john stones 1 - Moderator Posted January 31, 2015 Share Posted January 31, 2015 Looking good Henri John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted February 6, 2015 Author Share Posted February 6, 2015 Hi all, I unfortunately didn't have all the time I wished for my Spitfire, however small things have been done. Remember ? This green one was trapped inside : Was it reasonable to let him stuck in there ? Freedom ! Freedom !! freedom !!! Now I will have to think to fasten it . Screw ? magnet ? .... Henri. Edited By Henri Squier on 06/02/2015 21:40:53 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 Hi all, How I did for the retract mounting ... First I model the E flite UC retract and tested various angle combinations ... and chose the combination where the wheel did not surpass the wing outline In this case 14° forward, 16° backward rotation and 2° outside. Normally it should be 16,6° and 19,8°. But with these angles the wheel did not fit in the wing. Model the UC bearer Scanned the TN spit plan And then, finally Edited By Henri Squier on 16/02/2015 21:18:01 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted February 16, 2015 Author Share Posted February 16, 2015 The same in wood and after gluing I used this technic for my first Spit and it went quite well. I will check after sheeting the wing panels and let you know. Henri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted February 18, 2015 Author Share Posted February 18, 2015 Hi, Just to show you how it went. This is dry raw fit (before gluing the saddle reinforcement) : Couldn't expect better ! I will see tomorrow (and tell you) how it goes gear up. Henri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted February 25, 2015 Author Share Posted February 25, 2015 Open letter to Tony Nijhuis. Dear Mister, Today I learned a lesson from you (… another one). You learned me, what I never thought could be possible, that 9 mm balsa sheet can be bend ! Thank you once again, I have a lot of pleasure building this kit. Due to the shape (flat down side) I found impossible to top sheet the wing in one piece (wrinkles) and had to re cut the top sheeting in two. Unlike initially planed I was too lazy to make a cradle for the wing in order to have a perfect washout. I built it as mentioned over the plan with no washout (the master himself said the improvement wouldn't be major if built light) : Construction became very easy and quick. henri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted February 28, 2015 Author Share Posted February 28, 2015 It's going, slowly but it's going ... First sanding pass : I have to confess : Sanding is my favorite part. I just love when the shape comes thru sanding. I just love the touch of the fresh sanded balsa ... Don't worry it won't be orange and green ! thank for watching, henri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted March 7, 2015 Author Share Posted March 7, 2015 Hi all, Huuuu... bad news. Having finished small works on the wings I weighed the whole thing : AUW without covering (fiber) and painting 1350 gr (+/- 3 lbs) !!!! very heavy !!! Hope flights won't be too tricky. henri Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted March 7, 2015 Share Posted March 7, 2015 Don`t worry. My retract version weighed 3lb. 6oz. with an OS 26FS and flew just fine. Almost impossible to stall too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted March 9, 2015 Author Share Posted March 9, 2015 Thank you Martin for your very kind answer and comforting but ... ... But I can't help worrying. Building is becoming painful ! The wing has been fibered and gained 80 gr. Now AUW without painting and fuse non covered is 1450 gr - 3 lb. 7 oz. ! I'm now targeting 1700 gr - 3 lb. 12 oz (or 60 oz.) - what a disappointment ! Where have I done wrong ? OK for 75, max 120 gr for retract and wing reinforcement, that leave yet 500 extra gr (nearly a pound) to be explained. Well ... I think I will silently cry this night but mainly put definitely away the scales. I tell you how she flies (or not !) it will be what we call here a better " juge de paix" (" juge of peace". henri (thanks again Martin) Edited By Henri Squier on 09/03/2015 20:08:47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted March 9, 2015 Share Posted March 9, 2015 Mine could actually have been 3lb. 10oz., I have sold it on and cannot quite remember. Glassing a model as small as this adds a disproportionate amount of weight. I used Solarfilm painted over. The paint should not add too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 Hi all, I have to say overweight did give a serious draw back to my enthusiasm ... This one was primarily intended to be a flyer not only a nice platform to a Spitfire camouflage scheme. So, after a time to cry, building goes on ... but with a little change in the goal : the only gramme allowed will be those essential to the flight, nothing else. Little work on tail wing : Joining used 6 mm carbon spar (very light). To be sure (1) a perpendicular 1 mm carbon stick has been added. To be sure (2) little glass fiber has been added. The original hole in F3 for the wing plug is surprisingly no well placed (too high). In fact this is not a problem and even better allowing my traditional way to slowly perfectly fit the hole (with epoxy 45 min). The rear mounting plate has been lowered : The initial location was too high for my 50 mm bolt. Reinforcement with transversal tooth pick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted March 15, 2015 Author Share Posted March 15, 2015 WING FAIRING : EPISODE 1. Wing root fairing was my main object of concern when I designed my (first) own Spit. I read a lot on internet and find out there is as many way to build wing fairing than there are builders. Anyway if I may leave a message : it's clearly NOT as hard as it sounds. Here is my way ... At first line out the wing fairing (because after it's more difficult when it's glued). Lining out on the fuse (for after). Light (0,6 mm) ply has been cutting out and lightly hold in place with tape (you will see why). After protecting the wing from the glue with brown tape everything is placed and bolt in. The ply is firmly hold in place with tape (again !). And the fuse is bolted out (it's why the first tape has to be light). And now it can be glued. I use polyuretane glue assuring a perfect fit between fuse and the fairing ply part. Allowing first cross (no not really the first ...) Woaw ... The first lines are coming out. Oh ! How I love this plane. I really love this plane. I really, really, love this plane. I really really really love this plane. More to come. Thanks for following me. Henri. Edited By Henri Squier on 15/03/2015 19:55:58 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 Hi Henri, don`t despair about the weight since if you have enough power you should be OK. I have just dug out the original wing from mine which had a straight u/c and was too difficult to take off with the wheels too far back so I built a new one. Weight of the original is 506g ready to fly if that is of any help. Your electric set up is no doubt going to