Giant scale usually punishes you with weight, and that is the problem this project takes on. A factory built ARF of similar size comes out around 120 pounds, while this scratch-built C-133 sits at 45 all up, with 45 pounds of thrust to match. The airframe was kept remarkably light for something with a 15 foot span and a 16 foot fuselage, and in my view that weight discipline is the smartest call in the whole build.
The idea came from three local club members after an Oshkosh trip in 2019, starting as nothing more than newspaper build plans before turning into a full project. Nearly a year of work carried it from those plans to a first flight. RedDevilSquadron shared the result and encourages others to build light. Given the numbers here, that sounds like good advice to me.
Construction mixes balsa, fiberglass and foam board sheeting. My favorite detail is the tail, which is built from three wings taken off 30cc sized Yak 54 airframes. Power is four motors in the 70 size, fed by four 6s 5000 batteries, run through a Spektrum DX18QQ on a twelve channel receiver. Ailerons, elevators and the rudder all work, and there is a motorized rear cargo door plus an audible stall horn. The light-colored fuselage carries U.S. Air Force markings with Mudgy 133 lettering.
In the air it flies at very low speeds and holds stable maneuvers, and several successful landings round out the flying. A chase drone flew alongside, and the cargo bay has dropped small parachutes. Flight time runs 10 to 15 minutes, which seems a fair trade for the weight savings to me. One open question remains: whether the wing markings are accurate has been raised and not yet answered.
Project by RedDevilSquadron. Watch it on their YouTube channel: