Phil Cooke

With our latest Mass Build project all wrapped up, a group discussion over a few pints of Tim Taylors Landlord had us thinking about a different way of building in an attempt to have some fun over the winter break and producing some exciting new PSS models to test at the start of the 2022 flying season. The focus was on a relatively small, cheap and quick to build scale model and we came up with the concept of the 48 Hour Build Challenge – ‘One Sheet is Plenty!’ The aim is simple – Using only a single sheet of high density foam board and a single sheet of balsa – each modeller will scratch build and finesse a scale R/C model fit for use on the slope within a 48 hour build window. The model must be representative of a full-size powered aircraft, and after the 48 hours are up it must be in a fit state to fly from the slope. The choice of subject, it’s size, scale and complexity are left completely up to you, your only limitation is the raw materials used for construction and the overall time allowed for the build! Typical R/C fittings and hardware can be utilised in the build as needed but the primary building materials must be limited to the foam and balsa sheeting! Work on the design concept, plans and preparation for the build can start now in advance – the 48 hour limit is solely for the build! Ideally the model would be a bespoke ‘Own Design’ creation but builders can also adapt an existing plan if that’s less daunting. As with the traditional Mass Build concept we’re all in this together and the aim is to build simultaneously over the chosen weekend of 5th and 6th March. We will run a pre-event Zoom call on the Friday evening for anyone who is keen to register and take part. The Zoom call will enable us to introduce our chosen subject matter and show off any drawings you may have already compiled to aid your build. The build itself will commence from 6am on the Saturday morning and will run until 6am on Monday 7th March. Monday evening we will aim to repeat the Zoom call to show off the fruits of our labour – no doubt with a well earned beer! For anyone wanting to take part who’s unable to match those exact timescales due to work or family commitments – please join us and pick your own 48 hour window as close as you can to the target weekend – we’d really like as many members to take part as possible! The aim is to bring all of the 48 hour build models together when we meet for our first event of the 2022 season on The Great Orme on April 9th and 10th. So that’s the plan – we’ve already seen a lot of interest in the concept and I think we should have a good collection of bespoke hand crafted foam models at the slope in April – who knows what types of PSS model it will generate!? Use the time now to choose your subject and get drawing/sketching so you can commence your build running…The clock will be ticking! If you would like to take part in the Zoom call at 8pm (UK time) on Friday 4th March please drop me an email to register and I will add you to the invite when it goes out – [email protected]

Some more work achieved today on the tailplane mount which now all aligns and bolts up nicely into the rear fuselage. I still need to set the incidence of the tail relative to the wing but this will be done later after more work is completed around the wing-root. Tailplane has a pair of carbon rods for location dowels at the front and is held in place now with 2 x 5mm nylon bolts reacting against a ply load spreader towards the rear. Captive nuts into the ply housing - positioned here for the camera - they have since been reversed so the bolts pull them through the ply when loaded. All nice and square and secure. With this now fitted I'm hoping for a full rig photo this weekend if the weather is kind enough.

It's been some time since I've done any work on the 2 fins but now the interfacing tailplane is glassed these needed a bit of work to ensure they still fit snugly. Whilst I had them on the bench I fitted the 2 rudder servos and the aero covers which required some little hardwood mounts cut from the type of block you buy to mount cowls on fuselages. The small green tool I made to aid with fitting the blocks with the right recess - it was a right angle of the same thickness as the white plastic cover - shaped to allow you to hold the block in place with the green alignment tool flush to the surface - once each block is positioned you can remove the green tool and add some glue - worked well. The little fibrelgass rudder horn still needs to be fitted in the slot to the right - these parts are then ready for a final sand and primer.

Hiya Pete - yeah I used the same sauce mix on the PSS Sabre - and although I was very happy with how it went on, how easy it was to sand and the initial finish it provided for the top primer and paint - I've seen over time it isnt as hard as the resin, in fact my Sabre fuselage is very susceptible still to minor surface damage - seen in storage and transportation already... I just thought for this bigger, heavier model which is bound to be manhandled at the slope I would make it as tough as I could - hence resin and paint only - a conscious decision this time.

yeah Grey primer will go on top - this high fill stuff is really just used to fill any evidence of weave as on these gliders we dont tend to use the second 'flow' coat with the epoxy resin... Ill sand the yellow back smooth then add the grey before final paint.

Another good session today on the A-10... The recently glassed nose section was cut back with medium paper and has had 2 good coats of filler primer with a focussed sanding in-between after a 24hr wait for it to fully harden. Surface is looking pretty good, just a few low spots still to address... In between waiting for the primer to harden each time round I've done a bit more glassing - tailplane lower surface this time and I've added some resin to the lite-ply end caps on the elevators and rudders - areas that dont naturally receive glass but still need to be painted. I'll soon have all these parts in primer too now I hope.

