Lindsay Todd Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 Well a few more things done since the last update starting with the mounting of the servos for the ailerons onto the ply plates using some hardwood blocks. I have used Hitec HS85MG for these and should be well up to the job, These are then mounted into the wing and fixed with four screws into the spruce rails. I admit the aluminium horns are a tad overkill in this case. Next I got a little carried away and got those nice guys at Slec to laser cut some 1mm ply instrument panels for me. These lovely items arrived a few days later. The panels were glued together, the square panel aligning on the main part and then painted matt black. A few dials courtesy of RCM&E freebies and some downloaded and printed items from the internet were simply glued onto the rear face aligned with the holes. Mixing some rc modellers glue with some Tamiya silver I added some rivet / screw fixings to the panels. I also made the map draw partially open on one unit and will glue a section of map visible in it just for fun. I need to make a couple of compass units to finish off and then put to one side as I'll fit these almost last and still quite a bit to get on with. More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 Looking good Linds, I love a nice 3D panel Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 You'll be please to know Danny that rivets have now appeared on the wing. The problem is that at this size it's really convenient to just sit and add bits and pieces without the costs spiralling ever upward, the down side is the project is taking longer to complete due to the embellishments I keep adding. It will actually be an anti climax when the model finally leaves the ground as its been a really fun design and build on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Price 2 Posted October 22, 2015 Share Posted October 22, 2015 It's been good to follow the build also, Lindsay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted October 22, 2015 Author Share Posted October 22, 2015 Could not resist adding the final element to the instrument panels, this being the compass. his turned out to be a simple solution that is not exactly accurate but close enough to allow you to look at it and think it looks close enough for this model and generally in keeping with everything else. The solution was a rubber tank bung with a compass dial glued to the surface and then mounted onto the panel. simples. Started to get some rivet and surface detail down onto the wing and fuselage, of course this is simply gratuitous embellishment on my part really as their is still a few bits of construction left to do, but hey its all about fun. more soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted October 25, 2015 Author Share Posted October 25, 2015 Had a good afternoon yesterday getting quite a bit of work done starting by mounting the rear main undercarriage wires bent from 4mm piano wire into the main wing and securing with saddle clamps. Next job was to make up the centre section area that spans between the front and rear of the wing underside and aligns with the fuselage, this is made from a 6mm front strip and 3mm rear strip and 6mm sheet glued between. When dry simply sanded to match the fuselage shape. This does cover the undercarriage wires were they locate into the anti pivot blocks, I am ok with this but you could cut away a slot for maintenance with ease. I also cut out a couple of square for access to the wing bolts. This will now be covered with glass cloth and acrylic resin and a coat of primer. Just to finish off the undercarriage I mad a start on the fairings simply made from 3mm balsa faces and 4mm centres either side of the wire leg. I made these up leaving off the outer face, sanded to section and glued in place with rc modellers glue, I'll add the outer face when dry and sand to complete, basically making them aerofoil section. For a while I have been intending to deal with the wing to fuselage fit as it was a little 'gappy' for my liking so I covered the wing with celotape and then put a bead of filler on the wing seat and then clamped the wing into position allowing the filler to close up the gap. I also took the opportunity to use the filler to add a few more panel details and also added some access panels made using my vinyl cutter and foil film and positioned these around the airframe based on the photo's I have been able to gather. Whilst in the mood for details I also added the hinges to the doors on the left hand fuselage side, these are simply lengths of servo wire with grooves cut into them with a Stanley knife and then glued in place on the fuselage. Next update should see her ready for a base coat of paint I hope and making up the cowl sides then it should be pretty close to getting the silver base coat of paint down. More soon. Linds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 Managed to get a bit of work done on the cowl side panels so far this week. These were made from 0.5mm ply having first made a card template. The sides have a curve on the rear edge of about 10mm and fit flush elsewhere around the cowl. The ply fames were first soaked in hot water and then an inner 6mm balsa frame added with epoxy to form the curve in the panel. An extra 3mm strip of ply was also added as an anti flex stiffener one the balsa brace had dried. The outside face was then given a coat of glass cloth applied with acrylic resin to loose the wood grain and again stiffen the shape up. The panels will be hinged to the top wall edge of the hatch bay so that access to the sides can be