Flights of Fancy

[ElyDave]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ph94pF7T8o

Tentative throw in the garden, but a touch more nose weight I think. Currently has a 19g fishing sinker and lead foil from a whisky bottle glued behind the nosecone, and space to add more ballast at the base of the nose, maybe trim the angle of the tailplane as well

There is a much bigger field of turf round the back of the house, just need to wait for a really still day.

Started the BirdDog last night, I think it's going to be a much lighter build

[TheLurker]

That's nice,  it looks as though it flies straight which I always find a relief cos it means one hasn't buggered up the flying surfaces.

Dunno what Andy or anyone else thinks, but I think it might be worth trying with a bit less nose weight rather than more.

> ...BirdDog last night, I think it's going to be a much lighter build
Yeah,  most of the VMC kits in the MfM series turn out somewhere in the 25g to 35g range.

Got a bit more done on mine today.  Modified Fin  Did the wing centre section a week or so ago.

[andytheflyer]

Dunno what Andy or anyone else thinks, but I think it might be worth trying with a bit less nose weight rather than more.

+1.  I'd take a bit out and see what happens, and go for a launch out of the hand at level or maybe slightly down.  It looked like it tried to stall and then recover.  But well done - it flies straight.

[ElyDave]

Thanks guys, consensus seems to be that getting it trimmed to the COG marked on the plans was a bit OTT then!

Now with rain and then strong winds for the weekend, I think it might be while before further reports are made. 

[andytheflyer]

The marked CoG is a starting point, IME: how it actually flies tells you how to balance it in pitch.

[ElyDave]

These laser cut kits are a huge step forward in ease of build vs the Veron glider.  With quite a bit of other distraction last night I still managed to build a wing.  It's things like the leading and trailing edge sections, which were cut from strip for the glider and took an age to get the complicated joints and trailing edge profile right.  I think this will be a lot quicker overall, though I can see the fusalage as requiring a measured, delicate touch

[TheLurker]

These laser cut kits are a huge step forward in ease of build...

Aren't they though?

With quite a bit of other distraction last night I still managed to build a wing. 

Crikey. You're a great deal quicker than me.  All I managed last night was the stbd outer wing section.  Might get the wing finished tonight.

Just out of interest, what's the light wood like in your kit?  Mine (about 2 years old) seems to contain uniformly hard (heavy) sheet which is *most* unusual for a VMC kit.  Mind you even at that it's not Ye Olde Keil Kraft Oake.

[ElyDave]

These laser cut kits are a huge step forward in ease of build...

Aren't they though?

With quite a bit of other distraction last night I still managed to build a wing. 

Crikey. You're a great deal quicker than me.  All I managed last night was the stbd outer wing section.  Might get the wing finished tonight.

Just out of interest, what's the light wood like in your kit?  Mine (about 2 years old) seems to contain uniformly hard (heavy) sheet which is *most* unusual for a VMC kit.  Mind you even at that it's not Ye Olde Keil Kraft Oake.

A wing = port section
Pair of wings would be both sides, I'm not that quick.  Will go for the other section this evening and marry them up Weds if I have time.  I think you started on the tail?
I've built the middle wing box, left wing and a couple of the non-sequential ancilliary laminations so far.

My kit seems to have one definitely heavier sheet and two lighter though not uniformly so.

[andytheflyer]

These laser cut kits are a huge step forward in ease of build vs the Veron glider.

Some years ago I built the 8ft span Airsail Auster, the 1/4 scale kit.  The wing parts were laser cut.  All you had to do was dry fit it together on the board then run around with the cyano.

Well, not quite, it was a bit more complicated than that, but that's what it felt like.

[TheLurker]

Saving electrons.  Bits & bobs of Bird Dog

[ElyDave]

Nice job on the tailwheel.  I was thinking of digging into my paint stocks.

Stab is very organic indeed.  I'm just needing to fit the last three stringers on the fin before starting the fuselage.  I've read the instructions several timesbut I still can't visualise the fit of the fin onto it, I'm sure it will all become clear.

[TheLurker]

I was thinking of digging into my paint stocks.

Go for it.  There's no "right" way to do this stuff.

I still can't visualise the fit of the fin onto it, I'm sure it will all become clear.

This is my current understanding of how it fits together and is subject to revision when I finally get to that point.  Sketch is rough as old boots, sorry. 

