Nigel R Posted December 1, 2020 Author Share Posted December 1, 2020 That is looking great Trevor. I do like your top wing retention method. A rather neat answer to avoiding the kit's method and the small fiddly screws that it entails. I feel my route was definitely a complex choice. And yes the wingtips are deceptively complex. I copied the idea from the Airmeister plan of building them as separate units which simplified things a bit. Looking forward to getting mine covered and airbourne when my new workshop is finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 Well, it's finished and ready to fly - just as we become locked down under Covid tier 4 restrictions! December diary entry is here: **LINK** Thanks again for all the help from this thread. I'll report back when it's had a bit of air under the wheels. Trevor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted December 31, 2020 Share Posted December 31, 2020 You should be very pleased with your efforts. Interesting that you popped the bubbles before they could appear. I applied the sunburst using a much lower than normal iron temperature then went over it hotter, pricking out any bubbles with the tip of a knife. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted January 14, 2021 Author Share Posted January 14, 2021 Missed this - Trevor that sunburst scheme is fab The Aeromaster decal really finishes things off. Don't upset the pilot! I'm really looking forward to finishing up my workshop build so that I can resume my Aeromaster. I left it at the "needs covering" stage but I'm not 100% happy with my cabanes so need to revisit them, and that will need a suitable space to jig and resolder (which indoors is not) and then crack on with the covering. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 14, 2021 Share Posted January 14, 2021 Thanks both. I must admit that it’s a bit frustrating that, having got it finished, the Aeromaster is now just gathering dust while we sit out this current lockdown. Definitely a good time to finish yours off Nigel. Trevor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted January 14, 2021 Author Share Posted January 14, 2021 I share your frustration, as do many of us on here I imagine. Can't wait to be let off the leash. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 With my latest project now finished and twiddling my thumbs in the shed instead of on sticks I decided to smarten up my Aeromaster a bit with some black stripes. Quite pleased with the result. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 Very smart! I seriously wondered about black lining on mine, but I’d imagined running the black trim along the junction of the red and the white. I think it is much more striking the way you have done it. of course, you’ve now got to spray the matching black lines on the cowl, haven’t you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin McIntosh Posted January 25, 2021 Share Posted January 25, 2021 Cannot do that because it has been fuel proofed and nothing will stick to it, paint or iron on. Shame. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted April 8, 2021 Share Posted April 8, 2021 Well, it’s been a long wait but my Aeromaster finally got air under its wheels yesterday. It was just a short trimming flight so I can’t yet report on it’s aerobatic performance but it handled well and looks very promising. I’d strapped a ‘lucky charm’, in the form of 2oz of lead, to the battery before taking to the air even though the cg was already somewhat forward of the position marked on the Super Aeromaster plan. However, a gentle dive test suggested it was pretty neutral and it certainly didn’t feel nose heavy. The cg on the plan had always looked a bit rearward to me but, what with the stagger and sweep back, it was hard to assess. Anyway so far, so good. I’m going to stick with the current cg position until I get the chance to explore the handling further. Trevor 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 Great stuff ? I've finally started getting some film on mine. I think there is a fair few hours yet to sink into that task what with there being one more wing than usual... After that, only a bit of fettling of the cabane structure remains. Be back in a year's time with a maiden report when I've actually finished it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 22, 2021 Author Share Posted June 22, 2021 (edited) This must be my slowest build ever! Fitting out, trim, and the other final details being done now. Control runs sorted at the back end: Nothing unusual there. The fueling arrangement is not particularly tidy, but it is functional, enabling me to easily get at the clunk line (the loop of fuel tube) and the vent line (poking out the side): If I'd actually been thinking about things earlier and planned the tank install better, I could have made a couple of holes in the underside of the tank bay and made a neater job of all that by keeping everything close in, and in a nice neat straight line. Live and learn. Canopy on, and cabanes finally attached and soldered. The red clips will all screw into the ply block to which the wing bolt goes into: Just the film trim to go now. Made a start on wing upper side: Need to deal with the tips, and the aileron area yet. Slicing and a bit of ironing. A similar scheme is planned on the tailplane. I might have a go at one of those Christen Eagle fuselage motifs. Wish me luck! Underside will be something contrasting. A few big black or dark blue patches. Something simple though, I haven't the patience to do a chequerboard. Edited June 22, 2021 by Nigel R 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Gray Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 Nowt wrong with your plumbing Nigel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 Very nice Nigel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dad_flyer Posted June 22, 2021 Share Posted June 22, 2021 The rounded sunburst is very stylish. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 24, 2021 Author Share Posted June 24, 2021 (edited) Thank you gents. Much trim wrangling was done: It looks ok from a distance but you can see the slightly ragged edges if you get too close! It would have been a lot easier without the cabanes in the way. Now, what's the best thing to prevent trim lifting at the corners? Was it nail varnish? Edited June 24, 2021 by Nigel R 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted June 24, 2021 Share Posted June 24, 2021 Looking magnificent! Trevor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 25, 2021 Author Share Posted June 25, 2021 Top side done, underside to go... 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 29, 2021 Author Share Posted June 29, 2021 Well I'm finally there, I think. Only jobs remaining are to set up the sub trims and get the motor running. In the end, the CG came out near dead on. I might have to put 1 or 2 oz on the tail after the test flights. Final weight is 7-1/4lb which gives a nice low wing loading, 20oz/sqft dry and 22oz/sqft full. The WCL is approx 10oz/cuft so should fly great at this weight. Can't wait to get the beast airbourne now! 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted June 29, 2021 Author Share Posted June 29, 2021 Forgot photo of underside... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted July 19, 2021 Author Share Posted July 19, 2021 No flights yet I did take her for a noise check, but engine trouble stopped play. Since then the motor has been out, back on the bench, where it ran, and then didn't, and then did... which was frustrating given it had run perfectly well (so I thought) on the bench prior to install. I dismantled the entire carb, regulator and pump assemblies and found a few bits of crud in and around the needle. Some tiny specks of dirt were present in the regulator too. Everything now cleaned and reassembled and bench run before going back in the model. Next step, confirm it runs in situ, at home, before going to the field! It's a shame OS never sold spares for the pump & regulator they use on the four strokes now. Individually they are quite simple devices (internally their design seems very similar to the old backplate pumps from the SF / RF time) and in theory both could be easily repaired / refreshed with fresh diaphragms if it were necessary. The policy of only selling complete carb and regulator combos, or complete pump units, is a bit of a joke really, considering they sold complete spares breakdown of every other part of their motors. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrman Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 (edited) Nigel, Spare regulators are available from https://www.rcjapan.net/. It's worth replacing the small o rings on the slow running needle as well. I had similar problems on an OS 120 pumped and eventually sourced the fault to these o rings. Just engines stock the rings. Edited July 19, 2021 by jrman Extra data Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted July 19, 2021 Author Share Posted July 19, 2021 (edited) thanks jrman For the 81, the OS manual only shows the carb body + regulator as a single part? Maybe that is different for other motors with pumps. I will freely admit I did not look much further when I found the gunk inside the parts. Just check that it seemed in good health despite the foreign matter, all rubber parts look & feel ok, then put it back together for the bench run. The two pinch points in the pump/reg design appear to be where I found crud; the regulator body and the main needle area. All the other parts have larger passageways or bores. I think the pump would happily push foreign matter straight on through into the regulator where it could get stuck. The stuff I found around the needle apeture was kind of gunky congealed semi-solid oil, or similar. Could easily have been there for ages, then started moving when I put fuel into the thing, I think. If I can't get the beastie going nicely then there is always the option of replacing the entire carb with the normal unpumped version, I guess. Edited July 19, 2021 by Nigel R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jrman Posted July 19, 2021 Share Posted July 19, 2021 Nigel, Check on the RCJapan site. I ordered new regulators from them for both 91 and 120's. (they are the same) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel R Posted July 20, 2021 Author Share Posted July 20, 2021 I'll take another look. Got the motor running in the airframe today ? I feel slightly relieved, I must say, after all that in out dismantle it assemble it hokey cokey. I took my time to set up the needle and slow run to get steady idle and smooth throttle response. Finally! It was reasonably quiet on the long header and baffled can, too. Some taxi tests show fair ground handling. Slight tendency to lean to one side and touch a wingtip, perils of the somewhat narrow gear. No maiden yet - now the motor seems debugged, it is time to take it for a noise check by our club sec. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.