The brown paper is 'stiffer' - or less compliant - than the glass cloth so at a micro level it 'bridges' the surface finish imperfections of the foam much better - glassing onto foam direct would leave a less perfect surface, slightly orange peely(?) and less durable too... The brown paper and pva is cheaper, builds to a better surface which can then be glassed upon. 1 layer of glass is all thats needed onto the paper. The glass cloth I use is 25g/m2 - and you add a similar amount of resin - I'm not quite sure how this compares to brown paper/pva? Multiple layers of glass/resin would be very time consuming, very expensive and I'm pretty sure, heavier too.

Hi Mike, no the blue foam is sanded to shape and the brown paper is applied directly to that surface with PVA. If the blue foam (a dense material) is sanded smooth with a fine grade paper to finish the paper finish is smooth. The glass goes ontop of that very well - the purpose of the glass really is to give a more stable surface to prime and paint onto - although with resins it does harden it all up nicely too - the paper can easily scuff and that would then soak up paint etc.

Happy New Year all! I've managed to get some A-10 glassing done over the Christmas period - the nose section is now ready for final sanding and primer as are the fins, rudders, elevators, ailerons and flaps. Started with some fiddly glassing around the battery hatch and gun housing. Then the underside, keeping the seams and resultant overlaps on the radiused corners. The dark patches are where there isn't enough PVA on the surface of the brown paper and it starts to soak up some of the resin... Top section again with the seam position marked on the tight radius for ease of blend. The final piece! A small foam roller was used on the bigger surface areas once the cloth was laid out with the Jenny brush - very effective and leaves a nice even resin coat.

Superb way to end 2021 yesterday with a 'high octane' PSS Fly-In upon The Great Orme - 12 pilots I counted at our peak (some of the locals only joined us for a couple of hours) and we enjoyed a sunny, dry, blustery day with epic lift throughout!! Some photos in the link below - the title Image shows Andy Meade with his new F-105 Thunderchief which was bravely and succesfully maidened in winds approaching 70mph. Impressive stuff! Happy New Year to everyone!!

Having been watching the weather closely over the Christmas break we have decided upon New Years Eve for our informal PSS Fly-In at The Great Orme - so it's an end of year meet as opposed to a New Years Day meet! The days are very short so we will be up there from first light to make the most of the travel - dont forget your Christmas cakes, mince pies and silly hats (its a tradition!!) See you up there if you can join us!

Merry Christmas to all of our PSSA members in the UK and around the world - many thanks to everyone whos helped make 2021 a successful and memorable flying season!

Here's a few photos from our group PSSA visit to the superb Newark Air Museum - we took some of our models and braved the cold and the wet for a couple of group photos with some impressive backdrops of Buccaneers and Vulcans!

Sorry to hear your news Dirk, I wish both you and Diana a quick recovery - I'm afraid we caught it too last month, the kids bringing it back in from primary school - so hard to manage with the little ones. Thankfully with the double jab it was no worse than a head cold with headaches. Stay strong and well. Your fantastic fuselage will be there waiting for you when you safely return to the shop.

Youve got to be over the moon with that fuselage Dirk, a fantastic result justifying all your hard work and dedication!!

Brilliant work Dirk, soon the new fuselage will emerge from its hand crafted cocoon!!

yeah the single log in for both the forum and the main site is a big improvement - 'Thank you' IT team and Beth for coordinating!!

Good to know the A-4D is back on the bench and is keeping you entertained! Hope you are feeling well, I guess if you are at your bench modelling that must be a great sign! Brilliant!

The day-glo orange and the white look great together - I also really quite like how the orange at the nose traces the shape of the Stars and Bars with the little white border. Great scheme John!!

I've been having the eaxct same problem for a few days now too! Fine for the forum pages, but not the main site page/digital archive area.

hehehe - I do hope so too...

Great job Pete - love all the shading and weathering it looks really effective!! Glad the maiden went well, look forward to seeing it in action one day soon!

yes thats the plan Andy, aiming to work this through the winter period as a priority now, bar the 'Juan Sheet weekend' of course ?

Yes Andy - it was an intentional 'show of force' just at the right time to eliminate the risk of further annual online embarrassment... Yeah only the nose section requires paper as its the only part of the airframe with exposed, shaped foam. Thats the reason I've applied it to build a beter foundation for the glass. The rest of the airframe is all veneered so glass cloth and resin alone will suffice. Juan Sheet build sketches - yep - nothing to hide there - looking forward to the challenge - its a sketch of the Yak-15, although I may make it the 2-seat Yak-21 which is a bit nicer on the eye IMHO. Thats all ive done so far as until we agree how much foam we're allowed I dont know how big to make it span wise. Should be a simple build im hoping, roll on March ?

A bit more progress on the A-10 now the season PSSA flying season is over... still working in the cockpit and nose section getting it all ready for glass. The 2 piece canopy has been better trimmed up to suite the more shapely blue foam shoulders and a console has been made up from pink foam. It all seems line up ok - I think the seat is still a little reclined, the pilot and seat need to be a little more forward and upright for scale looking at photos of the real thing... I've then covered the nose section in brown paper and PVA, sealing the exposed foam and giving a better surface onto which the glass cloth and resin will be applied. The paper has come out pretty well, a few overlaps around the complex curved surfaces of the nose need to be sanded back before the glass gloth is added.