Prop and slot on the Bixler

I mentioned earlier that I tried to change motor to a slightly higher Kv while keeping the same propeller as before to slightly improve the top speed and static thrust. This while at the same time removing the motor mount upgrade which gave the Bixler some strange flight characteristics. However, despite what I had measured with the greatest of precision the 7x5 prop would not fit with the lower mount.

Well, I had to do something. Why not some cutting? I cut a slot into the tail to give the propeller the clearance it needs. This came with a small surprise, the tail is like a hollow tube.

Tail slot with propeller

I knew that this cut would impact the already not-so-rigid tail of the Bixler. And it did, most notably. To counter this I added two carbon fiber rods closely to the newly cut slot. This is in addition to the earlier upgrade of the tail with a carbon fiber rod on the bottom. With the three rods in place the tail is now very rigid.

Carbon fiber rod enforcement on the tail

Since I used a pusher prop before, and the 6x4 one I tried was not I had to switch a pair of cables to make the motor turn the right direction. There is no real advantage to having a pusher prop on a plane like this except that you don't have to locktite the nut on the propeller shaft.