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Craig's first build Ballerina


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Thanks for the tips guys. I've just checked and it doesn't seem to be distorted. 😇 I'm going to attemp the other half this afternoon. Then for all intents and purposes the build is finished. Just refit the engine and sort the CG out. 😬 Maiden next week with a bit of luck. 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🤓

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Posted by Chris Barlow on 19/04/2016 12:11:54:
No rush Craig.

Double check everything and get it nice before the maiden. Much less to worry about then and you can just enjoy it.

There used to be a poster up in every RAF hangar that I ever worked in.

"DON'T ASSUME. CHECK"

It is worth having one up in one's workshop. I know that occasionally I do assume. I usually regret it.

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One thing: it looks like your aileron pushrod is at the outer hole on the servo and quite far in at the aileron horn. Given that the servo does +- 45 degrees and your aileron should not have more then about +-20 degrees I usually have them the other way around. (so a longer out at the rudder horn then at the servo side).

Have you checked that with your transmitter servo setting on 100% and no DR you get the aileron deflections that Peter specifies in the article?.

Having them like this is wat 3D flyers do. They need 60-70 degree deflections on the surfaces. But a Ballerina does not.

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Thanks for the tip Lukas. Rightly or wrongly, my normal process for getting the correct amount of surface movement is to adjust the travel settings on my transmitter. It's no biggy to change wholes. 👍planning on finishing the running in process on the engine tomorrow afternoon, then I can get her all bolted together. 😊
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There is one question I wanna pick the pro builders brains with, what's the best glue for gluing pin hinges on? The reason I ask is because I was gonna use CA hinges on the Ballerina. But unfortunately on the ailarons, then cutting the grooves, I thought it would be a good idea to use the hook blade thing to open up the slits a little. What was i thinking? The blade is thicker that the hinge, so when i can to gluing the hinge in I could not get a reliable bond so it forced my hand towards pin hinges I've learn through robarthinges to use Vaseline on the actual hinge it's self, but I always get epoxy everywhere is there a trick that I am missing? At the end I always have to spend ages chiselling the hard epoxy out and of course, damaging the covering

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Right, I use the CA hinges but as you have used a much thicker blade that is not possible any longer.

For future reference.I actually make my slots with an Xacto type knife with a chisel shaped blade.

As for epoxy. Well, you use the vaseline to protect the actual hing area

You can use either methylated spirit (alcohol) or acetone to remove surplus apoxy before it goes hard. Nail varnish remover is mainly acetone.

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Graig,

By setting down the travel in the transmitter you are effectively only using a part of the servo travel. That means each step of the servo is a bigger amount of surface travel. In addition the slop in the servo gear and the linkage has more effect (sloppier surface). I am not sure whether one would notice it in flight though.

Consider using polyurethane glue for your nylon hinges. The glue expands, thereby filling both the holes in the hinge and any cavities you have made. I use Gorilla glue, that sticks well on most materials.But do roughen up the nylon so the glue has more "ridges" to key in to. If you have a hinge to spare do a trial on a spare piece of balsa and try to pull it out afterwards. I would be surprised if not the balsa desintergrates first.

Good luck, Lucas

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Just waiting for the spinner to be delivered. Forgot all about that. Then balance and fly. In the pics the cowl is not on. But it's all ready. Once balance and ready I'll add some pictures to the finished thread. Please note the hand cut Decals. Quite pleased with them. There is another letter due to go on the wing, but due to superstitious reasons it can't go on for another 6 weeks and 4 days or there about. They are the first initial of all my family members. Craig and Rebecca and the 2 dogs Henri and Tobi

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Thanks John. The silver truly was a pain in the arse. But the blue was pretty easy. It was inspired by a picture of a real plane I found Online, but my blue is a bit darker. 😧 still please with it though all in all. It's very nose heavy. That's without the cowl and spinner on. Think I'm gonna have to rob the local church roof lead for this one. 😲
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Craig, you only need a little weight at at the fin post to make up for a lot in front. It is more throublesome the other way around.

With regard to my build: final sparkling and covering is still to be done. But spring has come, which means the boat needs some attention, there is a garage to complete and last but not least the flying season has started and with the first F3A competion only 4 weeks away I try to get 2 trainings a week in.

So the only time for the Ballerina is when it is raining to much for anything else, which it does notl

Good luck with the maiden!

Lucas

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