Pete B Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 This will be a first for me on two counts - first plan-built model, having finally got a round tuit - and first autogyro I've been lurking on the a/g threads for a while but the size and free plan tipped me over the edge. I like the dimensions of the Panther - big enough to see yet not too big for a starter - and it's got some character, which is always a bonus! Being a disciple of the 5 (or 6) P's, a pair of Towardpro MG946R servos arrived as part of an order from HK a few days ago and, having seen Richard's head assembly PDF available here, I chickened out and ordered a gearbox for the rotorhead, which will save me having to exercise my limited engineering skills.......... This will truly be an international build - designed in Britain and built in France, with balsa for the fuselage and other bits from the UK (SLEC), motor and servos from the Far East and, as I type, birch ply and balsa for the blades are en route from Austria. Anyway, that's enough waffle - on to the build. First thing, having perused the plan, was to have a session on my printer, making paper patterns for all the components, then cutting them with a nice new scalpel blade. It takes a while but was quite straightforward: As you can see, the 3mm balsa pieces have been cut and I had just enough 3mm liteply for those formers. Next thing was to Pritt-stick the patterns onto the wood and head for the garage......... That was a long session on the scrollsaw, I can tell you - it's been snowing on-and-off all day and it's perishing freezing in the garage! That's the majority of formers made, except for the 2mm and 6mm parts, which should be completed in the next few days. The fuselage sides were marked out by the pin-pricking method and the tailplane, rudder and mast components all required butt-jointing of 4" stock. The mast centrepiece is made of the hardest 6mm balsa I had, with medium for the sidepieces. To keep the weight down at the rear, the leading half of the tailplane is medium, with softer stock to the rear, as are the underfins. Turning to other items, I had a browse for a suitably-sized commercial ali landing gear, without success, so as I'm unlikely to get any correct grade duralumin locally, I'll probably go for a 4mm pianowire u/c with 3mm struts. I've got to get a return on my wirebender somehow! The above-mentioned MG946R servos will control pitch and roll, using M3 balljoints and 3mm carbon pushrods, with a standard servo for the rudder. I'm minded to put a steerable tailwheel on her as my airstrip can be a tad narrow. I haven't made up my mind motor-wise yet but I'll be looking for around 400W. I've got a 3548 900Kv which may fit the bill. That's about it for now, back when I've more to show - or some questions to pose! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sebrien andre Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Well done ! You have a message Regards Andre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Harris Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Pete, Watching with great ineterest, you will soon have it together! The motor you have sounds just about right. Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Well that's it then - now I'll have to admit to my other aeromodelling buddies that my best friend aeromodeller is a autogyro builder - oh the shame of it! Tell you what Pete it is looking very professional - you'll be putting SLEC out of business! Change your name to Pete Laser and you can advertise your kits as Laser cut! Well done so far mate! Are you taking orders? Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 No, spitting nails, actually! Checked the formers this morning and about a third of them, including the mast components, had come out undersized...... Can't understand it as the photocopying bit of my printer doesn't allow adjustment and it's printing fullsize again now......must be the leprechauns......... Anyway, guess what I've been doing today........at least the garage isn't as cold as yesterday Talking of leprechauns, the match has just kicked-off, so I'm off, too....... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Don't take any notice of that grumpy old cumudgeoun Pete - I'm nearly finished building Tom Wright's Crane Fly - all the best people will be steering Autogyro's this summer! They are only jealous! BEB Edited By Biggles' Elder Brother - Moderator on 10/02/2013 15:09:49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted February 10, 2013 Author Share Posted February 10, 2013 Totally agree, BEB but don't think too badly of Terry, you should see what he's got lined up - enough for a couple of years of building yet! Besides, he's just agreed to send his Panther plan to a French modeller and forumite who's desperately keen to build one and cannot get the mag in France, so we've done our bit for entente cordiale today. Well, it should last until 23rd Feb, anyway! