JoseL`Panther.

[Jose L. G.]

Well, Here are ready for a build log. I know there are others, but I need some help for finishing her.

I am not new to building from plans but new to autogiros.

This weekend I enclosed in the shop and began cutting parts. Also glued the dobled bulkheads and parts. Here are a few pics of the progress until now.

José Luis

Spain

[Jose L. G.]

Sorry could't upload the pics. Added to my album.

 

Sheet cut at 45 degrees for external cores of the mast.

 

 

Patterns of 2 mm ply.

3 mm patterns. The pices that will suppor the screws of the mast will be rought cut (both at a time) and glued over 3 mm ply for a 6 mm thickness.

3 mm patterns (light ply).

Balsa patterns and a last pice on 3 mm light ply.

The external cores of the must ready for cutting.

The cores cutted and 3 mm inserts for the servos screws.

 

All the piced cut and sanded.

The head pieces has been epoxi-glued.

 

View of te head pieces. I haven`t cut the slot for the horns. Best once glued the parts.

Edited By JLG on 18/03/2013 18:26:39

[Jose L. G.]

A bit of progress. Finished the top of the mast. And begin working in the structure of the mast..

 

Have to decide over the motor and cell count.

 

 

Glueing the ply tongues of the mast.

Glued the triangle stock to the formers. Used the lot for positioning the subformers in the mast.

Beginnings of the work around the mast.

Edited By JLG on 20/03/2013 18:19:48

[Jose L. G.]

Progress of the weekend.

Begin assembling the fuse. Glued first the F1-F2 to the front of the fuse checking the aligment with the botton of the fuse. Also glued F3. Checking that both are at 90 degrees. Next glued F4 with the mast in-betwen for aligment.

Today cut the fiberglass parts and glued the top of the "gimbal".

 

José Luis.

 

Motor bulkhead. Marked the center of the thrust lines and desplaced them to the left.

Mounted the motor in stands. Used 4 mm bolts.

Mounted the servos. As stated by others builders you have to relieve the base of the mast for the servo lugs- used a sanding drum in the mini tool.

Gluing the first bulkheads to the right side.

Gluing the other formers. The base in for positioning F4.

Gluing the left side of the fuse and checking their position.

Adjusted the front ply base and glued both with epoxi.

Parts for the gimbal, ready for epoxi.

The parts has been glued with epoxi 30 min.

Edited By JLG on 25/03/2013 18:31:53

Edited By JLG on 25/03/2013 18:34:35

[Jose L. G.]

More progress.

Profiled a left-over of 6 mm balsa for the tail post. Glued this con epoxi (6 minutes) to the left side and when cured alighned the fuse and glued to the other side. After that glued the triangle stock in the nose area. Also added the formers 7 and 8.

Drilled 2 mm holes over the hinges in the gimbal and pinned with cocktail sticks.

In the gimbal head decided to use an MP-Jet planetary gearbox. I have the Master box but I`ve been unable to find it in my drawers/boxes. I have a lot of gearboxes of this type (screw over the adapter). In the begining I was hesitand for their use as the rotor spins anticlockwise and these screws clockwise. So I MUST use some locktite in the screw. (The used for gluing pinions over the motor shaft).

The tail post glued to the left side.

Closing the tail. Checking the perpendicularity.

Gimball, drikked and pinned.

Other view of the gimbal.

Adapter and gearbox and the ball-links (received today).

Adarter screwed in the base of the top part of the gimbal. Predrilled and screwed. Will harden the holes with CA.

The gearbox screwed in their adapter.

Other view.

Decided to make a laminated rudder. Soaked the 1.5 mm balsa and glued with alifatic glue.

Gluing F8.

Gluing F7.

Cheers.

José L.

[Jose L. G.]

Progress of the weekend.

Managed to work on the fuse and tail.

Stab base.

Sheets sides. Market the slot for the stab and rought cut it latelly.

Hinges glued and pinned.

Hatch and formers. As stated the drawing is wrong in size (length).

Using cling-film for gluing the formers over the base.

Gluing pieces of balsa for fairing the top of the gimbal.

