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1/3rd Classic Scale Tiger Moth -


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I'm paid to spot tiny differences in my day job!

Who hasn't made two right-hand fuselage sides?!!!

Out of interest the full-size Tiger uses square section steel tube for all the longerons and round section tube for the uprights and diagonals. It's used on Harold Towner's plan which I'd like to have a go at one day.

Keep up the good work!

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Ok then...nothing built last night due to-

A - being absolutely cream crackered..I was asleep by 8.30!!

B - having recieved some cracking documentation from a really ace mate - Cheers John (Fly Navy!) and also recieving a photo Cd I ordered from Ebay.

First the books..

The obligatory Haynes Manual..

moth 004.jpg

This cracker by Michael Jerran.

moth 005.jpg

PIlots nots and a DH82 book by Aeroglide Classics.

moth 008.jpg

This photo CD is from Oz..its packed with photos of aircraft in various states, photos of individual parts and engineering drawings of all the components..

moth 007.jpg

I can see me spending an awful amount of time reading all of these weighty tomes..

They have already helped me decide on various bits!!

Result!

Jez

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I have done a bit tonight..

Firstly I corrected the blooper from the other night - I had glued one of the braces on incorrectly so nothing major.

These supports are now painted and ready to be put into storage until required.

I did this for two reasons - firstly to check the paint I mixed was right - secondly because there are lots of bits of this build that can be fully prepared and simply bolted on at the assembly stage.

moth 001.jpg

I have also decided to do away with the supplied ABS centre console. Its really heavy and a bit too rounded off.

Here is the part as supplied..

moth 003.jpg

Here is a photo of the real part...

repairs to control box.jpg

So I spent a bit of time tonight cutting two matching sides from lite ply. This will hold all of the servos for the rudder, elevator and engine.

I will be making it fully removable - it will eventually be bolted in place from underneath.

I havent shaped the front end of the sides yet as there are a couple of different ways of doing the front cockpit so I have just left them over-length for now.

moth 002.jpg

Finished work until the new year so will be able to get a wriggle on now!!

Jez

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Still looking in with interest, methinks this will bring a lot of enjoymentyes and l will learn some new ideas from the build.

Jez the first pic on your latest post the longest leg on the RH one looks a different size material to the opposite one or is it camera angle giving the illusion of that or should it be narrower, If I'm wrong I'll keep me trap shutcool

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Posted by fly-navy on 19/12/2014 22:42:01:

Still looking in with interest, methinks this will bring a lot of enjoymentyes and l will learn some new ideas from the build.

Jez the first pic on your latest post the longest leg on the RH one looks a different size material to the opposite one or is it camera angle giving the illusion of that or should it be narrower, If I'm wrong I'll keep me trap shutcool

Its OK John....critique away..

They are both identical though..tis just the camera angle and one is propped up on a 2" block whilst t'other is on 3mm ply piece..

Jez

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Posted by fly-navy on 20/12/2014 18:13:11:

Jez, if there are no decals, instrument logo's etc don't get buying /ordering any until I have been able to get over to see you during xmas break. Had some interesting sheets given me today. covering 1/4, 30% and 1/3rd scale models.wink

Blimey John - thats the only thing I havent got and you've already sorted them!

Cheers!!

Jez

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Got a bit more done..

The side frames had to be cut through at 2 different places and cracked to enable them to be pulled into the classic moth fus shape.

moth 009.jpg

All of the fus is made from spruce so there was a lot of cutting ever so slightly over legth and sanding back to exact length.

moth 010.jpg

moth 011.jpg

All of the joints are re-inforced with 1/64th ply - the key here is lots of glue to create a really strong fus - its as if its made from steel girders!

moth 013.jpg

Quite nice to look at though.

moth 012.jpg

Thats it for a couple of days - not looking forward to Christmas as my little girl wont be home - she is autistic and going through a bad patch at the moment - the build up to Christmas creates anxiety which she cant deal with.

We are taking Christmas to her at the residential centre she is currently in - never had to do it before but Christmas is about who you are with not where you are.

See you soon

Happy Christmas!!

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Hmmmmm..

So far I have followed the instructions to the letter.

However, I have been doing some perusing of pictures of moths under various stages of construction and I just dont think the strengthening plates on the outside look either right or any good.

The plan definately calls for them..

moth 021.jpg

Not just on the sides but also on the top and bottom of the fus.

moth 020.jpg

Leaving them on would cause huge problems fitting the turtledecks later on, and they would have really shown through the covering - something the full size dont appear to have.

I think they would have been better off recessed into the framework, but this would have been a major undertaking.

As I already have added the plates to the inside of the fus for strength, then I dont feel it will effect the strength.

