of the joiner. Be sure not to accidentally glue the joiner to the wing – the elevon should pivot freely.
-
Thread a long length of PLA filament through the elevon to act as a hinge. Leave some excess on both ends for now.
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Glue the tip rails onto the wingtips, capturing the filament hinge rod. Repeat all steps in this section with the opposite wing.
Assembly and electronics installation¶
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Slide the 6mm x 4mm x 400mm carbon fiber spar tube into its slot in the fuselage.
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Dry fit a wing onto the spar tube while inserting the filament hinge rod into its pocket in the fuselage. If there is excess filament, gently pull it out from the wingtip.
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Join the wings to the fuselage with CA.
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Ensure that the filament hinge rods are pushed all the way into the fuselage, then trim the excess flush with the wingtips.
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Prepare and center two servos and arms. Fit the linkage connector of your choice.
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Install the servos into their pockets with double-sided servo tape. We recommend spreading some UHU or other contact-cement type adhesive onto the interior of the pockets first, then allowing it to get tacky before sticking the servos into place. This helps the servo tape adhere to the LW-PLA. Connect the linkage rods to the servos and elevons.
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Prepare the fan and ESC. Test the fan to ensure it rotates in the correct direction before installing.
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Feed the ESC and wiring into the channel within the fuselage. The ESC will slide quite far forward towards the canopy opening area.
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Install the fan and secure it with two self-tapping screws. Make sure that the wiring rests securely in place under the fan.
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Install the fan hatch and secure it with two more self-tapping screws.
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Install your receiver in the cabin area. Slide one or more battery straps under the battery tray insert and then glue it into position in the fuselage. (Prototype pictured has different battery tray)
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Now that the model doesn't need to be upside down anymore, it's a good time to glue on the vertical stabilizer. Assembly is complete!
Pre-flight setup¶
The recommended CG is marked with grooves on the underside of the wings.
The neutral elevon position for the recommended CG positions the root trailing edges of the elevons at or slightly above the lower edge of the fairing structure on the aft fuselage.
Adjust control deflections using the suggested throws below. Dual rates are optional depending on your preferences.
Suggested control throws
| Flight Control | Travel | Exponential |
|---|---|---|
| Aileron | 15 mm up / 15 mm down | 40-60% |
| Elevator | 20-30 mm up / 15-20 mm down | 20-30% |
Congratulations - you're ready to fly!
Contact us¶
Have a question, issue, or just a cool idea for the next aircraft we should model? Drop us an email at: info@loftedaero.com