Lock down build number 4, Grumman Avenger

[Djay]

I am still working from home after a year now, and as my office is in  my modelling room I have plenty of time to build.

So after building the Baby Boomer, DH2 Airco, Spook 96, and repaired a load of other models I have completed build number 4 out of 6.

It is a Skyshark Grumman Avenger.

72 inch span, RCV 91 powered.

Unfortunately this was a very early kit and many parts did not fit or were the wrong size. Everything was laser cut but so much wood was cut away that the remaining shapes left were extremely fragile and just kept breaking, especially the ribs and formers.

Luckily I had built one of these before so knew what to do to overcome this.

 

Starts with the cockpit.

 

 

[Djay]

continuing the build,

unfortunately the web site does not let me move the pictures around into the correct order

 

[Djay]

more building.

Flew beautifully on the test flight.

[Djay]

test flight 

[Piers Bowlan]

Well done and congratulations on the maiden flight, Djay, very impressive. ?

[J D 8]

   I see what you mean, to much cutting out going on in that kit, plain balsa parts would probably been better in many places. Still great looking model and nice touchdown.?.

[ken anderson.]

nice model Djay...well done

 

ken anderson...ne..1..congrats dept.

[David P Williams]

That's excellent - I have one of those kits in the loft, and a BNIB RCV91CD to go in it. It may move up the build list after seeing this.

[Djay]

David.

Plan the servo installation carefully, you will have to ignore the plans as the servos are positioned in the fuse wing seat area which has about 5mm clearance between the cockpit floor and the wing skin, so big holes cut in the center section to clear the servos.

Also make the belly fairing removable to put the electrics inside, so much easier.

So much thinking required, but do not worry about weight, and reinforce everywhere.

[David P Williams]

Thank Djay. Is the RCV OK in this model? The club sages suck their teeth and tell me to put a 120fs in it. I have the recommended SpringAir retract set, plus the correctly angled oleo set from Shindin Machine in the US, but I was going to use a set of JP electric retracts that I have and do away with the air tank etc.

It looks like you glassed it as I intend to do. What paint and fuel proofer did you use?

[Djay]

91 CD is perfect. It is such a light plane with massive wing area even a 60 fs would power it. If you use a 1.20 it will stick out of the cowl, the RCV is mounted upright completely hidden.

I have the spring air retracts and Shindin oleos as well, work very well.

Glassed it with .75oz cloth as I have an abundance of this, used ploycrilic not epoxy. Poly C

over in UK though I get it as Polycrilic floor varnish in our local hardware store.

I could only get spray paints and not quite the colours I wanted, no fuel proofer needed if you let it dry for a couple of weeks.

All my planes are spray canned and some are over 15 years old with no paint problems from the fuel.

It is a difficult build, do you have the white or green box ?

Green box is the later kits which are a bit easier to build, the plans are useless as they are only line drawings and do not show where items go.

Best thing to do is get bags or small boxes and pop out all the wood bits and label them, then put them in the bags or boxes, as there are a lot of little wood bits all lazer cut and they fall out of the wood sheet so you loose the ID number.

Take your time and just improvise if you are struggling, so long as the end result is correct

[David P Williams]

Thanks again. It's an old kit, white box. I bought it second hand years ago with all the accessories including pilot and gunner figures. Someone had bought it all then decided it was too complex for his first build! I must have had it for maybe 15 years - it's moved house with me 3 times. I'm a reasonably experienced builder, so not too daunted by this one. Might get onto it later this year after I finish the Stearman.

[Djay]

you will get frustrated, it starts off with step by step build instructions for the cockpit, then it seems like the build manual author got bored and just skipped bits and just shows the basic build for the rest of the aircraft.

The wood will break, the formers will break and especially the wing rib trailing edges as they are all so delicate. So plenty of superglue needed.

Plan the tailwheel retract  rod in advance before sheeting the fuse, along with pull pull cables for the steering and pushrod outer snakes for the rudder and rudder.

I put the flap pushrod to the inners only, not inner and outer, and joined them with a couple of pieces of tubing with wire inside, works well.

Plan the fuel tank install in advance as well, I used a SLEC orange tank.

Another pain area was the wing bolts, I used T nuts and have hiols in the cockpit floor for them to pass through, with the bottom of the wing belly fairing removable it is easy to install the front and rear bolts.

If you need photos or help, just drop me a line.

 

[David P Williams]

Thanks for the info and warnings Djay. I guess the delicacy of the parts is the price you pay for its lightness.I'll keep a note of your advice above, but it will be this coming winter before I get round to this I think.

[Cuban8]

15 hours ago, Djay said:

91 CD is perfect. It is such a light plane with massive wing area even a 60 fs would power it. If you use a 1.20 it will stick out of the cowl, the RCV is mounted upright completely hidden.

I have the spring air retracts and Shindin oleos as well, work very well.

Glassed it with .75oz cloth as I have an abundance of this, used ploycrilic not epoxy. Poly C

over in UK though I get it as Polycrilic floor varnish in our local hardware store.

I could only get spray paints and not quite the colours I wanted, no fuel proofer needed if you let it dry for a couple of weeks.

All my planes are spray canned and some are over 15 years old with no paint problems from the fuel.

It is a difficult build, do you have the white or green box ?

Green box is the later kits which are a bit easier to build, the plans are useless as they are only line drawings and do not show where items go.

Best thing to do is get bags or small boxes and pop out all the wood bits and label them, then put them in the bags or boxes, as there are a lot of little wood bits all lazer cut and they fall out of the wood sheet so you loose the ID number.

Take your time and just improvise if you are struggling, so long as the end result is correct

 

[Cuban8]

Djay, when you refer to cans of spray paint, I assume you mean enamel based such as the ones that Flair produced or similar?

You've made a lovely job of the model, certainly one of my top ten favourites in warbirds. The one that used to fly at Old Warden, owned by Tony Haigh-Thomas was an incredible sight in the air and I was lucky enough to get a walk-round of the machine at one of the airshows. It's a huge thing close up!

[Djay]

Hi Cuban8.

Just regular spray can paint for cars.

I use Rustoleum or Ace Hardwares own brands as that is all I can get so I have to plan my colour schemes to what paint is available to me.

There used to be one at North Weald which is where I used to fly.

You are right, it is an enormous machine for a single engine. the bottom of the prop was at least 3 meters up from the ground.