F5J - E-Tsotsi (Nicknamed: "Yellow Bird") almost ready to fly

There is a saying that goes around about the famous J3 Cub that asks, "What is there better to fly than a J3 Cub?" Well, the answer is another J3 Cub but with floats on.

So I guess one can modify this question in a similar way when it comes to a 2 meter Tsotsi. “ "What is there better to fly than a 2 meter Tsotsi?" Well the answer is a 2 meter Electric Tsotsi or E-Tsotsi.

Maybe I have lost it. Ever since I flew Tony’s Tsotsi at the Nat’s last year it almost became an obsession to build one and if you've ever seen the way this bird goes up, you will understand my obsession. Ask anyone that has witnessed this bird taking to the sky. To say the least, it is just fascinating to steer it vertically up into the sky for 20 or 30 seconds then cut the motor, hand the Tx to Tony and watch him glide it for between 15 and an 30 minutes before it needs another boost up in to thermal land.

Well to say that one has an obsession for something is one thing and it’s something else to do something about it and that is what I have done. Maybe the long way around (I stared off making a mould first) and that in itself was a challenge. But is was well worth the effort for in the last 3 day’s of my leave in December, I turned out 3 complete fuselages.


Now there is one thing you have to keep in mind when you want to go up quickly and vertically and that is to save weight wherever you can. It is for this reason it took me 3 times before I got a fuse that came out at 158 grams. Evan help me with wings and at 366 grams is the lightest set of Tostsi wings that we have build to date.





The all up weight so far is just over 1 kg and the Scorpion electric motor can swing a 13 X 7 Graupner folding prop giving 1.5 Kg Static trust, and close to 1.8kg dynamic trusts. So I have no doubts that it will perform as well as Tony’s Tsotsi.





I hope to have the “Yellow bird” in the air within the next 2 to 3 weeks.
In the mean time I cannot wait much longer to see it fly.






The 13x7 folding prop develops 1.5 KG static trust.






The tip that I believe makes the deference and it is well worth to go the extra effort to add on. I used 49 gram glass to strengthen the tip and I still have to paint it to add the final finishing touches.

PS.

There's one similarity between the "Yellow Bird" and a J3 Cub and that is the are both canary yellow.