JayCee Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Well spotted, yep purchased them from my LHS £14.00. Like to try and buy local if I can, when their gone their gone! JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 That motor should be fine, Jaycee. I like Danny's idea of the false bulkhead fitted around the rails - should give you a range of adjustment before you finally nail it in! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 nails! b and q's finest wood screws i will have you know Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Yes spot on idea Danny, keeps the thrust lines and easy to remove the motor if necessary . Still waiting for my Seco building rig to arrive so I can start assembling the fus parts that are now ready. JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Randall Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 What's a Seco building jig JC Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted September 29, 2012 Author Share Posted September 29, 2012 Sorry SELC Found here http://www.slecuk.com/catalogue/info%5fSL054%5fR%2ehtml JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alan Randall Posted September 29, 2012 Share Posted September 29, 2012 Ok thanks JC. I thought it was perhaps a new make that I hadn't seen. Alan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 Hi to all! Further to the above postings I have just started the build of the Flair SE5A which will be electric powered. Now please all bear with me this is my very first traditional build! up to now it has just been ARTF's Perhaps a bi plane with wings in six pieces was a bit ambitious for my first try. I intend to post pictures at regular intervals as I progress, not really a build Blog but just hoping for constructive comments along the way. So to begin with very Janet & John my building board constructed of 18mm MDF and topped with Plaster Board. Following the instructions I'm beginning to build the front section of the Fuselage off plan. It soon become obvious that I'm going to require a SLEC building board to keep everything flat and true. Also I'm having to deviate from the build sequence as I want to keep my options open regarding to the motor compartment. The front bottom floor section should be fitted at this stage but I'm contemplating using this as access to my Lipo power supply. Also the IC engine rails should be fitted but again I'm not sure if I will use these of fit a conventional fire wall So that is it to date any advice of comments would be appreciated. JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Nothing to do with the build, JC, but your piccies are rather small and fuzzy - and when you click on them they become sharper but even smaller....... Could it be the iPud 'camera'?........ Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Crook Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 JC Looks like you're going to make a nice job of it. Can I offer a couple of tips? If it's not too late, replace the 1/4 square balsa wing spars with spruce - far more forgiving of minor accidents, and negligable weight gain. Also, I can't remember what the official method of holding on the top wing is, but on both the ones I've had, I used nylon wing bolts (M5 i think) screwing into tapped hardwood blocks. Have fun with the build, it flies really well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted October 3, 2012 Author Share Posted October 3, 2012 Hi Thanks for the comments. As far as the pictures go I will use a conventional camera in future, I think the problem was e-mailing them from my Ipad to my PC it automatically reduced the picture size. Thanks for the tip on using spruce for the wing spars I haven't started the wings yet so that's not a problem, still having a few problems with fitting the front cowl. Because I'm leaving several parts out for the time being to give me options later for motor and power supply there is not a lot to fix to and there is no easy reverence point to keep everthing square. Sure it will be fine in the end JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 I suppose this is where opinions vary, I am not saying you are wrong Trevor, but I would not go to spruce spars on a model of this size, you say the weight is negligible but it is heavier. I prefer to build to fly not crash. I know its a lot of woek but I would replace all the lite ply ribs (if they are lite ply) with balsa, to save weight. just my two penneth mind you. Cheers Dany Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Crook Posted October 3, 2012 Share Posted October 3, 2012 Danny,the reason I suggested spruce spars is that the kit I had (admittedly many years ago) had spars that weren't very hard. There is a stress point where the dihedral braces end, and mine had the spars fracture here after relatively minor mishaps. You could miss a fracture under the covering very easily, leading to disaster. I wouldn't normally beef up a good design as it adds weight and moves the stress point to the next weakest part, but I think this one is worth doing. I haven't weighed my current SE5,which is built from the kit plan, but it's no featherweight, covered in Solartex - about 5lb I'd guess. But with all those wings it flies well on 400W, so I don't think weight is supercritical. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 Hi All Well a few more pictures of my SE5A build and electric conversion and thanks to Danny for his idea relating to the motor mount. As I said previously I have had to vary the build sequence, I needed to make sure that I could install a suitable fire wall for my chosen motor, and more importantly where was I going to site the rather large Lipo! I had rather hoped that I could fit the Lipo below the motor and have the floor pan removable but there is not enough room. However, above the motor will work out just fine, the battery tray (yet to be installed) can stretch from the front cowl through to the fuel tank compartment if necessary giving me loads of adjustment for CG. The only downside is having to remove the complete cowl every time I change the battery. Four fixing screws dosen't appeal much, the cowl is to fragile for magnets the amount of force needed would in time damage the cowl....any ideas? JC_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 That looks excellent, JC. I'd go for the magnet system myself, with a spigot at the front end into a hole in F1, with a magnet either side at F2. If the cowl is balsa sheeting, I'd put a layer of light glass cloth and epoxy inside to strengthen it - it'll certainly be durable enough then! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 magnets in each corner worked well for me, the cowl is a lot stronger than it seems. I dont think a spigotbwould work Pete as the cowel cannot pivot and has to be lowered straight down? or have I midsunderstood your idea? looks great JC, I found on mine the pack had to be at the very rear of the engine bay, might be an idea to leave some flexibilty in position until you have an idea of where the c of g is coming out? could the pack be fitted upright? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 Hi Pete Thanks for your comments, my first try at a conventional build, enjoying it but a steep learning curve! The cowl is 0.8 light ply, might be easier to make a judgement when I've completed it. The next bit looks a bit tricky from F2 back one piece of ply that has to be shaped and cut around the angled carbanes JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 Thanks Danny I can make the battery tray virtually as long as I like because it can go through F2 were the fuel tank would be. Difficult to know so early in the build to have any idea of CG but have been told the WW1 war birds in general need loads of weight up front but I'll make sure I cover all the options JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 hi JC I would agree for most WWI but the Se5 has a short tail and a longer than average nose. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 OK open house! The undercarriage on this plane is fixed ridged I would like to get a bit of 'Give' like a bungie effect I was thinking of fixing a second axial to the first and attaching it twice in the centre of the original thus being independent, bit difficult to explain will give it a try and post some pictures. Away this weekend, football Saturday, golf Sunday so apart from the odd hour here and there wont be doing much until next week. Was meant to be a winter project it's only October <grin> JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Crook Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 I fitted a 4.8V rx pack to mine, under the motor, and the cg is perfect, albeit with a 3s 3000 lipo. Regarding the cowl. you can't use a spigot as the cowl has to be lowered down vertically. I've fitted a dummy radiator cap with an offset screw, so it just swings around over the top of the front of the cowl. Nothing holds the back, but it can't go anywhere. As the cowl is so well located (I've got flanges to prevent it moving sideways) magnets will work just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Crook Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Oh, and JC, very neat motor mount! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted October 5, 2012 Share Posted October 5, 2012 Posted by Danny Fenton on 05/10/2012 19:13:29: magnets in each corner worked well for me, the cowl is a lot stronger than it seems. I dont think a spigotbwould work Pete as the cowel cannot pivot and has to be lowered straight down? or have I midsunderstood your idea? Hi Danny, Ah, I see what you mean - no fore-and-aft movement available. By way of explanation, here is how I fitted the cowl on my Black Magic, with a 1/8" dowel peg just proud of the end panel which fits a corresponding hole in F2, in front of the cockpit. To increase the magnet strength, I just used two each side with a touch of CA bonding them. Works very well when you're not trying to slot the cowling into a gap! I agree that a magnet in each corner of the SE5A cowl would be fine. With a 0.8mm ply cowling, JC, it should be sturdy enough to stand on......... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 Thanks Trevor If you have any pictures............you know what they say a picture is worth a thousand words <grin> JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JayCee Posted October 5, 2012 Author Share Posted October 5, 2012 With a 0.8mm ply cowling, JC, it should be sturdy enough to stand on......... I guess your right all my mates say I go over the top! never yet got a plane to come in at the correct weight. Never got my head around 'Weight is God'! always seem to end up with a bigger battery and large prop <grin> but they certainly move!! JC Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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