An Introduction to the PSSA 2018 Mass Build Project

[Toshiro Saruwatari]

Ordered myshort kit set and am waiting for shipping quote.

Toshiro in Tokyo

[Phil Cooke]

Great to have you onboard with the Mass Build once again Toshiro!!

[Peter Garsden]

Have tried to bookmark this to no avail.

Will try again.

My kit will arrive soon but still busy with the Canberra. Will try to order tonight the rest of the balsa.

[Chris Barlow]

Finally got around to the Comets pitot tube tonight, only 2 days late!

The tube is only 5mm in diameter which is the same size as my smallest magnets so I couldn't let them into the tube. You can get 3mm dia bar magnets if the Hurri cannons are a small diameter and drill each end to fit them.

So, step one. cut the cannon (pitot tube) about 1/2" from the le of the wing.

Step two, drill each face slightly bigger than the magnet diameter.

Step 3, glue in a magnet to each side with slow epoxy ensuring opposite poles face each other. (mine are just glued to the faces)

Step 4, put the two section together with a small strip of cling film between the magnets, and carefully line them up.

Step 5, when set, carve out a slot on the underside of the joined cannon and inset a short strip of a rubber band, about 1" with medium cyano. (or just glue it to the underside without a slot)

Step 6, paint yer cannon! That's it!

Because there are two magnets they will always try to center to each other in the same place so the cannon sections should align exactly every time. You can't use one magnet and a metal washer or similar because they will just stick together wherever they like.

Now to glue the pitot tube back onto my Me 163 wing!

Edited By Chris Barlow on 07/03/2018 00:07:29

[Phil Cooke]

Thanks Chris - nice job! No excuses for not adding the L/E mounted 20mm cannons now then!

[Bob Jennings 1]

Nice one Chris! Just when I was considering a cannon-less variant!

[Phil Cooke]

Is it just me or is the Hurricane proving harder to choose a final scheme for than the JP and the A4?

[Phil Cooke]

I've been asked to provide some build notes, the following was drafted during the recent beta test build of a fuselage from the first set of parts cut by Sarik, some minor tweaks were made to the kit and drawing following that exercise - and the notes below have been amended to suit the production kit.

Please note these cover the basic fuselage build ONLY. The models tailplane, fin, radiator and wing construction is all very conventional stuff and as such were not completed as part of the beta build (the shape of parts was confirmed but no assembly was finished) so I'm afraid there are no build notes beyond those written here.

I hope you find these of some help - of course you don't have to read them if you don't want to spoil the adventure!

PREP

Clean up all laser cut formers of soot with a dry rag, taking care not to snag and damage the parts. This aids both handling and adhesion. Open up all formers with holes for the snake outer to suit your chosen hardware.

FUSELAGE SIDES

Make up the fuselage sides – formed by gluing the upper, lower and front (keyed) pieces of each side flat on the board. The fuselage sides are supplied over size to allow for curvature. Using the Sheet 2 2D layout, accurately mark up the position of 1/2” x 1/8” datum doubler from front to back and the position/angle of all formers and 1/32” wing saddle doubler on the inner surfaces.

Ensuring a L and R handed pair - Accurately fit the 1/2” x 1/8” fuselage doubler (from front to back) and the 1/32” ply wing saddle doubler (align carefully to wing seat profile) - DO NOT fit the rear lower triangular section at this stage. Trim the datum doubler at the rear to clear for the tailplane seat (shown as a grey area on the plan)

COMPOSITE FORMERS

Glue lite-ply former doubler F3A flat to former F3 ensuring that the 6mm wing dowel passes through both parts before it sets firm.

Assembly the 2 x captive nut plates to form a 1/4” thick wing mount plate - and once dry permanently fit the captive nut.

NOSE SUB ASSEMBLY

Make up the battery box and mark the required position of F2 ensuring it is square in both planes.

Dry assemble the nose formers - Slide the battery box through F3 and F2 and vertically mount onto F1, dry fit the 2 fuselage profile guide formers F10 – when all square glue the assembly ensuring battery box is flush fitted with rear face of former F3.

Edited By Phil Cooke on 07/03/2018 21:45:21

[Phil Cooke]

part ii...

