EarlyBird Posted August 4, 2020 Author Share Posted August 4, 2020 Sheeting glued and weighted down, old batteries again. I used the tape hinge as the sheet was in the correct position I thought that if I make a hinge, fold it back, apply the glue and then it will be in the correct place when returned. It seemed to work. Now the sheeting is done on this side I can lift the wing. A bit of sanding is all that is required. Two more panels to go which I will do without this blow by blow account. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 4, 2020 Author Share Posted August 4, 2020 Top sheeting completed Second bottom panel on the way. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 5, 2020 Author Share Posted August 5, 2020 Wing sheeting is now complete Dry fitting the wing tip parts to work out how it fits together. I am running out of laser cut parts what am I going to do? Buy another plan or plan pack? The RF4 looks good to me. A club mate has one very similar but a bit bigger, the wings are in four sections, I think it is two thirds scale. I wonder if I could build a one third scale with a two piece wing. Anyway that's for the future. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted August 5, 2020 Share Posted August 5, 2020 Why not cut out your own parts? Saves a lot of money from what I can see. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 5, 2020 Author Share Posted August 5, 2020 Lack of belief in my own abilities Peter. However you are boosting my confidence! If I go one third scale I will have to cut my own parts. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 5, 2020 Author Share Posted August 5, 2020 Wing tip. All the parts test assembled. Time for some more glue? Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted August 5, 2020 Share Posted August 5, 2020 Considering the quality of your building you should be able to cut out your parts with your eyes closed. Get the plan photocopied, cut out the parts and stick them down to the wood with 3M Spray mount and cut them out The ply formers might be a bit harder if you have to fret saw them out. Parallel chord ribs need a ply template with a couple of pins through it. Lay it on the sheet and Zip, Zip round it and you have a set of wing ribs. You could even do that while watching TV but the blood of misscut fingers might get messy!! For tapered wings you have to stick each paper rib down and cut round it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 5, 2020 Author Share Posted August 5, 2020 Thanks Peter, The next one will be a plan build. I really like the idea of the RF4 but at 72". 144" even with a two part wing would be too large for my cramped small workshop/dinning room. That's decided then. The plan is finish the Ballerina then the Fournier RF4 will be next. Thanks for helping me make my mind up. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 5, 2020 Author Share Posted August 5, 2020 More work on the wings toady. Fitted rib caps. Bending the wet sheet over the tip leading edge using sticks and rubber bands. Top view. and bottom view Bottom view without the sticks and bands Decided to try tape as the sticks and bands were not very successful. Will it work? we will find out in the morning. I wonder where the sparky tape came from, I have had it for years, I knew it would come in useful one day and that day has come. Oh yes I remember it came from work. That was a long long time ago. Flying in the morning, I hope. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 6, 2020 Author Share Posted August 6, 2020 Tape removed. Hmmm Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted August 6, 2020 Share Posted August 6, 2020 Looks pretty good, I seem to remember just bullying it into shape with one or two slits to aid things when I built one. Sandpaper sorts out a lot, the covering does the rest. Fitting cap strips is one of those jobs that is just a pain but the finished appearance pays for all the aggravation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 6, 2020 Author Share Posted August 6, 2020 Thanks Bob, To do this is not easy, well that's my thoughts. The way that wet balsa becomes very pliable and can be moulded around the wing tip did surprise me, especially when the balsa is relatively hard. Care is required because it is also easily damaged. The tip join line has to be sanded to shape as it is curved, another surprise to me. It looks to have glued nicely but we shall see later when I am certain it has dried. Then I can sand. If there are no wing tip photos you can assume it did not turn out well Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 6, 2020 Author Share Posted August 6, 2020 I could not wait any longer for the glue to dry. Not perfect but I have the other wing tip to do so I will just have to try harder. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted August 6, 2020 Share Posted August 6, 2020 Don't the tip ribs get capstrips? I can't see anything wrong with the way that's gone on otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 6, 2020 Author Share Posted August 6, 2020 Cap strips on the tip ribs! Well spotted. I was leaving those until the sheeting was done so I could get a perfect join, or try to anyway. I have been accused of being too much of a perfectionist in the past. I just like to try my best. I agree with you there's nothing wrong with it, that a bit of sanding won't sort out. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 6, 2020 Author Share Posted August 6, 2020 Almost finished a wing tip Top Bottom I am a lot happier now and it is true a bit of sanding does improve the way it looks. From a happy Steve Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 7, 2020 Author Share Posted August 7, 2020 Back to the wing tip. In order to finish the wing tip shape I have to fit the aileron. I marked the centre line. Then planed down to the line. And as usual test fit. Slot the hinges next and check the aileron up and down movement. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 7, 2020 Author Share Posted August 7, 2020 Fitted the hinges and test fitted to the wing. Sanded the tip to the level of the aileron. Up and down movement is ample so its all looking good, I think. Just have to do it all again for the other wing tip. Not a lot done today as my attention has been diverted away from my Ballerina. Yesterday I took delivery of a Taranis X9D SE 2019 (I think?). OpenTX is interesting and in a sense I like it. I will use it for the Phoenix. I am almost there just need to work out Crow and Camber mixing. It's all good fun! Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 8, 2020 Author Share Posted August 8, 2020 More fun today, I hope. Second wing tip starts by cutting out all of the parts and dry fitting. After a second coffee I will check again then it is glue time. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 8, 2020 Author Share Posted August 8, 2020 Yes more fun today. Glued the parts onto the top of the tip then when dry shaped for the sheeting. Did the same for the bottom plus completed the sheeting. I am beginning to think that I am getting the hang of this building lark. Tricky bit next. The top sheeting, well was more difficult on the other tip. The balsa sheet is soaking. I had better not leave it too long! Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 9, 2020 Author Share Posted August 9, 2020 Continuing my experiment with soaking and forming the wing tip sheeting. This time I am being more gentle as I think that on the first tip I forced the over wet balsa into shape. I have also tried using pins and having seen other builds I have followed the example of putting the pins at an angle. Obviously it is not a perfect fit this time but I am thinking that when I glue it I will be able to easily pull it into shape. We will see Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 9, 2020 Author Share Posted August 9, 2020 With a bit of sanding to fit and trimming this is what it looks like. Is this a compound curve I see before me? I am well happy with that. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 I use map pins.These are short pins with a round plastic head. These can be pushed fully home and the head holdsthe wood down. The only downside is that sometimes the head pulls off leaving the pin in the wood.However these can be removed with a small pair of pliers. I usually stock up with several boxes on Ebay where they are far cheaper than my local Office Supply shop even though they are the same pins. **LINK** These are the ones that I like but there are lots of others on EBay Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trevor Posted August 9, 2020 Share Posted August 9, 2020 Steve, while you are clearly achieving excellent results the way you are going, I find that masking tape is excellent for holding sheeting in place while the glue dries. Doesn't work too well on wet balsa though! Trevor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EarlyBird Posted August 9, 2020 Author Share Posted August 9, 2020 Peter, I have a few map pins, in my pin board, and I have seen them used but it never crossed my mind to try them. Now I will definitely try them before ordering a shipment. Trevor, Thanks for positive comment. I do prefer to use masking tape and I have found exactly the same problem on wet balsa so I tried Sparky tape which works if you can wrap it around so it sticks to itself. Unfortunately I have run out of masking tape and I am reluctant to go shopping because of the virus risk. Thanks The next step is to glue it in place. Cheers Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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