john stones 1 - Moderator Posted November 21, 2014 Share Posted November 21, 2014 Chin up Trevor, we all do daft stuff at times John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Morgan Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 We have all done it, I fixed a wing servo so it touched a fuselage servo once, you will soon get it sorted. The u/C looks great. I have just got a terrible sore throat and sneezing fit due to breathing in too much cyno what can be more stupid than that!! I hope that there will be no permanent damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Thanks John and Charles. Sorted it out now; it was not such a big deal; servos out, cut the bearer and then snap each bit out - did not cause to much damage. New bearers in; hopefully there will be enough room now. In the process I found out why my closed loop fr the rudder had limited movement - rudder binding on elevator - so it was worthwhile and only an hour or so to correct it. There were a few other bits that I took the opportunity to change whilst I was at it. Take care with that Cyano Charles it's nasty stuff. Mind you so is balsa dust - resulted in me being blue lighted off to hospital once. That was pretty stupid; I ought to have learned a lesson from that. Perhaps you are going down with a cold - you would not want to admit to being sensitised - it could result in the withdrawal of model building concessions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Morgan Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Good grief! Yes the CEO was getting a little concerned as also the garage seemed to be my preferred room in the house and the fridge was virtually empty!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted November 25, 2014 Author Share Posted November 25, 2014 Not much progress to report, but I have pulled out the pushrod and put a slinky back. Spent an hour trying to find some imperial clevises that would fit the threaded rod insert. I was not happy with the pushrod rod and I could not get it to sit properly in the fuselage. So another step back rather than forward. However, both the rudder and elevator are now much better with none of the bother that I had with the DB Moth. Just need to find a place for the battery and receiver. I will mount the switch in the cockpit floor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Morgan Posted November 25, 2014 Share Posted November 25, 2014 Well worth the time to get the linkages good. Sounds like you really are nearly there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted November 30, 2014 Author Share Posted November 30, 2014 fitted the windscreens last night; not an enjoyable exercise.It took be no less than 6 attempts; good job I had a large sheet of acetate! The cockpit combing sheeting was a bit too soft and the tags that I had cut in the acetate kept snapping out. Anyway, success in the end although I have spoiled the finish a bit. I used a strip of self adhesive foil to secure each one and ran a bead of epoxy around the inside. By diluting the epoxy with a drop of meths it flowed around the windscreen quite well. Then fitted the aileron rods and found there was a clash with the wing mounting plate; managed to sort that by adjustment of the horns so I think we are getting there now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Former Member Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 [This posting has been removed] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Morgan Posted November 30, 2014 Share Posted November 30, 2014 Looks very good Trevor I think the pilot just looks eager to be in the air! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted December 24, 2014 Author Share Posted December 24, 2014 the pilots will have to be a bit more patient since this last stage is taking an age. Anyway, nearly there now, I just need to check the balance and add some fuel proofer and then they can sign the forms and take the aeroplane into their care. My question is whether I should leave the tail wheel to castor freely as it is now or to fix it. In his book ( which I have now acquired) Gordon Whitehead suggests fixed and I am inclined to take his advice. I have a feeling that the tracking on the main wheels might be a bit out, so I may need to look at that. Any comments welcome. Happy Christmas everyone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Morgan Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Jolly good that you are nearly complete.I prefer the tail wheel to be free unless it is fixed to move with the rudder. If it is fixed but not fixed to the rudder it is more difficult to steer by the rudder as it tends to stop the tail tracking your control movements.Happy Christmas to you too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted December 24, 2014 Share Posted December 24, 2014 Here's another case of people having varying experiences, probably because different planes have different characteristics? The subject came up in the Chipmunk build threads and the view there was that if the tailwheel can't be steered, it is better fixed. Castoring makes it easier to taxi than a fixed one does, but can make the plane more difficult to keep straight on take-off under full power. One of the Airsail Chipmunk chaps said that he'd started with a castoring wheel and that it was hopeless for this reason. It's worth bearing in mind that athough castoring is common on full size planes, it is also common for there to be a locking device to fix the wheel straight ahead for take-off. I imagine that if the plane is light with fast acceleration and a low take-off speed, so that the tail lifts off the ground straight away, it is not an issue. Is that Chas's experience? However, if it gets away more slowly and travels some distance before the rudder becomes effective