Seagull 80" DH Chipmunk

[Paul C.]

KY jelly 😲

[Danny Fenton]

Hi Chaps and thanks for all your input, certainly food for thought.

To be honest it feels like the glass tubes are not happy to be sanded, they are also porous, so anything we use will probably soak into the tubes

As the issue is the last inch, and i would only need to pull one wing, as then you could twist the joiner to remove the other. I am going to make a screw jack to push the wing that half inch to get it loose.

If I can get some stuff such as ptfe I will give that a go. But having spent several hours on this already I am getting tired of the issues. Perkins haven't responded so far, and a post on RCGroups not much either.

I guess if it was easy everybody would build models......

Cheers

Danny

[McG 6969]

You should really try some PTFE at least once, Danny.

It's really amazing stuff, even for your RDS wire in its melamine box...

I don't know if the German Würth brand is available in the UK, but it 's giving excellent results.

IIRC, WD-40 also has a PTFE spray available.

Cheers

Chris

[Ron Gray]

Posted by Danny Fenton on 10/03/2019 10:10:30:

Spent a very pleasant couple of hours last evening with pizza and beer setting up my new X10 with Chris Bott.

We flashed my X10 to the latest firmware, and then we copied Chris's setup from his X12S to my Companion software, I then copied the model into my Tx, the software realised the Tx's were different and converted the file. I then copied the config to the Tx. The reason you do it this way is to avoid copying Chris's Tx callibration.

Some of the sensors, Volta, Amps, Alt etc needing re-discovering but after 30 minutes I had an identical config to Chris's. Awesome radio.

Chris makes these sensor boards, based around an Arduino processor, he also has designed this really nifty power board which allows dual power feeds for your Rx, if one fails the other will take the load. A clever cahp is Chris!

Chris has an article on the sensor board coming up in a future issue of RCM&E, should be good! Chris is helping to put the "E" back in RCM&E, well done Chris, and thanks!

Cheers

Danny

Is this sensor an update / copy of the OpenXSensor device?

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Hi Ron. It is indeed an implementation of OpenXSensor. There's an article coming up soon in RCM&E. I'm intending to have a proper thread on it here, as soon as it's published.

Chris

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 16/03/2019 14:49:27

[Ron Gray]

Brilliant, I was looking at the OpenXSensor but saw that it has largely been ‘neglected’ by the designer for the past couple of years so eagerly await the article / thread as I want to build one!

[Mike Blandford]

There is a lot of information on the openXsensor here: **LINK**.

If you want something "simple" to start with, you could look at **LINK**.

I did this to replace the X8R2Analog device I designed that was available from T9Hobbysport (and Aloft in the US), but has recently been discontinued. Note it uses a 3.3V, 8MHz Arduino Pro Mini.

Mike

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

I now have a wing tube with an acceptable fit. Thanks to some suggestions here and some perseverance.

The ally tube has been smoothed with 600 wet n dry used wet, especially at the ends to be absolutely sure there's no burr.

But the most difference has been made by making my sanding tube a tighter fit. This is 120 grit aluminium oxide paper wrapped until it's a tight fit inside the wing. Obviously this applies more "sanding pressure" than previous attempts.

[Danny Fenton]

Excellent news Chris, i will have another go when I get home

Cheers

Danny

[Danny Fenton]

Okay a little bit more done.

I tried a larger sanding bar, well actually just did as Chris has and wound more paper on the piece of copper pipe until the size was closer. This has done the trick and thought the wing tube is now snug it can be slid of without risk to the wings internal structure.

I then moved on to the rudder and fin. On mine when the fuselage block is alligned the fin is offset heavily to the right, ie nose right. This is fine for an IC powered model, or electric with clockwise prop. But not if you wanted to do the model scale with A/C/W prop. ah well its not much of an issue really.

The rudder has an awful gret lump that is supposed to look like a trim tab on the trailing edge. The film was peeled back and the lump removed. The fine was then shaped and recovered in that area.

Rudder was attached using the provided fluffy hinges and trapped the piano wire wire tailwheel linkage.

The rudder and elevator throws were set. Had to use the very inner holes on the servos, and reduced the travel in the TX as well.

Cheers

Danny

[Danny Fenton]

Managed a little on the Chippy after some indoor flying at Shawbury.

The wings are all fitted out, servos, undercarriage etc.

I reduced the spring strength, by cutting the heavy spring in half and replaceing one half with a softer one. Need to add some foam between the two springs to act as a damper, but seems to work well.

