Harmony Begins

[David McEwan]

Well here i am and hi to every one, so how hard can it be to build a plane from just a sheet of paper with a load of tech drawings on it ?

 

Dame hard if you dont no what 3/32, awg, or double ply means oh yes i have not got a clue.

 

However i am willing and after a attempt to do it all by hand with mini saws and sand paper i gave up and then tolled up, scroll saw i was given for free and after a referb i made it work then came the bench sander what a relief.

 

Starting was tentative but as you will see from the first pics i did not do too bad, all i can say is Peter if your reading this i feel there are a few questions for you coming you way.

 

If any one has advice feel free to give it i will not be offended and can use all the help i can get.

[Tony H]

Looks good so far, with all you fancy wood work machinery to I see. I will watch this build closely as I am about to build my own too shortly. Good luck with the build I hope it goes smoothly.

[kc]

You probably mean swg ( not awg ) as this is a British plan.

SWG is Standard Wire Gauge 

 

AWG is American Wire Gage and this is different to SWG by quite a lot.  That is 8 SWG is about the same as 6 AWG I think.   This makes a big difference on undercarriages so beware if you build from Americn plans with British piano Wire in future!  

 

By double ply I assume you mean ply doubler.  A doubler ( or sometimes a Trebler )  is an extra layer of balsa or ply etc.  The exact extent is usually shown by arrows.  Note exactly where the black arrows differ from the white arrows.  Sometimes there is a difference which is not too obvious. Study the entire outline marked by arrows to see the shape of balsa compared to ply doubler.

 

Check that the formers actually fit the plan because errors seem to occur, often by obvious amounts like a quarter inch!  This apparently occurs when the plan is re-draughted at the magazine and is not the designers fault according to Peter Miller when I raised the point a couple of years ago.

Edited By kc on 05/07/2010 11:30:38

Edited By kc on 05/07/2010 11:34:19

[Jimbo565]

David,

Take it slowly and follow the build instructions in the mag.

 

As KC says errors sometimes creep into the plan but having built the Harmony I didn't find any.

 

Good luck with the build and feel free to ask questions,plenty of help available.

 

Jim

[ntsmith]

Hi.

An interesting build blog. I am almost completed mine. Just the topdecks to do and fit the ailerons. Built solidly is all I can say about the design in a sentence. Any questions just message me. Be interesting how this will fly with a 25. Rather agile I would guess.

I'll keep watching and see how you are getting on. As I say dont worry about asking too many questions. Better to ask first and build and cut and sand and curse later

Jim, I just read, said he couldn't find any errors on the plan. Perhaps he had a purchased one as the one in the mag certainly has got some.

Regards

Nigel

[Peter Miller]

Hi. Usually American plans quote wire by actual diameter rather than guage..

 

Looking at the picture of the formers with longerons, I hope you haven't glued that up.

 

You stick the bottom longerons to the sides before assembly. The top spine goes on after fuselage assembly.

 

Don't worry about asking questions, that is what we are here for and everyone has to start somewhere.

[Peter Miller]

By the way, I did a three part series of articles on building from plans in the February, March and April issues of RCM&E it would pay you to buy the back issues if possible.

[David McEwan]

Hi. Thank you every one fro your encouragement it does help boost the old confidence a little and all your remarks have been taken on boared.

Peter yes sadly i did glue them in, that could be why i had so much trouble square everything off. Thankfully a good set square and measurng everything helped put everything into shape. I have included todays pictures from the build people will notice my first error ie putig the formers the wrong round hence why the are all morked up now so i do not get caught out.

You will also see the longrons missing from the back end have measured them and jus need to fit them but just a tad to delicate to glue them in place. I have also added the ply doublers and the first skin which i have left drying tonight, also whilst waiting for the various parts to bound i have prepared the fin,and rudder along with the elevators.

The part i am not looking forward to is the wings i will need to read through the magazine several times to work out what it all means.

 

I am wondering though as i look at it were am i going to fit all the servos it will need, one in the wing but the other three not sure yet.

 

I guess when it gets to the wings i will start throwing out the questions, although i am thinking of perhaps a jig of some sort we shall see.

To be continued please keep your comments and ideas coming i will use them all oh and peter i did in fact get a hold of the three magazines you spoke of plus some other useful items from others so thanks it does help.

[ntsmith]

Now beginning to look good, certainly very professional.

[Peter Miller]

Well, I have to say that that is the most unusual sequence for building a fuselage that I have ever seen and definitely the hardest

 

next time glue the doublers to the sheet sides, glue the longerons (if any) to the sides and then lay one side down flat on the board and glue on the formers that are thye same width, normally F-1 F-2 F-3 and proably F-4. Then glue on the other side. Finally pull the side in at the rear and add the formers in the tapered part of the fuselage.

 

You DO NOT need a jig for the wing, just a flat board that you can push pins into. Just follow each step of the instructions for the wing, Study them now and if anything is not clear ask before you start.

 

 

[Peter Miller]

The servos fit just in front of F-4

[Doug Ireland]

Posted by Peter Miller on 06/07/2010 08:29:35:

Well, I have to say that that is the most unusual sequence for building a fuselage that I have ever seen and definitely the hardest

 

 

 

 

 Hopefully not a banana in the making!

[Jimbo565]

David,

 

She is well worth the effort but as Peter says you are giving yourself a lot of unecessary work,stick with the building instructions and you wont go wrong.

She flies a treat on the SC25,you wont be disapointed.

 

JIm 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Doug Ireland]

Very nice Jim, definitely one of Peters prettier designs!

[Jimbo565]

Cheers Doug,

 

Did you ever get around to building Miss Lizzy  ??

 

 

Jim

[Peter Miller]

Just thought that I would stick in

a photo of the whole family (So far)

 

Only one to go, that will be a gull wing when I can summon the energy to build anpther complicated model.

[Doug Ireland]

Posted by Jim Carss on 06/07/2010 09:41:22:

Cheers Doug,

 

Did you ever get around to building Miss Lizzy  ??

 

 

Jim

 

 

No, never did get round to it. One day maybe

[ntsmith]

This design is vagely reminisnt of Keil Kraft's Phantom Mite - OK showing my age but it has the same sort of outline if I recall.

[David McEwan]

Hi

Well thankfully it is not  banana, but peter thanks have read through waht you said makes sense and nowi have worked it through my head i can see it now.

 

Today no build, little disapointed in my self as i have rea and read the magazine again and i can not get my head around them dame wings. So here are my questions t strat with, please remember i am knew and i am using visual refrences to help buld up my knowledge now that i see a bell crank i know what it is formers were easy and spars along with longrons make sense.

 

so if we start with the cut outs R1 TO R10

 

1ST Rib 1 shows on the plans in two sections do i cut it like this.

 

2nd Rib 6 to 9 shows two sections do i cut two peices for each Rib front and rib.

 

3rd what is a wash out .

 

4th what is a Dihedral Brace.

 

5th the magazine states that the aileron is built integril to the wing so that means to me its built as part of the wing then at some stage i just start cutting it out ?

 

6th is the 1/4 balse trailing edge a flat piece of balsa or am i suppose to buy a wedge shape

 

i know that the above questions may seem simple to most but once i have a visual in my head i can then normally put the who thing together but taking Peters advice i am not starting this until i am sure.

 

See if i can get the wings right from the start

 

Thanks everyone

 

by the way i love jims pics and peters did beg one question i spoke to the local model shop they tell me the style of engine you have fitted is old and i cant buy it any more is this true.?

[Peter Miller]

Yes, R-1 is in two pieces because there is a dihedral brace in the middle.

 

You have to cut those bits off the ribs R-6 to R-9. They are the aileron ribs. and are glued behind the Aileron leading edge. Look at the bottom right hand corner of the plan and you will see a cross section of the wing construction. This shows the ribs and spars etc.

 

Washout is a twist on the wing so that the tip is at a lower angle than the root. This prevents the tip of the wing stalling at low speed.

 

Dihedral is the way the wings are bent in the front view. The dihedral brace is the plywood brace that holds the wings in the shape and strengthens the joint between the wings.

 

Yes, you build the aileron with the wing and you do not separate them until the wing is complete. Just follow the step by step instructions.

 

You can't buy curved trailing edge. You use 1/4" sheet and then shape it when the wing is complete. A razor blade plane is the best tool for this but you can do it with a blade and a sanding block.

 

I can't understand what your model shop means about thestyle of engine being old and that you can't buy it any more

 

. All the engines that I use are SC engines and are available from any half decent model shop and you can tell them that I said that.

[David McEwan]

Hi

 

Ok now that Peter has put me on the right road i now can see what it is i am trying to do and in fact i have set everything up for tommorow.

 

All being well i will have everything laid out ready for gluing once i know i have it all set wont make that mistake again.

 

As for your thoughts on the shop and the engine, i think you are right the owner always seems to look at me as if to say buy what you need and go away (not a people person then).

 

I am learning lots and maybe the next project wont be such a head scratching attempt.

 

Hope i have not board you all yet hahah

 

 

[Peter Miller]

I wonder why your shop owner is like that.

[ntsmith]

Does anyone know where we can get a half decent pilot for this. Its going to be needed by others too I suppose so it may be usefull to know. BTW I want one thats a darned good flyer and wont get airsick. You should see my flying

[kc]

The flying notes in Peter Millers article do not give much guidance as to the experience needed to fly this model.  This would appear to be a model for experienced fliers only because of the low wing, eliptical wing, quite small size and it is probably a very fast model.

 

Surely not a model for someone with no flying experience?   Maybe the model shop owner is off hand because he detects a lack of flying experience and someone who is not taking his advice to start with a trainer.  Otherwise find a better shop!

My advice is to build this model and put it to one side and build a trainer, maybe the Bushwacker or a Boddington trainer..  When fully capable with a trainer etc then think about flying the Harmony.  Peter M what do you think?

Edited By kc on 07/07/2010 11:29:25

[David McEwan]

The Model Shop guy i think is not intrested unless your buying a ready to fly model, he seems a little disintrested that i am building from plan i really dont think planes are his thing.

On one occasion he did seem to be intrested on another i walked in with the plan and started to select some wood he walked over and said very curtly you would be better leaving that with me and i will work it out for you?

 

Not really a helpful for some one who is just starting out, never the less i am going to learn and i am looking at other model shops just not a great selection in the area. Looks like i will go further a field.

 

It is true i have no experience never flown a plane, i have a spitfire sitting there i built from a kit, 6 to 12 months in the making.

 

I have been looking at the local clubs and when i have time will be approaching them i wont be flying anthing till i have taken advice from the experts but i love the idea of building so on i go.

 

the Bushwacker or Boddington i will try find a plan if i can build it first then its for me so if you know were to get a plan for them let me know and i will pick one.

 

Thanks for the advice KC