Nigel Sharp Posted July 3 Share Posted July 3 (edited) Four years ago today, whilst on furlough I started a build of a wayfarer. This is a plan build from a plan released 1972, and later kitted in Europe by Svenson. Plans are available from outerzone. Anyway 3rd July. On very warm day I spent an hour or so marking, sawing and drilling the rib templates. Edited July 3 by Nigel Sharp Typo 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 This is a 52inch biplane weight between 5 1/2 to 7lb and for 40 to 60 two stroke or 60 to 80 fourstroke. However this is a 780 watt electric conversion. 4s 4000 batteries, end up with a turning NTM propdrive 4248 650 kv motor driving a 14 x 8 1/2 prop via a 60 amp esc. On the above setup it gives a very spritely performance. But is easy to fly and performes all the usual club aerobatics. Will vertical eight, avalanch, spin stall turn and just about prop hang. I digress. The balsa was supplied by balsa cabin right when demand soared. I had to wait through April and May etc. Cost was about £130. If you print the outerzone plan at 100% it is slightly too large. at 99.1% means the fuselage side is 36 inch and wing sheeting 48 inch. So that is the scale I used. My master aircrew balsa stipper would not reach the spar height, for cutting the 3/16 hard balsa. So out with some mdf to make something bespoke. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 3 Author Share Posted July 3 Some how my pictures went missing. Perhaps it's sitting in the Ardeche enjoying the sun... Here is another try 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 Reading the Outerzone reviews it looks like it will be an excellent model. Good luck with the build Nigel. 👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 4 Author Share Posted July 4 Yes it is superb. 4 years on its my goto every flying session. This log will be day by day obviously belated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Ace Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 Built one this year. Old flyingate the original Svenson kit. Built mine from a plan. More details later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Ace Posted July 4 Share Posted July 4 Should read; an old flying mate had an original Svenson kit, about 1975. Enya 45 two stroke. Always nice flying. This ones electric. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 5 Author Share Posted July 5 Wing spars, cut to length and notched for the ribs. Wing construction is old fashioned. The later Acromaster uses two spars with shear webs. Also made two paper tubes by wrapping A4 paper lightly spread with thined pva glue around an old tube "Marblehead yachtmast" because I also used to race vane steared model yachts in the 1980's to 1990's. These are to take servo wires & plugs through the ribs. I updated to aileron servos instead of Bell cranks and pushrods. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 5 Author Share Posted July 5 (edited) Building wing(s) first. There are two being a biplane. Top wing has no dihedral and is 48 span without the tips. Convenient for 48 in balsa sheet. First wing under way. This is a little earlier than the actual build as I'm driving all day tomorrow. But the build progressed quickly in 2020. I ordered two sheets too few or made a slight miscalculation on wood required so had to join some offcuts to make a sheet. For the underside D box. Edited July 5 by Nigel Sharp typo 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 7 Author Share Posted July 7 Wings continue. Top and bottom wings completed as far as beginning the top leading edge and trailing edge sheeting. You can see the aileron riblets in place, spaced 3/32 apart yo later take 1/32 ply facings. Drill tell tail holes at each end through bottom sheet so you ca n join the dots and cut away later. Bottom wing has dihedral so this has also been set, and both halves completed with paper tubes in place. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 8 Author Share Posted July 8 Wings continued. Fiddly time consuming bits the upper and lower interplane strut locations are not structural in this design. The struts just plug-in using tongues. Due to frequent fit and removed these are made from 3mm light ply. With a 1/32 ply face to the spar. Fitting the cap strips to both upper and lower wings and boxing around the root rib and tubes ready to guide the servo wires. Took a day as I have to wait for my preferred pva glue to dry. Wings should be complete as far as needed at this stage by tomorrow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 Wing tip blocks roughed out and added. Centre section sheeting also completed. Both wings at same stage. A fine day spent with a razor plane and sandpaper turning balsa into shavings and dust. Got to be one of the most satisfying things to do in aeroplane construction. You can see the competed wings in the background of the picture starting the fuselage. An advantage when using outerzone pdf plans is you can print as many snapshots of sections of the plan. So I printed the fuselage side, and cabane struts. The cabane strut prints were then stuck to 1/4" plywood with thinned pva glue, and later fretted out with my scroll saw. And another hour or two spent with sand paper to smooth the profile. It's the fact the wayfarer has these ply cabanes that it was chosen. Far easier to make than bending piano wire accurately to give all the correct incidences. But more on that later... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeff2wings Posted July 9 Share Posted July 9 Making an absolutely cracking job of it there Nigel a nd I do like a biplane or two myself! Looking forward to seeing the end result 👍 is this going to have ep or ic 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 9 Author Share Posted July 9 Jeff, It's electric 4s 4000mah, 60 amp esc, ntm propdrive 4248 650kv. 780 watts on 14 x 8 1/2 apce prop. Spritely performance and absolutely fantastic to fly. I love flying it. How ever it has had to have maintenance due to pilot error and some handling damage. Was at Pontefract few weeks ago the wind lifted it and threw it on the deck upside down... currently recovering the top wing from repairing the spar damage Caused by it. It's been finished 4 years because it was a covid build. But I'm posting the build progress day by 4 years later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 10 Author Share Posted July 10 Fuselage sides cut from 3/32 sheet, plus 1/16 ply doubler. Sides an doublers bonded and weighted down and leaving till fully dried before further progress can be made. The kitchen cupboard was emptied of the tin cans. Plus of course my weighty tool box. Spent most of the rest of day fretting out the 1/8 liteply formers. I'm building the fuselage from a datum board. So the former bottoms have been extended to a line drawn parallel to the top stringer. A partial cut has been made at the former bottom to assis when cutting the sacrifical extension away. All will become clearer tomorrow. But it's like building and planking a boat hull. To ensure a true straight build. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 (edited) Sides marked for former positions to aid assembly. Longerons, and ply wing trebler added and weighted down. Ensuring right and left sides are produced. Then later cabane struts epoxied and set through the top longeron. Edited July 11 by Nigel Sharp typo/auto incorrection! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean0 Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 I have one too - this was a bit of a nostalgia build for me as my dad built one from the Svenson kit in the late 70's (I think!) his was powered by an OS 40, mine is powered by a Saito FG11, I pushed the firewall back slightly to accommodate the slightly longer engine. It is a beautiful Sunday flyer, perfect amount of power from the Saito and looks just great putt putting along on a low pass 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 Yes a very predictable flyer well behaved, and can be thrown about too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 11 Author Share Posted July 11 I'm slightly miffed... because I'm recovering the 4 year old top wing tonight, using the lower wing as the template to repeat the colour scheme... and in the process I've discoverd the lower wing has also a damaged spar which I hadn't spotted. There is a hidden tear right on the edge of the sunburst just outboard of the centre section sheeting... and applying a load to the tip causes a small crease to become evident across the top of the spar. Drat. Drat Drat. The good news is I've spotted it before risking flying it. Will have to do another few evenings repairs. But bang goes flying it this weekend. So to continue the belated build... on this day 4 years ago. Take some seasoned wood, straight and not twisted. Draw a centreline, and former locations perpendicular to it at the correct positions. Cut short blocks to increase glue area and bond formers to them and the straight board, taking care to align the centers and check perpendicular (vertical). Leave to set overnight. Means I should get a firm jig to bond the sides, plus something to keep the fuselage safe while construction continues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
martin collins 1 Posted July 11 Share Posted July 11 I have a Wayfarer that i started to refurb, got too many projects so letting it go very cheaply, anyone here interested, i can deliver to the Old Warden ModelAir event on the 27th/28th July. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 12 Author Share Posted July 12 That picture shows what can be done with a colour scheme. The wayfarer has some cousins... Acrostar, and Acrofury both later than the wayfarer but essentially the same plane. https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=6256 https://outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=6242 Anyway sides have been positioned and glued to the formers, making use of the strechability of electrical insulation tape to hold everything together. Something to note! Our modern 1/4 ply tends to be 6mm being a metric nation so if you cut the cabane struts front 6mm then the F3 former sits a little low so allow for a bit more material on the lower corners of F3 to compensate. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 13 Author Share Posted July 13 (edited) There is plenty of room where the IC tank should be for a 4s 4000, the battery pokes through the aperture in F3 which originally was for the old 4.8/6v receiver pack. I chose to install the 60 amp esc under the battery on the floor. Later you'll see the firewall modification to allow airflow through. I've commenced building a battery hatch between F1 and F2 to be held in place by magnets. And since this is all fiddly stuff several other jobs are being done concurrently while waiting for pva to reach firm handling strength. Although the plan shows a strip built tail. The Designer recommended in a kit review of the Svenson kit in 1973 the it be swapped for a solid 1/4 sheet version. So that what I have done, as two review comments on the outerzone page also referred to tail failure. It's a simpler build too so bonus. Quite a few hours work there around 12 if memory serves 9am to 9pm! Edited July 13 by Nigel Sharp typo correction 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Ace Posted July 15 Share Posted July 15 Flew my plan built version on Sunday. Very nice, but be aware the plan I have puts the c of g a full inch behind where mine is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 15 Author Share Posted July 15 Mine balances at the plan mark. Is perfectly OK. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Sharp Posted July 15 Author Share Posted July 15 From the original magazine article. Using a great planes balance tool. Mine balances upside down on a mark drawn vertically down to the upper surface of the lower wing. Without having to add any weight too which was pleasing. The build blog will continue tomorrow. I had a few days off in 2020. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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