chris meek 1

this should have said PYRAMID MODELS — predictive text on my phone and rushing a post…. 🤦‍♂️

Lovely looking model Paul…. I’m opting on going electric- that’s another bit of head scratching to come to check out I’ve got a powerful enough setup! I had mine put together tonight again to keep me motivated, like I’ve said before it’s not perfect but as a project in building it’s been a useful learning experience and hopefully it will fly ok…. Tbh I’m a full on beaufighter fan now - there’s a bigger version on the sarik site that’s looking very tempting! 🤔🤣 Hopefully getting some decals delivered soon from Pegasus models- very helpful folks there and they were VERY patient with my ineptitude in sending them what I was looking for….

Planking progress so far…. Doesn’t show major changes for the amount of time spent doing it, but I find it strangely enjoyable 🤣

I think ibe got some optima’s you can have if you’re struggling- won’t be able to check until next week though

Battery trays complete, wing leading edges shaped and planking begun… not as much time this week to do stuff but overall I’m happy with progress

Neil it was something that I was worried about as well - the upper fuselage sides at the rear are pretty thin and according to the plan the horizontal stabilisers just sit on them. I ended up adding doublers to the insides of them as a saddle (can’t remember the thickness I used unfortunately!) and using epoxy to glue the vertical rudder post down

so a quick update for today - wing mounts have been drilled and sorted - battery trays have been fitted. I weighed it and had a double take moment - thought it would be a lot closer to the 10lb suggested auw! But after three different times the weight so far is just over 5lb so I’m more than happy… I reckon that hopefully I’ll get it finished and balanced (with a fair amount of weight in the nose!) for around the 10lb mark… 🤞

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?