Loaded Dice 66" 1991

[Nigel Sharp]

Loaded Dice 1 from plans published in the american magazine RCM Nov1991 edition. The plan is available for download from outerzone.

 

This is not a full build log but here are some photos taken this evening before I go and spoil it during the finishing.

I still have a bit of sanding to complete and to open the cowl for air flow > I'm planning to have the "pipe" header exit as the air exit with microballoon lip to promote a bit of suction. Air in will come from an opening similar to that as would have originally been made for the OS61 pumper.

 

My Speed control fits nicely in the area underneath what was the floor for the tank and in the space for that "pipe" header.

 

Power according to e-calc is circa 1850 watts and I'm on target to achive 8 1/2 to 9lbs all up (hopefully no lead will be required to achieve CofG).

 

Glass or Film it's decision time that I can't put off anylonger. Canopy needs to be fitted properly and filleted with epoxy micro balloons and why I'm procrastinating on glass or film. Leaning strongly to glass/paint.

 

This is an Electric conversion which according to e-calc I have circa 1850 watts on a 6S. Duration for 8 mins so fingers crossed should be ample.

 

Colour scheme probably like the "Green" GameBird 1 aerobatic but I've not ruled out a scheme like Terry Westrop's original.

 

Nigel

 

 

[extra slim]

I love this era of model and yours looks superb. Thanks for sharing

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Nice build Nigel, a great looking model. ?

[Nigel Sharp]

Thank you for the comments.

 

This has a few firsts for me.

 

1st proper powered purpose designed aerobatic.

1st plane with retracts

1st homemade vacform

1st go at glassing...

 

Now I have been a model maker for a lot of years mostly gliders/yachts and I'm thinking I might know Martin Kinder if he is the same chap I have raced RM's and 1 metre yachts against back in early 1990's at Fleetwood/Birkenhead etc in the Northern District. In an earlier post he mentioned Housemartin and Bantock for equipment and that got me thinking.

 

Anyway back to it.

Sanding,sanding and more sanding. I've opened up the cowl and added the 1/64 ply hard edge ready for microballoon and epoxy fillet.

 

 

 

 

As you can see I've tapered the ply edge ready to take the fillet which I'll add after glassing the cowl.

 

 

I also sanded and smoothed the exit for the elevator and rudder controls upper one is elevator lower one for closed loop on rudder

The elevator is two snakes one each side joined to a common servo.

 

I then spent this evening cutting templates for the cutting of the glass, and applied to the battery hatch, elevator(s) and Rudder.  I used cheep hairspray to hold the fine strands while cutting it worked suprisingly well. I useed an old plastic card to scrape the epoxy into the glass and remove the excess resin, this was suprisingly easy having earlier done the cockpit floor on Saturday evening. However I've not had the best of luck in getting the glass to drape over the edge. I'm not too worried about that as I can always edge separately.

 

 

 

 

 

In the las picture you'll notice I have used the remaining epoxy to re-coat the plug for the canopy i've learned another first... It doesnt like being applied over Ronseal Diamond Hard varnish! In friday's post there is a photo of the Vacformed canopy but it shows a slightly mottled effect this is because the Roneal sofened under the temperature of the hot plastic - so I'm going to pull another with the plug hardened with epoxyand wet/dried.

 

Hoping to have done most of the glassing by next weekend but we'll see.

 

N

 

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

A first for me as well, never heard the Hairspray tip before. ?

[Nigel Sharp]

Hair spray I got that from on here somewhere - But It might be the reason the edge wouldn't stay stuck. Either that or I needed more excess cloth to use gravity.

 

I have moulded before just not glassed wings. Yachts with big lumps of lead you don't really need to be ultra careful about weight.

Tight edges are always the hardest to do usually lots of stippling.

[Nigel R]

Love a Dice, that looks superb, nice work. I like the predecessor too, Akro Special. Another set of deisgns that had excellent performance, good looks, and a relatively simple build.

 

With 1800W it will be vertical and out of sight before you can blink!

[Masher]

Hi Nigel (Sharp)

 

Nice build, following closely as a fan of LD's

 

I have recently finished an electric LD with electric set-up - 6s/5000mA. I would be very interested to compare my eCalc predictions with yours if you could share please? On advice from another classic aerobatic flyer I have gone with the 4-Max 5065-420 with 16x8 prop. AUW is smigen under 8lbs - hasn't flown yet for obvious reasons but measured power on the ground is about 1100W. I have no interest in unlimited verticles but about 130W per pound should be ok

Thanks

Edited February 22, 2021 by Masher
missed a bit

[Nigel Sharp]

Masher,

 

Here is my e-calc calculation output weight here was set at 130 oz circa 8lb. I've weighed the airframe with everything except the glass/paint RX/ESC and it comes in at 7  1/2 Lbs

 

After quite a bit of deliberation I decided on 6S as that gives me the full compliment of power from the motor should I wish to use it.

 

Motor is NTM Propdrive 5050 580kv

 

Note this is for a 14X8 APCE prop but I'm planning/going to be using a 14x7 to start. The orginal used an 11 x 11.5 prop

If after flying I decide to drop to 5S battery then I can go upto a 16 x 8 with this motor and still have about 1400 watt but it might push my speed control/motor with too many amps

 

The motor is rated to 90 amp and speed control 120 both in bursts. If my previous setups are the same then the real world is going to be a little less.