There may or may not be a need for the notch at the front of the base rib of the fin.  I built mine without, i.e base rib extends to LE of fin just in case I'd misread the plan. Easy to take the wood away if needs be.

The K8 parts are shaped before stab and fin are fixed in place. Put a bit of scrap 1/16" sheet on K6 tack or hold the K8 blanks in place and shape to F10. Put to one side fit stab & fin then glue in place.

[TheLurker]

A bit more tinkering with the Bird Dog.

[TheLurker]

Fuselage more or less done.  Tail wheel & stabilizer stage to fit.  With luck a fortnight ought to see it finished. It always takes longer than you expect to cover and titivate scale(ish) models.

[ElyDave]

looking good, I was thinking about planking the front end as well.  I've built wings, fin and stab so far, plus strengthened the fuselage formers ready to start that.  Was planning to do some tonight, but I'm lying on the living room floor nursing my bad back

[TheLurker]

I was thinking about planking the front end as well.

It's worth the extra effort.  There's probably enough scrap in the kit sheet, but if your LMS sells balsa nip down there and get some light 1/16" sheet.  Don't believe the remark on the plan about it being reserved for "expert" builders.  All you need is patience and the willingness to throw bits away if you overcook it when sanding them to fit. 

...strengthened the fuselage formers ready to start that.

A suggestion, cos I always find it an absolute bind getting wire UCs to sit level and get it wrong more often than I get it right.  After you've done the cross-members glue a couple of v. short guide / locating strips to the back of F5.  You can always cut/sand them out after the UC is fixed in place if you're obsessive about added weight.

test fit

Couple of other notes that you may, or you may not, find useful.

Use one length of cracked* strip each side for the top canopy framing rather than two bits of strip.  Much easier to fit.

Bring the canopy framing fixing forward to between steps 8 & 9.  Gives you a stable platform when you're fitting the UC wire in place.

Hope your back sorts itself out soon.

Cheers,
Lurk

*If this is stale buns to you I apologise. If not...put the slightest of scores in the strip and bend it gently to the angle you need. It'll crack at the score rather than break and you're left with a single piece of strip.  If it's a new trick to you cut a couple of bits of test strip from the sheet scrap and play with that.  When the part is glued in position smear a tiny bit of glue into the crack.

[andytheflyer]

No, I'm not getting this.  Shouldn't F5 be 1/4 ply?

[TheLurker]

No, I'm not getting this.  Shouldn't F5 be 1/4 ply?

We're aiming for 25g-30g not 2.5kg to 3.0Kg

Anyway to the real reason for this post, couldn't make up my mind if OT Gallery/Unusual 'Planes or here but as Andy's jest required a riposte it's here.

I caught the tail end of this on the Beeb's news channel this afternoon.  It was first broadcast a month or two back.

Full prog.  https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000kzx7  I suspect that this will only be watchable by UK members of the parish

Short summary video.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IRpWMlZ6s3M

So not only Beatrice Shilling, but Hazel Hill as well. 

[ElyDave]

I was thinking about planking the front end as well.

It's worth the extra effort.  There's probably enough scrap in the kit sheet, but if your LMS sells balsa nip down there and get some light 1/16" sheet.  Don't believe the remark on the plan about it being reserved for "expert" builders.  All you need is patience and the willingness to throw bits away if you overcook it when sanding them to fit. 

...strengthened the fuselage formers ready to start that.

A suggestion, cos I always find it an absolute bind getting wire UCs to sit level and get it wrong more often than I get it right.  After you've done the cross-members glue a couple of v. short guide / locating strips to the back of F5.  You can always cut/sand them out after the UC is fixed in place if you're obsessive about added weight.

test fit

Couple of other notes that you may, or you may not, find useful.

Use one length of cracked* strip each side for the top canopy framing rather than two bits of strip.  Much easier to fit.

Bring the canopy framing fixing forward to between steps 8 & 9.  Gives you a stable platform when you're fitting the UC wire in place.

Hope your back sorts itself out soon.

Cheers,
Lurk

*If this is stale buns to you I apologise. If not...put the slightest of scores in the strip and bend it gently to the angle you need. It'll crack at the score rather than break and you're left with a single piece of strip.  If it's a new trick to you cut a couple of bits of test strip from the sheet scrap and play with that.  When the part is glued in position smear a tiny bit of glue into the crack.

