C17 Globemaster III - 1/15th Scale for PSS

[Andy Meade]

All formers are 4mm gash ply from the builder's merchants. 8 foot x 4 foot sheets are about £12 each, so are ideal for the bulk of this.

The only problem is that it does splinter and de-laminate quite quickly, so I am constantly running around gluing it back together! The tail parts are all 3mm lite-ply, which is so nice to work with compared to the other stuff. I was just going to say "stuff it" and use the 4mm in the tail, but then I remembered the weight problems I had with the A10's tail.

I have made more progress overnight and this morning, I will post some more updates later..

[Andy Meade]

So, tailplanes are now sanded to "first pass sand" level, and one elevator is done - the other needs a quick kiss from the hand plane then a sand from the Perma Grit. Spar grooves have been let-in too; wing tips added (1/2" soft balsa-1/8" liteply core - 1/2" soft balsa); and the hardware for mounting is cut and ready. By the end of the day, this will all be glued up - currently this is a dry fit.

It looks ready to fly as-is!

Here is a long & skinny elevator stuffed into position for a photo opportunity;

I'm loving that. To do this weekend :

• plank the top of the fin box
• add the blue foam LE - cut and create the light pod
• final fill and light sanding
• prep hinge mounting holes

That should be ready to cover (silver film) and stick in the loft so it's out the way by midweek.

[Andy Meade]

Bolt have arrived now (M5 x 100) for the tailplane mounting, but I wanted to get the whole assembly outside for a quick picture, as the weather is nice. No, the lawn hasn't been mown yet - too many models to build and paint

[Steve McLaren]

Yes it makes a good garden table! You could rest your beer on that tailplane!

Seriously impressive!

[Rory connell]

WOW that's epic !

[Andy Meade]

Thanks both! Yes she's coming along. Wings are all veneered and marked up for flying surfaces to be cut out - I will get a picture of them resting in the fus assembly soon. The are seriously big!

[Fredrum]

When you do get around to mowing the lawn Andy, you probably won't want to be standing in front of the grass chute when you get to that bit where your second dog seems to be sitting with intent

Impressive build BTW.

[Andy Meade]

Thanks Fred! Yes someone else pointed out that she was doing something...umm...unsavoury. The wife took the burst of photos, and in the rest you can see she was just turning around quickly after chasing a carrot. She likes to dig them up herself and play with them! (the dog does, not the bride).

Heres a pic a couple of frames on.  Thistle with carrot!

Edited By Andy Meade on 17/03/2016 11:37:53

[Andy Meade]

OK This time I have :

• mowed the lawn
• got the dogs out the shot
• gingerly held the wings on

As yet I haven't made the spar boxes, which will be the next big thing to do. I haven't got a lot of time to much over the next 2 weeks, so progress may be a bit slower until April.

[Steve Houghton]

Andy, That's another work of art. Great stuff.

[Harry Twist]

Hi Andy, Cracking work ! Thanks for sharing.

How will you finish the surface - foam-brown paper and paint?

Enjoy Easter.

Regards H

 

Edited By Harry Twist on 22/03/2016 21:39:59

Edited By Harry Twist on 22/03/2016 21:40:27

[Andy Meade]

Hey guys, thanks for the comments.

Harry yes the foam in fills on the fus will be covered in brown paper and maybe then glassed then sprayed . The veneered foam parts will be solarfilmed and sprayed. That's the plan so far anyway!

[_AL_]

Looking great. Should have plenty of presence in the air at that size.

Al

[Andy Meade]

I built a fuselage jig to keep things straight as it was all too floppy :

[Andy Meade]

Then moved onto the wings. Flap canoes in position (OK but laid flat), and the thick black lines are the engine mount datums. Razor saw included for scale.

Now ready to cut the flap and aileron faces.

[Lindsay Todd]

Impressive stuff guys. Linds

[Andy Meade]

Thanks Linds! She's getting there slowly, but as the saying goes - it takes many crumbs to make a cookie

I removed veneer from the top of the wing and made a little bent wire tool for the ancient soldering gun :

Whizz it along and hey-presto, slot made :

Some carbon tubes came to make the outers around the inners I'd bought a while back. These will be taking the loads in flight for the join between the front and back of the fuselage :

Joiners are 22mm OD, bearing tubes 25mm OD.

Next I made 3 spar boxes in liteply around the steel spar :

This then gets glued into the front fus section with some additional webs for support :

Then back to the wings to box-in the spoiler slot. Medium 1/8" balsa bottom, 1/4" square spruce at the front, 1/8" medium at the back. The twin-servo bay is lined with 1/8" liteply, the bottom now glued in as shown :

Spoiler servo on left, flap servo on right. Keep on keeping on

Edited By Andy Meade on 29/04/2016 09:26:03

Edited By Andy Meade on 29/04/2016 09:27:43

[Flyer]

Wow, great build so far Andy. You've also just given me an idea on how to join the X29 wings. Keep up the god work.

Looking forward to seeing this one fly.

Ade

[Andy Meade]

Thanks Ade Glad to have helped the X29 along - I think I'm more excited about that than the C17

[Phil Cooke]

Nice progress Andy - like the ply wing joiner tubes - what sort of wire do you use to make your handy little foam cutting forms on the soldering gun??

[Andy Meade]

Hi Phil. I think it's an old coat hanger? I've had it so long and bent it so many shapes I can't really remember!

[Andy Meade]

Spar installed - plane grows

More foam to glue into fuselage

Awaits wind and lift.

[Tim Mackey]

Looking pretty darn cool my man

[Andy Meade]

Cheers Timbo!

[John H. Rood]

General Meade, your C-17 giant trash-hauler build blog does not have enough Skyhawks.

Quick-fix here while Her Majesty's Damage Control Unit evaluates further action.