A bigger Depron Skyray

[Futura57]

I think that's called a labour of love Simon 🤔

[Simon Chaddock]

Labour of love?

Not really. More annoyance!

It really "grates" when I have built a plane that I know should fly but for what ever reason does not or flies poorly.

My first Depron EDF was a Skyray, although it was actually a ducted prop, was nuilt in 2011. exactly the same size as the Bigger Skyray and it flew brilliantly from day one.

Of course it could have been pure luck but the next plane also an EDP but not a delta flew just a well.

The current Skyray was intended to mimic the first and hopefully with better scale features benefitting from 13 years of Depron building experience but so far it appears not.  

Hence the annoyance. 😒

[Simon Chaddock]

To save Depron I have printed the necessary formers and a new nose cone.

Along with the salvaged canopy bits.

The formers are in halves as the nose will be built as a half shell over the plan.

[Simon Chaddock]

Making a start on building the nose with a "half shell over the plan".

 

A big drawback of using printed formers rather than Depron is you can't pin each plank to them so you have to "form" each plank by fingure manipulation to be as good a fit as possible and then rely on weights but no heavy as to distort the former to keep the plank in place until the glue dries. It makes planking a shell an even slower process than it already is.

Hopefully it will all come out right by the end.

 

[Simon Chaddock]

After a solid day's work the nose skin is now substantially complete.

The canopy is taped in position. The windshield provides a location for the canopies front peg. The rear of the canopy is secured by a magnet.

At least doing it this way round ensures the canopy is an exact fit

The nose section will be left overnight for the glue to fully harden. This will allow the planking 'ends' at the nose former to be sanded flush prior to glueing the nose cone on.

It may look virtually complete but there is still quite a bit to do.

[Simon Chaddock]

The nose is now complete.

Using relatively skinny printed formers makes the nose remarkably empty.

This is a bit of mixed blessing as it makes adding things like the battery box and mounts for the receiver rather more "fiddly" to do.

soon it will have to be glued to the fuselage.

[Futura57]

Nice work, requiring much skill and patience. Almost too good to risk flying again 😉

[Simon Chaddock]

The Bigger Skyray is now at last structurally complete.

It still needs the receiver adding although it has all been connected and it works.

The very last operation will be a light spray of clear acrylic to 'harden' the paint finish The spray is on order but there is no rush as the weather forecast for next week is for lots of wind & rain and the field is plenty wet and muddy enough already.