Foam board Westland Whirlwind

[Eric Robson]

After success with my Mosquito and Me 110 I have started a Whirlwind mainly due to the bad weather up North

I drew up a plan from a 1/72 drawing [n a scale model magazine sent to me by Richard Wills, he knew I'd take the bait  I down loaded a plan from Outerzone for a 65" span  version, mine will be 59"  one piece model using a single 3s 3000 battery,  I used the outer zone plan for the former shapes  the general construction is totally different.

This is the result of 2 weeks work though having a heavy cold for the last 3 weeks has slowed things down/ 

[Eric Robson]

[Graham Davies 3]

Looking great Eric.

 

Is that a single 5mm sheet for the tailplane? Have you added any stiffeners?

 

I used one sheet for the Ki45 with balsa LE/TE, but it's a bit floppy. I use 2 thicknesses since with inner skins removed, but it's a bit heavy. Somewhere, there's a compromise!

 

Graham

[Don Fry]

Eric, nice work.
Off topic, but the wing design for your whirlwind, perhaps with a bit of stiffening with carbon flat, would be a candidate design for a Limbo Dancer wing?

[Graham Davies 3]

Maybe Don.

 

Limbo dancer has a very thick airfoil, which may make it hard to use a flat bottom design at this thickness. It is possible to use a similar idea and presume it to be flat from the spar backwards. I have done this on the CAP232. I built it flat on the board and curled the skins ahead of the spars by dragging over a table edge. Once the rear section was glued, I pulled the front section up to some ribs.

 

Eric's method is simpler as you don't need ribs, but use the various spars to create the profile. You can't really do this with semi or symmetrical sections because there is nothing to locate the centre line. You need a few ribs, or at least half ribs ahead of the spar. But yes, a variation on this would be possible.

 

Graham

[Don Fry]

Can’t you build a half profile as Eric’s design, turn it over, and build the other half profile on the other side of the flat.

[Eric Robson]

Not a lot done today as the world must have slipped out of place, it was warm and sunny up here with a very light wind so I spent 5 hrs at the field,  a lot of flights and an undercarriage to repair for tomorrows flying,

Graham I will be adding strength to the tail plane, not sure how yet.

[Graham Davies 3]

21 hours ago, Don Fry said:

Can’t you build a half profile as Eric’s design, turn it over, and build the other half profile on the other side of the flat.

Might work Don, but I think it will be tricky. This technique locates the spars to the lower skin, so unless you retain the lower skin to build the other side onto, which may be a bit heavy, there's not much to locate everything.

 

I think it's certainly possible to make a LD wing from foam board, but maybe in a slightly different way..

 

Graham

[Eric Robson]

It would not be too heavy if 3mm depron of similar was used for the outer skins and lightening holes cut in the foamboard

Edited November 4, 2022 by Eric Robson

[Eric Robson]

One side nacelle almost ready to  cover, the spinner is made of foam and ply as there is nothing available commercially 

[martin collins 1]

Very nice, coming along Eric. 

[Eric Robson]

The dark nights and cold weather has let me get on with the Whirlwind, still work to be done but getting there. Looks ok from 6 ft away even better from 10

[Graham Davies 3]

Love it Eric. Looks like another practical scale model for peanuts!

 

Graham

[martin collins 1]

Superb Eric, we will have to get together for a dog fight in 23, looks like we have a Messerschmidt 109 and 110 for the Germans, a Whirlwind and a pair of Mossi`s for the RAF and a KI-45 representing the Rising sun at the moment, what else can we muster by the summer? BMFA Buckminster for a foam build fly in tagged onto one of their events?

Edited December 12, 2022 by martin collins 1

[Graham Davies 3]

Don't forget my Regianne Re2005 representing Axis!

[martin collins 1]

1 hour ago, Graham Davies 3 said:

Don't forget my Regianne Re2005 representing Axis!

Sorry Graham, i forget we had a representative of the Regia Aeronautica!

[Graham Davies 3]

I like to represent the under-represented!

[Erfolg]

Have you been using foamboard with both of the paper skins remaining, or do you remove all, or some of the paper?

 

As for the model, really, really nice.

 

I do agree that for practical flying, the stand of scale way is the way. I do see models that are wonderful testaments to skilled workmanship, that really ever see the light of day. In most cases the builder/owner is afraid of any damage to the model.

 

I also agree that at present, cost reduction, using materials that are currently available in quantity, is sensible. As the times have changed, it is forcing many changes to our practices.

Edited December 12, 2022 by Erfolg

[Graham Davies 3]

Erfolg, you've hit the nail on the head. It's not necessarily cost alone, sometimes just that the model turns out so nice that one becomes afraid to crash it. And this fear can become a self-fulfilling prophecy. I find that those models that you treat with a 'not bothered if I crash it; it owes me nothing' attitude are those that you don't crash. Maybe because you are more relaxed flying them that your thumbs don't 'freeze up'. It was this very thing that sent me down the foamboard route; cheap, easily achieved end results that I am happy to fly, so get flown.

 

Eric will no doubt answer about the skins, but for me I usually remove it. I leave it on for formers to give a bit of additional rigidity, but it does add significantly to the weight, and is not strong enough to finish directly onto (take a look at my CAP232; I intended leaving the skin on to really speed up the build, but find the paper splits, and if you mask it, the tape lifts it also). It's easy enough to remove the paper with an iron on the HobbyCraft board; even easier on the flite test stuff which simply peels off.

 

Graham

[Eric Robson]

I leave the paper on foam board at the moment as I still have some Maker foam which I use for the curved parts. I use a flat bottom wing, the lower wing panel is foam board with the paper on and the top panel is Maker foam with the paper removed then recovered with brown paper. the reason for recovering the maker foam is the paper already on peels off too easy and has a waxy finish which is hard to paint.

I have made some cannon for the nose from brass tubes to feed cold air to the battery they are inside plastic tubes cut from an old ball pen, The tail fairing looks like red nose day 1943 but that was the colour on that particular Whirlwind.  

I managed to get the squadron codes on the starboard side a lot straighter than the port side, this was accomplished by having the whisky afterwards.

Without the battery it weighs 3lb 2oz the battery is 9 oz and I am going to try to fit some extra weight somewhere up front for it to balance, at least 4oz. The spinners will be fitted after flight tests as they have to be glued on to the back plate.

Edited December 12, 2022 by Eric Robson

[martin collins 1]

Lovin it Eric, can you give us a balanced ready to fly weight when you are done, what span is it? Will be getting back on with my project after the Crimblemass celebrations are over for another year.

[Graham R]

It looks good Eric. Have yet to build from foam. Waiting for more encouragement from Richard.

 

[Eric Robson]

Hi Martin, it is 3.7lb ready to fly and is 60" span. I must have had an incorrect reading previously from the scale as I have added 5oz of lead

[Timo Starkloff]

Just recognised your Whirlwind, Eric. Nice looking model 🙂

 

Timo

[Eric Robson]

Thanks Timo, 

very crude compared with yours but the whole thing cost a lot less than a £100 and if it fly's as well as my Me 110 I will be happy.  Just waiting for the weather to improve for the test flight.