Colin Leighfield Posted December 3, 2014 Author Share Posted December 3, 2014 That's it John and Terry. I'm offsetting the extra weight by not putting the shear webs in the wings! John's gone half way. I need to sort out the undercarriage and l/e sheeting next. Sadly I'm writing this in the office, home tea-time but I'd forgotten that we're going to see Michael Buble in Birmingham tonight, so I won't get back in the shed until tomorrow evening. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Price 2 Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Crumbs!! They've let Buble out! Must be Christmas. Time for an album. Enjoy the show Colin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 6, 2014 Author Share Posted December 6, 2014 Buble was great, one of the best shows I've ever seen. If anyone gets the chance, go and see him. There's been a frustrating lack of opportunity to do very much with everything else going on. On top of that I've had a stinking head cold, along with half of the rest of the country it seems. However I finally managed to get back in the shed for a few hours this afternoon. Shaped and fitted the rear dihedral brace and made sure every thing was true. Finished off bracing around the undercarriage bearing ribs and then epoxied in the beechwood bearers. I've decided to stick with the plan, using 3/8"X1/2", but I've beefed up R1&3 with 3mm Liteply. Afterwards I went around all of the glue joints and filled in any gaps. Now I've begun the process of shaping the leading edges preparatory to fitting the leading edge sheeting. I hope I can do a bit more tomorrow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted December 6, 2014 Share Posted December 6, 2014 It's a wing nice work Colin, I normally sheet inside the l/e but did as plan and I think it's much neater. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 6, 2014 Author Share Posted December 6, 2014 Thanks John. I'd thought about butting the sheeting up to the leading edge, but I've decided to overlap as on the plan, which I've done before as well and you have also. I won't feel happy until I've got the sheeting and cap strips on, it's too easy to damage it as it is! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 7, 2014 Author Share Posted December 7, 2014 There's no question that you have to put the hours in with this build and that's been my problem. Anyway, got some more done this afternoon. I've been working on the leading edges and got as far as sheeting the leading edge of the port wing. I've used the same aero quality Depron as in the tail and I'm very pleased. It looks perfect for this job and I will also use it for the cap strips. Before that I will need to fit the shroud and will do that from 1/64" ply. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 your winging on with it now Colin. be nice to see it at greenacres. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 7, 2014 Author Share Posted December 7, 2014 Not so sure about winging it Tony, but I hope I get it finished it in time to get some flying practice before Greenacres, so I'm confident with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Looking good Colin, which years Greenacres we talking about ? i'm stuck on all the little fiddly bits and it's doing me head in John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted December 7, 2014 Share Posted December 7, 2014 Doing well Colin - we'll get there won't we? Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 7, 2014 Author Share Posted December 7, 2014 John's a mile in front of me, if he's starting to get worried then I certainly should be! Terry's confident though, try a stiff Scotch John. Mind you, if I have one, I'll be asleep in 5 minutes! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Here is Depron pre-curved with fingers and thumbs before and after sticking on. Sorry, out of order! I've changed my mind about using 1/64" ply for the shroud. I'm going to use the same Depron for that and the rib cap strips, I've made a start. Having found out from the rudder that after using Ezekote on the Depron I can use dope and silk, I'm going to do it again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 I'm stuck with a few bits Colin, just on with the castoring t/wheel it's a fragile area and I can't settle on what/how to do it. Greenacres would be good though Yours is coming on, hows it feel with the sheeting added ? rigid ? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 John, it's stiffened up nicely, much the same as you'd expect with balsa. From experience with the Barnstormer, when this has got Ezekote and 17gm glas on it, it'll be very tough. No qualms at all. I've got to think through the detail next of getting a clear separation between this and doped silk over the unsheeted part of the wing. I hope you get the answer to the tailwheel, I might need to copy you! I don't think I'm going for a castoring set up though, I'm definitely going to find a way to make it steer. Just a comment on our colleague who has put photos of his Chipmunk flying so well on his thread and the observation that it always tips on its' nose, although he says the grass is a bit long. Reading the early test reports on the full size, they said that with only one pilot on board in the front seat, the plane was prone to doing this. We might need to look carefully at the undercarriage leg angles. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 U/C been there and sorted it added a little forward rake to mine, don't look though it's not scale John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Mine probably won't either John! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Godbeer Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Hi guys, I have an Airsail Chipmunk I built a few years ago so I am watching all the chippy builds with great interest as I just love the chippy. Whatever you do don't have a castoring tail wheel, tried it myself against numerous advice. It just weathercocks with the wind. The full size has differential braking which handles that, but some of our AEF pilots used to hate the castoring wheel. I had to rake my undercart forward to help prevent the nose over. Good luck guys. Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 Thanks Mark. That's very helpful and doesn't surprise me at all. Frequently aircraft with castoring tailwheels have the ability to lock them for take off, but it doesn't look as if the Chipmunk does. As you say, differential brakes on the full-size give control until there's enough speed for the rudder to become effective, but that doesn't help us. I'll see if I can rig mine to steer, Edited By Colin Leighfield on 08/12/2014 22:43:02 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted December 8, 2014 Share Posted December 8, 2014 Thanks also Mark I will lock mine and settle for that and fetching it sometimes John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 8, 2014 Author Share Posted December 8, 2014 That's what I'll do if I can't find a way to make it steer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 9, 2014 Author Share Posted December 9, 2014 Here's a lousy photo, (sorry)! Managed to get a bit of time in tonight and finished fitting the Depron top cap strips and top shrouds. I'm quite pleased with this approach, looking promising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 I can't keep up with you chaps, not enough free time sadly. However, we plod on. I've put in 6mm triangular strip underneath the aileron/flap shrouds. Made up the undercarriage from a good tough 8 SWG wire and bashed the clips together from brass, following John's example although for this I am working to the plan. Because I will be fitting oleos I've cut the legs short. Also I've made a start on the ailerons. I still like using balsa cement for things like this. It just needs a bit longer than cyano to set! I used Uhu Hart balsa cement to stick the pieces of the wing panels together on the Tucano and it's been perfect, so no problems here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 looking good sir. nice work so far, going to be a great model when finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted December 15, 2014 Share Posted December 15, 2014 Hi Colin looking good, don't worry this was never going to be a race, its far too complex a model for that. Besides with Terry continually sloping off to fly we would all be twiddling our thumbs waiting for him to get back Only kidding Terry Just jealous that the weather is pants over here now Cheers Danny Edited By Danny Fenton on 15/12/2014 17:50:09 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 15, 2014 Author Share Posted December 15, 2014 Thanks Tony and Danny. I think that Terry has some advantage over us in terms of opportunity to enjoy himself! I'm following the good example of others and making the flaps and ailerons in one piece, it's obvious how vital the cap strips will be in imbuing some level of rigidity with this very light structure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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