Nigel Day Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Not wasted at all Danny. It looks from your description that the formers are all a little larger than they need to be with the templates. If this is the case (and I'll be checking my 63" version plans and bits shortly) then at least it's only a bit more sanding that's necessary for it to fit properly - assuming they're already cut. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Thanks Jollifee, glad it helps, if you need to ask something then please don't hesitate this is what the mass build is about. Yes the pilot looks keen. One of the things that bugs me about this model is the rear cabanes are IN the cockpit! they wouldn't be, so this may be an area that I "PLAY" with the cockpit may be moving back..... Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 11, 2014 Author Share Posted February 11, 2014 Hi Nigel, yes for the most part, but if you try and cut a part out from the template and its bigger than will fit on a sheet of balsa, what are you going to do? I hope you wouldn't make it in two parts to only find you have to sand all the extra off again. As you say its not really a big issue, but it might be enough to put somebody off. TBH you may as well trace the bulkheads off the plan and use the tracings Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Day Posted February 11, 2014 Share Posted February 11, 2014 Good point Danny. I'll check ALL of the bits I've already cut out (from single sheets fortunately) to make sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Finished framing up the stbd side, the area around the tailplane seat is a little long winded, not sure why it is done this way. But I have followed the method anyway. The result is 1/16 sheeting on the outside flush with the longerons. The bulkheads are just dry fitted at this time. I will build the port side on top of the starboard to keep them the same. A layer of the plan protector between the two will stop them sticking together. Remember anything that makes the fus sides handed will have to be added AFTER they are seperated, ie that 1/16 sheeting around the tailplane seat Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 In my usual role as Devil's Advocate I will ask three daft questions which may help others....1. I wonder if the fuselage sides fit on one sheet if one is inverted or reversed? Or perhaps the offcut makes some different parts? Without the plan i cannot check this but my guess is Boddo would have minimised wastage when he manufactured kits.2. Why are the pins in pairs and 'dovetailed' on the fus side photos?3. Do you really cut upwards with your jewellers saw as it seems in the photo? I always cut downwards or preferably in a horizontal plane i.e. using gravity rather than fighting it..Edited By kc on 12/02/2014 11:35:17 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Hi KC the same thing happened with the leading edge sheeting, I could have wasted loads of wood, but as we all do, when I needed something I went to the wastage pile and managed to use pretty much all of it, either stripped for cappings or centre sheeting. The same is probably going to be true for the fus bits, which I did try in every which way around, to no avail. I wonder if this model was originally a smaller size, then it would have fitted better. As for the jewellers saw, it cuts perfectly with a very light touch in any direction. However that picture is staged, I am right handed, and the shutter release on a Nikon is on the right, so I had to just hold the saw with my left hand to put it in shot The pins, I was going to mention those. I don't like to push pins through load bearing longerons, spars etc so that why you will often see me go either side. Sometimes a piece of wood will straddle the longeron with a pin either side. Depends which side of the bed I got up in the morning As for the pins being dovetailed this I find is the best way for the pins to hold the balsa down, the wood is nice and soft and relying on friction alone I fend is not enough. So if you angle the pins, they excert a sideways load, another pin nearby excerts an equal but opposite sideways load so the item stays put No questions are daft, and as I say I am no expert, this is just how I do it. Now just to show how I can screw up to. In fact I do it all the time but just don't let on The second fus side, must have looked like scrap and I sawed a bit off the end, by the wing trailing edge, I must have needed a bit for something!!! I have added a section to make it good, but in the end the amount I "lopped" off would have meant both sides WOULD have come out of one sheet Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handyman Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Hi Danny, excellent work as usual. I have been following your progress on various models over the years, trying to emulate some of your practices. You are a very adaptable modeller and I think you are possibly a bit like me, in that I often see an alternative use for something that normally has nothing at all to do with aeromodelling. Can I be very cheeky now and ask you where you obtained those pins from. Much better that the straight pins that I still tend to use. Looking forward to reading about the first flights. Tony B. Edited By Pete B - Moderator on 12/02/2014 12:17:32 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Thanks Tony, and glad you get something from the blogs. I enjoy doing them but they do soak up a lot of time. I was sure that the pins were from Als Hobbies, however I can no longer find them. A quick google has shown that the Balsa Cabin sells them. Balsa Cabin is also where I get the plan protector Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Handyman Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Today at 12:45 PM Hi Danny, that's great news. I will get on and purchase some from the Balsa Cabin. I will leave you in peace now. I am going to brave the rain and get down to my shed and do a bit more to a model I am putting together. Cannot do much flying, our field is absolutely water-logged, so plenty of Phoenix sim flying at the moment. Tony B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 A bit of head scratching and we are shortening the nose by an inch see i told you I might have a "play" There is room for a 5S A123 pack and I have drawn in the motor I am using. I have a nice chunky bulkhead to drop in as well. The top cowling will have to change slightly but the look I am going for is upright Gipsy engined What do you reckon? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Started gluing the bulkheads in, F3, F4 and F5 are all perpendicular so they can go in. The new F2 is at a slight angle so will have to wait until the fus is pulled together at the front. The paxolin tray and heavy engine mounts do a great deal to strengthen the front end, so simply adding a bulkhead for the motor is not good enough in my book. So I will add a few bits, including a box for the battery to slide along. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Miller Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 I agree about the accuracy of the paper templates, I stopped using mine and resorted to measuring the plan to redraw them. This design does have a long nose so shortening it a bit may help avoid tail weight; the very thought of which makes me feel quite ill. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted February 12, 2014 Share Posted February 12, 2014 Would it be worth waiting to see how the CG is going before shortening the nose?Dave could be right but it would make me ill to put 3 or 4 times as much lead in the front! It's easier to move a battery back than put lead up the front.....Earlier Danny commented on the sheet infill at the tailend being a bit complex. I noticed that Boddo did this infill on many designs -Richtofen, Tiger Moth etc. Could be desirable for a sturdy model and maybe the long nose is to counteract this tail construction? As its not scale I wouldnt expect he made the nose long without reason. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Hi Dave, it is obviously something DB likes. Have I assembled the rear the way you did? Hi KC in my experience you can lose a fair chunk off the nose of an ic model, the leccy motor has its mass further forward than an ic, and the cells in this case are A123 which are slightly heavier than lipo. I took two inches off the nose of a pupeteer without needing lead. It is a bit of a guess at the end of the day, we will have to see if my guestimate is correct or not Cheers Danny Edited By Danny Fenton on 12/02/2014 20:23:39 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 12, 2014 Author Share Posted February 12, 2014 Joined the two fus sides, Probably would have been wise to have added the cabane blocks to F4 and F5 before doing this, but I didn't realise until it was drying ah well...... kind of building ad-hoc here the two sides are held in allignment by the balsa blocks pinned accurately to the fuselage outline. and into the building board. I have deliberately not included the curved upper section of F3 so that the fus could be layed on the board upside down to aid allignment. I would normally place heavy weights across the top of the fus, but in this instance there is no need, the fuselage is perfectly true and it is not springing up anywhere. Also the sides would normally have set squares to make sure they are upright. Again no need as I made the bulkheads from my own tracings and used a set square. They are true. When viewed from above the bulkheads are on the lines perfectly. The clamps you see are to take out any warp in the lite ply bulkheads. Those of you that have used lite ply will know it only stays flat for a nanosecond after its manufactured, and if you have built a recent Flair Scout will know how much fun holding the lite ply ribs straight is Next task is the cabane blocks will need epoxying in, a servo tray, and wing bolt anchor plate needs fettling and fitting. There are thick balsa doublers to go on the outside of the fuselage in the area of the lower wing seat. That's straightforward as the fuselage is flat in this area. More interesting will be the thick blocks to be added to either side of the front section. If I add them before bending the fuselage front together it might take some effort, if I add them after bending the front then it could be difficult to keep the fus alligned. Any Barnstormer boys looking in, did you add the doublers before or after bending the fus together at the front? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Day Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Did you read any of the earlier B'stormer blogs Danny? Phil W (at least) showed/mentioned adding the cabane blocks before joining the fuse sides. There were lots of handy tips and guides shown there. Well, they were (will be) useful to me anyway..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Hi Nigel, I did/do follow them, them but ther are so many that bit must not have registered I will go and take a look. Its not an issue, I was just curious. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Day Posted February 13, 2014 Share Posted February 13, 2014 Ooh, if stuff like that passes you by at your age, I hate to think what'll happen when you reach mine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 In your pic your hair is much darker than mine, so I don't think its an age thing Nigel Mmmm been back and looked at Phils and he did his fus in two halves, a front and a rear. And he added the cheeks after bending the fus. As he has no lower wing he also has no lower wing seat doublers. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 13, 2014 Author Share Posted February 13, 2014 Glued the cabane mounting blocks to F3 and F4. I didn't have any stock that big so laminated some smaller blocks with epoxy. You can see that the angle at which the bulkheads are fixed sets the angle of the cabanes, so you must try and be accurate here. I also made up the structure that transfers the undercarriage loads and the forward wing mounting into the fus sides. I will add a good quality marine ply floor across this opening and screw the Dural undercart to it. There is hardwood strip behind the wing dowel plate to spread the gluing surface. There will be more lengthways across the bottom, and the bottom of F3. I do not want the undercarriage going anywahere, as anywhere is up through the lower wing!! Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 Final bit for this evening was adding the servo rails. These 5010 servos are cheap as chips and have proved very reliable for me in the everyday models. The rails are epoxied into balsa blocks notched and attached to the sides of the fus. You have to be careful to clear F6 which runs across the fus later in the build..... Cheers Danny Edited By Danny Fenton on 14/02/2014 00:02:18 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 I used to think this was a simple build. About time I learned that there ain't no such thing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 14, 2014 Author Share Posted February 14, 2014 I think it is Colin, it's just I only get half hour chunks of time Somebody like yourself would have it knocked together in a few hours I am making a bit of a meal of it Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Day Posted February 14, 2014 Share Posted February 14, 2014 And 75% of that half hour is spent taking pictures and writing the explanation for people like me. You'd be up to Tony B's performance levels if you were just building Danny. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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