Sides sanded to the formers and first sheet glued.

[Jose L. G.]

....continuing,,,,

Cabin base. Added a balsa stringer for supporting the sheet.

Added second top sheet and tail post.

Structure of the rudder. Laminated outline and 6 mm stringers.

Rudder finished.

Nose sheet and stringers. Note the bevel at the end of the stringers.

Glued the top sheet. I added the sides of the cabin as an independent sheet. Latelly I`ll sand in a slope.

Top view of the fuse sides.

Finished side stringers, prior to final sanding. Added a pair of stringers for the rudder servo. Arter this I`ll sheet the botton of the fuse making a hatch.

José Luis.

[Jose L. G.]

Hi. Progress of the week. Been finishing the fuse and tail parts.

Hope not anoying anybody with this full-blown build.

Installed the servo bearers using the servo as spacer.

Balsa fairing around thepushrod exit.

Marked the landing gear onto the aluminium plate.

Servo in position and pushrod. Begining planking the underside.

Other view of the servo and pushrod.

[Jose L. G.]

General view of the fuse.

.

Landing gear cut, drilled and bended.

used a balsa spacer for aligning the landing gear, fixed with tape and drilled the holes for bolts.

Rear view. Balsa stringers along the top side of the fuse.

Underside of the stab marked and top profilled.

Balsa around the stab slot

.

Assembled for cheking progress. The balsa stringers underneath are for avoiding the protruding mast bolts.

When I was making the hatch I flush-sanded the balsa around the top. This make that the formers F2 and F3 get insight. I`ll wrap some balsa around the formers.

Edited By JLG on 07/04/2013 18:05:01

[Jose L. G.]

Now is time for thinking on the blades. I bought ovesize wood, So I have to strip it down. My father make a support for the B & D drill with a base for strip balsa sheet. Also can cut pine and other woods until 12 mm in height.

Here are a few pics.

Drill installed in their support with saw installed.

Table down and ready for adjusting the cut.

Used 3 offcuts of 6 mm balsa for adjust the cut.

Cheers.

Jose Luis.

[Jose L. G.]

Hi. Very little progress this weekend.

-Hinged and bevelled the rudder.

-Made the tail skid (Peter Miller Style). A flattened aluminium tube with a wire bent.

-Begin work on the cowl.

Rudder, hinged and bevelled- I`ll use CA hinges.

Rudder hinged to the tail post (Not glued yet).

Tail skid. Wire bent and installed in the flatlenned tube.

Other view of tail skid (Screwdriver for maintaining up-right).

[Jose L. G.]

Prepared the electric motor protecting with paper tape for building the cowl around it. Before installing it in the fuse I used the fuse for drawing around it to make a ply former (2 mm) that will be the parting line of the cowl.

Also made the spinner ring in 3 33 light ply. Drilled the center and adjusted to the motor adapter.

Fixed the back former to the fuse with two screws and the spinner ring to the motor. Next made two balsa sides and one top (10 mm) and glued them.

Next day I sanded a bevel in the sheets and glued top sides (6 mm).

The following day I sanded a bevel in the lover sides of the side and lower sheet and made new pieces of balsa (10 mm). Also made some general shaping.

José Luis G.

Motor protected with paper-tape and former installed with screws.

Top and sides sheets glued in situ.

Side view of beginnings of cowl.

Back former of cowl.

Top and botton sheets added- Top 6 mm and bottom 10 mm.

Detail of bevel sanden on sides and bottom sheet.

Added the last side sheets. Next, shaping the cowl.

One minor problem is that I must shorten the lenght of the cowl because I fixed the spinner ring to the motor adapter.

[Jose L. G.]

One last pic. Rear view of the almost finished cowl.

[Jose L. G.]

Progress of the week.

.Finished the cowl. Cut the front and glued a new ply ring. Mounted the spinner and sanded the ply/balsa.

-Covered all the parts and prepared the stab cutting the covering with a soldering iron.

-Installed the landing gear.

Some pics of the progress.

Front of the cowl.

Side view of the cowl.

Top view of the cowl.

