Mike Shorts Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I will go ahead and start the log of my current scratch builds for 2008 and your viewing pleasure. Pics and more to come.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ashby - Moderator Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 That would be great, look forward to seeing Mike. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Shorts Posted March 20, 2008 Author Share Posted March 20, 2008 Being a very penny pinching person, PPP, I ran across several kits I wanted to build, but just totalled things up after equipment purchase, and other items and the cost grew and grew. I came to the conclusion, this past winter, the best way to re-enter the hobby I so loved was to perfect my building skills that had needlessly been squandered building planes for other people (I used to have a side business as a builder). Nothing would amuse me more than to download a lot of plans and decide which one I should scratch build. My wife of course was more than all to happy to provide the necessary financial support to buy the wood.. (lie) and I was off and running. What does one do when one first starts scratch building after selecting the plan? You make a materials list of course, and Fortunately for me, sheldons hobbies in fremont california was moving location and was having massive discounts off items before the move, so I obliged with the wifes tortured consent and loaded up on wood, glue, etc... and so began the building season of 2007. At this point, I can say I have began framing the wings on the 3rd airplane, the Cap 232, but still have yet to actually finish any of the planes I began scratch building. In an efffort to utilize my building board more wisely, thus pumping out more planes before flying season starts in 2008, My strategy was to frame and get all planes to the stage of final assembly and do that as a second step. Scratch building has been a very NEEDED and definitly lost art I wanted to pursue, for as you know, many people can fly, but those who can actually build they're own aircraft are growing few in number. The Ultimate .40 size has taken some twists and turns. At this point, I dont have a cowl and dont have the funds to purchase one,, Wo is me. I dont want to build the front up with balsa would as that would take a very long time, so I'm still at a loss there. If any modeller out there wants to part with a .40 size ultimate cowl, I would be most gratefull. I have decided to paint the fuse entirely, and deviate from previous monokote days. I have an airbrush and I have always admired scale craftsman like Dave PLATT who could construct such beutifull craft. I know Dave was in love with painting and so I thought in his honor, I would paint this ultimate and see how it goes. I plan on something dark, metalic, and utterly devistating to the eye. Something that will scream 21st century gothic wonder.Thats all for today, I'll continue posting my articles and have pictures soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Shorts Posted April 14, 2008 Author Share Posted April 14, 2008 The ultimate bipe is nearing finishing completion. Today I spent the day airbrushing a deep blue base with a white trim. Probably will have the remainder trimmed and covered by next weekend. So, the ultimate will be ready for final assembly soon. I will post pics as they become availalble. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Shorts Posted November 2, 2008 Author Share Posted November 2, 2008 The winter building season is upon us here in sunny california. Our basic notion is that there is about a 3 month window when building our lovely machines turns into an obsession our wives tend to deplore. Oh honey, can you take out the trash. NOPE, mabey in a few hours as right now, i'm deeply in the throngs of SERIOUS business here.. Busy removing resin from my fingertips with rubbing alcohol and fixing the plane I had spent the last month in obsession (cap 232) scratch building, that suddenly took a bad turn while in exit to the outside porch attempting to test the smoke system for leaks, a nasty bang occured against the doorway and suddenly my entire tail section was in pieces on the floor. Nothing like rebuilding a plane over again. The cap is becoming a true love of mine, like a crazy aunt kept in the basement to unleash upon the weary masses, I have kept this cap, biding my time, building, perfecting, loving, till the one day I can take my tesla powered dream machine to the field and let loose this cannon on the "club Guys" .. hehehe SO all is well in scratch land here, The cap is in full swing, ready to cover soon, The ultimate sits disposed, waiting for a carb that will fit the .40 webra speed. I have been short of necessary funding to purchase the roughly $20 carb needed to finish the model and make it airworthy, as I have been saving the recycle money for my club membership. The P51 project hasnt made any progesss since last year but should be ready for next flying season. I did have an ARF complete "Facination 50" that will enable endless hours of pattern practice. I can once again achieve the level of flying skill I had aquired as a young man going to fly pattern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Shorts Posted December 19, 2008 Author Share Posted December 19, 2008 Well well.. Here we are again. The countless hours and I still have only the fuse and wings on the cap. 232 complete. Scratch building is very tedious stuff, because you generally never know when you are actually going to finish things. A brief interuption regarding my apartment bug bombing had me out of the house for a week or so, but i'm back at it for the winter of 2008. Looks like I got the engine installed on the cap. I have a few other items. Mainly I am going to focus on finishing the cap, build my brothers kitana and also finish the P51 mustang project I have. .. I will report more on my xmas break. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Yeates Posted December 19, 2008 Share Posted December 19, 2008 Mike stick up some pictures of the build so far scratch building is good fun I have learned a lot from some ARTF kits that I have brought and examined to see how they are constructed. My hanger 9 Spitfire has had major reconstruction as I have had a few mishap on take off and an engine cut out whilst low and inverted {not a pretty sight}. But can now rebuild it as new, worst thing about ARTF is there are no plans in the kit and when you price up the Fuse & Wings it comes out more than the kit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Shorts Posted December 20, 2008 Author Share Posted December 20, 2008 Hey ralph, Thanks first of all for reading. I began to wonder if it was worth posting, I am trying to find a way to put pics on the forums if you know a way.. I'm html illiterite so I have no clue, but I have posted pics in my photos section. Your luxury shop looks Great! My shop is out of our 2nd bedroom which my wife has graciously provided in our 2 bedroom apt. The hobby makes her sick but she knows if I dont do something with my time, i'll drive her bonkers anyway so she lets it go.. Like the ultimate in yur hanger.. Looks