Tim Hooper Posted April 14, 2014 Share Posted April 14, 2014 Looking superb! Any idea of a debut date? tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 14, 2014 Author Share Posted April 14, 2014 Cheers Tim, it will be assembleable for Sunday as it is due to sit on the flightline at Halfpenny Green, alongside the other 1/2 scale Flea and the 1/2 scale Luton Minor. I'm guessing that if I can keep at it and not get distracted by something else that it could be flyable in silver a couple of weeks after. I'll do the paintjob after it has flown, no point spending ages on the paintwork only to sweep it up if it don't work!! Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 15, 2014 Share Posted April 15, 2014 such skilled work Ian it's an absolute pleasure to view and read through Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 17, 2014 Author Share Posted April 17, 2014 Thanks Martian, its getting nearer to the end! Got a fair bit more done. Bertie now has a joystick which moves the controls, what little there are. No rudder pedals on a Flea, the joystick does the rudder and the front wing incidence, apart from the throttle thats all you get, simples. Finished the wing cranks, associated bushes and the pulley mounts and fixings. On the real one, the wing cranks run in a waxed hole in the wooden fuselage sides, remember the blocks built into the sides right at the start? This I wasn't happy with as any slop on the real one could be 'felt' if you are sat in it, but on the model this physical attachment isn't there to my thumbs so I wanted it to be and stay completely slop free. Brass tube bushes were made up with a lug on the outside of the fuselage. This also has the advantage that the joystick and crossbar can be removed for servicing. Simply unbolt the cranks on the outside, remove a screw in the bush and remove the bush from each side. This then allows the crossbar a bit of slop in the holes so that it can be pushed to one side, the pulled back the other way and out of the bottom, a pic would explain far batter than my ramblings!! Engine position is finalised and the front wing mounting tube fixings sorted, which has then allowed the rigging of the beast to start, so guess what, it now assembles and can sit there all by itself! The rigging is bicycle brake cables into turnbuckles. I remade one end of each turnbuckle to have a forkend for attachment to the fuselage. More cables to add yet, but its looking surprisingly square already! Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 nice. very nice much more than nice really Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted April 17, 2014 Share Posted April 17, 2014 Looks fantastic Ian, really nice CheersDanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 looks amazing, what time are you going to be at Halfpenny Green Sun ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted April 18, 2014 Share Posted April 18, 2014 Coming along nicely , But i think you will have to re think that rudder support that luggage strap will have too go . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 18, 2014 Author Share Posted April 18, 2014 Cheers again folks, I'll be at Halfpenny Green from about 9 onwards, unless I go the night before. At the moment though, the weather looks a bit pants for weekend over there Covered the rudder again with non shrinking this time, its perfectly flat now, but it was the last time too!!! Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 19, 2014 Author Share Posted April 19, 2014 Got the rudder stitched, taped and the doping started. The tapes are added with shrinking dope, then the lot doped with non shrinking. Two coats so far and it seems to have filled the weave already, perhaps move onto silver dope The non shrinking option seems to have worked as the rudder is still very flat, but time will tell, its such a thin, large flat surface that I imagine it will warp in time, the full size edges were all over the place. Also, recovering the rudder gave me the opportunity to put the stitching on from the correct side this time, I'd started on the wrong side last time but kept schtum Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Nearly a whole bleedin' day to rib stitch the main wing. Blimey!! Still, I was sat there doing nowt else but watching the British Touring Car Champs at Donington on telly. Because of the depth of wing section, I've used miles of thread. To stitch one rib takes about 4 times the wing chord length. The black ink circles in one pic is where the reinforcing patches need doping on where the fuel pipe fitting pass through the bottom fabric covering. Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 looks luverly, and you know you enjoyed it really Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 20, 2014 Share Posted April 20, 2014 your hard work is looking good Ian, tell me why does the covering have to be stitched ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 20, 2014 Author Share Posted April 20, 2014 Martian, the covering is stitched for two reasons, both quite important. First is that it stays attached to the undercambered undersides and reflexed topsides better, secondly and nearly as important is that the real one was stitched. Got 7 more ribs to stitch and its tape and dope o'clock! Ian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Thank you for that Ian, only 7 more to go just think how many you have done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 All stitching done, taping starts tonight. Also have made a foolish commitment to have the Flea flightworthy in within two weeks! It certainly won't be painted though. I'm going back to a site that weekend to test some other stuff so it'd be a perfect place to do some test hops to get the front wing trimmed. Lots to do before then, the list includes install all radio and linkages to servo's, including throttle and choke which is my pet hate in modelling, why I don't fly just gliders is beyond me!! The biggest job I can think of is to make the metal work at the front end for the front engine mount and the front flying wire mount. Let the challenge begin, if I don't get it done for there then its tough, but it'll be worth a shot! Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 Ian , Don`t rush it , I known it`s tempting when posting updates on a forum, but please do not feel pressured into rushing something on our behalf . We will still be here , Steve , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 21, 2014 Author Share Posted April 21, 2014 Cheers for that Steve, but rest assured I won't be rushing as such, just concentrating my available efforts! Like I said, if it isn't done it isn't, it'd just be nice if it were, then I have time to get the detailing and paintwork sorted once I know it works. I find that in my shed I get distracted by other projects, you can see some of them in the Flea pics!! Rear wing has its ribs taped, still needs the perimeter and bracketry tapes yet. Then yet more dope.... Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted April 21, 2014 Share Posted April 21, 2014 wow that is neat and tidy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 22, 2014 Author Share Posted April 22, 2014 Cheers Tony got the main wing topsides taped, then the tank outlet holes reinforced ready for the tanks to go in and sealed up, hopefully never to be seen again!! The holes were reinforced using 2 sizes of fibre washer for each hole. Process is, mark the hole accurately, then from the inside, apply adhesive, then the smaller washer, then the fabric patch, then the larger washer which I held in place with a stanley blade on the inside and a magnet on the outsides to squash it all together till the dope adhesive goes off. The larger washers inside diameter is bigger than the outer diameter of the inner washer. The pictures are a bit p00 but you get the idea hopefully. I ran out of 1" rib tapes but luckily the other Flea workshop has yielded some leftovers. Hopefully now, if ever I need to see the tanks again, Its just a case of ripping the top cover patch of and doping on another, without the need to disturb the stitching etc. Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying Flea Posted April 23, 2014 Share Posted April 23, 2014 Ian, Wish I had a fraction of you're drive,it looks like it's nearly there now, good luck with the first flight! Regards, Kieran. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 Thanks Kieran, it's not far away, we'll see!! Got the front end structure finished, and had a thunk about the radiator. It obviously needs to be as free flowing as possible, but I don't want it to be a window through which a Zenoah admires the view so I thought about making it from that Correx stuff that odd folk make aeroplanes out of. First few strips, 15mm wide were disappointing as it was far too see through. But then I cut some more at 45 degrees to the 'grain'. Seems to work a treat, anywhere in the range of head on and above, plus anywhere from the side its completely non see Zenoah through, but from the other angle it is see through pretty much. I know it will be draggy but the radiator core is 6" x 5", plus some free air gap round the sides so it looks promising. Also, with the 45 degree deflection, it all gets pointed towards the Zenoah. I'll be baffling behind the radiator too, so anything that gets through will be doing work. When laying the strips out, every 8th one is backwards so at certain angles you see the five thin stripes like in the full size pic. Also, the 4mm ball joints turned up, just the job so made up the pushrods from 4mm threaded rod which are just a bit short but I may only use some for the ends soldered into tube perhaps. Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reg shaw Posted April 24, 2014 Author Share Posted April 24, 2014 While assembled I took some (more!!) pics but tried to pose the Flea to match the original pics I have to see how close I've got, or not got as the case may be! I'm actually quite pleased and will certainly do the posing thing again when the model is finished. Ian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Looks great Ian love the korex idea will remember that one I was invited to take my Hurricane to meet Peter Vacher and maybe get a picture alongside the full size, yours looks spot on. I think I will leave my Hurri at home might be very dissapointed CheersDanny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plummet Posted April 24, 2014 Share Posted April 24, 2014 Ian, Thanks, especially for that last photo. Most helpful. Plummet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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