Building the Nijhuis Lysander

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

Pin or weight down the upper spar on top of the plan/cling film then white glue the ribs onto it, if you want you could mark divisions onto a bit of balsa wood then pin it to the rear end of the ribs to keep all the rears at the same height.

[Terry Whiting]

Doug,

 

TN has his own methods of building, I have my own method  so I never build by instructions.

The tailplane ribs do not have a 'top' as they are symmetrical. The finished tailplane

should have an equal taper to it's top and bottom.

 If it is built inverted and flat the tailplane will have built in dihedral to the under side.

 

If you are interested this was my method.

 

1.  All the T ribs had a1.5mm strip removed from dead centre of each rib.

2.  From 1.5mm sheet I produced an overall plane size tailplane including tip blocks. , Carefully marked all rib postions exactly to both sides.

3.  The 1.5 sheet tailplane is pinned to my building board, pin but do not glue a length of 6mm X 6mm as a straight edge for what will eventually be the hinge spar.

4. Now glue  the half ribs in the respective positions, but not to the 6mm square.

 Cut  2 piece of 3mm sheet for false leading edges  to the taper of T1-T5,  

5, Remove 6mm square, and cut 4 pieces of 6mm sheet to the taper of T5-T1- T5 ( double tapered lengths) for hinge spar, and glue in position, remember to add hinge blocks. The other pair are for the elevator.

6, When dry sheet  over in two panels. it can be done in one if moisten the sheet in the aera of T1, but I prefer 2 panels.

 I did not include any main spars as being a small tailplane and completely sheeted making it is unnecesary, but fit them if you wish.

7. This was left to dry overnight, when removed from the board you will find it absolutely rigid, so rigid there is no neen to pin down to replicate side one.

8 Sand false edge level, and add leading edge.

 

As I wished to save a gram or two once I had maked all the rib positions on the 1.5mm core I also marked the hinge spar and  FLE, then using a piece of 5mm squ I marked

inboard of the ribs, hinge spar and FLE . This was all cut out before the 2nd side was l sheeted.

 

My fin was also made as above.

 

My elevator was also  be built  on a 1.5mm one piece core which also included the tip blocks.

Pin down the core, glue double tapered length of hinge spar, and add riblets, leave to dry over night, remove from the board and add the other sides riblets. I only cut out the elevator centre section after the torque rod was fitted, this give a perfictly inline elevator.    

Including your tips in the cores gives a  better for block  gluing for tailplane,and elevator tips.    

 

It might sound a long winded process, but I can assure you it's not.

 

 

 

 

   

Edited By Terry Whiting on 24/02/2010 10:45:33

[Terry Whiting]

Well guys Monday of this week was great to get back into my model workshop/den,

being confined to barracks (the house) for nearlly 4 weeks seemed an eternity.

 

The rear end of the fuselage is now completed, including the fitting of both fin, stabilizer,

and covering in that area.

Have fitted two servos (rudder & elevator) via the canopy, they live just forward of F7, both are connected by closed loop (pull-pull).  A removable false floor is their cover.

 

The fullsize Lyzander has a fuel tank between the wing carrying structure which in our model is  F4 & F5. I replicated this with 1mm sheet. It does help to fill a greenhouse of a cockpit.

 I have desided for the instrument panel to use photographic instruments, just too many bezels to turn on the lathe......

Next I will turn my attention to the undercarriage.

 

TW   

[Hugh P]

Terry

Thanks for your reply, my mind is made, I'll go with the SC52FS. What will I do with the Laser 70, well I think it would be just right for TN's 621/2" Spit. I started on the Lysander Fuz the other night and found two 2mm holes about 5mm apart in BO1, can't puzzle out what they are for.

HughP

[Peter 'Ivanna Crashalot' Savage]

My dad said they may be something to distinguish the two front pieces, although it does not mention it in the article, could be a place to put the Rx aerial...

[Terry Whiting]

Hugh,

 

In not purchasing the wood pack I can not answer, but I would think Peter's answer is right, as I believe the two sides were handed to give the side thrust.

 

My fuselage box was constructed with 2mm hard balsa sheet, the notches in the formers from F1-F6 were made 1.5mm wider to allow for 1.5mm birch ply doublers.

The scarf jointed idea did not appeal to me.

I built the fuselage square without side thrust as it so is simple adjusting side thrust with electric motors.

 

[rookie jim]

Terry,

the post has just arrived and the undercarriage has arrived safe and sound. thank you very much. it looks really good and will be the best built piece on my model.

