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Speed Twin ST2 - a twin-engined kit build


Tim Hooper
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Little and often is my credo when it comes to modelling, gents. If I get an hour or two in every day then the progress looks as if I'm making an effort!

Apparently this thread is being monitored by one of my own clubmates - John Hawker (who wishes to remain anonymous.......) - so I'd better watch my manners!

I've cut out the sides of the motor mounts from 2mm liteply, and also built a teensy little alignment jig from balsa.


The idea is that with the wing panel laid flat on the board, the mount sides are jigged up by 23mm as they're glued to the insides of R4 and 5, resulting in zero downthrust. Simple, eh?

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Let's hope so, Ken! smile d

Amongst a million other chores this morning, I did manage to get the 1/8 ply firewalls glued to the fronts of the motor mounts.....

......as well getting the wings joined with their 1/16 ply braces.

Hopefully, tomorrow I'll get the centre ribs installed!

tim

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I'm guessing that they're slightly above the wing LE......but who knows? No, I haven't managed to get hold of a 3-view, so I'm very much making this up as I go along! My photos might be a tad misleading, as the wing is sat back on its trailing edge. On the finished model it'll be set at a much lower incidence angle. We'll see..

Right, the centre rib is installed.

Then I thought it would be an ida to trial fit the motors...

....and the 1 3/4" spinners.

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Simon,

The earlier inline nacelles do look a little more streamlined, don't they? Mind you it seems that new engines deliver twice the power!

I've made a start on boxing in the motor mounts to give them some torsional rigidity, not to mention marking out the fuselage sides in the interim.

tim

Edited By Tim Hooper on 14/03/2012 10:02:21

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Posted by Pete B on 14/03/2012 22:29:34:

Thanks, Tim - everything's clearer now! thumbs up wink 2

Pete

Anything to oblige!

More work sees one of the wing skins cut to shape, besides installing the motor wires and servo pull-thread.

The skin is glued in place. As well as the pins around the edges I also used weights to hold it down in the middle over the spars.

Just to be on the safe side, I've temporarily fitted long tapering wedges under the rear spar, the trailing edge and tip rib to induce 3mm of washout into the panel whilst the upper skin dries.

Meanwhile, back in the workshop the fuselage sides get their longerongs and doublers fitted.

Right then, anybody want to come flying?

timwink 2

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A great morning at the field, then back home for some more work on the ST.

The fuselage formers are cut from 3mm liteply.

With one fus side pinned down, I've glued F2 and F4 in place.

Turning back to the wing, I've boxed-in the motor mounts and added the 1/8 ply undercart mounts.

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The wing tip blocks are still in their raw state (but will be hacked to shape later on).

The fuselage sides are joined together over a drawn centreline to keep everything straight.

There's quite a pronounced curvature at the nose, so I cut through the longerons at intervals, besides spraying the outsides with water to help the sides bend in without any undue stress or drama. A sprinkling of thin CA over the longerons sees them locked in place for all tim.

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Apart from a superb weekend's flying, I've managed to get a little more done!

The noseblock was sanded to rough shape.

The nacelles were outlined on the wing with strip balsa, and their planking started.

I've also made a start on the cockpit area, with a 3/16 balsa base.....

......not to mention the 1/16 sheet turtle decking. I've glued the sheeting along its bottom edge, and when that's dry I'll spray the outside with water and attempt to bend it around the upper formers.

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Attempt successful!

The top decking is glued and taped in position.

Moving on to the cockpit area, I've cut a windscreen frame from 3mm liteply, set it at 60°, and braced it with a couple of short lengths of BBQ skewer to emulate the bracing of the original aeroplane.

This has let me make a cardboard template for the front windscreen.

.....all of which now leads me to winder how to fabricate the rest of the glasswork! I was hoping to use a fizzy pop bottle, but the area to be covered looks to be too large. Hmmmm.....

Never mind, the nacelle planking continues unabated!

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