AlexJ Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Thank you very much chaps, there are a few less than pretty bits, I pieced-in the cut outs on the leading edge, for example. I followed the drawing , then spotted that everyone else had left them intact, the full size seems to have minimal hinge spaces, I should have paid more attention. When I have joined the elevators, I will sand the tips. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted October 28, 2014 Author Share Posted October 28, 2014 Thank you very much chaps, there are a few less than pretty bits, I pieced-in the cut outs on the leading edge, for example. I followed the drawing , then spotted that everyone else had left them intact, the full size seems to have minimal hinge spaces, I should have paid more attention. When I have joined the elevators, I will sand the tips. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Day Posted October 28, 2014 Share Posted October 28, 2014 Nice work Alex. Wings next! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted November 9, 2014 Author Share Posted November 9, 2014 Yes Nigel, I have been building the right wing, slowly! I was just checking back through some of the other wing builds, its quite comforting to see mention of rib 2's profile and seeing that Danny also had to sand down the top of B3. This is good fun. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Day Posted November 10, 2014 Share Posted November 10, 2014 Yes, rib 2 definitely is larger and needs sanding. I wish I'd remembered that before fitting the ply doubler and gluing it in place! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 Well, I have done some more wing building. The panels are joined, and the tops sanded ready for sheeting. I am looking forward to adding some rigidity to the structure, as it is super fragile. Even sanding really gently, without malice, I managed to loosen a few ribs from the leading edge on one panel, I had used a different cyano on this, I hope it isn't too brittle? Having re-fixed rib 2 on one panel, due to heavy handedness, I discovered it was too low (I had previously sanded it down, as it was too high!), I just glued a strip on top and re-sanded. It was a reassuring reminder that anything can be quickly fixed with no great drama, it does take the stress out of it. I joined the dihedral braces to one panel first, carefully jigging them to achieve the correct dihedral. I would recommend that the slots in the second panel are relieved to allow an easy sliding fit, the structure will not cope with being forced! The other benefit of some freedom of movement in the joiner, is that you can set the dihedral much easier. Whilst I was waiting for the glue to dry, and still not being chased to come in from the workshop, I cut out the firewall from 9mm ply, it sounds a bit thick, but it is very small and 6mm did not seem "butch" enough. I am making a box, a bit like Danny's, but quite deep, as I have to get the fuel tank low for the Laser. The picture shows approximately what I planned, but I have changed it slightly. I would not have F1 in this configuration, I am not sure if I should contrive some kind of forward support for the cowl, what are the thoughts of the collective? All the best Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Day Posted November 18, 2014 Share Posted November 18, 2014 Hi Alex. I'm not far off doing the same with the wings. The port wing spar looks a little low where it fits into the brace (B2). Did you struggle to get enough dihedral without pushing it that low? I think mine only went up to just below 5mm in a dry fit without doing any modifications so I suspect that mine will look similar. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted November 18, 2014 Author Share Posted November 18, 2014 Hi Nigel, I agree, the starboard spar does look low in the brace, at the time, before gluing, the spar in the port wing sat fractionally higher in the rib slots, I was not sure if the spar was being gripped too hard by the brace too, seeing as the other end was previously fixed, but it sprang back up when pushed down. In the end I decided that all the angles were correct, and that i would be sanding the top spar down a tiny bit. On the subject of spars, I went with a cyparis bottom spars and hard balsa top. My thinking was it would add some strength in positive G, without adding too much weight (15gms in total for both wings!). I had some spruce, but I think that was 20 gms a side extra, and I was trying to stay close to the DB lightness mantra. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 I have made a box up for the engine mount and fuel tank and also started on the fuselage. Here is the kit of parts. It is almost finished, it just needs the front fitting on the tank bay. I thinned down the rest of the epoxy that I glued the firewall in with, and put a thin coat on the bits that weren't covered with clamps. The first of the fuselage formers, I cut out some of the middles, that saved about 25 gms, the wood was quite dense though. I almost re-cut them from some lighter stuff. I had to finalise the engine mount box before I went any further. This box has come out fairly light. I am thinking of fitting some thin ply doublers to the sides of the box, then toothpick dowels to pin the firewall to the sides. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 nicely done so far sir. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Thanks Tony, Hopefully I m doing things ok if it meets with your approval. