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Building Jim Newberrys Puddleduck


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So,..... for anyone interested.......There may be one or two.....surprise here we go.

A weird start, as the first thing I made was a jig for cutting things square.

The whole Model is more or less made from 1/4" balsa of various widths, so this will make it easier.

I can't claim invention rights as my mate Johnny showed me his, and no doubt others will have made one.

D.D.

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Edited By Dwain Dibley. on 27/02/2018 12:41:21

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I, too, intend to build a Puddleduck, but the weather on the West Coast of Scotland has been excellent for flying, presenting all conditions, that I have had no spare time to build! I have the proverbial long list hidden in the shed, but as a returnee and a retiree I have to concentrate on re-learning to fly (not that I was ever very good first time around).

I'll be watching this thread with interest. Thanks, DD.

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Puddleduck looks like a good build that should produce a fine plane. It has that 'TLAR' look about it.

I have put the plan away in a safe place pending construction. (Hope I can find it agin when the time comes). I shall be following your thread with interest Dwain.

Liked the balsa cutting guide too and I will be knocking one of those up soon.

Pete

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Made a cursory start on PD, I got the tail end of the plan copied at work and pinned it down with the rest of the plan, to make a start on the Fuselage.

D.D.

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On the other bench is another kit, a high winger...... can you tell what it is ?? I intend to put an over sized motor in it to have a hack that will fly in almost any weather...laughwink

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Posted by McG 6969 on 01/03/2018 07:39:22:

Hi Dwain,

@ Onetenor > IMHO 'tlar' just means "too late, all right" and the 'stripper' mostly works at night... but then, English isn't my native language. blush

Cheers

Chris

English may not be your native tongue Chris, but you sure have got a handle on the humour.........Made me laugh out loud Mate....laugh

Also the contraption is not really a stripper, but a simple tool for cutting sheet and strip at 90 degrees and square.

D.D.

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Got the Hack Glued up and some parts made for the PD fuselage today before work......Where I got stranded, BTW, cos nobody can make a decision about closing the place due to snow....Had to leave my van and walk home.......still, exercise is good for you so they say.

It's been a while since I had to make all the parts for a model, gets you thinking......Good for the old Grey Matter..

D.D.

The Balsa cutter in action

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The Hack, under pressure "weighting" for the glue to dry, anyone guess yet ??

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PD

There are literally 3 parts for each side to make, so 6 in total, made from 1/4 sheet.The rest is 1/4 X 1/4

Two sides to make, one on top of the other, with a bit of plastic sheet in between.

Next will be the Formers, made from 1/2 X 1/8 strip.

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Edited By Dwain Dibley. on 01/03/2018 21:38:30

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Thanks for the laughing "out loud", Dwain. smiley

But, regarding your 'secret' hack, I have no idea, except that it must be quite strong.

If I try that sort of 'battery torture' to my Vicomte, I'll better order another kit right away, I guess... surprise

Cheers

Chris

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I must admit I looked at the Puddleduck myself even though I have plenty to do on the building front as it is (the DB Cirrus Moth is progressing even though I haven't posted any pictures lately there are some in the camera), however the words 'light winds' put me off. We almost never get any at Ashbourne, and if we do I enjoy pootling around with my Tiger Moth or Fun Cub.

I'm sure this will be an exemplary and rapid build, Dwain and you'll be finished before I get the Moth ready for covering so I'll be watching with interest. As for the 'mystery' build, I have no idea but it looks like an old fashioned US-style kit intended for an exposed upright glow engine.

Geoff

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Continued with the fuselage sides today thanks to a snow day, and as you will see got loads done.

I have included a couple of pictures showing how I get a neat joint on the 1/4 X 1/4 cross pieces. Before you all shout at me....there may be someone out there who was wondering how to do it....thinking

Always cut over-size and sand back to fit.

Once I had one side done, I made the rear panel where the snakes/pull pull wires will exit. I always make them to fit in the hole but you could make them as per the plan and then build round them, your choice.

Then it's plastic over the built side and another identical side built on top.

While I had the plan pinned down I made the tail fin and rudder, again from 1/4 sheet and 1/4 X 1/4 strip.

