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Tim's Tucano Build Blog


Tim C
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As Phil and Woolston have kicked of the individual Build Blogs, I had better start mine. Actual construction is unlikly to start until 2013, as I still have to finish the 2012 Mass Build Black Magic, hopefully finished in the Next week or so.

This will be my 2nd Tucano, orginally I had thought just to refurbish the old one, but decided to start afresh and use the knowlege to build a sister model even better.

tuc1.jpg

I have started gathering hardware for the build. This will be a budget build, using what I already have and new low cost components. I am also opting for the low weight, less power route, so I can use existing 2200 mah 3 S Lipos that I already have.

A pair of Vortex Jet pilots, I will cover in detail how these are built up, the ones in the pic above were my fisrt attempt, and having sucessfully used his vac formed pilots on other builds have perfected the technique so should end up with a beter set 2nd time round

imag0022 (medium).jpg

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Rummaging around has unearthered

imag0023 (medium).jpg

A 50amp HK Redbrick Esc, its an opto so will need a seperate BEC

imag0031 (medium).jpg

A Turnigy 3amp UBEC

imag0027 (medium).jpg

A couple of 17grm HK Servos (and I am sure I have a third one somewhere!)

imag0025 (medium).jpg

A 1.75 inch spinner, Ok , I know wrong colour, but nothing the airbrush cannot sort!)

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Hi Tim, it is nice another build blog has started

I thought about a fancy scheme but decided as this is my first time using covering film I would stick to something simple and go for the black and yellow.

I like the look of the pilots you are using, I could not find any that looked the right size while searching the interwebs earlier today.

P.S..... It is "Wolston" with one "o", it is the name of the village in Warwickshire... not the other place that made Spitfires - I didn't even notice the similarity and had to look it up on Wikipedia blush

I am tempted to change my screen name to my actual name - just not sure about that yet.

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Well, I have made a start with the build. I am starting with the pilots.

The pilots are Vortex vacumn moldings, I have used them before, they are very light weight, but do take a bit of work to get them looking half decent.

Stage 1 was to foam fill the moldings, I just used some Homebase aerosol foam filler that was handiy in the garage, not erssential, but does give a bit more body to the otherwise hollow figures and helps a bit when stiking them togeter to keep the shape. I just cut away the suplus foam.

pilot1.jpg

Stage 2 is to seperate the mouldings from the surround. To do this cut out each pilot, I just cut the sheet into 4 squares.

The next step is to rub the back of the moldings on a flat sheet of sandpaper

pilot2.jpg

You carfully do this until the pilot figure seperates from the surrounding waste

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Stage 3 is to glue the seperated pilot figure onto a piece of 1/32 balsa.  I use a bead of cyano around the edge and Uho por on the foam centre

pilot3.jpg

 

pilot4.jpg

Stage 4 - is to trim away the balsa around the pilot

pilot5.jpg

Edited By Tim @ ModelMarkings.com on 24/11/2012 18:26:24

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Next step is to glue the 2 pilot halfs together

pilot6.jpg


Let the glue dry, and sand around the join to smooth the transition

Next is to use a bit of filler to hide the join line. I used Plast a filler used by Plastic kit makers, but most fillers are fine, I have car body filler, Car Body stopper, expoxy and micro balloons, epoxy mixerd with talc all with good effect.

pilot7.jpg



Now leave to dry

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Ahh I know the answer to that because I am just about to order some.

http://www.vortex-vacforms.co.uk/bvrkits.htm

Steve at Vortex says for just 1 pair of pilots ?4.00?+ ?1.65 P&P

The question marks should be pound signs, strange they change when using an Android phone

Edited By WolstonFlyer on 24/11/2012 22:26:59

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Next installment of the pilots. I use Matt White Tamiya acrylic as a base white primer. I use an upturned ice cream box with double sided tape to hold the pilots.

imag0057.jpg

A wet weekend and an afternonn put to use doing the intitial painting. I am no artist!! but use artist acrylics, I find these ideal for painting figures. Still lots of finishing and retouching to do to cover my ham fisted painting!!

imag0060.jpg

and from the rear - Helmet is the Tucano 2010 display scheme in Silver, Red, White and Blue, just used saome thin strips og Tamiya masking tape, still cannot beat this for model use

imag0061.jpg

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  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...
  • 1 month later...

OK , finally some progress with building Tuc mk11 - super lightweight

Ignoring Nigels advice I am going for a foam, balsa composite,

An hours work has finished of one profiled wing and a second waiting for the razor plane and sander.

imag0003.jpg

Its a foam balsa composite, I have used depron for the centre section, 1/8 hard balsa for the strips, which are notched into the wing tips, the wing tip is less wide, and the tip has been profiled to provide a more scale like shape. Weight 2.36oz, with more to shave off so looks like a completed whole wing will be around 5oz.

Clearly no good if your on the u/c option, but seems plenty strong and resists twiting ok, and thats before the spar ply joiners are in

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  • 6 months later...

Hi Lucas,

It is all cut from Self adhesive vinyl, I just cut a load of 0.7mm wide strips, it will go round the curves, the Zig zag sections (as per the canopy ejection section) were cut as zig zags, but could easily be done with straight sections.

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