Jump to content

The Whispering Death


Recommended Posts

Right I managed to separate the ply doubler from the fuse sides
 

And I suppose if the grain was the other way on the ply it would not bend in so easily, rock and a hard place ?

I then soaked the sides of the fuse in water and placed F1 and F2 in position but did not glue them in. I then used the jig to hold the fuse sides in position. As you can see the left side is flexible enough to go round the former, the right side is a lot stiffer.

I am going to leave in the jig till tomorrow. I will then glue f1 and f2 in position with epoxy so that they wont budge, take the whole lot outside and then put ammonia on and bend them to the shape of the formers and use medium CA to glue them.
 
Whilst that was stuck in the jig I turned my attention the servo tray.

I cut out a bit of cardboard put it in place and then tried different arrangements of the servos to see what would fit. I have settled with the two elevator servos on the outside with the arms facing out and the pull/pull rudder servo in the middle. The mini size retract servo for the taill wheel will go behind the main servos. Just need to cut the servo tray from 3mm light ply decide how to mount it and see if I can save any weight from it. On thing of slight concern is that as shown on the plan the servo arms would be very close to the wing plate.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well what a nightmare F1 and F2 have been
 
I glued the bottom of the formers to the flat section of the fuse sides. I then used the ammonia to soften the wood but it did not soften that much. I then with much effort manage bend both sides around the formers. At which the softer right side split whilst the stiff left side did not ???
 
Any way I think I can rescue it
 

The major problem was that wetting the fuse sides pulled the hole lot out of alignment so Its had to go back into the jig. Also the right side in the picture bent at a more sharp angle at F3 than the left side. The only other option is to get the fuse sides and formers cut again for me and start again No waiting for the fuse to dry. I might leave it in the jig until I have sheeted the top of the fuse to "lock" it in position.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sounds like you are doing all the right things, I hate using forces like this. perhaps Tony would like to chip in?
 
Perhaps a PM to David A to see if he can get some info out of Tony on how he did this?
 
I suppose you could cut new parts in 1/8(but 2 x) and laminate the 1/8 to make 1/4" ? If thats what the sides are?
 
Keep at it you will get there
 
Cheers
Danny
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted by kiwi g on 12/02/2011 21:42:07:
cut the sheet and strip plank it. simple
That is what I am going to try first. If that does not work I might call it a day with this fuse and get the formers and sides cut again but using medium balsa on the sides this time, or maybe in even soft ?
 
Some pics of where we are now
 



The left side is harder than the right so as the balsa drys out it pulls it to the left. This is causing the left side of the fuse to buckle
 

Also the sides are starting to pull away from f2, the glue just can't hold it in place. I may try slicing along the upper sides of the fuse between F3 and F2 and effectively plank it , if not start again


I did do some other bits yesterday


Servo tray built
 
And one snake run sorted
 

I will give the kit cutters a call tomorrow and see what to do.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had a look at it again this morning and the nose has moved out of alignment again. I had a chat with Leon at Belair and I have decided to get the sides cut in two lots of 3/32 and laminate it once bent into shape. Build it with one sheet on each side then laminate the second one over the top. I know there will be a weight penalty but I can't see how to get 3/16 to conform accurately with the shape at the front. This time I will for warned of the difficulties lol

Just need to go and buy a few more clamps
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Been back in the workshop (loft lol ) whilst I wait for the fuse bits. I have been tidying up the elevators and sanding the tip blocks to shape. I have discovered a great filler, aliphatic glue and micro balloons. Sticks well and can be sanded :af

Started work on the nacelles






Started by glueing the nacelle sides to the the rear former with epoxy and stock triangle for max strengh. This former will eventually be glued to the main wing spa.

I then decided to glue the N3 and N4 together as they are made of separate pieces. I was going to glue them together on the nacelle sides but decided it would be more accurate to them this way.


 
Once this is all dry I will glue them in place and then attach the fire wall. Then the retract plate will be glued on and I start thinking about a battery tray and some other bits.

This means I am off to buy my retracts using last months overtime. I thought I would get these first as if it all goes tits up at least I can use them again on another project. Next month I shall get the motors.
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Looking good, some would get pretty downheartened at the bending saga, I am impressed you are still forging onwards
 
I think your laminating idea is excellent, Is it worth making the outer sheet/lamination perhaps a fraction bigger then you could sand it to size?
 
Must try your aliphatic and microballon filler sounds intriguing.....
 
Cheers
Danny
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Construction continues
 

I glued the formers to the nacelles using squares to keep every thing , well square.
 

I then glued on the firewalls using 1 hour epoxy, there is 12mm stock triangle reinforcing the join.
 
