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Piper Twin Apache PA23 -150 74"


Danny Fenton
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I have been sanding the fus upper to level it all off before flipping it over to do the underside. Unfortunately another area that we did wrong and will now cause real issues is the way we included the fus side in the PETG windows, The area around the windows doesn't match, and cannot be made level.

The fix is to remove all the side windows and the surrounding PETG, fill with balsa, sand to shape and then fit individual windows, in recesses. This was another area that halted me two years ago, but i thought I had gotten around it, I have not, and cannot live with the lumps.

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But It can be flown as it is just to prove it flies

Cheers

Danny

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In case you thought I had wandered off again lol, I am still plodding on. A bit of an illness over the last few days had slowed things down, but got the port underside wing stub and nacelle glassed. Very pleased that the 25gsm cloth conformed really well and allowed me to do the area in one piece.

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As I think I said previously I would normally use peel ply to reduce the sanding and to remove excess resin. The L285 sands really well so I am just accepting the extra sanding.

Cheers

Danny

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  • 2 weeks later...

well all this glassing is really boring but, I am pleased to say a final two hour session sanding in the garden has it done.

There seems little point in adding primer until it flies. So that is the next step, after gluing the fin and tail-plane on of course

I will also roto-mold some new hollow cowls.

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Cheers

Danny

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Not much to report, but I have aligned and attached the tail-plane.

The elevators were then attached after oiling the hinges, just to be sure no epoxy got in and gummed up the works.

The fin and rudder are also proving difficult ti get just right, but I am working on it

There is not much wriggle room in the tail area, not helped by the pivot point for the rudder and the elevator being in the same piece of real estate!

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Cheers

Danny

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Thought I had bettwr double check things were okay and free.

Disaster, rudder would travel fully left, but virtually nothing to the right.

To add insult to injury the elevator made a horrible rubbing sound when travelling downwards.

I was not a happy bunny.

Anyway the servos on this model are buried, and only accesible through a small hatch on the fus underside.

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This is what you see when the cover is removed.

Move the Rx and BEC aside and remove another cover

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And the servos are exposed

The servo on the right is the rudder, and nose steering.

The nose gear has an alloy block that slides on a steel pin when the nose-leg is retracted.

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Well I have been on this model for several years, but had not expected it to seize solid!

Some acetone to clean the surface and a drop of oil had it freed up, and the rudder then moved both ways.

The elevator tuned out to be almost as simple. The elevator must have moves as the hinges dried, and the surface on the underside was higher than it should be. This caused the surface to rub and jam against the G10 fibreglass shrouds. I sanded a couple of mm off the offending elevator, and all is now good.

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I added a G10 horn to the rudder carbon torque rod to add a bit of torsional strength to the joint between it and the rudder. It is still quite a weak linkage, short arms and a Sullivan snake mean there is a bit of blow-back. I am also mildly concerned about flutter. We will soon find out.

Cheers

Danny

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Final systems checks, with the air-frame fully assembled. Need to fettle the spinners so I can add the props and spinners. The 5S 5000 pack can slide forward AND rear 2" so lots of leeway for C of G which seems close with the battery central, which is great for a model with such a long tail moment.

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Something I have been wanting to do for some time is get the weight......

10.1 lbs 4.6kg with battery pack.

It is a big 74" that's for sure, and seems much larger than that. Remember the model is glassed, so just paint and some details to add. Easily under 11lbs when painted and detailed, assuming it flies crook

Not quite at the maiden, I want to cast some hollow cowls as the drag might be high and the cowls and spinners will help, but getting closer......

Cheers

Danny

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  • 2 years later...

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