chris meek 1

One last thing for this week - I had one of the retracts stop working….. A bit of a panic last night thinking about how to solve the problem which included having to cut away the lower sheeting to check the servo lead from the retract…. Not something I was wanting to do! Having slept on it I think I’ve found the cause - the rear balsa former for the lower nacelle was rubbing up against the wheel when it was ‘up’ - I think that this binding has caused the retract unit to shut off…. A small amount of trimming back the former and the retract is back to working again! Hurray!!! 🤣🤣🤣 One thing I’d say to anyone who hasn’t built much before - you’ll get challenges in a build but more often than not with a bit of time and thought (and asking for help in the forums!) you’ll find a way around most problems…. Worst case scenario is you’ll have to cut something out or build something new! Really would say to anyone who’s thinking of building from a plan/kit to just go and do it and you’ll have something that you’ll be proud to say ‘I made that’ 💪💪

So everything seems to be working nicely! Got to admit I’m pretty pleased with myself for how it’s coming along! The plan for next week is to drill/insert the wing mounting bolts, then plan and fit the battery mounts ive already cut them to shape and the plan at the moment is to make them removable so I can access the retracts. Then it’s on to start nacelle planking! IMG_0299.mov

Ron, I’m happy waiting until I’ve finished (and recovered from!) the Beaufighter build… might wait until Richard adds the retracts and just build it from the beginning with them in place. 🤔

So, I’ve been making slow progress this week but the ailerons are cut and hinged. I had an idea to use commercial sprung oleos and a piece of aluminium bar to make my own undercarriage setup. After a lot of effort this is the result… I started on one with using a tap and die set to cut a threaded hole to put a grub screw in to secure the piano wire pin - unfortunately when I tightened it the first time onto the pin it let go, felt like the thread in the aluminium had let go. Fortunately I found an old stash of metal epoxy so I’ve used that to glue all the parts together (including the mounts into the retracts as they didn’t have grub screws either)… Itll be something I need to keep an eye on but fingers crossed the joints are all strong enough! I’ve not tested it in place yet - waiting for the epoxy to fully cure overnight. 🤞🤞🤞 oh and one lesson I’ve re - learned….. don’t hold the piece of metal you’re drilling! Funny how the only hole I managed to drill dead centre was into my thumb…. 🤦‍♂️

Hi Richard - mine arrived today!

Thanks Neil lovely build and I appreciate the comments! I was planning on adding some wing fairings as well but got too enthusiastic about the covering and completely forgot to add any! I suppose I could add some above the covering though…. The beaufighters one of my favourites as well (that and the mosquito) - I may opt to build the larger John Ranson one after this, or maybe go for another attempt at the mosquito. Either way it’ll be a coastal command strike wing aircraft.

After spending the morning programming my transmitter finally have movement in the Beaufighter! Next week will be finishing off the centre lower sheeting and I need to reverse the port flap servo so it looks nicer instead of a kinked linkage - waiting for a signal reversing Y lead to come through the post before I can do that, and cut out and hinge the ailerons but it’s good to see it start to come to life…. IMG_0274.mov IMG_0276.mov

So back to the beaufighter build! No major visible progress at this stage, yesterday’s job was making up and fitting the servo mounts for flaps and ailerons… After a delivery from SLEC (first rate customer service as usual!) today I’ve been cutting out and fitting the lower sheeting on the port outer wing. Hopefully a delivery tomorrow of some servo extensions and Y leads and I’ll get the lower sheeting finished off. Once that’s done it’s on to the nacelles which means I get the pleasure of some planking. 🤔

Busy couple of days - outer wing panels sorted and attached, its surprising just how big this is! 🤣

Spent the day fitting the flaps and making up the engine nacelle formers - total weight is now 3.4lbs, hopefully still on target for around 10lbs total weight…

So it turns out that sheeting the centre section didn’t take as long as I expected! A couple of hours last night and top is sheeted, flaps made up and ready to finish off/hinge this morning. Then it’s on to the engine nacelles ready to fit..

Thanks - found it fun!

I sourced a 3d printed pilot roughly the right size off of Ebau once painted an obligatory ‘in the office’ photo was needed! Tbh I enjoyed the painting process and he’s not too shabby looking for a first effort. started on the wing centre section - seems ok apart from ribs 1 to 5 needed the rear spar slots either put in, or re positioned - not sure if there’s a fault in the file at the cutters but in all honesty it’s a minor issue that’s easily solved. Unfortunately I’m back at work for a few days so nothing more will be done until next week now.. hopefully get the top sheeting sorted on the centre section.

No, too small on mine as well - I need to try carving a plug and making my own, I want the navigators cupola to be the later shape as well. Still it’s another skill to learn!

Just a quick mention- I’m not a ‘builder’ - prior to this I’ve only built a galaxy models magician, top flite sea fury and dabbled with a Brian Taylor mosquito (gave up on that as too complicated at the time!). just want to show folk that with a bit of patience it’s possible to build something from a plan that even an inexperienced builder can be proud of. It may not win any awards at the nationals but I’m happy with it… I really like the brown paper method of covering - paper and all paints used (grey/blue/black/white) will have come to about £15 so it doesn’t break the bank!

Final piece done was to paint in the cockpit

Fuselage is at a point where I’ll leave it while I get on with the wings….

Haha yes, although now will find another one to do! 🤦‍♂️ plenty to choose from though…. yours looks really good though - how’s it fly?

This is what I’m thinking of at the moment….

Finished covering the fuselage and have painted the horizontal stabilisers. now to adding the white base for the invasion stripes… I’ve not decided which particular aircraft I want to replicate yet other than it will be a coastal command aircraft, but the invasion stripes will help with seeing what is basically a blue and grey aircraft against a blue/grey sky! I’ve been researching it and the invasion stripes in one form or another stayed on surviving aircraft from June well into October/November 1944 so I’ve lots to choose from.. 🤔

I’m happy with 2nd batch thanks. 👍

AUW should be 10lbs according to the plan.. I was starting to worry about weight so weighed the fuselage so far. I know it’s not covered, but under 1 1/2 lbs seems ok to me - hopefully the covering and paint won’t add masses of weight! Then I had to do the bit I’ve been dreading- cutting the fuselage for the wing to fit… doesn’t look as bad as I thought it might! it’s definitely looking like a Beaufighter to me now!

Finally got the lower sheeting fitted and shaped. Some lightweight filler on a couple of gaps still to sand but I’d say fuselage is just about finished!

Yeah I came close to it but in the end thought I’d try not to over complicate it for myself! Looks good with a retract though.

Now that’s all sorted I can get on with sheeting the lower fuselage- it’s starting to feel like the fuselage is nearly finished!