SCALE MATTERS

[Ernie]

Hi Danny, I'll tell that to my eindecker.I used hardwood for the master for the cylinders on the engine below, I added copper powder to the resin, and polished it to give a realistic finish..They weigh a ton, so I have hollowed them out with my dremel  ernie 

[A.A. Barry]

 NOW this is EXCATLY(ok i carn't spell), Ernie , good stuff, this what the " boss" want to see, before he can give us a page or two,, Wing Warping..... well in my thoughts the main spar and leading edge would have to carry the load, then braced from up and below. To change angles on the trailing edge would have to be another braceing wire to alter it's angle, via a servo, that's my thought, Barry  

[Ernie]

Hi Barry,

and thanks for these ideas about wing warping. What about a fabric, it needs to stretch, preferably without wrinkling.

Also, I totally agree about a forum with a sensible exchange if information. There must be a huge amount of knowledge out there. It's daft in this age of instant communication that we don't share ideas. I think I'll start a new thread about wing warping. 

Ernie 

[Danny Fenton]

Hi Ernie that engine looks great, are all the parts cast or just the cylinders?

I am sorry I missed the boat on your wing warping question, assumed you wanted to remove warps not introduce them to control the thing LOL

I guess the secret is to make a wing that is not that stiff in the first place, so that the rigging wires are functional. Otherwise the glue joints and wing structure will fight against the warping lines.

Good luck

Danny

[A.A. Barry]

WEll, back to wing (W>W) if we followed the full size aircrarft, one would think that it woud apply to models eg, fabric and dope, we all know how much deflection it takes  to make the wingturn on it's axis, so I would think that wrinckles would not be an issue, Barry

[Ernie]

Hi Danny,

The crankcase is made from thin ply glued around formers, with about a million coats of silver carspray..You can just see the moki poking out underneath (Its a pusher)

ernie

[Ernie]

Hi DannyHere is a pic of the leggo box, with the mould inside, the master (top left), and the finished cylinder. You can see how I've hollowed out the cylinder to cut down on the horrendous weight ernie

[Danny Fenton]

Hi Ernie, this picture is great but if you don't mind can I ask a few more questions LOL the cylinder presumably is cast widest part downwards, the mold obviously "gives" enough to allow the wider part to be pulled clear? also can you cast the same way you cast slip (liquid clay) pour some clay inside the mold then swirl it around to line the inside surface, this would make it hollow, save you hollowing out afterwards?? may have to do two or three layers to make it stiff enough?

cheers

 PS love the lego idea

Danny

[Ernie]

Good morning Danny from sunny France,

I pour a mix of resin and metal powder into the mould, swill it around a bit, so that all the walls have a coat. When that is dry, I fill the whole lot up with resin + micro balloons to attempt to add lightness. I then insert a piece of balsa that I leave protruding from the base (so that I can pull the whole thing out) When the mould comes out of the lego box, it is quite flexible, and a small amount of undercut can be teased out. I like the hollow idea, as long as it doesn't crack on the way out. Weight is my big problem, but then, I've got a CG problem

ernie

[Andrew Thomson]

Hi guys ,

                Someone mentioned wanting ifo on how best to do a sliding canopy . I too would love to see some info on how to do this. Anyone out there got the time and knowledge to reveal all to at least two very interested and would be appreciative readers please ?

Thanks in anticipation.

[Danny Fenton]

Hi Andrew, not wishing to push people away from this wonderful forum, don't slap me to hard David but I have found where the scale guys seem to hang out and have learned so much from the likes of John Ranson and Phil Clark. Check the RCScalebuilders forum the sliding canopy is covered in John Ransons 83" BT spit build, and also in Phil Clarks 30% skyraider (yes 30%) it is huge!!!

there is a small contribution to the running of the site when you register but the information for scale builders is enormous, and as they say why re-invent something that is allready there.

Cheers

Danny

[A.A. Barry]

HI, guys, anyone help me with plans/ drawings/ 3views, for a Piper Tomahawk, 70" to 80" , 120 Twin, ?????????? Barry

[Danny Fenton]

is this any use? http://richard.ferriere.free.fr/3vues/pa38_3v.jpg

Danny

[Evan Pimm]

Barry, Airsail (New Zealand kit manufacturer) do a Tomahawk kit almost that size, which is available in jolly old England. You should be able to shake a kit plan out of the woodwork somewhere as a bisis for your build. Be aware that with the high AR wing your quoted sizes are close to the kit size, and it is suitable for a .40 glow, so your 120 twin will need to go into a model quite a bit bigger than your suggested sizes...

