Andy Meade Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Hi there guys and gals! Well this will be my first build from start to finish on these forums, and I wanted to share the process and progress as it happens. Things might not get updated that quickly in the early stages, but I hope to have a finished airframe ready for the (yet to be announced) PSSA May / June meet. There's a slight chance she will be ready for the April meet, but depends on other projects, which for me and PSS, is always a lot! OK so she will be 1/12th scale, a fully built up fuselage, a foam wing (with spars), most probably a bomb-bay with bomb drop (SLEC items)..and that's it for now. Wingspan will be 2.8 metres, with a two-piece wing. Tailplane might be removable, but fins most certainly will. So this is one of the images I started off with - it came via google image search : I then import this into SolidWorks to get a general layout. I found another image with fuselage sections on it - I then draw around these to create 2D shapes, extrude them, then drop them into an assembly. I have added in a box structure over the bomb bay, as this will be quite weak area. I'm not sure how well the doors (which are meant to be roller type) will cope with slope life, but if it doesn't go well, I will block it out with foam and glass over the area - but for starters I want the bay there. The next picture shows the structure fleshed out a little. All formers are so far 3mm liteply, and the wing joiners will be 2 off 1" OD aluminium & phenolic tubing as supplied by Fighteraces. I now have some top, bottom, and side stringers in. Oh, and you can just see the wingtip rib in that image. I have swollen the tip chord a little (only 10% or so), but as you can see - the Libby has a lovely big high aspect ratio wing. This is the machine I shall be modelling - the...ummm.."Strawberry...thingy". Yes, thingy. She is on show in the States, and I wanted to do this "D" version due to having a big glass nose. Right, that's it for now. I shall hopefully be contacting Dylan in the near future with a DXF pack of my formers and ribs and sundry parts, but this is the progress so far for a little over a week's worth of CAD when I've been able to grab a few spare moments. Until next time! Edited By Andy Meade on 23/10/2014 15:43:07 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Wow! Another scratch build PSS - great stuff Andy - the B24 is a good subject for the slope - will be watching this one closely! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 Cheers fella! Oddly, the same scale as my Me262... Who wants to go on a combat air patrol against the Strawberry Lady? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monz Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Nice! Look forward to progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Should be interesting Andy Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 23, 2014 Author Share Posted October 23, 2014 Thanks Monz - I hope its as good looking as your Shack!Cheers Danny, I hope the deadlines aren't too bad, as there is a fair bit of building in front of me! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted October 23, 2014 Share Posted October 23, 2014 Nice work Andy - watching along Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 Cheers Tim - always need volunteers for chucking it off the hill Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Electriflier Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Andy, Following with great interest. Good luck with the build. Regards Roy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 A couple more for tonight - eyes are sore now, so that's it for now Front stringers, bomb bay floor, tailplane and fins all added : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 what CADs package you using Andy?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 24, 2014 Author Share Posted October 24, 2014 It's SolidWorks 2014 Phil Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted October 24, 2014 Share Posted October 24, 2014 Looks the business...I must get a CADs set up at home for this sort of stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Garsden Posted October 26, 2014 Share Posted October 26, 2014 I am in awe and admiration at such an ambitious project. Certainly puts everything in proportion when you compare this sort of thing with ARTF. Looks brilliant Andy, and I look forward to seeing it next year. I seem to remember that the Liberator had LADIES on the side. Must be careful of the strict pen of the censor before I start losing control..... Will certainly be following this one. Edited By Peter Garsden on 26/10/2014 08:03:19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Yes always lots of Ladies on the side of these bombers Pete Right, I did a bit more work last night, and here it be. I'm chafing at the bit to start cutting some wood, but I have a Hawk to get on with ASAP before this gets under way in all honesty. Ah well, I ran 3 builds alongside each other earlier in the year, will probably do the same again here. Firstly, made a servo mount plate for the elevator servos, with access holes for wires, horns, and general lightening: Then added some stringers to allow the planking to sit up against something, and to add a bit of stiffness. Everything tab-and-slotted obviously : Then some wings and nacelles. The wings, as mentioned, will be veneered, sparred, white foam, and will have some huge flaps and ailerons as per full size. The cowls will be vac-formed, and are fairly simple - just a doughnut, and the nacelles will be planked and kept as light as possible. No big bulbous thingies here as per Lancaster etc, as the undercarriage folds into the wing like a fighter, missing the nacelles completely for the most part. I spoke to the guys at RealModelPilots at Gaydon at the weekend (I had a pilot for my Me262 custom made by them), and saw some of their 3D printed turret work. This Libby will be getting gunners, canopies, flight crew, turrets and guns (all 10 .50 cals!) made by these guys - the details is awesome, and so light too. Next to model will be ruddders, elevators, some hatches, waist gunner positions, then finalizing the bomb bay door system. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Here is an overlay that I did - apologies as I'm not great with image manipulation! Can see that my ball turret is not quite in the right position, and you can see the slightly increased tip chord too, along with the slight increase in span of the tailplane (area looked a bit small to me). Other than that, I'm happy so far. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Reynolds LaserCraft Services Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Looks fantastic Andy, following along with huge interest, might pick up some tips , oh and thanks for considering me for the cutting, look forward to getting it for quoting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 27, 2014 Author Share Posted October 27, 2014 Roger that Dylan - I've seen the great work you've produced for others here, so it's a no-brainer for me I doubt I could teach you anything tho chap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dylan Reynolds LaserCraft Services Posted October 27, 2014 Share Posted October 27, 2014 Thank you, means a lot, but I bet you can, I have never used solidworks, but about to get it installed, so may be picking your brains Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Brain is always here (well, mostly) to be picked OK so a bit more progress. I've wrangled a little SNAFU (Section Nominally At Fault - Underside) in the nose section, where the bottom profile was a bit awry. I double checked the Airfix model (that I've still not built yet) against some better online sourced pictures, and adjusted the first 5 formers to suit. I've added a bomb bay crutch (as per full size, and will add rigidity to my structure), dropped some servos in the tail (sourced from GrabCAD - a great resource), modelled the elevators, moved the ball turret, and lengthened the tail section's lateral stringers. Getting bored with CAD now - I want to start cutting something! Ooh, all the bells and whistle turned on. I don't work with it in this mode, as it'd be a royal pain in the posterior to find bits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Hi Andy, lovely work, I so wish I could come to terms with 3D cad. I am probably totally wrong here, but those fins look massive, is that correct? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Monz Posted October 29, 2014 Share Posted October 29, 2014 Looking good. I have this 3 view if you'd like to compare accuracy. It has the formers too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Ha! Fancy coming up with the goods afterwards like that Monz! Yes, it does show the front formers with no angled "vee" at the bottom, which is what I have worked too. Danny - every time I open it, I think the same thing! I think it's a visual thing, as there is so much wood in them at the moment compared to the fuselage. I will do a sanity check though against a scaled side view to keep us both happy. It does look odd. They must have had superb rudder authority Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Oops Fin height should be 312mm...I have 381mm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted October 29, 2014 Author Share Posted October 29, 2014 Nothing to see here, honestly (Corrected fin size - was 118% of required scale, thanks Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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