I notice the model shown in the photo from Ian also has none of these plates fitted.

tiger moth 011.jpg

Out with the power sander then!!

 

Jez

Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 27/12/2014 19:33:50

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Bit more metal work then - This time some aluminium. These will be the infil plates under the horizontal stab.

moth 016.jpg

They needed a bit of work first..a 90 degree bend at the bottom where they screw onto the fus and a bit of shaping at the top. To add the chamfer at the top I held them against the rounded edge of the workbench and worked them with a block of hardwood.

moth 017.jpg

A finished pair.

moth 025.jpg

And in place on the fus..

moth 029.jpg

Bit more brass coming up! Jez

Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 27/12/2014 19:55:01

Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 27/12/2014 20:01:16

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Some brass sheet...

moth 026.jpg

Folded to make the brackets for the back end - these bits are just some of the brackets that will hold the vertical stab and the the tailplane on.

moth 027.jpg

moth 030.jpg

Then a couple of aluminium brackets were added to the fus..

moth 031.jpg

Next a couple of cut outs made in the side frames.

moth 023.jpg

...for yet more bracketry..

moth 022.jpg

These are part of the anchor points for the u/c.

moth 024.jpg

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Next up I had to cut a couple of slits in the side frames to allow the rudder bar to exit the fus..

first bit of chain drilling..

moth 033.jpg

Then a couple of careful cuts

moth 035.jpg

I really should have done all this before assembling the side frames!

Next I added a couple of 6mm square rails that will take the oil tank later in the build.

moth 014.jpg

moth 015.jpg

Finally a bit more woodwork with the addition of a couple of formers. These needed loads of work as the supplied ones were a little bit..err mishapen - I will post pics of the "befores" later..

moth 038.jpg

Finally for now..a stringer..no wait its THE stringer..there is only one in the entire back end..I'm a little worried this will leave the rear turtledeck weak..Its only 0.4mm ply so very fragile..It is supposed to be purely supported by a fron and rear former, the single stringer and a balsa former approx a 1/3rd of the way back (this former is part of the luggage locker)

moth 039.jpg

hmmmmmmm..

Jez

 

Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 28/12/2014 09:00:41

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Nice bracketry! The one that's secured at the fin post where the longerons meet looks from the picture that it is at an angle to accommodate the tapering fuselage sides but is shown in ano with parallel 90 degree bends - or is that an optical illusion? How do you get your bends so crisp? Keep up the good work!!

ATB

Alan

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Posted by alan alldritt on 28/12/2014 09:15:06:

Nice bracketry! The one that's secured at the fin post where the longerons meet looks from the picture that it is at an angle to accommodate the tapering fuselage sides but is shown in ano with parallel 90 degree bends - or is that an optical illusion? How do you get your bends so crisp? Keep up the good work!!

ATB

Alan

Just an optical illusion Alan - it does indeed taper to match the fus sides.

To get the bends crisp I use a piece of steel in the vice - I clamp the brass and the steel together - fold it over then gently tap with a hammer.

Jez

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Squeezed in a couple more hours this afternoon

First off some metal work - before I can add the front turtle deck I need to permanently attatch 4 clevises (Clevii?).

because they will not be accessible when the decking is added I need to ensure they are not going to come undone.

Out with the drill press and away with the pins...

moth 036.jpg

These are stainless 3mm ones so it took a bit of doing!

With the pins off, I replaced them with 2mm nuts and bolts.

moth 037.jpg

Then it was back to the decking and some formers..here you can see the rather odd shape of the supplied ones. - luckily they were oversized so I could sand them back to the proper shape.

moth 040.jpg

To ensure they were equally on both sides, I got one half as i wanted it, then traced round it on some scrap paper..

moth 041.jpg

I used this as a template to guide for re-shaping the other side..

moth 042.jpg

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Moths have a Sutton harness for each pilot and these fit to a metal cable arrangement that runs in a groove in each back rest......

harness cable and rear bulkhead padding.jpg

To replicate these its just a case of cutting an oblong hole in each former and lining it with some 0,4mm ply.

moth 044.jpg

moth 045.jpg

With one of the supplied backrests in place to check..

moth 046.jpg

Next up, to give the ply something to stick to, I added 2mm strip to the edge of the longerons - it had to be placed 0.8mm back from the edge to allow for the width of the ply itself..sorry  - poor photo!

moth 048.jpg

First piece of turtledeck in place!

moth 049.jpg

Thats all for now - Anne is out clipping her pony tomorrow (not - thats not a euphemism!) so I should get a litle bit more done.

Jez

 

Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 28/12/2014 19:42:45

Edited By Jez Harris 1 on 28/12/2014 19:46:05

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