Mark Kettle 1 Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 I've had the balsa wood delivered and I've found some space to build my Skyhawk. Still not decided on a scheme yet, I have a book with lots of schemes in. Checked off the balsa to the list. and moved it to the shed I'm going to build it in. I'm looking forward to this build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve Houghton Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Welcome to the mad dash, Mark. I thought I had started late, so I'm not on my own! Looking forward to your revealing insights. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Glad you are blogging your fast paced journey Mark, glad too you are looking forward to a balsa build for a change from EPP or card! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted July 6, 2016 Author Share Posted July 6, 2016 Cheers boys, Helen's son said "are you feeling well, making it out of balsa?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 Jet Pipe 44mm round with a 6mm lip: I know it's a bit out of sequence but I've made my jet pipe with brown paper and pva. Save's on finding a 'Elizabeth Earle' bottle. The actual bottle I have found is cheap enough to trim and cut up and you could use the bottom of it, however my method does show another way of making the A4 jet pipe. Next few photo's will help: You can buy a cheap bottle from Wilko's ( Hardware store in UK) I made a 3mm thick lite ply ring that fits over the bottle, the outer wood from the hole is 6mm deep and marked off with spaced out graduations. I covered the ply ring with clear tape to stop it being stuck to anything. Using the ply ring as a pattern, I marked on the brown paper and cut out 3 circles and cut 6mm down the graduation lines. The 6mm wide x 300mm long brown paper is the glued and wrapped around the edge to make the pipe/tube end stout. Coat the brown paper in neat pva and form and mould around the bottom of the bottle with all 3 pieces. When dry you can slip it off the bottle. Looks about right. What do you think? Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 04/08/2016 11:13:59 Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 04/08/2016 11:15:59 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 Dry and just popped it off 6 hours later. Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 04/08/2016 18:11:46 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted August 4, 2016 Share Posted August 4, 2016 Wow you must feel you've got time on your hands Mark!! Clever stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 4, 2016 Author Share Posted August 4, 2016 Well Phil -DIY- finished fixing the front door and got the shower installed and with only doing 20 hours a week at work there's a little more time ( not many business people going too Heathrow in the holidays) so before I went to Soho London today I made it, it was dry when I got back. Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 04/08/2016 20:37:33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 24, 2016 Author Share Posted August 24, 2016 Jet Pipe Shroud. Found a glass seems correct dimensions - put some 3/8" balsa on it for fitting around the fin and moulded with pva and paper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 That's a whole page on the tailpipe! Let's see some airframe Mr Kettle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 27, 2016 Author Share Posted August 27, 2016 Airframe? Well it didn't work the paper struck to the glass , I've got to do it again. This time I put some grease proof paper in between paper / pva and glass applied with glue stick. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 It's worked, it came off the mould. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 I've chosen the scheme for my Skyhawk. Its going to be the VMA-224 << Bengals >>. A Marine Attack Squadron, in 1956 the squadron started conversion to the A4D-1, after this training they transferred to Iwakuni Japan in October 1957 to support ground forces in the area of the Philippines. At the end of 1958 VMA-224 settled at MCAS Cherry Point. August 1960 came a tour of duty in the Mediterranean on board USS Saratoga and took part in exercises led by the Vlth Fleet The main reason for choosing this scheme is the WK on the fin. My mum's initials. W = Winifred. After many tour and manoeuvres around the world they returned to Cherry Point North Carolina in November 1966 and renamed Marine All-Weather Attack Squadron however re-equipped with Grumman A-6 Intruders. Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 31/08/2016 11:46:52 Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 31/08/2016 11:48:08 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted August 31, 2016 Share Posted August 31, 2016 Nice scheme Mark Will she be done in time for the 11th? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 Not sure, but I've got this afternoon off and I'm going to make a start. I fell like Mr O'Reilly on 'Faulty Towers' "This one hear (fuselage) 1 1/2 hours, look look this one is easy (wing) lick of paint - lick of paint 1 hour, lick paint, What time is it now? Ten past twelve, so that's 4 1/2 hours plenty of time" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 Just got on to Tim at Model Markings and he as asked for the fin and nose outline with measurements at the side. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted August 31, 2016 Author Share Posted August 31, 2016 Started on the wing done the wing skins, torque rods and wing build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 Propped up the trailing edge with a wedge of balsa and put the top balsa skin on, and made a mount for the small Hitec MG65's I'm using on the ailerons. Cutting off the oversized balsa trailing edge to spec. Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 01/09/2016 00:21:04 Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 01/09/2016 00:24:51 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 Had the fan heater on the pair of wing halfs on two building boards to speed up the drying process. Cut the dihedral slot and the ailerons out after marking up. It's been a busy day. The wash-out is trapped withing the balsa sheeting saves on sanding a separate trailing edge stock, it's saved a bit of time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 The pair of wheel pants under the wing I fabricated to save some weigh, made from 3mm balsa mounted just inboard of the ailerons. Sanded to shape on the wing used masking tape on the wing to protect it. Bevelled the aileron fronts and hinged then, couldn't resist a deflection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted September 1, 2016 Author Share Posted September 1, 2016 I've still got to do the connections for the torque rods to wing ailerons, but punched out and laid the parts out for the fuselage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 That's some serious progress Mark! I reckon you'll have it built in a week! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 yeah going great guns!! I do like the built up ailerons Mark - I think my next design will definitely incorporate those - taking the skins to the extreme T/E as you have done - saves a lot of time sanding AND guarantees a perfect aligned interface between wing and 'washed out' flying surface. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Meade Posted September 1, 2016 Share Posted September 1, 2016 Nice to see some proper craftsmanship going into a SkyPork at last Mark - none of this "knock it out of solid" laziness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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