 

all,

update on my build. been a bit slow of late. but i have sorted out my throttle run and can connect push rod to throttle. i have now covered stab and elevators. next task is to fit hinges and cover fin and rudder. i assume i will needto cut away the solartex qwhere i fix the stab and fin to fuselage as you do with ARTF models.Theni will start sheeting the rear.i have to work out how the tail wheel wood fits and an easy way to shape the rear sheeting round the stab.

 

hope your builds are going well

 

Jim

[Terry Whiting]

Jim,

 

The pleasure was all  mine.

 

 I didn't enlarge the hole for the axle as I didnt know what if you were purchasing ready made threaded axles, or was going to use a harden bolt, but whatever you use it will require redrilling to size.

 

As for sheeting round the fin and 'stab', use a piece of  cardboard such as a serial box

and cut a template.

Yes remove the covering where glue is to be applied, and check ( PAGE 6)  for Mario's

sketch on fuselage jigging for stabilizer alignment.

Before gluing the 'stab', stick a pin in each tip. If you use a long straight edge place it lengthways on the hinge spar then your pins will exact in each tip.

 

Now measure dead centre of F5 and insert a 3rd pin, now adjust the 'stab' so the the measurement from each tip pin  to the pin of F5 is dead equal.

You are now ready for gluing.   Leave the tip pins in place as they will be required for

fin alignment.

When the 'stab' is set slip the fin into position, and stick a pin into it's tip.

Take a length of white cotton and tie a loop at one end, pass the loop over a 'stab' tip pin,  pass the cotton over the fin close to the pin and down to the other 'stab' pin. Just hold it against

the pin making sure there's no slack. Mark the cotton with a pen exactly level with that pin.

No measure the overall lenth from loop to ink mark, half that measurement exactly and

mark the cotton in the centre.

 

Replace the loop to the tip pin, over the fin,and hold or wind the cotton around the other pin.

Adjust your fin the the half measured mark and your fin is dead upright and ready for gluing. 

 

 

 

 

 

[rookie jim]

Terry,

thanks for the great advice on the stab etc .  it really helps.

 

havent decided on the axles but will probably use axles from the model shop. i have done the same with the tail wheel and bought a fitting. it wont be to plan but it will be easier for me. the wheel itself will be scale though!

 

jim

[rookie jim]

All,

 

I have started on the wings and i dont think they will be easy. I could do with yet more help.

 

Doing the inner wing.

the magazine says to file the spar slots at an angle. I asume this is because W1-W9 should sit flat on the plan at the t.e. and therefore dont fit squarely on the spar. is this the same for the top one.?

Also i can see from the plan how B1 and B2 fit around W9 and the slots are there to cater for this. i presume they but on to W8 and W10. the bottom one presumably gives the dihedral angle and is flat to the plan in the inner wing.

 

this leads to my next question. on the plan there is another piece of wood between  each of the spars W1 to W9 and carrying on through to the outer wing. Is this just a brace i need to make up?

 

I will look through the blog and Pete's build to see if i can get any hints as well

 

Jim

[Allan Bennett]

Posted by rookie jim on 02/03/2010 20:12:58: ... this leads to my next question. on the plan there is another piece of wood between  each of the spars W1 to W9 and carrying on through to the outer wing. Is this just a brace i need to make up? ...

 

I think what you're referring to is web stiffeners.  If you just had the top and bottom spars, with the ribs holding them apart, the whole assembly would (subject to the stiffness of the glue joints) be able to "rack" and/or bend.  Gluing in the balsa between top and bottom spar (with the grain vertical) combines the two spars and the stiffeners into an I-beam which is relatively strong.

 

Edited By Allan Bennett on 02/03/2010 20:25:00

[Geoff Daunt]

Hi all,

Just been catching up on the blogs.

Hugh, l raised the same question about the two small holes some time ago. No one really knows why they are there.Just make sure they are top left on the box for the correct thrust angle.

Just completed the stabalizor and elevators...need to sand down the block tips but will wait for some better weather so l can sand outside...otherwise my workshop will be like a dust mill.

Made my first mistake on the Stab. but not a real problem.

I did read the plan but promptly glued the 6mm strip as the inner leading edge instead of the 3mm strip...ok so l will now glue the 3mm on the front so l will still have the correct thickness and will then sand to profile.

We all know the old saying  " measure once,measure again,then measure again and cut once"

I have a new one...."read the plan,read again, then once more and glue in place"

Geoff.

[Terry Whiting]

Hi Jim

 

Yes that is the reason in having to sand the rib's spar cut outs.

