Tornado PSS Lost Foam Version

[Mark Kettle 1]

Nice progress Peter, thanks for the heads up on the glues to use for the materials your fixing together.

[Tim C]

Decal set awaiting finishing

[Peter Garsden]

Look great do the decals Tim
Looking forward to receiving them.

[Andy Conway]

Hi Peter looking great, what weight is the fuzz coming out at this stage?

There are now four builds coming along all with some different approaches to the same basic plan interesting.

I will show my own mods as I go along.

Regarding the wings they should sit as per plan unless the chord or leading edge angle has been changed.

Too many Andy's on these builds

[Peter Garsden]

Just weighed it in the photographed state ie with most of the bits I have done but not all ie without the tailplane pivot, and without radio gear or battery or formers and it comes out at 12.7oz? Don't think it means much at the moment. What does other peoples fuselage weigh? Don't want to have to take it to Slimming World.

[Matt Jones]

Peter, mine weighs 17oz but I think mine's a bit more complete than yours. Overall I'd say you were about the same weight, possibly a tad heavier.

[Phil Cooke]

The pilots look like they are already programming the mission waypoints into the onboard computers Peter - smashing stuff!

[Matt Jones]

Peter, looking again I can see you've cut the tailplane for Andy's suggested actuation method, I'd recommend cutting a little deeper into the tailplanes and making the rod longer to improve support. From memory I think my rods are something like 3" to 4" long.

[Peter Garsden]

Thanks for the suggestion Matt - the thing is that I have already cut the brass attachments and inserts for the tailplane ready. I waa thinking of coating the tailplane near the pivot with thin fibreglass bandage to reinforce the strength. I agree with you, but everything is now cut, so I will have a think.

Phil, the pilots have been in training for the maiden flight but are a bit plastic and thick. Have worked on some internals tonight. Have found a dashboard for the Tonka which I have printed to the right size. Will glue it in position when the paint is dry. I think it is the view out the front of the Tonka on a flight simulation programme but it is fine.

Will now move onto the air intakes.

[Phil Cooke]

Hey like the cockpit that looks great!!

Pete your last question over on Matt's blog referred to ply load spreaders in the wings;

I am wondering how to reinforce the hole for the wing bolt to stop it just pulling out of the foam - anyone got any ideas as nothing is shown on the plan - piece of ply inlaid somewhere?

I've not done this yet either and have been thinking it over - I'm planning to let in a 2" sq piece of 1/8th ply - cutting a small cavity through the veneer and into the foam where required then sinking it in with epoxy. I'm keen to surface mount it flush as any protrusion would potentially interfere with the top fuselage sheeting which has to be stuck on top of the wing, also if it were proud the wing bolt heads would not 'drop in' to the hole far enough to enable them to be sub flush when tightened.

Top side only should be enough - the bottom of the wing where it sits on the saddle is fine as is - no ply needed.

[Peter Garsden]

Thanks Phil, that's great. Very helpful as always. I was actually thinking of putting the reinforcement on the bottom of the wing, but then one has to make a dirty great hole in the foam which would weaken it. Your idea is much better, and just the ticket. I was thinking that the ply would look ugly, then remembered the top fairing sheeting.

Thanks again, oh wise one.

[Andy Conway]

Hi Peter, the attached pic's show how it was done

[Andy Conway]

Peter I really like the two pilots you have, looking very bussines like did you cut off the thighs on yours?

I'm still waitng for mine hope to arrive next week.

[Peter Garsden]

Thanks Andy - the pilots are brilliant. I ordered the torso version ie shorter and cheaper than Phil's, which is just as well because otherwise I would have needed a deeper cockpit tub. So much detail and nowhere near as well painted as Phil's

[Peter Garsden]

I have spent some time putting together the tailplane pivot. I wanted to make sure that I could assemble it from the holes in the jets at the back. By using a thin long handled allen key, I managed it.

[Peter Garsden]

I then needed to mark out the cut outs for the wing in the fibreglass intakes. I needed to make a profile of the right length, but I couldn't slice open the wing. I decided to use my profiling tool, top and bottom of the wing and front and back. I then used that to make a profile on my cardboard template, which I cut round. I then drew round the profile onto the fiberglass - phew - that was difficult to explain

[Peter Garsden]

[Peter Garsden]

I also tried the tailplanes on a dry run to check they were a good fit

[Matt Jones]

Peter, that's looking really good although I still have reservations about the short length of that joiner...

[Mark Kettle 1]

Peter, 12.30 pm I was in the bank paying a bill, whilst in the queue I looks up at the TV screening BBC around the clock news, guest who I see...? The tie you was wearing looks good and sounds as though your doing good work there .  Your models coming on do you think it will ready for the first meeting. 

Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 16/03/2015 12:56:24

Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 16/03/2015 12:57:33

[Peter Garsden]

Mark yes it was me. Just having lunch at the BBC also done ITV news for lunchtime. Police corruption now.

Matt - yes I agree. Wish I had seen your blog before I made the parts. I see even our erstwhile designer is using carbon rod! As I said. I am going to beef up with fibreglass cloth 160gram over the join then 25gram all over the tailplane. We'll see.

I suppose I need to test it by doing a cartwheel landing!

I am hoping it will be done for April. Annoyingly. I am going skiing for a week in between. So annoying! Fingers crossed and late nights should sort it

[Matt Jones]

Shouldn't the LE of the tailplane have a kink?

The extra glass should prove to be OK, sometimes I do over engineer things.

[Peter Garsden]

Just sitting in the BBC booth awaitig a BBC Breakfast iterview. Good preparation is this! Must go to make up soon to hide the bags at this unearthly hour.

Last night made up a conventional control rod like Phil's. I am dispensing with F6 so would not have anything to attach the snake to, plus many people don't like them. Old fashioned rods are much better.

Have chosen an HS Hitec 85mg for the elevator - metal gears and good torque. And reasonably priced - around 15 pounds. It will handle the strain well.

Have glued the bearers on with Super Crylic. Great glue - flexible and very strong - just right for fiberglass - also dries in 10 minutes. Goes off very fast. This will make the fuselage nice and stiff. Next step is to install the tail pivot and tighten up the collets.

I have filed a flat on the metal 10swg rod for the AMT horn, which I will also glue with epoxy.

One can see that I have used a grub screw fitting on the servo - I love these. I have fixed the other end with a 2mm nut and locktite so it won't adjust, so need the servo end trim which is a rod in a hole tightened up with a grub screw. This will also get some lockite on it to stop it coming undone.

To smooth down the thread and secure it I first used CA then coverred it with plastic clear glue which worked well. In the old days I used to use balsa cemen but I don't have any of that any more - dreadful stuff.

Edited By Peter Garsden on 17/03/2015 06:46:10

Edited By Peter Garsden on 17/03/2015 06:50:20

[Phil Cooke]

I'm with you - you cant beat a conventional push rod. Will keep an eye out for you on the telly, again! Good luck in make-up.

[Masher]

Peter - A good interview on a very complex issue - came on as I was keeping up with your interesting blog