Are There Any Wood Lists?

[John F]

Hello,

Returning to the aircraft bug after a while away and am starting from scratch in terms of equipment and materials.

I ordered a Peter Miller Li'l Mustang and a Volksplane plan.

In order to start building I, obviously, need to get a supply of wood. Herein lies the problem; whilst it is easy to go through a plan and estimate what wood I need, with me being out of practice reading a plan I am bound to miss a lot of stuff.

Are there any wood lists for any Peter Miller plans?

[kc]

I think the answer is no.....at least I have not seen any.
It is quite easy to estimate roughly - just a sheet ( of the right grade ) for each large piece, and then think if the smaller components could be made from the offcuts or need a sheet of their own. Then add an extra sheet of each size for mistakes or under estimate.

Looking at the plan in detail for the estimating will also show you how the plane is made and maybe point out any errors in the plan.
For instance Lil Mustang F5 is obviously wrong. Centre line is wrong and it's not symmetrical. Also F5 only needs recessing for the 1/32 ply but not for the 3/32 sides ( top sheet wont fit if you do) other centre lines are also wrong - in my opinion I have not built it yet but just glanced at the plan for a couple of minutes!

Have you got the Lil Mustang article from RC Model World Dec 2004?

[John F]

No I haven't seen the article. Is this available to view online?

[kc]

Not online but I have the magazine. Send me a PM

[kc]

I have estimated the following materials for the LIl Mustang. Dont blame me if it's wrong ....I did it all in a half hour as you can see!



Li'l Mustang material list

Fus sides 3/32 by 3inch qty 2
Fus upper 3/32 by 4inch qty 1 (bendable)
Fus top etc 1/4 by 3inch qty 1
formers etc 1/8 by 3inch qty 2
fus underside 1/16 by 4inch qty 1 (light but stiff)
fin & tailplane 3/16 by 4inch qty 1 light maybe 2 sheets needed
ribs 3/32 by 4inch qty 2
wing sheet 1/16 by 4 inch qty 6 bendable ( or 4 sheets of 48 inch )
spars 1/4 square qty 4 very stiff ( or 2 lengths 48 inch )( or use spruce? )
wing tip, cowl 1/2 by 3 qty 1
fus doubler 1/32 birch ply 6inch by 18
former& brace birch ply 1/8 by 3 by 18
F1 birch ply 1/4 3 by 4
F3 etc lite ply 1/8 by 3 by 9

undercarriage 8 SWG piano wire 1 length 36
16 SWG piano wire 1 length and 2 bellcranks (unless 2 aileron servos used)

Edited By kc on 09/09/2013 15:55:55

Edited By kc on 09/09/2013 16:07:10

[kc]

Note F1 for Lil Mustang should surely be 1/4 birch ply if a glow motor is used. Maybe laminate 2 bits of 1/8 to save money.

[kc]

The article says the tailplane & fin can be made out of 1/4 instead of 3/16 as Peter's model came out tail light. So maybe revise my material list. With careful planning you might be able to make tail components from 1 sheet, being less careful may need another sheet.
My list assumes you cut carefully on all items and dont waste much. All balsa and 36 inch sheets except where stated.

[Peter Miller]

I am afraid that I just take wood out of my stock and scrap box as I go along. There is an article on estimating wood needed somewhere on this forum. iT isn't hard to do.

Can't remember much about the model apart from the fact that it was nice. I am sure that I used 1/4 ply for F-1 and pretty sure that I used 1/4" sheet for the tail. I say this as my construction is pretty standard. I only use 3/16" for tails for .15 powered model.

[kc]

Peter you said in the article
quote " Tail Assembly is cut from 1/4 sheet I made mine out of 3/16 but found I had to add a little lead at the rear: wasted weight! " unquote


But the plan shows 3/16.....

also plan says F1 is 1/8 but is drawn correctly at 1/4.
I have just read that the ailerons are built as one with the wing so maybe my estimate of the wing sheeting should be revised to 4 sheets bendable and another 2 sheets stiff 36 inch 1/16 by 4 inch ( stiffer at TE & ailerons) or if 48 inch available then 2 sheets 4 inch bendable 1/16 and another i sheet 48 x 4 inch stiffer. Careful planning of cutting would be needed utilising the tapered shape to get away with this qty, maybe buy an extra sheetin case.
Peter also says in the article that " occasionally everything comes together and one finds that one has an extra special model. Lil Mustang is one of those rare ones. "


So as this model looks so nice and flys that well it should be built more often I suppose. An overlooked gem?

