Piers Bowlan Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 Thanks for the heads up Charlie, following with interest. What I find curious is that Sarik Hobbies don't normally produce a CNC short kit to coincide with the plan publication and announce it in the mag. Having said that they did with 'Sssshhwept' an old 1969 design, republished in Jan RCM&E this year. Moon Dancer 2 is a quick build, club sized, 48in span electric aerobat from Peter, so has a very wide appeal, surely? Peter's finished plan has been with RCM&E since the Autumn last year, by all accounts, so plenty of time to prepare cutting files I would have thought. No doubt a CNC short kit will become available in the fullness of time, although now I am in no particular hurry personally as I have just started another of Peter's designs, Little Miss Honky Tonk for an electric conversion. But Moon Dancer 2 is on my list... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 The great thing about Peter's designs is that they don't really need laser cut parts unlike the plans from some other designers who design the most intricate parts that are so time consuming to cut by hand. But I suppose if they are going to produce laser cut parts Sarik should have them to coincide with the publication. Maybe they prefer to wait until all the errors are found ( they are never Peter's errors of course but at the re drawn plan stage!) so the 1969 plan would probably be just about debugged by now. But it would be nice to have a set of wing ribs available at a reasonable price for these designs. Edited By kc on 23/02/2020 17:18:25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 Well,the parts are easy to cut out because I am dead lazy. Never have two pieces when one will do. Oh yes...I do make mistakes and they don't get spotted.I usually correct themon my finalplan but some stillget left because I forget to correct them. THe ribs are all the same so a simple ply template means that they can all be cut out in half an hour. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 23, 2020 Share Posted February 23, 2020 I agree the parts are simple to cut, I did all the parts in one Evening. The wing ribs a snip, as Peter said cut a ply template and it's easy. I then did Peters other trick clamped them together and sanded to final shape. This is only my second build and it will take me about another two weeks to complete. I entered a Year ago at the deep end with a TN Lysander 300 hours later it's finished and I am really chuffed...Having got my A cert in three months! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted February 23, 2020 Author Share Posted February 23, 2020 I don't know the TN Lysander but I do know the aircraft. I can only say that to take THAT on as a first build is extreme bravery!!, Possibly worthy of the VC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Thanks Peter, I will await my Palace invitation Some progress started the upper decking, just used soft balsa, brush and a jar of boiling water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 24, 2020 Share Posted February 24, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted February 24, 2020 Author Share Posted February 24, 2020 Toldyou it is easy!!! Or at least I told someone on this forum!!!??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 Well its certainly straight forward Fuselage now ready for servo mounting and tail fitting. Put a bit of filler on the joints and the side dents, as I used some old stock sheet left overs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 25, 2020 Share Posted February 25, 2020 Whist the fuselage was drying, thought I would start the wing on the other bench. It is so easy I got carried away and got this far pretty quickly... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Well nearly completed the wing just the cap strips to add. Having never done this before, should the grain be the same direction as the ribs or across? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Pilot painted and the tail supports moulded. Nearly done the build. Can you guess the colour scheme yet? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Same direction. Gosh, that was quick! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Hi Piers, Thanks for that. Yes, its not not taken long it is a very straightforward build. The weather has been crap so no flying... My last build took just under 400 hours.... Waiting for some piano wire, captive nuts etc. and the covering to arrive, so that may stop progress for a while as I never seem to get any deliveries on a Saturday? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted February 27, 2020 Author Share Posted February 27, 2020 The capstripgrain runs along the length of gthe strip. It is there to reinforce the rib. In the days of dope and nylon and tissue I have seen ribs with no capstrips made into S shapes as tye traiing edge was pulled towards the front part of the wing Not that that happens with film covering but it does stiffen up the assembly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 27, 2020 Share Posted February 27, 2020 Thanks for the reasoning, I must admit the ribs seem to need something, having used soft balsa. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kc Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 Having cap strips will simplify rib production as it avoids having to recess the ribs for the LE and TE sheeting, stiffens the ribs and uses up offcuts of LE sheeting. Highly recommended to use the offcuts as the thickness is exactly the same. 1/16 sheeting can vary in thickness and cause a problem if you use wrong stuff. A simple balsa stripper makes light work of capstrip production. Either the variable size type or a very simple one size version. Edited By kc on 28/02/2020 09:57:37 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted February 28, 2020 Share Posted February 28, 2020 Hi kc Your right about varied thickness of sheet balsa, as I have found out it can be a lot different... I have a stripper, I found that pre-cut strip is usually always hard balsa and expensive. Cheers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hazell 1 Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 Is there a stock list anywhere for this plan, I couldn't see it?! I need to compile some inventory and starting from scratch in that respect so I need to place a "sensible" order with SLEC and want to consolidate a few plans worth together. I'm gonna do both the phantom and the moon dancer from this months RCME, the phantom has a stock list. Thanks in anticipation! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted February 29, 2020 Author Share Posted February 29, 2020 I am afraid that if you want to build from plans you are going to have to learn one of the basic skills of estimating wood. I have written an article on the subject available on this forum **LINK** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Hazell 1 Posted February 29, 2020 Share Posted February 29, 2020 Posted by Peter Miller on 29/02/2020 21:08:07: I am afraid that if you want to build from plans you are going to have to learn one of the basic skills of estimating wood. I have written an article on the subject available on this forum **LINK** Thanks, I guessed that would pretty much be the answer. I'll get my thinking hat on! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted March 1, 2020 Author Share Posted March 1, 2020 Back in the 50s they often used to put a list of materials on the plan(In the days when a big plan cost about 30p and could be afforded on pocket money even if you were not working) But we very soon learned that this meant nothing. The designer had added it afterwards and forgotten that he had used a lot of wood from his scrap box. So you went off and bought the listed materials on a Saturday. and on about Wednesday evening your found that the list was missing several items. So you had to wait until Saturday and then cycle a round trip of 12 miles to the local model shop to get the odd couple of sheets (And pray that it wasn't raining.) before you could carry on with the building. Trust me, you only did that once before you made your own list out. These days I keep a good stock of balsa etc but I often use large ammounts of wood from my copious scrap box so I could produce a list just like those old ones and listen to the screams when they find I didn't allow for the scrap materials. Edited By Peter Miller on 01/03/2020 08:22:33 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 Well the balsa bashing is complete, all sanded ready for some covering, that I am still waiting for.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted March 1, 2020 Author Share Posted March 1, 2020 That looks really neat and tidy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie holdford Posted March 1, 2020 Share Posted March 1, 2020 Hi Peter, thanks for that, I try not to rush and have been known to throw it away and start again.... Still I had a few scraps of oracover left so decided to start the tail feathers. Just put in place for the photo... As you can see its going to be in Red Bull Aerobatic colours... well its aerobatic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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