maintained for maintenance in the future. I aim to do this with a simple solartex strip to both sides that will be feathered with some filler so will be hidden once painted. For now a bit of masking tape checks the fit. The hinge line is hidden once the top cowl is fitted due to the 2mm overlap and give the cowl its distinctive look although there are still a few details to add to the panel sides. The curve at the rear is more evident from this angle and will also assist cooling air from the battery bay which will also house the esc and of course houses the motor as well. Still a few little jobs to do before the silver paint goes down but the end of the build think is now in sight More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted October 30, 2015 Share Posted October 30, 2015 Looking good their Linds, The panel lines and rivets along with the silver bits really give it something of interest to look at . Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted October 30, 2015 Author Share Posted October 30, 2015 It's all easy stuff really as well. the silver bits are all done on a Graphitec vinyl cutter, same one as Danny has, great bit of kit if your so inclined with so many uses, Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted November 2, 2015 Author Share Posted November 2, 2015 Few more bits done to the cowl starting by hinging the side panels by use of solartex strips. I used balsaloc first to ensure a good bond and ironed the strips first to the outside face of the panels and then down onto the top edge Lifting the side panel up another strip was added to the inside, Next job was to add a little acrylic resin over the surface to bond everything together, I then added some further rivet detail to the outside face. Next time for some silver paint to go down, in this case Tamiya silver acrylic I also added some ply and a hardwood block to screw fix the cowl panels closed. I am going to spray a thin acrylic varnish over the silver base otherwise I would normally use an enamel base but somebody forgot to seal the lid properly and it had gone solid so I moved to plan B. Whilst I have given the cowl a complete coat elsewhere I have just concentrated on the panel line areas and some key areas around the airframe so it actually looks a bit messy after this stage. I used a good quality sable brush to avoid streaks as much as possible as I have yet to unpack my spray gun and compressor. Same treatment to the wing Next major job will be the to coat so a trip down to B&Q with my paint catalogue and came away with three tester pots made up in Dark Earth, Dark Green and Duck Egg Blue water based emulsion as per my reference material. I will mask up the model and spray these with about 15% windscreen wash as a thinner. I also allow the paint to pass through a filter before use. That picture is terrible as the colours look odd but they are in fact correct. More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted November 3, 2015 Share Posted November 3, 2015 Looking very good Linds, love the map draw John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 Well the lousy weather has prevented any attempts at spray painting today so I focussed on getting some extra detail on the cowl down with the three raised ridges down the side, simply balsa strips sanded, resin coated and prepped with Tamiya silver paint. Same both side. Also finished off the aileron linkage by making up the connecting rods from 2mm wire rods And finally fitted the steerable nose wheel servo that sits in a ply plate glued into the crutch frames just aft of the engine mount. All this sit below were the battery will sit and surprisingly spacious. Just a simple direct linkage to the standard Futaba 148 servo in this case. I'll keep adding a few more scale details whilst waiting for the weather as my only chance for spraying is at the weekends now so to a point progress is limited by the weather. I did get a chance to put the model together and sit her on the scales, As a guesstimate 5 to 51/4 lbs n a 55 inch span model, I'll weight to see the final weight before looking at wing loadings, I need to sort out a prop combination for 500+ watts now I guess. More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 Getting closer now . Just a thought on the nose wheel steering would it not be better with a sprung arm . Just thinking about the gears getting stripped . Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted November 8, 2015 Author Share Posted November 8, 2015 Your quite right Stephen and if I could find the one I had bought I would use it, The load should not be too bad a a sprung unit would be better or even a 'V' bend in the wire - good call. Linds Edited By Lindsay Todd on 08/11/2015 20:39:56 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted November 8, 2015 Share Posted November 8, 2015 This is a great subject Lindsay. It has been interesting following this build and seeing the experience that is going into it. Should be a great flyer and fulfils the criterion for an aeroplane that makes people say "what's that then"? Right up my street! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted November 13, 2015 Author Share Posted November 13, 2015 Despite the lousy weather, a break in the rain and drop in the wind gave me enough shelter to get the brown top coat down onto the model late this afternoon. I always leave the green colour as the last to apply as it just seems to be the more natural method although I have no idea which would have been done first in reality. Anyway a good even spray coat to the top surfaces done and allowed to dry off for a few hours. I then took a sponge scouring pad and cut the surface back gently relieving the rivet lines and some areas of the silver base coat to areas that might have been high wear and tear areas. I do this with each coat as I find leaving till the green is down as well ends up with two layers of paint to cut back and too easy to take off too much too easily, doing it in layers seems to give me more control. anyway this is how she now looks. I will need to leave it now for 48hrs before the green can go down but with the weather forecast that should not be a problem anyway. This stage makes all those rivets worth while as it does start to come to life. more soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 That's absolutely realistic, the same kind of build standard that we are seeing with Danny Fenton's Chipmunk build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andrew Price 2 Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 WOW. Can't wait to see this finished. It just gets better and better. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted November 14, 2015 Share Posted November 14, 2015 looks great Linds, detailing is so addictive Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted November 14, 2015 Author Share Posted November 14, 2015 Too kind gents, good fun , though I do think I got a little carried away with this one, but something a bit similar to come after. Anyway managed to get the green down late this afternoon, hand painted this time, just two coats, first thinned by about 30% second by about 15% to give good coverage. I use a good quality artists 1/2" flat sable brush to avoid brush strokes, I find small criss-cross pattern the best letting the brush do the work. When dry I then treated the surface as before with a foam scouring pad to cut the surface back and bring out the rivets panels and some wear and tear. She now looks like this. I will leave it to dry now for a couple of days then its time to prep the underside and mask of the upper surface ready for spraying Duck Egg Blue to the underside. It looks like it's nearly done but there are actually quite a few jobs still to be done such as lettering, roundels and a few extra details before completing the radio installation and set the cg. Then hopefully find I have enough power from the motor! More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted November 15, 2015 Author Share Posted November 15, 2015 Just a couple of bits done today. I have added the wing walk grip strips on the right hand side of the wing, these are simply made from wet and dry sand paper cut into 8mm strips with rounded end and glued in place with rc modellers glue which dries clear. Also painted the inside of the cockpits with oxide dark green and when dry glued the instrument panels into position. I have enough space to add more detail in the cockpits in the future and might be something I do at some point but I still need to find one or two suitable pilot figures also. More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stephen Jones Posted November 15, 2015 Share Posted November 15, 2015 Yes Linds , With such a large open cockpit area you will have to put a suitable pilot in there or it will just look silly and all that fine detailing will be at a loss . Keep up the good work Steve . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted November 21, 2015 Author Share Posted November 21, 2015 Bit more work today starting with getting the duck egg blue colour down on the underside. I have to say I am not a fan of the colour but according to the reference it is correct just looks different. Same techniques as the top, spray on, leave to dry and hen cut back with a scouring pad to reveal panels and rivets etc. With that done it was time to make a start on the lettering and roundels. for this I use an 80 micron low tack masking film that I cut with a Graphitec Cameo cutter, I bought this a couple of years ago and never regretted it. Danny I think has the same unit. Once printed or more accurately cut out I use a clear backing film to transfer them onto the model using some witness marks to set the correct position. A bit of a rub down round the edges and they are ready to paint over. Where possible I try to get a couple of coats down and then peel away the mask film as soon as possible as the contact adhesive does get stronger with time although a little heat from a hair dryer will help if its been more than a couple of days. Film removed and end result. Just have all the other bits to do now, then get a lacquer coat which I might well do with Deluxe Materials acrylic finishing resin given this is electric as it does seem to work rather well. More soon Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ton van Munsteren Posted November 21, 2015 Share Posted November 21, 2015 Wooooo Linds thats going to be a beauty and will turn heads, my compliments Cheers Ton Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted November 22, 2015 Author Share Posted November 22, 2015 Very Kind Ton, bit more paint work done today with the wing roundels top and bottom, always takes a while as has to be done in layers so glad that's out the way Also added the little mass balances to the top of the rudders, just push rod wire lengths with shaped balsa block glued in place and painted, distinctive so worth adding I thought. Now looks like this Fuselage roundel next then the windscreens to be made, a few more surface detail bits. More soon. Linds Edited By Lindsay Todd on 22/11/2015 18:16:49 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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