Whilst this cured I had a look at the retracts

And very nice they are to. As mention in my last post though they are a bit of a rattling fit in the supplied retract mounts.
 

So I will have to cut some new ones from 6mm birch ply with the holes in the right place. This brings me one step closer to buying one of these
 

More of an investment than an expense, there is always the credit card lol. Full details here Proxxon
 
Anyway once the firewalls were fixed I held up the retracts to the nacelles.
 
The big issue here is that I will need to bend a dog leg into the retract wire to get the wheel central in the bay. I suspect this is a lot harder to do than say.
 
Else where I have been felting with the elevators.

I trimed the shroud back a bit and generally tidied up the elevator halves .
 
Here is full up

and down
 

I still have a little bit of fine sanding around the tips to sort out, as I have to make room for layer of solartex

For horns I have decied to recycle the pete tindal set off my ill fated Sbach. I can paint these to match the fuse and get the snake lines just right.

And that's it as far as construction goes today.
 

The next thing to ponder is servos. I was going to use my Hitec 5485 that I had spare. However a month ago I lost my Sbach 30cc on its 4th flight due to RX failure, which has been confirmed as faulty and replaced, but no compensation for the loss of £600 of plane as of yet and looking unlikely. This means I may need the 5485's for one of these http://www.globalrc.co.uk/mx2-5-p.asp . I have no hack plane at the moment but I do have a huricane with a satio91 which would go well with that. If I scrounge the servos from the hurricane I will have some HS-485HB to use for the elevator halves (one each side) and a 625MG for the rudder. Due you think the 458's are man enough for the job ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted by mal brewer on 20/02/2011 15:35:08:
 
Anyway once the firewalls were fixed I held up the retracts to the nacelles.
 
The big issue here is that I will need to bend a dog leg into the retract wire to get the wheel central in the bay. I suspect this is a lot harder to do than say.
 
Sorry,forgot to add posting.What I meant to add was,rather than bending the undercarriage leg,would it not be easier to off-set the retract unit in the nacelle?Going back to an earlier topic,I sympathise with your difficulty in bending the fuselage sides,as I built the smaller Beaufighter,designed by John Deacon,that is the basis for the Tony Nijhuis design.It has been sat in primer for over a year,I really must try and get it painted this year.I'll try and post some pictures,'though I'm not that good at posting pic's.........................Mal.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Did a few more small jobs today while I wait for a couple of deliveries. Mainly sorting out the retractable tail wheel, I had to bend a new piece of piano wire to fit the 50mm tail wheel.
 
Then placed it on the plan to work out the mounting position
 


The fuse is not wide enough/to cluttered to place it where it is shown on the plan so I will fix it to F9 I also think this is the correct scale location, at least in the retracted position.On the full size it rotates forwards when retracted but I could not arrange things so that this would work. . On the full size the wheel protrudes slightly from the bottom of the fuse in retracted position.
 

 
I am considering cutting another F9 from 3mm light ply so that I can just bolt the assembly straight on. I would have to reinforce the balsa F9 to do this and I have a feeling that would work out heavier.
 
I am also planning on adding a drop able torpedo, I was going to add wing rockets but this just looks to good

 
 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i have been busy with other work this week so not much progress but some money spent
 

This is one of those "why did't I buy that years ago. Makes cutting things from ply sheet a lot faster. There is also a sliding guide for helping to cut straight lines and a angle finder to mitre.
 

And here are the new and one old retract mounts along with some light ply formers to go the the top of the nacelle to form the end of the battery hatch. My skills from the scroll saw will improve I am sure
 
 

And the mount in place. Some 12mm triangle stock goes behind this to reinforce the joint.
 
 
Now wheels. Having played with the retracts I have come to realise that I need some light wieght wheels. This is because they move back 100mm when the gear is retracted so. I was going to use some dubro low bounce wheels

But they weigh 80gr each ! thats 160gr of wheel moving backwards. The plan says to use 3.5 wheels. But it seems when you go from 3.25in to 3.5in the width of tyres increases quite a lot so I am going to use 3.25in.
 
I have also looked a these from als
 

These are 53gr so that 106gr a pair. Yes I am faffing over wheels lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...
I have been busy putting together my new Funtana X50 and doing some training work so not much has been done recently. I am also still waiting for the fuse parts.
 
What I have done is cut a new version of F9 from 3mm light ply.
 

I cut holes for the clevis/control arm for the retracts, and removed some of the excess material

The bottom of the tail wheel retract recesses in to the former. I added a block of birch ply for the screw to go into. The forces on the tail wheel will try and pull the mechanism to the left in this picture. Still deciding whether to make it steerable with a second pull system attached to the rudder servo. Might help centre it for when it is retracted.
 