Evan. 

[A.A. Barry]

Thanks guys , all helps, any one else,???? "cheers" Barry

[Brian Coe]

Hi Guys

Can anybody help me with a small detail  matter?

I'm building a SE5a Flair kit in 1/6 scale.  I remember reading an article in one of the mags as to how to apply 'rivets' detail, as I recall, using paint.  They recommended using some particular implement, that is what I can't remember.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Brian

[Danny Fenton]

Hi Brian, if you mean flush rivets then a sutiable length of 1mm brass tube slightly sharpened should do the trick, if the surface will take it, the tube needs fixing to the end of your soldering iron, you will need a length of wire to periodically un-clog the tube.

If they are domed head rivets then a slightly thinned solution of pva in a syringe is my favorite method. I have heard others use a cocktail stick to apply the pva. Mick reeves does a strip of rivets that you paint through leaving perfect dots of paint, may be worth trying, I have some but haven't tried them yet.

Good luck

Danny

[Brian Coe]

Hi Danny

Thanks for the advice, I will check the datafile for the style of rivets and act accordingly.

Brian

[Danny Fenton]

The rivet size (diameter) would be dependant on the thickness of the metals being joined so it is not always safe to assume a given diameter of rivet was used throughout. I am curious to know the size used  on the Se5a when you do find out can you let us know?

Danny

[Ernie]

Hi Brian, I dug this out. Rivets seem to be confined to the front of the cowl. But different engines seem to  have variations in the cowl shape (more research) .Suppose it depends how nit picking you are.. The wee insert at bottom right, is an enlargement..

I use white glue with talc or microballoons, in a syringe. You can get one with a huge needle from the vet (poor horses)

ernie (no flying today in france, it's pissing down)

..

[Brian Coe]

Thanks guys, having looked more carefully at the datafile I see that Ernie is right.  What I thought was rivets turns out to be stitching along the side which is a whole different ball game.

Went on to Mick Reeves site and will get rivets from him when a project requires them, but he offers nothing for stitching, so I will ignore it.

Thanks again for the advice.

Brian

[A.A. Barry]

 Hi, guys, here's a tip for those who make thire own canopies, u/c doors or cowls.  Plasticard, subitute--- ( for people who, like me, not available by name).. ----- the clear full face shields, that are used when gardening, using a "grinder" in auto w/shops, well after they get "scratched" beyound use, there thrown away. Grab em, and heat as per normal, and "hey presto" cheap cowl or u/c  doors, 'cause we paint them anyway, and they are quite thick,... have to buy a new one for canopy.  local "ppe" store, will probably help,  MY thoughts. Barry 

[Ernie]

Good morning Brian, It's a shame to leave it out, it's so much part of the character of the original. ......Fix a piece of drafting tape on your board...... fix two lines of pins at the positions where the thread would go through the fabric.......now ,lace thread in and out of the pins to represent the stitching......stick the whole lot down with paint......cut out the line of stitching and stick in place......My my, its more difficult to explain, than to do

ernie 

[Brian Coe]

Hi Ernie

Thanks for the excellent advice, very easy to follow.  After much thought I decided to try a variation on that theme.  I cut strips of Solartex, using glass headed map pins, I marked out where the cord wanted to be, then threaded brown thread around them.  I used Cyano with a micro tube fitted to run the glue along the thread line.  I used the edge of a knife to press the thread down firmly.

I noticed from the datafile that the cording is woven through tape on the actual aeroplane, so felt that this might look better.  When all is dry, I should be able to iron the Solartex down and then clear varnish with fuel proofer.  Will not proceed to this stage until most of the handling of the fuselage is finished and it is all ready for fuel proofing.

When this is done, I will post the results on this forum for your information, and for anybody else building this or similar.

Thanks again for your excellent advice that set me on this track.

Brian

[A.A. Barry]

Can anybody tell me, how to build the "rails " for "fowler Flaps " that don't "bind", Yes The Whirlwind"  thank you,.... Barry