Building the Nijhuis Lysander

[Terry Whiting]

Peter,  It would be if made by yourself, but surely CAD, and Laser cutting

 comes at a price  

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

Well I could make it in cad, it would probably take me 5 seconds I seem to remember earlier in this thread someone talked about making a CNC one, looking at the extortionate hobbystores price of aluminium it would probably cost atleast £20 in materials and my dad may have a lot of various metal, but not big enough to make the whole undercarriage

[Supermario]

Hi Peter

When I made my U/C I make one in aluminium and another in steel.

The aluminium one I put in my model but I still got the steel one.

If you want it I can send you right now because for me is usefull.

If you want one laser cut in aluminium tell me and I can make it but need a few days.

Regards

Mário

 

[Hugh P]

Peter

I have enough ali (T6 I believe ) for Four U/C's. It only cost about £6 a meter from Macays in Cambridge. I am in St. Ives, Cambridgeshire. I could post but not sure about the cost. It should be easy enought to cut to size, after all none of it will be seen! My problem is in bending the stuff.

I will be at Old Warden for the May Fly weekend, so I could get plenty more Ali if others would like some. Just let me know.

I have started on my build by trying to fit the Laser 70 on the firewall I have got to hack F1 about a bit to recess the carb and silencer but I think it wiil go,as there is a gap between F1 &  F2 at the bottom and the cowl will probably cover it. I'm building a mock front end at the moment before I decide on the laser or the SC52.

Hugh

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

A laser 70? that will be adequate on power!!! dad's got a laser 75 in an acrowot and that is a bullet! Quite scary actually!

 

Thank you very much for all the offers, Mario, if you could make me an aluminium one I would be very grateful, Do you have a paypal account? £10 should cover the postage and material cost should it not?

 

Just out of interest, what currency do you use?

 

I will talk with my dad about using his paypal account (I should really!) so don't make a start straight away!

 

Oh and I hope to see at least one TN Lysander at the RCM&E 50th!

[Supermario]

Hi Peter

Don't worry about paying, because I can send you the U/C for nothing.

That really have not costs to me because is made in a laser cut enterprise where

I'm designer. Save your dad Pay Pal account for other things you gonna need.

Portugal currency is European currency ( Euros). In Europe only you guys use another coin.

This offer to Peter is extensible for all you guys in this thread.

If I demand to make one, can also demand to make two or three

Mário

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

That is very kind of you mario! If you leave it flat, it will save on postage, would a vice be good enough with light heating from a torch.

 

I would give anything to have access to a laser cutter!!!

 

I guess you could design your own model in CAD and 'accidently' drop some balsa wood into the laser cutter and cut your own plane! heck you could have made your own lysander cnc kit

 

As my 'name' may suggest I am a bit of a scrounger haven't managed to scrounge any cnc machines yet strangely!

[Supermario]

Hi Peter

I will send you the U/C ready, because mechanical bending give it the stenght needed.

The aluminium I use is not Dural, and I send one flat to Terry and he find it a little bit soft and that is true. Actually many metalic materials like sandwich panels uses the bending method to give strenght. Mine, when was flat could hand bend easily, but after I put it, with the angles by plan, in the bending machine, it stays quite good and I even make a test putting some weight to see the deformation. With 5 Kg it don't move at all.

For me, the problem is not if the U/C deformes more or less, the problem is the way the spats are holding in fuse. I'm thinking seriously in screw the spats to the U/C legs and let a gap to fuselage to avoid that a hard landing make the spat to crash the fuselage support.

And I can always fill the gap with silicone.to garantee the scale look..

But like all in model building this is only ideas, and that means that is questionable.

Mário

[MThemadhatter]

Posted by Terry Whiting on 17/02/2010 18:04:14:

Hi M T.

 

I wouldn't worry too much about the engine and tank weight issue, because none of the wood packs can  possibly be exactly the same weight, If you can save just 7g in the tail construction, that works out to approximately 1oz less ballast in the nose.

 

You have started with a lighter engine,  just see if you can save weight in the tail end to compensate, I'm sure you can.

 

All the best with your build.