[Peter Miller]

It is a long time ago. I may have used rock hard 3/16". I always use 1/4" for F-1 because otherwise the blind nuts stick through and prevent the engine mount seating properly. Wether the 1/8" was my fault or the person redrawing the plan I don't know.

I know that it has been built by quite a few but not being an RCM&E plan it doesn't get mentioned much on this forum, like so many of my other plans.

[Peter Miller]

It is a long time ago. I may have used rock hard 3/16". I always use 1/4" for F-1 because otherwise the blind nuts stick through and prevent the engine mount seating properly. Wether the 1/8" was my fault or the person redrawing the plan I don't know.

I know that it has been built by quite a few but not being an RCM&E plan it doesn't get mentioned much on this forum, like so many of my other plans.

[John F]

Well, I am looking forward to boring you all senseless with my build blogs.

[Peter Miller]

These are always useful to other builders.

[bouncebounce crunch]

Sarge and Peter M.

My little niggler with plans has been the timber count, don't get me wrong, i am not looking down at plans especially if they are free ( that Scottish ancestry from loooong ago), but it would give a novice (and fussy me) a good starting list to take to the local hooby shop.

bbc

[Peter Miller]

Well, let's see. 90% of my plans can be built with the following

7 1/16" X 4 X 36

6 3/32" X 4 X 36

2 1/8" X 4 X 36

1 1/2 1/4" X 4 X 36

1 1/2" X 4 X 24"

4 rock hard 1/4" square

18" X 8 X 1/32" ply

12" X 12 1/8" ply

12" X 12 1/8" liteply

4" X 6" 1/4 ply.

1 lenth 8SWG wire

1 length 16 SWG wire.

Scrap of 1/16" ply,

scrap triangular stock

Go and buy that lot and you will have enought to at least build 90% of any of my sports aerobatic designs

If you study the plan carefully you will see anything not on the list such as 3/8" SHEET or odd sizes of strip.

 

Edited By Peter Miller on 10/09/2013 11:09:28

[bouncebounce crunch]

Thanks Pete for the goodly support supply list; i can follow the plans, it is just the Quick reference that i was pertaining too for each build.

And you missed hot Tea and biscuits in that build list, must have been an oversight.

bbc.

[Peter Miller]

Can't stop for tea and biscuits! Got to keep working!

[kc]

Peter, what do you think about using spruce if the rock hard 1/4 sq balsa is not available?

[Peter Miller]

Yes, spruce is fine however from my experience few modelshops stock spruce. If you order from SLEC they will send rock hard balsa as well as spruce.

[kc]

Peter's list of balsa, ply & wire for his models costs about 34 pounds from Balsa Cabin or SLEC. Plus a bit more for postage if you dont collect it from them or get it at a show. Probably more at a local model shop too.
It may need need at least one or two 2 metre rolls of Solarfilm at 10 pounds each ( or you could buy the 10 pounds for 5 metres film from Giant Shark ) to cover the model too. Plus hinges, horns etc

Not as cheap building from scratch as we all probably thought! But it's real aeromodelling!

[John F]

Yes, it isn't cheap to set up from scratch again is it? I've been buying the tools again that I used to have 15 years ago and forgot the little things like scalpels and building board.

Maybe it is an idea for an RCM&E article: How to start from scratch and what you really need?

[Peter Miller]

By the way, I forgot the trailing edge sections needed for the ailerons.

Sarge

Did you remember a fret saw? You need that for the plywood.

[kc]

Peter is right for many of his models such as Swamp Rat etc you need trailing edge section balsa for the ailerons. But for the Lil Mustang you dont need it because the ailerons are built up from 1/16 sheet and 1/8 by 3/8 strip and bits of the ribs.
Hand fretsaws seem to be dear when new but look around secondhand tool stalls. Rather than buy new hand fretsaws consider a cheap power fretsaw (scroll saw) from Axminster or Screwfix. But for these designs there is very little fretsawing needed so any coping saw, fretsaw or even a jigsaw could be used. I always cut the straight part with a fine handsaw ( gents saw or japanese type pullsaw) Also note that coping saws cut much straighter if you insert the blade as a pullsaw just like a fretsaw.

[John F]

Thanks for the reminder re the fret saw. The shopping list is getting bigger and bigger!

[Peter Miller]

The power scroll saw at around the £50 mark is a wonderful investment. I use mine for all the ply and also thick and/or hard balsa. Hard 1/4 balsa is a pain to cut by knife as is 1/2" sheet for cowls etc.

I also tape the 1/32" ply doublers together and cut the two out at once with the power saw. Then there are the 1/4 ply F-1 and U/C mounting parts.

THey can all be cut with a hand saw but it isn't very much f un