Tim Hooper Posted May 27, 2011 Author Share Posted May 27, 2011 Thanks Rusty! I'm trying to keep it as basic as possible really, without compromising too much on its appearance.Given that the fin is going to have to take all the flight loads of the tailplane, I've decided to make it reasonably tough. It has a 3/16 strip core, and will be sheeted on both sides for rigidity. The gap between the long diagonals will be home to the elevator snake.In the interests of strength, I'll build it into the fuselage when I tackle the rear turtle decking.tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted May 29, 2011 Author Share Posted May 29, 2011 With the fin skinned on both sides, it was time to install it in the fuselage. I used a set-square to make sure it's vertical. After which I was able to install the formers for the rear turtle deck. Whist that was drying, I test fitted the motor. Seemed like a good idea to grab the wing and pin it all together! Just as well really - the wing has to be in place whilst the forward decking is sorted out later.tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben B Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 Looks very nice! I wouldn't worry about the ali/wood epoxy joint. I did a little experiment once to assess how well aliminium epoxied (and friction brazed). And the answer is- very well. I epoxied a little stick of epoxy about 3mm wide to a sheet of ali (with half of it hanging over the edge) and then hung weights of the stick. The contact area was not large (about 20mm*3mm) and a little fillet all round the edge. I got to 6kg before it gave way. I was quite happy with that. I repeated the experiment using technoweld and it was about double. Roughening the surface of course helps when epoxy'ing as it not only removes the oxide layer but keys it for gluing. The tail looks high enough I reckon to avoid a deep stall due to the tailplane being "hidden" to airflow.... but time will tell. Nice looking plane though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted May 29, 2011 Share Posted May 29, 2011 If I remember rightly, the Grumman light aircraft, Tr1 and Tr2 (Yankee and Traveller later renamed Lynx) all the alloy sheeting was epoxied together looks great Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Wright 2 Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Danny the ones i flew suffered delamination of the wing panel joints. Tim I really like the Irvine spinner ,Deep stall ! sounds like one for the proff. Edited By tom wright 2 on 30/05/2011 01:58:31Edited By tom wright 2 on 30/05/2011 02:04:21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bandit Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Hi Tim, I this likely to be a free plan, It's looking really good. Cheers, Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted May 30, 2011 Author Share Posted May 30, 2011 Thanks Gents! Chris, let's put it this way. IF the thing flies as it should, and IF it looks presentable, and iF the management are interested, then I'll pop the plan in the post to RCM+E. It's far too early to make any promises though! Anyway, it's a rainy Bank Holiday Monday, so I've been plodding on with the upper planking. The next major hurdle will be to source a cockpit canopy and, no, I really don't want to have to mould one! tim Edited By Tim Hooper on 30/05/2011 12:56:26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Harris Posted May 30, 2011 Share Posted May 30, 2011 Tim, If it looks right then 9 times out of 10 it will fly right, and from what I see it looks excellent!! Wouldn't mind having a go at one myself Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 1, 2011 Author Share Posted June 1, 2011 Thanks Richard! It's feed back like yours that drives a project like this! With the planking completed the search for a suitable canopy started. Exhaustive research at the local off licence found this Schweppessssssss tonic water bottle. Seems to fit OK.... Canopy sorted, I thought it time to make an attempt on the side cheeks. tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted June 1, 2011 Share Posted June 1, 2011 Looking good Tim,ready for Greenacres? Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Posted by Lindsay Todd on 01/06/2011 22:26:42:Looking good Tim,ready for Greenacres? Linds Absolutely! I should have both the Courier and the Cygnet with me, and I'm really looking forward to seeing your Debutante in the flesh! tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 2, 2011 Author Share Posted June 2, 2011 Posted by Lindsay Todd on 01/06/2011 22:26:42:Looking good Tim,ready for Greenacres? Linds Absolutely! I should have both the Courier and the Cygnet with me, and I'm really looking forward to seeing your Debutante in the flesh! tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 Right-oh - just back from a week on the Pembrokeshire coast, so it was back to business this morning! Attention is all focussed on the nose area at the moment. The void between the cheek's end plate and the fuselage side got some planking. That gave me a line to cut along to free the hatch at long last, and so the wing could be unbolted too. The inside of the hatch got simple strip reinforcement along the lower edges. At this point I decided to switch from a 50mm spinner to a 45mm unit, as it suited the lines of the nose a little better. The nose ring is just chunks of scrap balsa. The front of the side cheeks are solid block. Most will disappear when the sanding starts! tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 12, 2011 Author Share Posted June 12, 2011 So a good bit of sanding saw the emergence of a pair od squared-off, truncated side cheeks. Just like I'd planned it really! Mind you, we also seem to have acquired a chin scoop and an undercarriage in the process too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Bott - Moderator Posted June 12, 2011 Share Posted June 12, 2011 Very nice line Tim, must be very satisfying Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SA Allan Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Hi Tim looks great ! , was getting a bit worried there for a bit . I thought you might have taken a break from building for the summer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 A break from building? I've too many projects in mind to take a break!So on to the spats then.There's many an aeromodeller who goes all shy when spats are mentioned. Many refuse to fit them at all due to the troubles they've been known to cause.Truth is most spat-based issue seem to be caused by taxying over grass. Repeated contact with the divots and sods rips the spats free of the u/c leg. Spats come adrift. Spats rotate. Spats cause model to nose over, etc.Over the years the answer I've adopted is very, very simple. Instead of hard-mounting the spat to the u/c leg using bolts etc., I just use a gob of silcone mastic instead. Thus the spat can move as it needs to when taxying, and then it returns to its 'home' position.First step though is to make the spats themselves. I made a card template to finalise the shape, and then glued together some balsa laminations to match. The centre layers are cut away to suit the 2" wheels I'm using, and the layer nearest the leg has a piece of 3mm Liteply let in.Easy peasy!tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Tim I love it .Easy to mend if necessary too .Cracking looking model AGAIN Nice to see some balsa bashing by an expert with a good eye . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 Thanks Myron! I'll set about the spats with a sanding block tomorrow. tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted June 13, 2011 Share Posted June 13, 2011 Looking very nice Tim, do you think it will be ready for Greenacres? Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 13, 2011 Author Share Posted June 13, 2011 Linds, I'm saying no to Greenacres. There's a lot of work still to do - and I have to cram in full-time employment as well! I'm going to bring it along for the ride though......... tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tom Wright 2 Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 That forward uc rake ,cheeks and air duct really sit well Tim, elegant and yet racy, lovely design. I predict a big demand for the plan. Tom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted June 14, 2011 Share Posted June 14, 2011 Looking sweet Tim, love it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 14, 2011 Author Share Posted June 14, 2011 Thanks lads! I've soldered a scrap of brass plate to the inside of each undercart leg. .....and cut a slot in side of each spat.... So the forthcoming mastic has two surfaces to adhere to. The u/c itself is just a piece of bent piano wire, screwed to the bottom of the fuselage with P-clips. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Hooper Posted June 15, 2011 Author Share Posted June 15, 2011 This evening I got to pin all the bits together for the first time...... tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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