Danny Fenton Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 Okay I know I said the fus was basically finished, but as usual "The devil is in the Detail" And i just can't help adding bits. I hope Gavin doesn't snag all the rigging wires the first time out as it is a little delicate, but with any luck it will survive. I realise the font for the serial number is totally wrong, and that the rudder and roundel coulours don't match, but it is a pupeteer at the end of the day What do you reckon to the aluminium tape simulating the alu panelling? I think it looks like alu tape to me but hey ho.... Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 I think it looks great danny - stop fretting. Now tell me....is the tail rigging functional? if so, how have you actually actually done it? Is the wire simply passed through the surfaces and glued in place or waht - I am just about ( literally ) to start the rigging on the Camel tail, and dont like the heavy enginerring system supplied, complete with heavy turnbuckles and the like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 Hi Timbo, me fretting lol. yes the rigging is functional but it is more of an assist than the full means of holding the bits on. The thread, (yes its silver/grey thread) is made in Germany and I cannot snap it, it is seriously tough. It takes thin Cyano really well too. So all I did is as you sumised, using a needle passed the thread through the various surfaces and back to overlap on itself. Then a drop of Cyano on all the contact points. I know its solid enough for the way I fly, though I am sure there are some that could stress it by overflying the model. Turnbuckles look great, but only when they are the right size How is the Dromaderie looking? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 Thanks Danny - I was considering using fishing line, but wasnt sure about anchoring it properly...I could use the supplied metal tabs I guess and just crimp it with some small brass / ali tube - even this would be a lot lighter than the supplied heavy steel cables and turnbuckles!Heres the latest on the Camel - although I have been busy this morning sorting out power and switching etc for the sound module. I have decided to use a separate 6sLiPo to power the module for maximum power, so have been busy rewiring and adding switches and jack points etc. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emil Benson Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 thats very neat work Danny, well done Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 Thanks Emil Timbo 6S for the sound system!!! thats an awful lot of power? I have the benedini system with a high voltage amp, and am just feeding it from the main flight pack. If you go much above 1.8 A on the amp it will melt the speaker. 1.8A on a Benedini fed visaton = about 102db's I believe....... I have just opened the lower wing centre section up on Percy and the spar is snapped. This is hardly surprising as the guy that built the model has not webbed the spar where the centre section sheeting is It is fortunately a clean break so shouldn't take much to put it right, then re-sheet the centre section and add a couple of servos for the ailerons. Off on a short holiday to the seaside with my little daughter, back next week, play nicely together you lot. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted September 16, 2009 Share Posted September 16, 2009 For maximum power output ( 40 watts ) it needs feeding with 25V , and has a maximum voltage capability of 26V, so 6s lipo is just right .Holidays to seaside....hope youve got a model packed! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 16, 2009 Author Share Posted September 16, 2009 If anybody is wondering what I used to simulate the alloy panels it was a Flair product, had to be didn't it really Its something called Aluclad, and although it appears very similar to the alloy tape available in halfords etc, the big difference is it comes in large sheets. http://www.flairmodels.co.uk/Finishing/Aluclad.htm Using it has so made me want to do a big Chipmunk and cover it entirely in this stuff. Perhaps I should do my Brian Taylor Mustang fuselage in it.......... Anyway off to play in the sand, and no Tim when I tried to smuggle a model in the suitcase I was met with the raised eyebrow. You know what that means Chocks away...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
propogandhi Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Danny, you read my mind. That is exactly what I was going to ask. Yours looks great with it. Tell me how well would it take to curves? As you know I sprayed the Maggy forward fuzz silver in a vein attempt to match the cowl. It looks ok but is not really the effect I'm looking for. I say curves as I'd have to cover the part of the fuzz than goes over the top L/E center section if you know what I mean. Also I'm guessing as its from Flair it will cost a small fortune (like there wheels!). Is it hard to work with? I've heard the Halfords type tape has a very strong sticky backing so once stuck there is no going back. Is it the same for this stuff? Oh and is light weight? Looking forward to seeing more danny, oh and thanks for you post on my same question re: the flybaby A123's over on rcmf.co.uk prop. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
propogandhi Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Oh Danny, sorry to be a stick in the mud and I hope you don't take offence, but please tell me your going to remove those off color roundals from the Fuzz? I take it there are the supplied flair type. Its the one thing that will let the model down. But looking at the rudder flashes I take it you have some ready with better, darker and close to scale shade of blue? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thomas oliver 1 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I once sprayed my Boxford Lathe with thinned down Hammerite and it did not display any hammered effect at all. I think because it dries too quickly. For what it is worth. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thanks Thomas I will give it a go at some point. Stuart, the Aluclad is really nice to work with and yes it does stick lilke the proverbial! Its is fairly fragile but can be worked really well. It gently stretches nicely but obviously doesn't shrink so easily so you have to be very careful how you apply it. Lay it along the longest straight line, then work it gently from the centre out with the back of a spoon or something similar. If you get it wrong just peel it off and start again. There are compound curves on the pupeteer but i have managed to not get any wrinkles. They are gentle mind you. A possible way for you to do the maggy is to do the really bad bits as seperate fictional smaller panels? The way Flair suggest you use the stuff is by doing a model using scale panel lines to indicate the size of each section covered, so patchwork quilt-work approach I don't recall it being that expensive.......... The halfords stuff was a lttle thinner and more fragile but works fine on smaller sections. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 21, 2009 Author Share Posted September 21, 2009 Hi Stuart, The roundels are correct, its my tail feather colours that are wrong the early Navy Pups used the light blue roundels it seems. As I have made a blunder and used the wrong shade of blue paint, I may have to buy yet another set of roundels from Pyramid Models, this time dark blue to match the tail flashes (I must just about keep Pyramid in business single handed). The roundels and tail colours should match as you rightly say. Of course I am not offended Only kidding LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Hi Danny, Have you tried using a compass cutter for making roundels? It looks like a normal drawing compass but has a blade instead of lead. It works well on Solartex, just cut out circles to the required size & superimpose them as necessary. I bought one from my local shop a while ago & would recommend it as a low cost solution for making roundels. Cheers Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 Hi Richard, that sounds a good addition to the tool box. If you have the various colors then great but its buying all the colours in the first place that costs. Pyramid do them fairly cheaply so thats why i go there. I do have a plotter and can cut my own roundels and lettering, but once again its getting the stock of colours. I do have matt black and white. I was just lazy by getting pyramid to do them. I will look out for a compass cutter though, it does sound useful. Where did you buy yours? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 Hi Danny, I got one from Scoonie Hobbies in Fife 3 or 4 years ago. A quick Google shows one at Maplin & a few other suppliers. I just can't remember if this is the same type as mine - it must be early senility! Will check the tool box when I get home! I agree that it's only worth doing if you have a stock of colours. £13 odd for a new roll of Solartex just for roundels ain't making sense! A few scraps of white, red & blue could find a better destination than the bin though! Cheers Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 Hi Richard, Is this the sort of thing you mean? Compass cutter Ebay All my Solartex is plain white, with the ocasional bit of olive drab and antique/linen. I like to spray my final colour so never have red and blue offcuts I know what you mean about senility, I am always walking into rooms with no idea why, let me know what type your cutter is? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy watson Posted September 23, 2009 Share Posted September 23, 2009 I've been avoiding this thread because of the obvious heresy involved in an electric Flair kit! Some of the Flair products can be hard to find. Mick Reeves does rolls of self adhesive aluminium if you are struggling. Flair models are notorious for needing a lot of lead in the front, I'm guessing yours is worse for shortening the nose, or have you been able to balance it with the batteries? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 23, 2009 Author Share Posted September 23, 2009 Hi Andy, I do know what you mean it is heresy to put leccy motors in Flair models. But I just can't keep those flaming glow things running reliably. And electric is very easy and clean. I think with electric models the motor is a very solid and dense weight very close to the prop, this gives us an advantage over IC where the main weight of the motor is an inch or two further back, more in line with the piston. Also we do have some solid batteries that we can position right up against the firewall, or in the case of Timbos Camel, around the motor inside the cowl. The Triplane balanced with no batteries fitted, just the leccy motor, so I am either very good at building light tail end (unlikely) or the motor mass is the key. With the triplane i now wish I had made it a little more scale by shortening the nose by an inch, as I could move the cells forward to accomodate the c of g shift. I wont know about the shortened Pupeteer until I get the motor from the owner, Gavin, but it is looking good for no lead. I got the Aluclad from Sussex Model Centre. Good to hear from you Andy Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Hi Danny, Here's a pic of the compass cutter. The proportions aren't quite right, but it gives the general idea. If you don't have blue or red, you could always spray some white solartex to the required colour before cutting. Cheers Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 Hi Richard thanks for that, yes it does look like the ones I have found on Flea Bay, I will get one. Do they take normal scalpel blades BTW? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Wood Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 That's a good question! I haven't yet replaced the blade - which is more like a point. It doesn't look like a standard blade fitting, but I'll take a look when I'm back in the shed tonight. When I first tried it I didn't tape the solartex down & made a right hack of it! Taping it down makes it a doddle. Cheers Richard Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 24, 2009 Author Share Posted September 24, 2009 Okay thanks Richard. It may be like my plotter blade, sort of a triangular point, very sharp and is still after two years of use! Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 26, 2009 Author Share Posted September 26, 2009 Well i have finished the spar repairs and a servo for each aileron in the lower wing. I have recovered it and sorted the linkages. And just for Stuart I have replaced the light blue roundels with some darker ones, it was easier than repainting the tail feathers the lighter blue. Anybody want to buy 4 x 9" and 2 x 4" Light blue roundels the fus ones peeled of okay Anyway I think I may leave it at that even though there are interplane struts to sort out, I cannot really do much until after the club night and the top wing is covered. Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted September 26, 2009 Author Share Posted September 26, 2009 Oh nearly forgot, I did a little playing with the AluClad to see if dummy rivets and screws could be simulated. Just for a laugh. What do you reckon? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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