Here is up and down positions


I have also finished off the servo tray with a stepped mount for the retract servo (HS85 standing in as it has still not arrived either)


The retract mounts where also finished and blind nuts added. The holes in the retracts are 4mm so I have used M4 blind nuts and....
 

I am toying with the idea of using nylon bolts so that the retract unit will break off rather than rip the nacelle apart in a hard landing. Not sure if the nylon bolts will be strong enough under normal circumstances. I have some normal M4 bolts to use instead as well.
 
I added the battery tray to the nacelles
 

I might take it on a diet and cut lots of holes in it as it only has to support the battery.
 
I have also been messing with the scroll saw, should have bought one a long time ago
I am cutting some bits that are balsa on the plan in light ply to aid building the front end.
 

Its proving to be very useful.
 
I also got my wheels from Al's and I was so impressed with the I got a second set for the lysander. They are light squidgy and scale looking.
 

I have also tidied up the work shop I bought one of these a while ago
 

And its very useful for sucking up the dust, I also have a cheapo tesco vacuum attached to the back of the scroll saw.
 
The other thing I have been putting my mind to are the ailerons. I did not want hinges and horns hanging out of the bottom of the wing so I have gone for an RDS system. To that end I found this website RDS system. Lots of info on how to make them espicially here the RDS System and the instructions for the set that I bought (how lazy I know) here instructions
 
The flaps will be internally hinged like the ones on my Hurricane like this
 

 
I am not sure whether I
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I am not sure whether I am going to go fully scale with the freis type alieron and scale shape. To do this I would have to reshape the ribs and scratch build the aileron.
 

And as you can see here the hinges would have to be extended a long way

Its all looking a bit to complex, so I might just build as plans but round the LE. To do this I will only have to shorten the ribs by about 2mm.
 
Lets hope the fuse bits turn up soon so I stop thinking of ways to make it more complicated lol !
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still no bits today, sods law a weeks leave and no bits to build the fuse. Still I got on with another part.
 
As Rolph would say.. can you tell what it is
 

Now ?

?

switching to Tommy Cooper... Just like that

I tried sticking to sheets of soft 1.5mm balsa togther and then wetted it then rolled it round to get it in shape. However the join broke so I had to sheet it in two halves which looked pants.
 

And if your still bemused as to what it was supposed to be its a torpedo..sort of
 

I am going to try again with a lot more formers and either strip plank it or put a stringers on so I can sheet in sections. Any ideas on how to do it ??
Interestingly it looks like the torpedo is held in place by a cable in this picture.
 

I also finished off the battery mounts in the nacelles
 

Earleir I went to Totem Hobbies to pick some glow plugs and came home with two of these
 

The motors and the size of the torpedo are starting to make me realise that this will be a fairly big plane. The motors cost me £70 and are very nice.
 
Lets see if the postie brings me some balsa tomorrow

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still no replacement fuse bits I was hoping to catch up again with this weeks leave, oh well.
 
On to other things then. I decided to mount the motors now as it's easy to get at the back of the fire wall ATM
 

That's a 14x8 prop, starting to think a APC electric prop might look more scale than his chunky MA one

That's the radial prop driver. I am going to have this flush with the front of the cowl which will give me about 5mm clearance between cowl and prop.
 

The motor mount is made from 6mmODx4mmID alu tube with M4 bolts going into captive nuts in the fire wall. The washers are to stop the tube forcing its way into the firewall.
 
However I have hit a snag. The holes in the x-mount where for 3M bolts. I drilled them out but the bolt heads fowl the side of the motor
 

Now I could grind away the 1mm so that is causing the problem or use button head screw. I can't find any button head screws that are 60mm long though. Or fit the motor the other way round and use a prop adapter. This would let my do some nice scale dummy engines but would not be so good for the C of G as this would move the motors backwards.
 
Ok Torpedo mark 2. I decided to use rolled 1\64 ply for the body and blue foam or balsa for the tail.
 

The hard balsa is the a hard point for the release mechanism.
 

I Then tack glued the ply and then wetted added aliphatic blue it and rolled it around the formers so it overlaps by about 2cm.
 

I then wrapped it all up and placed a dowel over the join to add pressure on it. I now just have to leave it alone for a few hours !!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I would dremel a slight area away to clear the bolt head - after all its a very small contact area, and that part of the motor does not revolve anyway.
Oh and the APCe props will be better - more efficient in my experience.

Edited By Tim Mackey - Administrator on 12/03/2011 16:59:34

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...