Made a hatch and a doubler for the arming plug on the "other" model, the fuselage sides are now together, just got to pull the tail in.

D.D.

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Seeing double.

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Made from sheet and scraps of 1/4.

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All rounded off and sanded. hinges in but not glued till after covering. Also notice the gussets have been added.

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The other one. She is gonna have six cells so I am fitting an arming plug. In this way you can be behind the prop when the model goes live. I will have to make the harness again as I cant find a commercially available XT60 one, only the bit that goes in the fuz side. easy enough to make, see my DB Moth thread.

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Edited By Dwain Dibley. on 02/03/2018 16:06:37

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Funnily enough I've been looking at one of those XT60 surface mount units just about an hour ago and can't decide how it's supposed to work. Do you just glue the connector in? Because there doesn't seem to be any positive mechanical fixing and a fair bit of force is needed both to connect and disconnect XT60s.

Good idea to fit the plug to a motor connection, Dave. I'll have a think about that because one of the advantages will be that you aren't going to be flexing the connection every time you replace the main battery. I've never bothered with an arming plug before because all the conversions I've done before have easy and quick access to the battery through a top hatch.

I'm intending to fit one to the Moth as the battery hatch is less accessible than on my other conversions as it's on the bottom. (I'm just making a hatch).

Geoff

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Dave........Very Close matey....surprise

Bit more........ made the front former F1, and the motor mount F2, the motor mount is 3mm ply, I normally make them a bit thicker, but I reckon Jim knows his stuff, and it is a floater for calm days. The front former is half inch balsa. Both made from stuff from the scrap bin....laugh

The rest of the formers are made from 1/2 X 1/8, and are dead simple to make. I pinned the up rights and made the tops and bottoms oversize. CA was the adhesive and then I trimmed the overhangs. That way you are sure they are square.

D.D.

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Posted by Geoff Sleath on 02/03/2018 16:38:50:

Funnily enough I've been looking at one of those XT60 surface mount units just about an hour ago and can't decide how it's supposed to work. Do you just glue the connector in? Because there doesn't seem to be any positive mechanical fixing and a fair bit of force is needed both to connect and disconnect XT60s.

Good idea to fit the plug to a motor connection, Dave. I'll have a think about that because one of the advantages will be that you aren't going to be flexing the connection every time you replace the main battery. I've never bothered with an arming plug before because all the conversions I've done before have easy and quick access to the battery through a top hatch.

I'm intending to fit one to the Moth as the battery hatch is less accessible than on my other conversions as it's on the bottom. (I'm just making a hatch).

Geoff

I prefer to use bullets as an arming plug - on this model the motor, esc and battery slide out through the cowl in one lump, so the arming plug had to be in a small hatch on the underside where the motor tray retaining bolts fit.

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Posted by Dwain Dibley. on 02/03/2018 16:50:10:

Good idea Dave. thumbs up

Geoff, the connector sits in the black plastic shroud, and is held in with 2 grub screws one each side.

I may add epoxy too, belt and braces.

D.D.

I bought 2 of these surface-mount XT60 connectors last year some time and never used either. Only one of them includes the grub screws and it wasn't the one I was examining yesterday. I've either lost them or they were left out. I guess they just 2mm ones so not a problem to replace and I'll be using glue as well just to make sure.

Probably a good idea to do all the soldering before putting the connector into what I guess is a thermo-plastic holder that could distort with heat.

Geoff

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Hi Geoff, yeah, do all the soldering as the surrounds can get a bit squiffy with heat, as can the XT60's. I always put a male and a female together when soldering, which keeps them in shape.

Today I cut out the recesses for the ply undercarriage plates, having made them from laminating two lengths of 3mm ply, again from the scrap box.

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A test fit of the ply bearers.

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The next job was to glue in the first four formers. I use some old batteries as they are nice and heavy and dead square.

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I marked out the position of the motor mount. It has 5 deg down an 1.5 deg right thrust built in.

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A test fit of the other side, nice and square....the batteries don't lie...

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With the motor mount dry fitted.

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A little set of parts, last two rear formers 7 & 8, F1, F2, ply U/C bearers, and two 1.5 mm ply Doublers for where the wing band dowels go.

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Edited By Dwain Dibley. on 03/03/2018 19:42:29

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