great! I will post more pics of my cap 232 as it gets completed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myron Beaumont Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Mike Dont worry You are not alone _ reading with interest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted December 20, 2008 Share Posted December 20, 2008 Mike Shorts wrote (see)Hey ralph, Thanks first of all for reading. I began to wonder if it was worth posting, I am trying to find a way to put pics on the forums if you know a way.. I'm html illiterite so I have no clue, but I have posted pics in my photos section. Your luxury shop looks Great! My shop is out of our 2nd bedroom which my wife has graciously provided in our 2 bedroom apt. The hobby makes her sick but she knows if I dont do something with my time, i'll drive her bonkers anyway so she lets it go.. Like the ultimate in yur hanger.. Looks great! I will post more pics of my cap 232 as it gets completed. Why dont you read the guide to how to do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Shorts Posted December 21, 2008 Author Share Posted December 21, 2008 <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/17713738@N03/3124727568/" title="Top view of Ultimate .40 by mikeshorts, on Flickr"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/17713738@N03/3124726794/" title="Split Elevator Linkage Setup on Cap. by mikeshorts, on Flickr"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/17713738@N03/3123900577/" title="Smoke system detail. by mikeshorts, on Flickr"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/17713738@N03/3124726444/" title="Scratch Plexiglass servo tray. by mikeshorts, on Flickr"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/17713738@N03/3123899703/" title="Powered by GMS 2000 with smoke system. by mikeshorts, on Flickr"></a><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/17713738@N03/3123900155/" title="Overall view of 22% Cap 232 by mikeshorts, on Flickr"></a>OK, Thanks to the forum moderator, I have posted the pics of the scratch build projects. First off is the detail on the 22% cap 232 fuse. I took some close up shots of the smoke system installation, and the home fashioned plexiglass servo tray. Also shown is the split elevator setup running two goldenrod type pushrods which are joined at the servo end using a couple 2.56 nuts and a broken servo arm (loctite to keep the join) and spread thru the fusealage going to either elevator surface. The setup is pretty secure, though I may change the elevator side to add a 4-5" 2.56 threaded rod inside the golden rod if I encounter any vibration during flight test. It has been my experience if using golden rods, you might get surface flutter as sometimes the plastic rod used just isnt rigid enough to hold up to engine vibration. The GMS 2000 is mounted on its side to accomodate a pitts style muffler equipped with extra tap to allow a smoke tank and will post more pictures on smoke system setup as it takes shape. I have painted the surface around the tail and in front of the canopy with a wood filler sealant material which will have to be sanded down tommorow. Next up will be pictures of the ULTIMATE and also wing detail pictures. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ralph Yeates Posted December 22, 2008 Share Posted December 22, 2008 Mike the smoke system is this a commercial unit or a speed controller and pump home made? as I am currently playing with smoke on my Ultimate just waiting on a working sullivan skywriter to come back from the menders as the 1st one was not pumping correctly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Shorts Posted December 31, 2008 Author Share Posted December 31, 2008 Yes ralph, I have installed a TME smoke pump and will install a homegrown checkvalve to limit smoke fluid flow, being i'm a cheapskate r/c'r. I originally purchased this TME pump to be installed on a Ultimate ARF that I never completed and sold off years ago when I had the wild inclination I would abandon the hobby. I had given up all my r/c planes at the time and sold off my airtronics stylus due to a job loss and I needed the cash. Since its been many years and I'm back in the game I guess you could say. Weird how life works, you never can predict what will happen next. That said, Have you recieved the pump back yet? This would be my first ever smoke system and I'm very exited to see if this will work. I am sweating as I didnt do a pre-heat setup and just tapped the pitts muffler and hope and pray the oil will be hot enough. I started on my brothers kitana-x and will post more pictures as that build gets underway. ALso installed the fiberglass wing pipe on the cap 232 and will set incidence and afix the alignment dowels tommorow. I will need to add a wing fillet on the fuse side on both sides as the wing doesnt sit flush as is, I had modified the original One piece wing design called out on the plans to a 2 peice plug in wing since I measured my car and it wouldnt fit as one piece. Well, thats it for today, will post more on this as it goes... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Shorts Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 <a href="http://www.facebook.com/photos.php?id=1629278827#/photo.php?pid=82816&id=1629278827" title="Kitana X project, on Facebookr"> The kitana X project fuse well under way as you can see.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Shorts Posted January 22, 2009 Author Share Posted January 22, 2009 THE CAP 232 IS GOING GOOD. i HAVE FINISHED FILLETING THE WINGS TO THE FUSE AND ADDING THE INCEDENCE PINS ONTO THE WING HALVES. epoxied graphite tubes serve the purpouse well. I have only to drill and tap the wing tube and add the wing screws to either side wing panel to hold it to the tube. The filleting was a very meticulous learning experience that I dont wish to repeat but at least in the future, I will be able to construct a wing fillet. The fillet was "built up" using spare balsa which had to be sanded built up, sanded, etc.. I was able to add microballoons type filler ( i just use the cheap hardware store light version rather than the expensive microballons from hobby shop). I mixed the microballons with epoxy to construct the base fillet where the root connects with the fuse to seal that surface. I then used plain microballons around the wing as fillet. I then applied a layer of white glue (weldbond) as a sealer which worked PERFECT after sanding the surface. Before covering, I will apply a layer of dope for fuel proofer. SO, the wings are almost done as far as mechanical attachment, The plane donest have far to go before staring the covering process, but just a bunch of little things that take time. I can't goto the field for a while since my only pattern plane took a dump today and the engine installed stripped the head of the glow plug today. I have a possible replacement engine but that would require a lot of work and I'm not even sure if the engine will fit in the mount so it looks like i'm grounded in the meantime. Got a LOT of projects to finish here.. argghhee Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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