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted February 10, 2013 Share Posted February 10, 2013 Wow, you don't hang about Pete, good stuff, following with interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 OK, on with the build. It's clear there's a few others also quietly building away and some useful info is coming up on the main thread but I'll try and add some flesh to the intricacies that I've encountered. Once I'd re-cut the mast components to the correct size (see above) I inserted the hardwood servo mounting blocks as recommended and epoxied the outer cladding to the mast using 20min epoxy and my Jamie Oliver beech block to keep it all flat : Once the side cladding was dried, the 3mm ply 'ears' were then epoxied to the head of the mast: I can be a bit slow on the uptake occasionally and it took me some time to figure out just how LMS1 and UMS1, together with F5 and F6, were assembled around the mast. In hindsight, a quick glance at page 1 of the main thread would have provided the answer! I'll add a pic here for anyone else in the same position!: Fortunately, I'd fitted LMS1 to the right-hand side first as it became clear that fitting the part to the left-hand side, on which I'm mounting the servos, would mean little clearance for the upper servo lugs. I therefore notched LMS1 before fitting as here: The servo arm on the MG946R is quite a generous length so I'm planning to use the 2nd or 3rd hole for the clevis, depending on the movement required at the head, trimming the end of the servo arm as necessary. At the moment it just clears the edge of the mast. You'll also see that I've pre-drilled holes in LMS1/UMS1 for the pushrod. Depending on the geometry further up the mast, these holes may need opening further but I'll not know for sure until the head is assembled. As an aside, the pushrod apertures shown on the plan are incorrect for the described arm locations, so I'll leave those until I can cut them in the right place. Here is the mast ready for final trimming and fitting: Turning to the fuselage, I've used threaded inserts for the 4mm stud motor mounting. They take up less space behind the mount than captive nuts, a minor issue with the hatch being immediately behind the bulkhead. I've also opened out the lower aperture to allow the battery pack to slide forward into the cowl for balance purposes, if necessary. You'll see that I've offset the centreline of the mount 4mm to allow for the 3 deg right-thrust recommended: Early part of the fuselage assembly is quite straightforward. The battery bay was assembled over the sheet side and using the mast as a guide allowed F4 to be fitted snugly: I've made little more progress and will be back once I've sorted out the pics. Fresh supplies of triangular stock and 2mm birch ply have just arrived from Lindinger, so it's more pattern cutting this evening..... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ken anderson. Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 well done from me pete....i've just started to cut out some of the bits..........your photo's are handy for reference...... ken anderson ne..1......we have sun/10c today dept..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ian Jones Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Neat work, watching with interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm - coolwind.co.uk Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Pete, Only just come across your thread - you are getting on well. In the last photo have you got your threaded inserts in the wrong way round? wont they pull out, I've used similar in the past and they had a flanged face which would go inside the firewall Malcolm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Do you know, Malcolm, that it often takes someone else to point out the obvious! It's never occurred to me to put the flange on the rear face but it makes sense, doesn't it? I've used this system several times without a problem. I dab a little cyano around the insert when I'm happy with every thing and I haven't had any let go yet. Given that these inserts have a rather evilly-coarse outer thread, I'd be a bit concerned at the likelihood of butchering the liteply if I try to change it, so I'll leave this one as per normal and keep my fingers crossed Thanks for the heads-up - it won't happen again - honest! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Malcolm, second that. On the second part, well spotted, eyes like a hawk. Still, mightily impressed Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Erfolg Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Pete If it is any consolation, your not the only one who has inserted from the wrong side. In my case, the insert pulled out, fortunately before it became an issue. I think you will probably correct the issue more easily, I had to use a bolt, nut a couple of washers and a spacer to pull the insert properly in, well almost, enough to stop it turning or falling out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malcolm - coolwind.co.uk Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 If you dont want to remove them then I think I'd make a thick ply washer and screw it over exposed threaded section with a liberal amount of epoxy on the thread Malcolm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted February 14, 2013 Author Share Posted February 14, 2013 Thinking about it, on each occasion I have used them, it has been an IC-designed ARTF that I've been converting to leccy and fitting captive nuts wasn't an easy option, so fitting from the front was the only solution. I've just bitten the bullet and reversed the fittings, completely without drama, so all sorted, ta! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger James Posted February 23, 2013 Share Posted February 23, 2013 I have dismantled an old broken 90 watt rear mounted brushless bell style motor and removed the wiring and steel used to hold it, reconnected everyting and now have a very free running and easily mounted rotor head for my panther ( when I get to build it ) Roger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted March 8, 2013 Author Share Posted March 8, 2013 Well, it's been some time since I last reported any progress on my Panther and I've been left behind by many others, looking around at the various postings, so I'd better try and catch up. For all sorts of reasons I've not been quite as diligent with taking pics at regular stages during the construction, so you'll have to fill in the gaps with your imagination... The second fuselage side went on without problems, the SLEC jig holding everything square: A weak ammonia solution was used to soften the balsa tail sheeting, as well as the top strips which needed a bit of persuasion whilst the aliphatic went off: Try as I might, I couldn't find a satisfactory position for the rudder servo within the mast bay, so I've settled for fitting it just behind F4, leaving a magnet-secured hatch for access. I'm using a DYS0207 17g servo rather than a 9g as I'll be fitting a steerable tailwheel: I've become a bit disillusioned with tube in tube pushrods recently and I now tend to use 20 or 22SWG piano wire inners, soldered to thread connectors at each end. This gives precise movement with minimal thermal variation and is virtually frictionless. With any tube system, of course, making the run as straight as possible always reduces the load on the servo: Sheeting the fuselage and attachments has continued but I'm not happy with the hatch cover. As well as pins and clamps to hold the sheeting to the base, I added a rubber band during the drying process and it's left the cover a bit 'waisted' during the drying process. I'm going to do it again. You'll also note a successful reversal of the threaded inserts!: I've given the cockpit area a lick of acrylic paint before fitting the sheeting and added a simple representation of instrument dials - they'll be difficult to see under the coaming anyway: The servo linkage has been fitted and the Rx will be Velcro'd to F4 adjacent to the servo. Final assemby will see a turn of masking tape around the tube which be epoxied to the support, repeated where it emerges at the tail: Fuselage well on the way to completion now - just the doubler over the tailplane seat to cut to the tailplane profile and fit: That's about it so far - obligatory pause whilst I get on a ferry for Blighty - so hopefully more progress next month.... Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted March 8, 2013 Share Posted March 8, 2013 Well done Pete, impressed! I know you have been busy with lots of other 'stuff'. Looks like you are well down the road now. I shall keep a look out for a suitable flat car park while you are away for your first take off! Terry Edited By Terry Walters on 08/03/2013 13:10:41 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jose L. G. Posted March 14, 2013 Share Posted March 14, 2013 Nice build. I was thinking on making a build log of mine. Yesterday I managed to beging building the mast. First cut the 3 mm sheet at 45 degrees and glued the pieces for the external cores. Mine will be a very slow built because I mainly can built the weekends. Thaks for your pics. Keep us informed of your progress. José Luis G. Greetings from Spain. Edited By JLG on 14/03/2013 07:54:43 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Harris Posted June 15, 2013 Share Posted June 15, 2013 Pete, Have you had a chance to get any more building done? Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete B Posted June 15, 2013 Author Share Posted June 15, 2013 Ah, well and truly rumbled, Richard! Building has stalled recently with too many other chores and non-modelling jobs to attend to - I've now got both the Panther and the DB Cirrus Moth as kits of largely fully assembled components awaiting assembly. TBH I've put significant building out of my mind for now and have been concentrating on repairs and fettling some other models, together with some flying. The advantage, of course, is that I've been able to glean a lot from other builds so the final work on the Panther should be a lot easier - watch this space! Pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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