FUSELAGE BOX ASSEMBLY

Pin the right fuselage side flat to the board and glue the F3 nose assembly, F7 and wing bolt captive nut plate all square at 90 degrees to the fuselage. Note the base of F7 sits just below the bottom of fuselage side panel.

Once set, turn the assembly over and lower onto the second fuselage side, taking care to ensure everything is square and aligned in profile at the nose and tail datums.

Once dry, pin the box fuselage to the board over the plan (you will have to slip a 1/4” balsa shim under the panels to clear the former F7 overhang) and using the C/L guides pull the tail in and join firm at the rear. You will have to chamfer the 1/2” x 1/8” datum doublers to zero at the back to allow them to mate at the required angle. Ensure everything is straight and that the tailplane seat each side is accurately aligned.

Dry fit rear formers F8 and F9 using position guides marked on inside of fuselage sides – once in position apply glue only BELOW the 1/2" x 1/8" fuselage doubler as the top half of the fuselage sides will ‘pull in’ over the tops of the formers later.

COCKPIT FORMING

Dry fit F4 and F6 onto the top face of the fuselage doublers, again using the markings on the inner face to position and align – then dry fit F5 at the required angle, pulling the fuselage sides in a little to ‘pinch’ the formers onto the top of the doubler. Ensure approx alignment of the 1/4” x 1/4” stringer slots before any glue is added to the top former assembly – gluing them just to the doublers. Note the stringer needs to twist along its length to sit in the recesses accurately – this can be pre-twisted using water, steam or ammonia before this is fitted and glued, forming the cockpit skeletal frame.

Glue in the 1/4” x 1/4” balsa fuselage ‘spine’ stringer between F3 and F4 noting the overhang rear of F4 to help form the cockpit cowling.

RIGGING

Fit snake outer from F4 through formers to rear and make suitable access through fuselage side wall 1” below height of tailplane seat.

Fit the pre-cut servo mount plate between F3 and F4. There are 2 supplied if you want to add a rudder.

REAR LOWER SHEETING

Add the 3/4” triangular section to the rear lower fuselage, it will need slotting between F7 and F8 to allow the 2D curvature in plan. Mount the section into the triangular recesses in F8 and F9 and bend it into the fuselage. Note the 3/4” triangular stock will sit proud both front and rear of F8 – once dry the fuselage needs to be sanded back to the curved profile as shown on Sheet 1 (effectively sanded to the bottoms of the formers F8 and F9) reducing the thickness of the triangular section accordingly.

Once sanded to the correct seating profile, add the 5/16” balsa sheet to the rear lower fuselage section butt joining it upto the rear face of F7.

GENERATING THE CURVES

Apply ammonia to the front fuselage doubler and fuselage side wall section between F3 and F1 and once ‘soft’ pull the nose in onto former F1 to create the correct plan profile against the F10 guide formers. Clamp and allow to dry. Once fully dry undo the clamps, apply the glue and reclamp into position, producing the required nose curvature in plan view.

Apply ammonia to the lower half of the fuselage between formers F3 and F2, and once soft, pull the fuselage sides in and around onto the lower curves of former F2. Clamp or tape until dry. Once dry remove the clamps, apply glue and reclamp or tape into position.

Apply ammonia to the top half of the fuselage sides and doubler from F2 to F9 and once soft pull the fuselage sides over the formers (ensuring the re-entrant waist is formed around the cockpit formers F5 and F6 – Clamp here using suitably shaped balsa batons and tape until dry) Pull the remaining side area over the formers. Once dry fix with medium cyano and pinch locally until the assembly grabs. Then reinforce all joints with PVA from the inside.

Trim and sand fuselage side overhangs to the fuselage formers as required.

Glue the rear top balsa sheeting to the fuselage running from the cockpit rearwards to the tail.

‘Block in’ the nose section with laminated soft balsa between F2 and F1 above and below the local fuselage sides and sand to correct 2D profile.

Glue the front top and bottom soft balsa sheeting to complete the nose section. Sand to profile.

This completes the basic fuselage construction as proven during the recent beta test build prior to Sarik manufacturing the first ‘production’ woodpacks.

[Harry Twist]

Thanks for all the construction details Phil, really helpful.

My kit arrived today from Sarik - very impressive! As you say 19 sheets, neatly cut and fully identified, two vac forms plus 2 plan sheets. On laying the kit out to check that all the sheets were present, the quality control assessor gave the kit a paws up!