and the tail lifts, perhaps you are better off with a fixed or, best of all, a steering wheel. Certainly codgers like me with probably slowing reaction times need all the help that we can get! Edited By Colin Leighfield on 24/12/2014 08:37:14 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted December 26, 2014 Author Share Posted December 26, 2014 Hello Charles and Colin Thanks for your advice; sounds to me as though I need the option of fixed and castoring and then I can see which one woks best. The wheel could be attached to the rudder perhaps, but I think that I have probably fixed it incorrectly for that and it would need to be re- engineered. I am a bit worried about the tracking though, but will run it up soon and we can see. Colin, my Airsail Chipmunk has a castoring tail wheel and I managed okay with that, but my Acro Wot ( steerable) was hopeless, but that was not the only problem with that airframe. I know what you mean about reaction times Colin although I'd not place myselft in the old codger category! You are not alone. I finally managed to get the aluminium spinner to fit snugly; that was a game, but it looks the part and I hope it will work. There is insufficient shaft length to fit the lock nut and the spinner nut; is a locknut essential on a smallish 4s? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Morgan Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 I would think that probably which ever way you go it won't make a huge amount of difference, how about trying it as per the plan!!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Morgan Posted December 27, 2014 Share Posted December 27, 2014 Oh yes re the nut they are there for your safety, if the prop comes off at high revs it will zip forward at quite a rate, having said that the time that it can come loose is on kick back on start up that can be annoying but as. You say it is a 40, be aware take care. so glad that you have got the aircraft nearly complete I would very much like to be there for the first flight maybe it will be on the same sat that I first flight my Vampire!!?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted December 28, 2014 Author Share Posted December 28, 2014 I am looking forward to it Charles, has your turbine arrived yet? I have pulled the switch out of the Kestrel as it seemed very flimsy; I can't remember when I got it from, but the Futaba one that I have put back is much bigger and more robust. I don't think that it wasn't worth taking a chance on it. ( the real reason is that one often he wires got stuck to the fuselage side with a blob of cyano; when I pulled it off the insulation peeled off. I was not happy wrapping insulation tape around the wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Morgan Posted December 28, 2014 Share Posted December 28, 2014 sounds good having a new switch Not arrived yet should be fairly soon,. Which me well, I am off to Abingdon with the EuroC on Tuesday. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 Finally got round to the final adjustments; surprising how long it takes. Centre of gravity assumed to be 62 mm back from leading edge and balanced slightly nose down without additional weight in the nose. I say assumed because the plan that comes with the kit is not at the correct scale- not a particularly serious criticism, but a bit of a niggle. Auw ( without fuel) is 2.29 kg. I still need to add fuel proofer but it's a bit cold in the garage and needs to warm up a bit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chas Morgan Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Beautiful looking model, well done. I look forward to seeing it in the air. Charles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted January 5, 2015 Author Share Posted January 5, 2015 Had a nice email from Steve Mason today. Regarding the ailerons ( earlier in this blog I had raised the question of how much to trim off. Well, he suggested a method that was so obvious I feel a complete twit for missing it. I had taken material from the retailing edge of the aileron which meant that I had to reprofile the aileron strip. The answer of course was to have removed the excess material from the front edge of the strip. Now why did I not think of that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Rushton Posted May 31, 2015 Author Share Posted May 31, 2015 I cannot believe that it's 6 months since my last post, but I can now report a successful maiden flight yesterday. Took advantage of an unexpected break in the weather and after a bit of trouble with a sticking aileron my chief test pilot decided to give it a try. Brilliant flight, no trimming needed at all I am pleased to say. I had a bit too much aileron throw, but aside from that she flew really well and I am dead chuffed. The weather took a turn for the worse as a front moved in so it got quite gusty; perhaps one for slightly calmer days, at least until I am used to it. I am making some minor mods to the wing servo mount to reduce the profile a bit ( the servo is very close to the wing fixing plate) but aside from that all good. I am pleased to say that the oleos were worth all the bother. All in all a great little kit; I enjoyed building it, and I hope that it has a long life. If I built another I think I would use glass on the wings instead of polyurethane, but that's down to experience; I used glass on the wings of my Cambrian Spitfire and found that with care ( and some help from Danny Fenton's video) it produces a really nice finish. Other lesson s would be to think a bit harder before installing the radio gear; part of my trouble with the ailerons was that I did not allow enough clearance between the 3 fuselage servos and the wing servo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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