be heavier than my i/c motor inc. fuel. Choice of wood is the largest factor on any model and I keep mine as light as possible, especially at the tail. I required no ballast. It is little things as well such as the glass on your elevator which push up the weight unnecessarily. Will try to add a couple of pics of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted March 15, 2015 Share Posted March 15, 2015 T.N. 46" Spit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Thanks, Martin, thanks al lot for your kind support. Your Spit looks awesome !!! I will try to do as well ! So lets go on with : WING FAIRING - EPISODE 2. Yes, I know : it could sound very pretentious. but the only aim is to show it's really not as hard as it looks. For years I have avoided round belly fuse planes because I could not draw the plans - Sketchup appeared to be really not diffficult. For years I have avoided planes with wing fairing - It's only work ; nothing really difficult. So the real purpose is to say : Don't put away a project because of wing fairing. So let's comment the pictures with the "1 to 10 difficulty" notation. First of all next job need the wing back because the ply part is too thin to hold in the correct "wing" place. Difficulty : 0/10. Cutting, fitting and gluing (I used thin cyano) theses down parts. Difficulty : 1/10. PS +++ : What I have not done but strongly recommend is to draw the supposed exact outline with a pen a leave +/- 1 cm extra. This will allow (see after) the best fitting by sanding with the upper part (I hope it makes sense to you) I used 6 mm depron and styro cyano for these triangles. Honestly difficulty : 1/10. well let's say 1,5/10 because the ply has to be wall applied to the wing. With this you do that : Edited By Henri Squier on 18/03/2015 13:36:21 Edited By Henri Squier on 18/03/2015 13:42:12 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Here comes, I have to admit the tricky part : The upper part has to be cut out. Difficulty : 2/10. Impossible to do it directly you will need a (transparent) paper template. Leave some extra mm on the outside : they will easily be trimmed after gluing. I have not done this for the down part but it should have done it. The trick is to align all the curves : all the "triangles" of depron (that are no more triangles) and the down part : You need this alignment because the upper balsa (1 mm) part, when curved in the up-down way, will accept only minimal curve in the perpendicular axis. This is why it's better to leave some extra mm for the down part : By maintaining straight you sand paper that have been rolled you can straight sand the depron and the down balsa part in order to have the adequate curve that perfectly fit with the straight curve of the fairing. ... Well obvious when you do it - very hard for me to tell with words ... There will be some goings and comings but honestly Difficulty no more than 4/10. Then time to glue. I use polyurethan glue (that expands) for the middle triangles to be sure to have the best fit. Foam cyano for the first (forward) triangle. And finally thick wood cyano on the ply. Gluing begins by fitting the upper parts together. I agree difficulty 3-4/10, because cyano allows only one shot ! The shape makes it impossible to do without some cracks Same thing on the other side, always with some cracks. They will disappear with filling and sanding. And .... ... done !!! I hope I could help to express one's deeply buried wing faring desire. Henri. Edited By Henri Squier on 18/03/2015 14:17:00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 can't resist ... ... I love this plane. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henri Squier Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Hi everyone, Let's have the " WING FAIRING - EPILOGUE " After sanding ... As told, after filler and sanding the cracks disappear (even after an extra 1 mm patch). I have done also some small work I carved a little the cowl ... ... allowing the lipo to move a little forward ... ... in order so save some lead weight. Just hope that could have some interest for someone, henri. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted March 21, 2015 Share Posted March 21, 2015 Interest here Henri, have been watching your progress looking very good , nice fairings John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetenor Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Henri Comment allez-vous? Va bien I hope. Can I ask why you did not damp or even soak your bals for the fairings or dare I say , as A traditional builder ,why not use Depron or similar.. could even have carved Depron blo cks for the same or even less weight if using low density foam. BTW one of the best ways to fill light weight foam is light tissue and dilute pva. Gret build so far . Can't wait for flight tests. bon chance mon ami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetenor Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Henri Comment allez-vous? Va bien I hope. Can I ask why you did not damp or even soak your bals for the fairings or dare I say , as A traditional builder ,why not use Depron or similar.. could even have carved Depron blo cks for the same or even less weight if using low density foam. BTW one of the best ways to fill light weight foam is light tissue and dilute pva. Gret build so far . Can't wait for flight tests. bon chance mon ami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetenor Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Henri Comment allez-vous? Va bien I hope. Can I ask why you did not damp or even soak your bals for the fairings or dare I say , as A traditional builder ,why not use Depron or similar.. could even have carved Depron blo cks for the same or even less weight if using low density foam. BTW one of the best ways to fill light weight foam is light tissue and dilute pva. Gret build so far . Can't wait for flight tests. bon chance mon ami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetenor Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Henri Comment allez-vous? Va bien I hope. Can I ask why you did not damp or even soak your bals for the fairings or dare I say , as A traditional builder ,why not use Depron or similar.. could even have carved Depron blo cks for the same or even less weight if using low density foam. BTW one of the best ways to fill light weight foam is light tissue and dilute pva. Gret build so far . Can't wait for flight tests. bon chance mon ami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onetenor Posted March 22, 2015 Share Posted March 22, 2015 Henri Comment allez-vous? Va bien I hope. Can I ask why you did not damp or even soak your bals for the fairings or dare I say , as A traditional builder ,why not use Depron or similar.. could even have carved Depron blo cks for the same or even less weight if using low density foam. BTW one of the best ways to fill light weight foam is light tissue and dilute pva. Gret build so far . Can't wait for flight tests. bon chance mon ami. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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