EarlyBird

Thanks Richard, I usually place the ESC under the battery plate. The other option I have used before is to place it on the side of the fuselage. 🤔 With the two sides glued together I pinned them to the board so that they are parallel and transferred the guide lines across from the first to the second side. Following the instructions we can now start adding the parts to the first side. Steve

But I made a start by gluing the two halves of the fuselage sides together using the normal tape hinged method. Which involves removing the laser cut nibs and burnt wood first then apply a tape hinge and glue held flat with a weight. Steve

The kit is supplied as designed for i/c with a few modifications for electric. There are some changes I need to make to the formers and obviously these required decisions as for example where the ESC will be located and how the wing will be secured. Another decision required is how to maximize the battery access. Maybe too much thinking going on here as I was considering replacing all the balsa doublers on the fuselage sides with a single piece of 1/32 ply. Studying the plan it looks like there is built-in down thrust and an allowance for side thrust. All this thinking time is enabling me to continue repairing the vq giant stick. Steve

Having built both and flown both The Ohmen would always be my first choice.

Now that I am ready to start gluing the first thing to do is read the instructions, I didn't forget honest. 🤣 Steve

Thank you for the encouragement as a result of which I have retrieved the kit from the cupboard. Opening the box is a one-way Street as there is no way I can possibly not start building. First is to study the plan and then removing the laser cut parts from the sheets as supplied. That's after making room to work. Yes I just pushed all of the rubbish back and got on with it. 🤣👍 Plan is on the building board and the first side is almost ready to build. How far has everybody else got? Pictures of your progress would be good. Steve

It has been a long time since I built a kit and the Mascot has been mentioned a view times on here, I thought I would kill two birds with one stone and therefore bought the kit from DB sport and scale. This will be electric as I have the power train in stock. Upon opening the box I noticed the wing bands, which I don't like, so a few changes are going to be made to bring the design up to date with modern materials and methods. Would anyone else like to join in , please do as I do like to have company. Steve

As I thought thinking time of course has caused problems. This was going to be the donor plane. Having looked at the issues with this plane I decided to fix this up. I will use some of the parts, particularly the undercarriage, from the mighty barn stormer. Steve

Hi Jonathan, It will be a standard eight ounce tank with a petrol conversion. This is what I am using at the moment but I do have a 10 ounce tank however the way I fly the smaller tank will last for one hour flying time. I am quite happy to execute a couple of circuits and a successful landing and my day will be done. Steve

With the engine mount bolted in next is the fuel tank positioning. A bit of thinking time is required, unfortunately. Steve

Looks good with the engine in place. Steve

With 1/16 shim With 3/32 shim The 3/32 has my vote. Conveniently I can measure the offset at 2 degrees. Steve

Spoke too soon because on offering up the engine it looks like there is three and a half degrees of right offset. I was aiming for 2 degrees or two and a half degrees at the most. The firewall is not yet glued so I will shim it to reduce the offset. Steve

With the tail all glued up it's time to turn the model in the jig and test fit the firewall. It all looks okay so far. Steve

With the two sides joined it is now time for the fuselage jig. All of the cross members have been made and test fitted. As usual setting up the jig took longer than the rest of the process. Next is glue time again. Steve

The undercarriage mounting plates was the obvious choice. This and the former were glued in place making sure that the former were kept vertical. Once dried the second former was glued and the second side was added. I use a right angle at the tail to make sure that the two sides were in line if not I made adjustments so that they were in line. I must apologise for not taking more pictures of the process but I got carried away by a burst of enthusiasm. Steve

...... Means something I am led to believe but what no one seems to explain. Maybe @Rich Griffcould take this opportunity and enlighten us all, well me at least.

Thanks guys but weight is not something I had a problem with, until now and Christmas doesn't help with all the fattening treats. A new firewall has been made to suit the new location, the slots have all been cut in the ply doublers which have now been glued in place. Before I assemble the two sides I need to work out anything that will be easier to glue in place at this stage. I am thinking of servo tray and tank tray. Also I could make the undercarriage mounting plates. As with many designs there is a section of the fuselage that is parallel and I like to make any components that will hold the relevant formers at right angles, just makes life easier when trying to keep the right angles during the gluing process. Steve

Oh dear me after some thought I remember that I made exactly the same mistake with the Ohmen in that following suggestion that the model would be nose heavy I put the servos in the rear and reduced the length of the nose and that turned out to be a big mistake which I was about to repeat. Both sides have now met each other for the first trial fit. So that I can mark up the positions of the slots for the firewall. I can then cut them out prior to gluing them on, it's easier that way. Steve

That raised a smile John, remember this? These were originally in the tale of my giant stick and as advised, possibly by you, I moved them from the tail and installed in the fuselage exactly as you are now advising me and with the giant stick I was able to remove one pound of lead from under the engine. Although I like making mistakes because that's the way I learn it looks like I've already learned this lesson.🤣 Yes one of these servos in the tail would equate to something like 250 grams of weight at the front and obviously for two five hundred grams putting it this way makes it look a totally ridiculous idea. Back to the drawing board for me I think. Thanks everyone for your advice and you've probably just saved one model, well done. Steve

Both servos will fit beneath the tailplane. Just. Each servo weights 56 grams which should counter balance the added weight of the petrol engine, maybe too much though. Steve

With the last joint glued and clamped that is the second side built on top of the first, not quite identical but good enough. I now need to make a decision regarding the tail, it's definitely going to be a steerable tail wheel and possibly both servos beneath the tailplane. Steve

The pursuit of perfection has got in the way of production here is my latest gadget for cutting and sanding joints. It works well if my latest joint is to be any kind of measure. The top joint is with and the bottom one is without the use of the gadget, proof of the pudding? Steve

I was taught old school, even though it was only seven years ago, and use washers to adjust the thrust lines. As a beginner the idea of using mixes was well beyond me, at the time. It does seem to me that built in thrust lines is just another starting point for using mixes and presumably if the designer is correct no mixes will be required, but if they are I can make adjustments using the Tx. Steve

One doubler test fitted. Take it apart and build the second side on top of the first so that they are in identical then the second doubler. Steve