 

Terry

 Thanks for the advice, I suppose it will all cancel its self out in the end I was hoping the smaller tank would also help with the throttle cable run, but looking at the plans I don't think it would have helped.

 

Speaking of weight at the tail end, has anyone thought of making a built up tail instead of the solid sheet balsa one ? or at the very least putting some lightening holes in the tail fin ?

 

As I will have a surplus of power I am thinking of using a 3 blade prop, also I am going to use one of those southern models on board glo drivers. No dead sticks wanted here.

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

i really wish i could hide the cylinder head away but with the fs48 it isn't going to happen also i would have liked a more scale sized prop.

[Geoff Daunt]

Hi all and Mario in particular,

Mario, could l also take up your very kind offer of an Aluminium undercarriage.

You will all recall from an earlier blog l did buy one from Carbon Copy but the shape is not correct for the Spat shape. I will keep for some other project.

Mario, let me know when ready to post and will give you my address in Spain.

I would also want to pay you the cost and certainly the postage.

Geoff.

[Supermario]

Hi Geoff

Just PM me your adresse.

I think next two weeks I be able to send you the aluminion U/C

Mário

[Terry Whiting]

Mario,

 

I think I may have been over cautious about that aluminium U/carriage as have never use aluminium of that grade, I have always use either piano wire or Dural.

 

As for attaching the ABS leg to the aluminium I'm using EVO-STIK  Flexi Bond which is

an extremely strong flexi adhesive.

 At the top of the leg nearest the fuselage two soft balsa blocks will be attached, one  either side of the aluminium with Flexi bond, and again just above the wheel spat.

These blocks will then be sanded for a snug fit inside  the ABS. Once satisfied I   add my landing light wiring and wheel axels, then adhere one side only of each the ABS leg. 24 hour later the other side will be added.

  Leaving that curing time will alow the other half of the leg to be fit with no fear of moving the first half.  Flexi Bond will also make a nice fillet between undercarriage leg and fuselage.

 

 

Hi M.T.

 

Yes my fin is built up with just  four 1.5mm ribs and 1.5mm sheet , the same goes for the tail plane. Reason for the weight saving, mine is electric as is one or two of the other guys who contribute to this blog 

 

 

 

[John Laverick]

 

Hi Guys,

 It's good to see the thread so busy, nice to have something to read once in a while. I've inserted a few photos of the winglets that I've added. They sit forward of the C of G so I'm gong to smelt a couple of lead bombs just in case I need some help with the balance. As you can see I've also added the engine cowling and it looks so much better. When it comes to sticking the undercarriage to the plastic spats, I used the double sided window/door sealant, pictured. I just added a couple of strips to the inside of the ali legs and pressed down, oila! the tape has a fantastic stickability and you won't be able to pull it off, so it you use it make sure you measure and mark where the spat meets the FUZ, cut a piece and put it down the gap in between the gear and plastic with a pair of tweezers. much the same idea as Terry with the glue and the wood but with tape instead.

 

NIce to see so many different people attempting the build, and they said that scratch building was a dying art. I don't think so!

 

Regards

 

John

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

No rush mario, don't need it straight away I assume you still have my address in the PM

[Hugh P]

>Hi all,
It's decision time and I would really appreciate some feedback.
I have a Laser 70 which is very nearly the same physical size as the SC52FS it is 3 oz  / 105gm heavier though.
I have 2 main worries:
1) Is the Laser just far too powerful?
2) The centre line of the fuel tank is 4cm above the spray bar i.e. the spraybar is just below the bottom level of the tank. Will this lead to running / flooding problems?
The laser fits in well, with only a small mod to F1 and is slightly turned from the true inverted position.
On the plus side the throttle run is directly under the fuel tank and a 3 bladed prop will be no problem.

Look forward to your thoughts.
Hugh>

[Terry Whiting]

John,

 

What a transformation, that cowl looks handsome.

 

I like your tape idea for fixing the ABS. Strangely enough this weekend  my son gave me a roll of automobile double sided tape, the type use for door tims. "Just might come in handy for the models dad" said he. Well it's not might, but will.

 

Why I sugested Flexi Bond because I use if when attaching aluminium flying wire anchors  in bi-plane wings, or dressing aluminium cabanes with 1/64" ply to make them look solid wood, and gluing lithoplate over balsa.

