G-JIMG

Apologies, I forgot I had taken a picture of the elevator linkage. The central curved part is double sided PCB board, securely attached to the elevator rod. The other end has a standard clevis attached that connects to the snake. Jim.

Managed a bit more on the horizontal tail assembly. Applied the balsa skin and manufactured the elevators. Lightly clamped the assembly in a vice so I could test if the snake operated the elevator as planned. Again, I can't upload a video so pictures will have to do. Elevator at Neutral: Elevator fully Down: Elevator fully UP: Jim.

Made a start on the empennage today. The horizontal stabiliser is aerodynamically shaped, much like the wing, so is built in the same way. The ribs were cut on the CNC machine and assembled over the plan in the traditional way. I also used the CNC machine to produce the Radome parts. The max cutting depth of the CNC machine meant the Radome had to be made in 4 sections, glued together to give the basic shape, and finally sanded to match the drawings. Building it in sections had the advantage that I could cut internal ducts for the Strobe and Tail Light wiring. Jim.

Posted by cymaz on 10/04/2020 14:43:20: Can you stretch the cloth over compound curves or is that the wrong technique The cloth is extremely light, a square yard weighs less than 1/2oz, so it follows most curves without the need to cut it. In the event a ridge forms that will not smooth out with a little pressure it's simply a matter of cutting along the centre of the ridge and smoothing both edges down with the brush. The fact they overlap is not an issue, as the cloth is so fine the layers blend in to each other without leaving a ridge. Jim.

The real aircraft has winglets, so I have reproduced them by gluing two pieces of balsa together with araldite and with three toothpicks inserted vertically for additional strength. Once the glue had set I shaped the winglet and hollowed out the wing tip as much as possible, leaving enough balsa to support the Nav Light bulbs. Jim.

I tend to apply the fibre glass covering quite early in the build, I find it prevents all but the very worst "hangar rash". There are countless ways of applying the covering; here's what works for me: For small parts I use Z-Poxy resin as it's easy to mix small quantities. For larger areas, such as wings and fuselage, I use West Systems resin. In both cases I mix the resin according to the manufacturer's instructions and then I add slightly less (~75%) than an equal amount of Meths. The West System pumps are a worthwhile investment as they dispense the correct amount every time. The wooden stirrer is courtesy of McDonalds (their sauce cups are excellent for mixing small quantities of glue, etc.) and the plastic card is a hotel key card (I always keep them, they have so many uses in the modelling world). The brush is a cheap amazon throwaway. When mixing the resin I find the Meths initially makes the mixture go a light purple colour, slowly changing to a milky white, before finally returning to the original resin colour. At this point you know it's fully mixed. I place the pre-cut cloth over the area to be covered and brush on the resin. Being 'watered down' by the Meths it is very easy to apply. Once the cloth is fully applied I VERY gently draw the plastic card over it. The idea is to remove the surplus resin without disturbing, or dragging the threads of, the cloth. This also removes any small air bubbles under the cloth. Once fully dry (overnight) I remove any excess cloth by running a very fine glass paper along the edge. You could use a very sharp blade but I find the glass paper works best for me. Jim.

Managed to fit the first set of undercarriage doors. I have no idea how to upload videos, or even if it can be done, so you'll have to make do with a few sequence photos . The doors are mounted using a length of piano hinge. The spring between the two doors is reasonably weak. It serves two purposes; it keeps the doors apart and aligned when they are open and pulls the doors closed when the retracted oleo leg pushes down on it. Jim.

Removed the first set of undercarriage doors from the mould this morning, quite pleased with the result. Jim.