Useful tips thanks. That does seem a simpler method for the cabin section.

Whilst this laser cut stuff makes the build time quicker, some of the bits are quite fragile I've found, with the sharp tip of one of the tail for one.  Although the glider was a PITA in some ways, building stuff from strips at least meant a screw up could be redone.

[TheLurker]

Whilst this laser cut stuff makes the build time quicker, some of the bits are quite fragile I've found, with the sharp tip of one of the tail for one.

Yes.  It's definitely an issue with kits, especially if you haven't got stocks of wood from previous builds and it's a large part that breaks. If you're talking about parts K8, the fillets fitted to the root of the fin then they'll be easy enough to replace from the carrier sheet and you might find a jig like the one sketched helpful.  I would have used a photo, but the jigs I made went into the bin as scrap so you're going to have make do with my ropey artwork.  Sorry.  The jig is also quite handy because you can leave the part being shaped in place and offer it up to the rear former / stab. stage to check how you're doing.

Summat else that might make working with laminated components easier is to ignore the instructions and not remove all parts from the carrier sheet and try and glue them together. Cut the first out, glue it to the second - still attached to the carrier sheet.  When the glue has set cut the composite free and glue it to the third lamination.  Rinse & repeat until all assembled. 

And while I'm busy teaching Granny how to suck eggs, a 3mm drill bit makes a perfect alignment mandrel for the noseblock and nose plug parts. Only don't leave it in place too long.

[ElyDave]

I used the round end of a needlefile for that alignment.

The bit I broke a few mm off the end of was the curved section at the front of the fin, nothing serious.

And don't worry, any tips will be taken in the spirit intended, remember, although I've built plenty of polystyrene model kits and am reasonably mechanically adept, the glider was my first balsa model

[andytheflyer]

Cyano is your friend when it comes to mending broken pre-cut bits.

[TheLurker]

Got the one bit of the build I really wasn't looking forward to out of the way, sanding the NB laminations to shape.  And despite my very best efforts with the UC it's still sitting one wing perceptibly lower.  Ah well, get it right next time.  Perhaps.

Some bones shots. 

[ElyDave]

Nice on the sanding, I've done a tentative start, and put it aside for now.  It really is a very lightweight kit isn't it.  I see you've not added the curved section between fin and body that I slightly damaged - is that to be added later?

A bit of help required on the glider if you can spare some thoughts? The wings are held together by a single thin strip, out of the pre-cut sheets. It glues against the central wing spar, passing though the innermost ribs via a slot, and is v-shaped to give the wing angle.  I managed to crack it during the initial wing covering as reported below and replaced with a spare.  I managed to crack it again today with just two landings onto a wingtip (flight was great until that point with reduced ballast).  As per pictures below - photo is me attempting repair held together with clothes pin while glue sets.

My thoughts on a solution are to glue a couple of pieces of strip fore and aft along the ribs and then build a ladder frame across with more bits of strip, otherwise I'm going to be forever rebuilding that section - it's just too fragile to take any load on the wingtip without ripping the tissue if nothing else. Any other ideas/suggestions?

[TheLurker]

Is the dihedral brace balsa?  If it is (it really shouldn't be) get yourself some 1/16" or 1/32" ply sheet (SLEC, Balsa Cabin*, 16th for pref.) and cut a new dihedral brace from that and glue it to the back / front of the existing brace as is most convenient.  You'll probably find it easier if you remove the root bay tissue panels. Remove the underside panels to hide the patch when you re-cover.  Nice wing covering job by the way.

If you're splinting the old brace the ply one doesn't need to be the full depth of the current one, say 2/3,  so you don't have to enlarge the slots in the root ribs too much.  If you think you can remove the old brace safely, then cut a new full depth ply brace and be done with it.

And a quote to make you smile, my aunt's eulogy for my uncle, "...and the thing I learnt about flying model aeroplanes is that it involves far more fixing model aeroplanes than it does flying them."  Made me grin at the time, still does for that matter.

The fillet for the fin on the O-1 / L-19 won't be fitted until after it's covered.  For the bones shots it was all held together with blu-tack and mini clothes pegs.

Cheers,
Lurk

*If they're charging the earth I can send you a bit about the right size if you let me know what size you need.