Steve Dunning Posted May 12, 2014 Author Share Posted May 12, 2014 Hi Jim Used automotive base coat white and then fuel proofed it with automotive two-pack. Great finish and fuel proof, even up to 30% nitro, not that I will use anywhere near that. 12% Optifuel is what I use in all my engines in my Retro planes. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Dunning Posted March 26, 2016 Author Share Posted March 26, 2016 Just to show people the latest SF 45 out of the workshop for a customer. Completed to his colour scheme, the trim is all film apart from the cowl. Intended for electric power, the model as seen here is just 1.4kg. Enjoy Edited By Steve Dunning on 26/03/2016 17:11:26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Dunning Posted March 27, 2016 Author Share Posted March 27, 2016 Having been asked about the conversion to electric on another forum, I thought I'd add it here. The top front deck is cut from foam and skinned with 1/16th balsa as per normal practice. Although the canopy end of the deck is hidden ( virtually blocked out canopy) I still cut it at 30 degrees anyway for appearances sake. At the end of the battery hatch, the deck is cut in half at just a 10 degree angle to facilitate it's removal. As the removable part has a 2mm lite ply base, this thickness has to be removed from the bottom of the deck. The easiest way to do this is to use a 4" wide piece of balsa, vertically against a band saw fence and slice of the 2mm from the bottom of the deck. When the lite ply base is added, the two halves will now be at the same height again. 2mm LP facings are added to both ends of the removable part and the front end of the fixed to prevent damage during removal. The cockpit end is faced with balsa. 3mm carbon tube is used for location both at the front and at the rear near the magnets for locating purposes. 2 pairs of 10 mm magnets fix the hatch in place. The two lugs at the rear of the hatch to help removal, is a cut down lolly stick, running across the hatch internally, Simple and effective. The motor mount is one that I produce from a combination of lite and birch ply, cnc cut. This allows the firewall to remain in it's original position and enables different makes of motor (of the same size) to be fitted. One end is fixed and the other (a 'tight' sliding fit) can be moved to accommodate different motor lengths. Once decided, the inner square tube is cut off. The pictures should answer any other questions. Enjoy, Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Dunning Posted May 16, 2016 Author Share Posted May 16, 2016 Just heard from Stephen Lindley yesterday, what he wrote made me proud. 'Test flown today and its brilliant, don't like to say it as everyone uses the phrase but flies like its on rails, no trim adjustment needed. Need to try a few different props as could just to with a little more grunt not short but sometimes need it all and I like to have a little in reserve, motor and ESC are working no where near there capabilities. Ether Hanno knew how to design a model or you know how to build one, but to be honest I think I will take the credit for putting it together. Seriously it brilliant you have done a great job, thanks again, and looks like I now know where to go to get models built.' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minty morton Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Thought I'd show you my latest addition for the 2017 season of UKCAA events One of Steve Dunning's Supra fly 45s Fuz covered in film, wing covered in brown paper and sprayed with car aerosol. Powerplant is Turnigy G46 with plush 60 ESC. Prop is APCE 13x6.5 Battery is 5s 4700 Weight is 6lb3oz With this battery the balance point worked out bang on! Flies absolutely superb with no vices and endless verticals. I love it and am looking forward to using it at this year's events. Hope you like it and that Steve approves lol. See you soon hopefully. Minty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minty morton Posted February 5, 2017 Share Posted February 5, 2017 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Looks great Minty, looking to see how that compares against my as yet unflown Mystic with a proper engine.. Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Looks very nice. A question if I may (probably covered somewhere else but...) "wing covered in brown paper and sprayed with car aerosol." What's your basic technique for brown paper? How does it compare weight wise / ease of use / cost, to either dope and tissue/silk, or to film. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minty morton Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Thanks Martyn. A proper engine? Lol. Oh you mean that oily noisy thingy. Lol Minty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
minty morton Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Hi Nigel. Technique is to get the surface preped in the usual way then coat with thinned down pva, lay the paper then wet it through with the pva, remove as many wrinkles as possible and let it dry. Hopefully all the wrinkles have disappeared and it's stuck. Now prime and spray. I don't know compared to tissue and dope because it's so long since I did any but compared to film it's :- More fiddly Takes longer Probably more expensive in the long run. Heavier. So why did I do it? Just fancied doing something different. Would I do it again? Probably not. Minty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted February 6, 2017 Share Posted February 6, 2017 Thanks Minty - sounds quite comparable to a trad dope/tissue routine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIM Shaw Posted February 8, 2017 Share Posted February 8, 2017 Brown Paper Eh..... That brings back memories, but I would say its actually easier to do than tissue / dope. Technique i was taught was to soak the brown paper through, either with thin PVA or wallpaper paste and let it go soggy - like you would if hanging wall paper, then lay it onto the wing and smooth out, again as if wall papering. Tricky bit is you need to do both surfaces at once and hang it up to dry, otherwise it is very likely to warp. Finished result I think is tougher than tissue, but does not add much strength - don't try it over an open structure.... Steve - is that Suprafly available as a kit? I used to have one from the kit, bought S/hand with a piped Rossi 60, 5 port and mechanical retracts, and I remember it as the nicest pattern plane i ever had. Could fancy another..... Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Dunning Posted February 8, 2017 Author Share Posted February 8, 2017 I have decided to close kit production due to health problems. Just concentrating on my own models and clearing back orders at the moment. Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIM Shaw Posted February 9, 2017 Share Posted February 9, 2017 Sorry to hear that Steve, hope it all goes well for you. Cheers Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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