 

 TW.  

 

 

[Terry Whiting]

Hugh,

 

Up until I sold off my I/C models most of my engines were Laser, and the only gripe I had with the Laser was the position of the carb, but that didn't alter the fact I  my Lasers.

 I put this question to  Mr (Laser Engines) Neil Tidey at a Club talk he was giving. The answer was the carb most is  most efficient directly into the head, that is the reason why formular 1 cars have individual carbs fitted directly to the head.

 

Well as many Laser owners know this can lead to syphoning, my answer was, if I couldn't fit the tank low enough, I positioned the engine at  9 o'clock (sidewind)  and ran the servo push rod along the side of the tank,  fitted a bell crank in the cowl, and readjusted the carb throttle by 90 degree.

 

I personally think for the Lizzee you are OTT for power. My L 70 was flying a 8.5lb bi-plane on floats, and even then I only needed full power to lift off the water.    

 

[Geoff Daunt]

Mario,

I have sent you my address in your Membership Profile.Please confirm you receive it ok.

I have seen on the Plan and on your photo's the small infill section below the leading edge of the fin, on the fuselage.

Have you used a covering material or have you used balsa to infill between the stringers. I cannot work this one out.

Terry,

l like your idea of fixing the spats to undercarriage. I was wondering how l would get the lights fixed in position, and this seems to be a good answer.

Keep these hints coming guys...they are great.!!

[Terry Whiting]

HI Geoff,

 

I think Mario infilled between each stringer, I marked the area, and removed 1.5mm off the stringers, then sheeted over with 1.5mm sheet. Once dry I cut a 13mm

observation window.

 

 

Edited By Terry Whiting on 20/02/2010 15:59:56

[Supermario]

Hi Geoff

! - Yes I got your adresse, when I have the U/C I send you.

2 - The infill between stringers I made it with 3mm balsa, I left the infill

slightly up from the stringers and then I sand all to shape.

The wood pack give a lot of wasted balsa particulary the wing ribs cut. 

After sanding, the surface appears quite good and you don't notice the diference

between stringers and infill.

Terry is a perfectionist builder and is method is quite good also, but need more skill. Ah, I remember, Terry stringers are diferent from ours.

I need as quick as possible to return to my Lizzie because if I don't all you guys pass ahead and then is me that have to beg your advice.

Mário

 

Edited By Supermario on 20/02/2010 22:23:55

[Terry Whiting]

Mario,

 

No my friend I'm no perfectionist, I have just acquired different methods over the years.

A model plan is like a sheet of music, we can all select diferent instuments,

but at  the end the day we all play the same  tune. 

 

 

Edited By Terry Whiting on 21/02/2010 11:25:04

[Geoff Daunt]

Thanks Mario and Terry.

Now clear ...l think l will go for the infill route which will be easier for me.

Not much progress at my end since just had a Cateract Operation on my left eye. All went well but need to keep away from balsa dust etc at present.

At least l will now be able to see the Lizzie clearly when it comes to the maiden flight. !!!!

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

Ouch! i cringe when i think of surgeries on eyes but as you say, all the better for flying with! you'll be able to see all the balsa parts better aswell now!

[Geoff Daunt]

Peter, The surgery was less hassle than a trip to the dentist...and yes everything is now looking great.

Now managed to finish Fin and Rudder, except sanding, which l will do later.

Moving on to Stabiliser.

TN says at the end of the instructions( in RCM&E) that it is built upside down. I would have thought that this would be the first sentance but perhaps l am being pedantic..

Anyway l have checked the position of the T ribs on the plan and marked the CNC ribs with a" DOT"so l know which is top side.

I have fixed the central spar onto the plan...... so l assume l put the ribs onto the spar with the dot onto the plan surface..i.e.upside down.

If that is correct then my next problem is how do l make sure the ribs are in a straight line.?

Having put the ribs in position on the plan it is so easy to move them 1/2/3  mm either side of the central spar so very easy to get a non straight trailing /leading edge.

Do l pack up the leading or trailing edge with a specific amount so that l get a straight run for all the ribs????

Please let me know how you fixed your ribs to the central spar.

Geoff.