Cut the front of the cowl for recesing it. Added a piece of balsa for suppoting the ply ring.

New ply ring glued. Spinner mounted and protected with masking tape.

Finished front end.

Front view of the cowl, Note the air inlet.

[Jose L. G.]

For covering I`ve used Oralight Cub yellow and red. Pending add other decoration and decals.

First lot of covered pieces.

Mast, Gimbal, rudder and servo hatch.

The fuse. Botton in red.

[Jose L. G.]

Beging preparing the stab. Cut the covering with 30 Watts soldering iron.

Top of stab.

Underside of the stab. Note the covering has been removed in the fuse and subfins areas.

Hinges glued in the rudder.

Rudder fixed to the fuse.

[Jose L. G.]

Well, Installed the landing gear and tail-skid and installed the gimbal in the mast for a first assembled view.

[Tom Wright 2]

Jose.

A first class build, and well presented with your photographs.I am surprised you have not received more comments .

Hope you take your time approaching the maiden and seen all the advice that Rich has published .

Tom.

[MikeS]

I agree with what Tom says. Very nice work and a great build blog. While here at work it made my evening got a bit quicker reading through the posts.

I for one am also suprised more comments have not been put up.

Mike

[Jose L. G.]

Tom, Mike, thanks for your compliments

Well, I began my building a bit late. Others has began a building log, but make a general view, because in the main thread there was all the info about the construction.

I think the main reason of the following or not following is that everybody aproaching the build of an autogiro has a background of knowledge on building/flying (fixed) models, so the detailled process will be a bit boring, but I think the model deserves it.

Yes Tom, I`ve read a few times the magazine articles from Rich and also read your recomendations on the forum (printed for re-reading). Yes I think I know all the process of trimming and I don`t like rush the things. Better don´t fly and adjust the model at home if necesary.

 

Thanks a lot for your support to all of us new GYRONUTS

José Luis

Edited By JLG on 23/04/2013 18:28:10

[Jose L. G.]

Progress of the week. I`ve finished the pushrods of the pitch and aileron commands. Mounted the mast with their nuts and checked the funtioning of the servos, reversing those that need it. Glued the stab and sub-fins.

Make first the elevator pushrod. Used 5 mm carbon tube with threaded inserts. The rods I had was 200 mm long, so I cut then in half and glued with epoxi adjusting the lenght for rearward tilt.

Put masking tape on the tube for cutting with mini tool.

Carbon tube and threaded rod ready for cutting in half.

Threaded the ball link over the rod and glued in the tube.

Gluing the rear pushrod (Aileron).

Put a nut behind the ball link for security.

[Jose L. G.]

.

.Mounted the mast with spreader bar and nyloc nuts. and glued the stab and sub-fins.

Edited By JLG on 01/05/2013 16:10:33

[Jose L. G.]

Installed Rx and cover plate. Also balanced prop and spinner (not in pic).

Cheers.

José Luis

[Jose L. G.]

Little progress. Made the ply tray for the battery, and begin preparing the blades. The balsa supply wasn`t consistent in weight and wide, so I added a slice of balsa to those with less wideness.

Finished preparing the water decals and little less.

Side view of the battery tray.

Botton view of the tray/Cradle.

Used a copy of the plan for making the blade shaper tool.

The logo I sourced in the web and mirrowed for the other side.Designed some type of lettering.

Until next !

José Luis

Edited By JLG on 08/05/2013 18:22:37

[Jose L. G.]

Well. Begin making the tool for making the blades. I`ve used sand paper with self adhesive of 80 grade. I`m shaping a blade by day, so I will have the 4 blades for balancing on the week end.

View of the jig for shaping the blades. The sides are 3 mm 5 plywood and the base is pine. All fixed with glue and screws.

Work on the first blade. Note the step in the balsa. The nose strip is hard and dificult of shaping.

First I made a pass along the lenght of the blade and next make a second pass for refinishing and checking the form of the blade.

The piece of ply with the sand paper attached. The top is 3 mm ply (hard on the hand), must be thicker for working more comfortably.

Until next.

José Luis