As everything is connected at the back, then we are able to roughly check the C of G, with my two Rx packs in the nose and a 5S 5000mAh pack up front we are spot on 115mm. I still have the cowl to add so we should be fine without any additional noseweight. The tailplane faffing wa worth it

I will show you the cockpit later when it is finished but I have removed the panels, believe it or not they are made of lite ply!!! I have also removed the covering and re-done the interior in black, looks much better, but you will have to wait for the final pics.

Tony B being the kind soul that he is has prineted me some nice 3D ones that will go in instead. He also printed me a pilot at just the right size Thanks Tony

Cheers

Danny

Edited By Danny Fenton on 24/03/2019 23:38:25

[Danny Fenton]

Okay the yellow Chippy is ready to go. All systems are set up and the c of g checked.

Hopefully maiden tomorrow with Chris's, I still have a few little jobs to do but this will do to see how it flies.

I have set the model up on my new FRSky X10 so it will be interesting to see how I like the handset.

For those that thought my faffing around with a new tailplane was probably not worth the effort? Mine has come in at 9.8lbs with a 5S 5000mAh cell. Chris's has come in at 11.6lbs Granted he has used a 6S 4000, but I doubt there is much weight difference between the two packs? He has unfortunately had to add noseweight.

The wings are still a mare to remove, but at least doable.

If you compare mine to the standard Seagull item, I have done away with the stickers, only keeping the maple leaf roundels. I have cut some lettering to copy the Old Warden Chippy 671

So "tally ho" tomorrow

Cheers

Danny

[McG 6969]

Good luck with your maiden, Danny...

Cheers

Chris

[Tony Bennett]

she looks a beaut sir.

hope all goes well with the maiden.

Tony B

[Danny Fenton]

Well after staring out the window at glorious weather all week, it looks like my only opportunity for a fly, this afternoon, the wind is building by the hour. So might not happen today

But i will save your wishes for maybe next weekend

Indoor Nats are fast approaching, is anybody going to join us at Shawbury on May 12th. FO requires a simple indoor model like a foamie Champ, or Cub, fairly simple manouvres. But a terrific atmosphere where last time we all had a blast, and encouraged each other. Nobody really worried about positions in the end. It was an education to see Ian Pallister fly the scale pattern indoors. I will try for a video next time, so you can see how it should be done.

We are trying desperately for a better venue, but alas if we dont get more numbers it isn't economical. The FF  scale Nats venue in walsall is £1200 a day!

So please if you can't enter, try and come along?

 

Cheers

Danny

 

Edited By Danny Fenton on 31/03/2019 11:27:39

[Danny Fenton]

Well the deed is done, both mine and Chris's Chipmunks flew really well

C of g at around 115mm seems a good starting place.

Cheers

Danny

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

T'was a good session Danny, thanks for that. They did indeed go well.

[Tony Bennett]

congratulations to you both

Tony B

[Danny Fenton]

Thanks Tony, unfortunately the esc melted in mine on the first flight. It was rated to 70A and only pulled 52A max briefly, so just got a weak esc I reckon.

So the first landing was with a new Tx and deadstick. It was fine though. This will be a good model to practice the scale flying routine on.

Interestingly, Chris is flying with an identical motor and prop (15 x 10) on 6S and I am on 5S I didn't feel I was lacking any oomph.

Have to fly them together next time Chris

Cheers

Danny

[McG 6969]

Congrats, young men.

... but, is it me? ... or is the '671' missing its 'driver'... ??? ...

... humm...

Cheers

Chris

[Danny Fenton]

Aye Chris, very observant! my pilot is very pale and has heard about my flying

Still need to paint him, canopy is just taped on at the moment to allow access.

Cheers

Danny

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

A few pics of mine. Thanks Danny.

[Martian]

Brilliant stuff chaps congratulations

[Martin Harris - Moderator]

Love the third shot in the first set of flying photos which could be a shot of the real thing but did you steal one of Danny's missing undercarriage fairings, Chris? I might be wrong but the last time I saw the OW Chipmunk it was still in the standard configuration of a single landing light on the port leg - which again, with the exception of the elevator horn could have been taken of the full size.

If it's any use, I took some photos of the OW Chippie some years ago detailing the panels amongst other parts which I'd be happy to share.

e.g.

Edited By Martin Harris on 07/04/2019 19:39:52

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Martin I've put mine together pretty much as the kit comes, so that means two landing lights. I believe that Danny's doesn't have it's pants on because he wants to make some with a more realistic single light.

I'm content that I've found shots like this, which show a light on the stbd side.

Thanks for the detail, always interesting, but I'm more than happy to have a nice flying model that looks recognisably Chipmunk. Danny on the other hand is just a bit more fussy.