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted November 22, 2014 Share Posted November 22, 2014 Looks just the ticket that Alex, I read back when I saw how low the tank box is, I see what you mean now I've never owned a Laser John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted November 22, 2014 Author Share Posted November 22, 2014 Hi John, I have a Laser 160 in a SLEC T240, I never sorted out the tank height properly, it caused all sorts of hassle. I decided that given a blank canvas, I would make sure things were spot on. The laser I am using runs so smoothly, and idles so slowly you can count the revs. I do not want to give this motor any excuse to misbehave. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A.A. Barry Posted November 23, 2014 Share Posted November 23, 2014 Nice work barry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted December 2, 2014 Author Share Posted December 2, 2014 Progress has been made, and pictures will follow when I have stuck some of the modified fuselage top formers into place. I decided to double up former no.3, as I will have to cut most of it away, to accommodate the engine box. I have tried a few different metal types and thicknesses for the undercarriage legs, and have settled on the side of an old computer drive box, it's just about the right thickness. Now that I have found the tin snips, I cannot put it off any longer. I don't know why this task has caused me to think so hard! Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted December 3, 2014 Share Posted December 3, 2014 Still following your build Alex - all good stuff! Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted January 2, 2015 Author Share Posted January 2, 2015 Sorry for the lack of recent updates, I have not had too much to tell! I have completed the fuselage halves, I really enjoyed the planking, I love the pattern revealed when you sand it. I started to plank the bottom all the way from the front, then decided to do the front in sheet, with a scarf joint to remove the stress concentration at the rear of the cockpit. This is not a rare single seat variant , I just wanted to plank in one go, to the rear of the front seat, so that the independent bit in the middle was correctly aligned. I will cut out the wing seat and cockpit openings soon. Going back and forth between the fuselage and the wing, I have fixed the undercarriage legs and sheeted the underside of the wing. I made a couple of hard points for the fixings that set the leg angle, just to stop the bolts crushing the soft balsa rib core. I knocked a rivet off its shaft, drilled it out to 3mm and cut it to the exact length to match the rib thickness. This was glued in place with epoxy and micro balloons. Thinking about it now, I should have just cut away some of the balsa core and filled it withe the epoxy/microballoon mix, never mind . Before I sheeted the u/s of the wing, I re-pinned it to the board on its T/E packer, then fixed temporary additions to the L/E and T/E to preserve the washout settings when I flipped it over. I was convinced that I would twist it if it was otherwise left to its own devices. I have a feeling that the next stage with the flaps and ailerons, is going to be a test, if the other Chippites experiences are any indicator! Happy New Year to you all. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 Looks great Alex, you are really getting to grips with the build. I like the temporary jigging of the trailing and leading edges during sheeting. This is a delicate wing until the last bit of sheeting is in place. I am really impressed that everybody has come back after the break still raring to crack on. I was worried a few would drop out. Needn't have, you are all obviously made of sterner stuff Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted January 2, 2015 Share Posted January 2, 2015 It brings a big grin to your face when you sand the planking up Alex John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlexJ Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 Hi all, Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I have had a bit on my plate recently,culminating in the loss of my father, unfortunately. I will be back in the workshop very soon, I have built the flaps and ailerons recently, they seem rather flexible at the moment. I am being spurred on by the progress being made by the others though, it looks like a lot of the bugs are being sorted. Alex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Sorry for your loss Alex, we will be here a while yet so no rush. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Alex, that's terrible news. Really sorry for your loss. Brings things into perspective playing with models is not as important as sometimes we make out. Look forward to hearing any updates on the Chippy, as John says the build will be here for a while. Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 Please accept my condolences Alex. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted February 28, 2015 Share Posted February 28, 2015 No apologies necessary Alex and I am very sorry to hear of your loss. Models are there for when we have the time and inclination or when we need to take our mind off the real world for a little while, they shouldn't be a chore. I'm sure you have more important things to think about. Nev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Terry Walters Posted March 1, 2015 Share Posted March 1, 2015 Very sorry to hear your news Alex. Please accept my condolences. Terry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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