 

I can remember it stating in the build instructions to pin the main spar directly to the board. To do this the ribs will never sit properly on the spar.

 

To make life a little easier use 6mm sq Balsa strip as your main spars, as Obechi is unnecessary for four relatively small wing panels.  If you have some oddments of the 5mm sq stringers, use  pieces as packers under the mainspar, your ribs will then fit perfectly on the spar, and their TE (aileron hinge spar) will sit nicely on your board.

 

If you check on the Lysander build of Tony Nijhuis, you will see he used packers. 

 

 

  

[Keith Dance 2]

Hi Team,

Have been following this build blog whilst building my Lysander and have failed to locate a supply of 3mm Aluminium for the undercarriage despite contacting all the fabricators in the Gloucester area. Can anyone help me please?

Information gleaned from others contributions have been invaluable so far but as this is my most ambitious build I am afraid I have little to contribute.

Many thanks.

[Terry Whiting]

HI Keith,

 

Welcome aboard.

 

Your aluminium enquiry.......

 

Look up page 18 of this blog and you will find a thread by placed  Hugh Philips 

on the 18/2  on where you can obtain your aluminium.

 

What stage are you with your Lysander?

 

TW

[John Laverick]

Kieth,

 if you can't get any from Cambridge PM me  with your address and I'll send you some,

 

John

[Keith Dance 2]

Thank you Terry and John,

Looked at Mackays of Cambridge but could not understand their website so will have to ring them on Monday. Will get back to you John if I have no luck.

Apart for the U/C and a bit of skinning the Fuse is complete and today I have just joined the two wing halves together so still a fair way to go. Watch this space!

[Hugh P]

Keith

When I got my Ali from Mackays they charged me £5.40 a meter inc vat. to find it on there website you can follow this link http://www.mackay.co.uk/Metals-Warehouse/Aluminium/Flat.html they do not say what the price per meter is and the given price is £20 for the 3" x 0.125 ( a mixture of imperial and metric sized!). All I know is I rung to confirm the price and got it at £5.40.

I will be in Eastbourne over Easter, Old Warden for the May Fly weekend and at RIAT in July, staying in Cirencester.So if any one wants some Ali I can provide a sort of delivery service!

 

I am hoping to bend my Ali today. I have some 90 degree ali bar that I will put in the jars of an old work mate and try bending it like that. I can not find a vice with a big enough jaw to take the 3" width of the Ali. If that does not work I will have to try clamping it between 2 bits of angle Iron. This U/C seems to be the most difficult part of the build.

 

As a side I am part of the RIAT Media Team photographing VIPs, A/c arrivals etc and get into all sorts of places on the Air Side, so if you need a close up photo of a B52 U/C or paint scheme let me know.

 

Hugh

[Hugh P]

Sorry

To many late nights and early starts, 3"x 0.125 are both imperial. i.e 0.125 " =  3mm

my mistake.

Hugh

 

[MThemadhatter]

Hi guys, I am at the point of putting all the formers onto the central box structure. Once I have done this I want to sort out the position of the servos, especially the position of the throttle servo and push rod before everything is sheeted. I can see where TN has put his servos and servo tray in on the plan but what has everyone else done and do you have any pictures of your set ups ?

[Terry Whiting]

Hugh,

 

Have you tried annealing, I had to anneal the aluminium that was kindly given me by John Laverick, and it worked just fine. 

 

TW

[Hugh P]

Terry

No I have not tried annealing, allthough I know of the method, and it has been disscused in the forum I belive.

I have today bent my U/C, I used a couple of bits of angled Ali in the jaws of a work mate, then with a block of wood, put some weight behind it. Tried it on some scrap first and all seemed OK.  There is some stress marking to the Ali but as the angles are not that tight I think all will be OK. We shall see. I still have enough Ali to make 2 more!

 I have tried to include 2 photos of the operation, please excuse if things do not go right as this is the first time I have tried including photos.

HughP

[Hugh P]

Photos are OK but belive me the shape is not as seen, to much wide angle lens!

Hughp

[Terry Whiting]

 

Hugh,

The UC looks pretty good to me, but I doubt if mine would have looked like that if I hadn't annealed. 

 

TW

 

 

 

[Hugh P]

Terry
In the photo you can see the slight stress marks, a sort of fine ripple effect, just a few mm on either side of the line. It is not rough just feels slightly uneven. It is about the same on the inside of the bend. I belive my Ali is 6082T6 grade.

Are you saying that it would be better to anneal?

Do you need to finnaly quench in water after the annealing process?

If this makes for stronger U/C I'll have a go.

Hugh P