Another thread about the DB Auster

[David Davis]

Some years ago I was given a DB Sport and Scale Auster. The fuselage, wing and tailplane were all built and covered in white Solartex and it only needed the fin, rudder and wing struts to be built.. The donor had intended to power it with a Laser 70 but had then gone exclusively electric, but that's alright, I have two of those, one new and the other secondhand just waiting for a home. I bought the plan and the canopy glazing and trawled the internet looking for white Austers because I'm useless at painting models though strangely, I have worked as a house painter in the past when I couldn't find anything more remunerative, I even went on a course where I learned "distressing" or broken paint finishes.

I had decided on this one, a converted crop duster...

... but then I saw this one and thought that it would be quite a laugh to try to reproduce it in this condition! Most of my models look like this after a couple of months anyway!

Note the non-standard windscreen.

I see patches of red ochre paint on the aircraft. Is this some sort of undercoat used on full size aircraft?

Edited By David Davis on 11/06/2020 08:54:50

[Ron Gray]

Love the weathered look!

[Nigel Dell]

David

I reckon the red paint is red oxide primer that they had and slapped on! 😳🤭

[Dwain Dibley.]

Looks like my old Fiat Scudo Van with wings on. LOL

D.D.

[Bob Cotsford]

I had a Vauxhall Viva with similar tonal variation. Could the red oxide be to protect fabric repairs from uv pending touching up with white topcoat? My Viva spent many years 'just waiting on some touch-up paint'.

[Geoff Copping]

I cut my teeth aircraft engineering at Cranfield College of Aeronautics in the 60's where they used Auster Aiglets as trainers.

They were powered by Gypsy Majors 4 cyl inverted inline.

The red colour is the dope that was used to shrink the Irish linen before painting.

Had my first experience of aerobatics in one of them when the instructors would go up for a weather check.

The Cranfield ones were silver with blue flashing.

Just googled Auster Aiglet Cranfield College and all four of them came up.

Edited By Geoff Copping on 11/06/2020 10:11:19

[David Davis]

Dwain, I believe that you used non-standard material for the struts on your Auster. What did you use?

[Jon H]

I think the rusty red patches are just in plain dope as aircraft dope's are often red

[Dwain Dibley.]

Hi David, the struts on mine were spruce as supplied by DB sport and scale, the material for the strut fixings was a clear polycarbonate, that can be heated and bent to shape. I would use metal if I built one again, as they turned out to be brittle.

D.D.

[David Davis]

Posted by Dwain Dibley. on 12/06/2020 17:10:21:

Hi David, the struts on mine were spruce as supplied by DB sport and scale, the material for the strut fixings was a clear polycarbonate, that can be heated and bent to shape. I would use metal if I built one again, as they turned out to be brittle.

D.D.

Thank you Dwain.

[David Davis]

A brief update on the Auster progress and a few questions for the cognoscenti.

I have built the fin and rudder out of wood stripped from a balsa sheet. The next step is top cover them and fit them into place, then to fit the servos and receiver.

Early this morning I temporarily fitted the engine to the bearers with a couple of odd nuts and bolts which were sculling about and then I offered up the cowling. The engine is a Laser 80 which I bought second hand but looks like it's never been run since it left the factory so it'll need a little running in on the test bench. There is a hole in the cowling to allow for the prop shaft to protrude and another, off centre in the scale air intake location. At the bottom of the cowling are three holes to allow access to the carburetter, the exhaust and the glow plug. The two larger holes are 20mm in diameter the smaller one 15mm. I intend to fit an extension to the exhaust in order to conduct the exhaust gases outside the cowling. Pictures below, note the immaculate workshop!

I can't recall ever having built a model with a fully cowled engine so I have the following questions for those with greater experience.

1. Do I need to drill more holes in the underside to improve cooling?
2. Do I need to make up baffles to direct the airflow directly to the cylinder?
3. If I need to make up baffles I was thinking of making up plywood plates glued and screwed to the engine bearers continuing the line of the existing plywood braces. Would this be a suitable solution to the cooling problem?

I have also found another picture of a white Auster also Australian registered. Apparently fitting the windscreen is very difficult but if I can make a success of it I'll finish the model as VH - KSB, if not I'll go for the flat windscreen of VH - MBB.

[Geoff Copping]

What I can tell you is, on the full size, that inside the cowling is a duct which channelled the cooling air in between and around the cylinders instead of letting it blow straight through, so the air enters the cowling on the port side, travels between the cylinders and heads then exits through the bottom rear of the cowling.

You may want to install a baffle to direct the air around the cylinder and head and have an exit port at the rear because the starboard side of your cowling is completely enclosed.

[J D 8]

Most Auster's look to have a space/slot between the lower rear of the cowling and the fuselage, this would allow plenty of cooling exit.

An old Auster was the first aircraft I flew in. As we lined up for take off I noticed the tyre on my side was down to the canvas! Still it flew ok but what a racket [ had no headphones or radio, It was mostly used as a glider towing hack. ]