Getting the rest of the wood together and then looking forwards to starting soon, still hovering on specific aircraft / colour scheme though.

[dirk tinck]

My order came in today:Let the build begin !Will deal with paint schemes later

[Phil Cooke]

Great to see the short kits arriving safely in modellers workshops!! I'm looking forward to seeing the numerous build blogs commence guys!!

It's a quicker build than the A-4 was, certainly, but who's betting they'll still be a mass scramble for the line as we approach September!!?

All part of the fun I suppose

Edited By Phil Cooke on 07/03/2018 23:33:42

[John Donohoe]

Hi all what is the most finishing method used. Will it be too heavy using glass cloth and epoxy resin any thoughts would be welcome.

[Bob Jennings 1]

Feeling the love!

[Bob Jennings 1]

See how the MG's have been moved outboard to accommodate the bomb release....

[Graham Green]

Or could it be the Mk IIB with the 'twelve gun wing' and bomb load known as the 'Hurri Bomber'

Edited By Graham Green on 08/03/2018 14:32:45

[Bob Jennings 1]

Aye. Nice one. Hadn't considered that.
Got me thinking though and my shot of the Duxford machine in 2010 turns out to be Hawker Hurricane Mk IIB BE505 which does have 12 .303 MG's.

I need a bit more research.

 

Edited By Bob Jennings 1 on 08/03/2018 14:58:59

[Flyer]

Just picked up a very big box from Sarik, and I do believe that it's larger than you lot have had. I wonder why that is??? Pics to follow in due course.

Ade

[Phil Cooke]

Hi John,

I'm guessing most of the PSS Hurricanes being built will be covered in either a shrink film or tex - but certainly applied with weight in mind a 25g/m2 glass cloth and resin solution will still work just fine. I intend to go that route with my example for sure having enjoyed the robust and 'maintenance free' finish you get with this method.

[Flyer]

Posted by Flyer on 08/03/2018 16:01:23:

Just picked up a very big box from Sarik, and I do believe that it's larger than you lot have had. I wonder why that is??? Pics to follow in due course.

Ade

As promised, initial examination of short kits from Sarik is good. Well packaged too. Three kits, but which ones???

[John H. Rood]

 

 

Edited By John_Rood on 09/03/2018 12:42:38

[Brian Boucher]

Received my kit yesterday making a start soon. Here is a link to a lot of possible colour schemes https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=&tbm=isch&tbs=rimg:CZzRlPpQ7RtNIjjWXUQ9eVCTfLl9v7cjZVCv61uMZ72AFEVCti4DLYx_11zn6lUBUXCGjFTt-ijAzqCEar8YS_1z_1XuSoSCdZdRD15UJN8EXitDj8qfNd4KhIJuX2_1tyNlUK8RmyMUl0Recq0qEgnrW4xnvYAURRFOPdIltV6K9ioSCUK2LgMtjH_1XEcTEDTCgknEhKhIJOfqVQFRcIaMRRFmodmOXknAqEgkVO36KMDOoIRHkamoUrss-9yoSCRqvxhL_1P9e5Ee5n5ZTKHCXk&tbo=u&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHy8W-tt_ZAhWKIsAKHQC7Bo4Q9C8IGQ&biw=1920&bih=922&dpr=1

[Stephen Bowdler]

Hi All,

Just received my short kit so the build will start this weekend. I have to get it finished by the end of May as I'lll be away all summer - better get my skates on!

[Phil Cooke]

wow! We'll all be watching your build blog closely then if you share your speedy journey Stephen - I presume you are back well in time for the Mass Build meet 9th September??

[Toshiro Saruwatari]

rather large box arrived at the door today, despite the fact that its a Sunday here. Much thanks to JPS, Japan Postal Service. 1,200yen in tariff was a bummer, but the big boy of the house is, ofcourse, happy.

Cocoa and Rum are showing great interest. They seem to share my joy and enthusiasm.

Canopy and spinner arrived intact. In the past, Jet Provost canopy arrived crushed, so I had requested Sarik Hobbies to pack well, and they obliged, did a good job. Dont think I can get started ASAP, but this time, I'll get her done and flying. Yes, there are two short kits here. Wider one is belated A4. Decided to make the best use of coupon offer and offset the cost of EXPENSIVE S&H by ordering two kits.