Mark Stringer Posted June 15, 2015 Share Posted June 15, 2015 I have enjoyed making the Atom Special and was planning to build a Spyro3 next - both Rich Harris's designs of course. As I looked at the Spyro I thought it would be good to adapt it to use some of the design and build features of the Atom ... so eventually was conceived the Spratom ... really should give it a better name It also takes in some of the changes I made when I built my Atom. I managed to draw myself a set of parts .. which was obviously wrong once I actually cut them out (though only a couple of small errors) so I drew it again and so far it looks OK. It has a slightly wider body than the Atom as I found it a tight squeeze getting a 2200 and ESC in the Atom and I will need to get the receiver in this one too. It has a fairly small parts list made up of 3mm balsa, 6mm balsa, 3mm lite ply and 6mm ply plus some 6mm C/F tube and the spruce mast (originally should be the same as the Atom but I am having some other thoughts about that too - I need to decide as it quickly affects my build.) I am sure I will be making even more calls on Rich than I do now once I get near to the end of this build! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 Ok - so here are the balsa and ply parts .. there will be a couple of pieces of sheet on the bottom to add to this plus the 6mm sheets that go between the mast holding formers .. but other than the mast, C/F tube, a few servo bearers and the hardware this is about it. I made a modest start with the glue - nose block laminated, rear boom holders laminated and angle spacers added to the rear of the fuselage. I need to decide what to do about the mast before going much further. I will do more updates when I get things done but I will be doing this build as and when .. not going for a 10 day build like I did with the Atom! Edited By Mark Stringer on 15/06/2015 14:19:39 Edited By Mark Stringer on 15/06/2015 14:20:21 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 15, 2015 Author Share Posted June 15, 2015 I should have mentioned that it will of course have tail feathers these will be from 6mm depron. .. all will become clear as this progresses Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 A little work done today. I have cut out the mast (need to do 2 as the Atom needs a new one!!) and also added a couple of extra parts. I have also put together a rough jig from scrap that will be used to drill the sides ready for the 6mm CF tubes used for the main U/C. The jig is used to rest the sides on while the 6mm holes are drilled with a stand drill - that gives the U/C the down angle .. I will take pictures later to make this clearer. The new parts are 3mm lite ply and sandwich the 6mm balsa part. This completed unit will fit in the centre of the fuselage to take the ends of the main U/C - so will have holes drilled to accept them once the sides are drilled and I can get it together to make sure the angles are correct. I have also marked out the 6mm balsa pieces that will go between the main mast formers to hold the mast and allow easy access to the servo leads. I will add pictures of these once cut out and fitted to the formers to make it clearer. So not much done but slow and steady progress. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Straight from the Atom into an own design! Very impressive. Looking forward to seeing how it looks as I am tempted to have a go at a bigger, pusher, tricycle u/c Atom. Just not enough time before Greenacres and finish the Cub as well! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 Not sure I can claim it as an own design! I have done the full drawing set but i couldn't do much with it as it really is a hybrid of Rich's designs ... take the Atom construction method and apply it to a 10% enlarged Spyro3 then add in a few of the mods i did when i built the Atom I have kept Rich up to date and passed him a set of the plans too but it would need his approval to go any further or letting anyone else see them as well as drawing properly as i only have paintshop pro and a pdf program to do what i have done. So it is just for my fun at the moment bug looking forward to how it turns out Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 A bit more done today. First an idea of how I used that jig to get the UC angle And this is then how the 6mm CF tube fits at an angle As that was done I was able to get the fuselage together An idea here of how the UC goes through. The centre former (not glued in yet) will have angled holes drilled now that I have the correct position so that they key into it. Another closer view I then glued the sides all the way and added the front former and front top former - taking shape now I will add an epoxy seam around the important bits once it has fully dried. So the centre former to be epoxied in once drilled - then the mast formers to do and epoxy in place - getting there! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 19, 2015 Author Share Posted June 19, 2015 Another busy lunch hour! I cut the mast former facings last night and drilled the boom holders and U/C centre block. The facings glued onto the mast formers - rough and oversize so that the mast can be used as a guide to get it straight and the facings to hold it tight. Note that I found the servo bearers were in the wrong place! Must have measured a smaller servo! Correct and should be fine The centre strut has been expoxied in and the rear formers expoxied now too. The boom holders glued in place - keeping the boom in line with the fuselage. Nose wheel plate added too. You can see from this view why the boom holders are different sizes .. it keeps the boom parallel with the top of the fuselage Nose block added while I had a minute! Formers tidied up once the glue had dried and joined together .. Then ran out of time today Edited By Mark Stringer on 19/06/2015 14:23:19 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 22, 2015 Author Share