 

 

loaded_dice.pdf

[Masher]

Thanks Nigel, sounds like a good plan with options depending on how well it performs. 

 

[Nigel Sharp]

So I'm serving my apprenticeship in glassing. Here are the apprentice pieces.

 

 

I successfully trimmed the first side of the Rudder and Elevators, then applied second side for this I tried with out using the hair spray - yes that certainly was the cause of the first side not adhering to the edges so I was happy with the outcome. However I liked the stability of cutting using the spray as the second side was a bit tricky - hadn't considered static and as a consequence it was wrapping everywhere except where I wanted... and as a result the edges got a bit messy.

 

 

 

So tonight bouyed by the success if the smaller pieces I undertook one underside of the wing. Again I used the hairspray but this time used my template to mask the glass so I only sprayed about 6mm all round. Then using my scalpel cut through the middle of that. The edges are stable and drape nicely now and if I had, had a bit more confidence I think I'd have done both starboard and port bottom a the same time. Happy I didn't bite off more than I could chew.

 

. This photo isn't the best my phone is lacking in camera performance particularly under artificial light.

 

 

Next post likely to be after I've completed the glassing Ready for primer.

 

Happy chap at the moment but I've a few curves/corners to navigate on the fuselage.

 

I've not figured out how to edit a previous post - there are some grammer errors I'd like to correct.

 

N

 

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

20 minute limit for edits Nigel.

[EarlyBird]

@Nigel Sharptop right there are three dots click on them

[Nigel Sharp]

Ah this might explain it - I only seem to have Report/Share not an "Edit" option unless I'm really missing something ? and its only to take some duplicate lines out and correct some spellings.

 

 

[EarlyBird]

That's strange Nigel as it has been less than 20 minutes. ?

[Nigel Sharp]

Ah now I see I'm not blind - can't do the eariler ones because they are from the weekend. Hence the 20 min limit.

 

N

[EarlyBird]

Ah now I understand what you meant by previous post. Obviously JS1 understood. I'm getting too old, but there isn't a lot that I can do about it. ?

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

No probs helping folk Steve ?, would you like me to remove this chat Nigel ? What you want editing ?

 

[Nigel Sharp]

I'll leave it thanks John.

 

No problem - make mental note to self to double check before hitting submit.

[Nigel Sharp]

That was a lot more work than I anticipated... but the glassing is now complete and the surfaces are silky-smooth curtesy of "Freddy B's sauce" and ready for primer.

 

 

I took the trouble to re do the canopy as I wasn't entirely happy with the first one. It took me four goes! You can just see one of the failed ones to the left of the picture. I'd been experimenting with some upstands to help align the pet-g plastic but they turned out more of a hinderance. One of the positives of the failures was that it gave me one to use to build an epoxy and micro-balloons internal fillet that will help to hide the glue line when the actual  one gets fitted. Was hoping to have that done today but I didn't get around to painting the cockpit.

 

Got a nice new airbrush and compressor but had to wait for paint to arrive -now I've got some learning to do...

Edited March 14, 2021 by Nigel Sharp
slight errors

[Dale Bradly]

Can you tell me what Freddy B's sauce is made from?

[Nigel Sharp]

It was in Chris Mcg6969 Bella Ballerina build log here page 35.

But I made mine from Ronseal "Diamond Hard" clear acrylic varnish, Polyfiller "Advanced" light weight filler, Talcum powder ( cheap supermarket stuff) and a drop of white acrylic paint to be able to see where I'd brushed.

 

Basically "Heaped Teaspoon" of the lightweight filler, slightly more talc, Mixed with the Ronseal and the paint. Add water until it is like single cream. I mixed about 50 ml by the time I had thiined it to the cream consitancy and that easily did the wings with quite a lot to spare. - Acouple of days later I mixed a second lot to do the fus/tail again lots left over.

 

Then its simply a case of brushing on, wait a couple of hours and sand it all off ?  leaving the fine talc/filler in the weave. Sands down very easily.

[McG 6969]

Glad it still was a little help after all those years, Nigel.  ?

And, yes the Ronseal 'Diamond Hard' is very usable too, but it's a little 'harder' to sand.

 

Cheers & stay safe

Chris

[Nigel Sharp]

Had a bit of fun during the week getting to grips with an airbrush... got around to painting the inside of the "Bubble" its just too big and a focal point not to do something.

As this is an aerobat I've given it a bit of a sudo instrument panel.

 

 

 

The last dry fit and look before it was all covered with tape and epoxy/micro balloons.

 

 

Masked up to protect, and to help line up with the surround.

 

 

Lightly roughed on the inside to key...

 

 

Fixed to the fuselage tomorrow will see the copious and large micro balloon fillets added but I limited myself to keeping the bonding simple tonight.

 

Good progress today - up here in West Yorkshire its been warm and sunny for the most part hence a nice day for a bit of paint applied outside in the garden. Elevator(s), rudder ailerons and wing given highbuild primer most of which will be labouriously wet/dried back off ?.

 

All ahead full after a few weeks of doldrums wading in treacle.

 

 

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

You're working well Nigel, nice cockpit.