Posted June 22, 2015 Yet another busy lunchtime today .. Mast done and rear former with servo rails fitted Side view of former showing servo rails and angled base to fit in fuselage Rear view showing the hole now for the motor wires to come through Rear prepared for the former - hole in rear bulkhead ready for motor wires and slots in sides for servo location Former fitted with epoxy View from the rear showing the angle of the former, servo cut-out etc. The top section will be sheeted once all sanded to profile Just to get an idea of what it will look like - does everyone have to do this? So next is sheeting the bottom and the rear former area - lots of sanding and it should start to look like a Spratom then! Once the base is sheeted it will have a servo location cut in and the nose wheel fitted - to steer or not to steer? Then axles and wheels, servos and tail feathers from 6mm depron. Actually feeling like it is not that far off now Edited By Mark Stringer on 22/06/2015 14:06:23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 23, 2015 Author Share Posted June 23, 2015 A little bit done today - still tired after seeing "Take That" last night! Worked on the bottom planking and tail feathers today. I added a block to stop the tail boom being able to move past the lite ply holders and added the rear plank first. The block also holds the front plank nicely in place .. rear plank now sanded to match angles of boom holders Then I continued to add rear and front planking - 3mm sheet used for the rear and 6mm laminations for the front. I like to put plenty in place as I find it helps me get nicer lines when I come to do the sanding (which will be started on the belt sander to get that ply nose wheel plate and the nose block to the right profile. Looks such a mess at this stage but it will come good when sanded - honest!! While bits were drying I cut the tail feathers out .. this is the first time I have used depron but it is very nice to work with.. I had heard that Depron blunts your knives and with this in mind, while in Poundland at the weekend, I spotted a set of utility knives. If I remember correctly you get a pack containing 2 of the large ones, 3 of the medium ones and 4 of the small ones .. and all for .. well you know how much As these use the snap-off blades that means hundreds of blades to go blunt for a quid - pretty good I thought - slid through the Depron like butter when doing the tail feathers. That's all for today - once I get the fuselage sanded I will do a side-by-side with the Atom to give an idea of the difference in size. Getting there .... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 24, 2015 Author Share Posted June 24, 2015 Bits and bobs today ... Changed the ball joints on the HK head for decent metal ones, added the FG to the mast sides, drilled the servo mount holes and that sort of thing. I did a little carving / sanding last evening but need to get it on the belt sander to really get going .. but I needed to sheet the mast formers first so I made a start on that today. I am using 1.5mm sheet so that it flexes nicely and will add another layer on top - that should make it pretty strong. It will be cut to size and the servo holes will then be cut out once it is all done. I also added an extra section to the nose to get the shape I want - yet more to sand! You may have noticed the stringers I have added down the sides - they just felt a little too flexible for my liking I popped a FG plate on the mast formers ready for where I will put a screw in to secure the mast I added a FG square underneath too so that I can also make the boom removable - best that way to make up for my lack of AG flying skills That's it for today - doesn't look much but some of the fiddly bits done so once the second skin is on the mast formers and it has all been sanded it will be getting quite close. Cockpit to decide on then - I plan on an open type style rather than doing a canopy. Also going for a 2 blade head just to make life interesting - though I may test it with the Atom blades first if the size and weight come out about the same as the Atom (which is the plan). Edited By Mark Stringer on 24/06/2015 14:08:40 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 25, 2015 Author Share Posted June 25, 2015 Formers double skinned and sanded now and some carving done ready for it to go on the belt sander I also decided on what to do with the cockpit - pretty simple but will need 2 windscreens! Popped in place - gives a fair idea of what I am trying to achieve - it will be held in place with magnets So I need to get it on the sanding belt now and then get it fine sanded ready for covering. Axles and wheels after that plus the rudder servo hole to cut out in the bottom - getting quite exciting now! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Stringer Posted June 30, 2015 Author Share Posted June 30, 2015 Man flu since last Thursday has put pay to any progress - especially sanding! This afternoon is the first time I have really had any energy for anything so sat quietly in shade and put a few bits together that I had prepared for the Spratom. The 5mm bolts that had their heads removed and bent to form axles, wheels, nose leg (steerable), mast screwed in place and boom screwed in place. Tail feathers then added - still needs the reinforcing strip added to hold the fin to the boom yet and rudder is taped in place just for show! But this gave the opportunity to do a side by side with the Atom to give an idea of size - so little progress really but a few photos all the same. So very little in it and I will most likely use the same blade size - which is good as I can test fly with the Atom blades then change to the 2 blade set afterwards. What IS different is the battery / ESC space - which is plenty more as I had hoped. That's it for now - more when I am feeling up to it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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