forsakenrider

Lucky me! Ive got a Selextra 500 to build! I've got the full "international" kit, it has a cut spar to fit in a smaller box.

It's taken me a while to get started on this build, but I've made time this weekend to do it. so here's the start: just pulling stuff out of the nicely packed box.

Next I will start with the wing!

forsakenrider

So on to the wing we go! First find and remove all the parts, and then get going! I fallowed hfenn's build thread pretty much
.
find all the ribs I also glued R-L and R-T on here



Lay the bottom main spar on the plan and glue all 6 R1's making sure they are square!



And now the same with R-2.



Then cut out the sheer web pieces and glue them in place.

forsakenrider

Best part about working at the kitchen table is the espresso machine is close! Coffee break!

forsakenrider

Next I glued the top 1/16 x 1/2 balsa strip on the rear along with the leading edge.




And the rear top sheeting.



and a cut out in the leading edge for the wing mounting tab. Also installed the rear bottom sheeting



And here the rest of the center sheeting is installed.

The wing is almost finished! But I think I'll move onto the fuse.

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

Looking good... I will have to put a note on the drawing to shape the L/edge before installing the front wing tongue.

forsakenrider

Yeah, I thought about it, but its not SO difficult to do after the fact.

Kit is going together wonderfully. I've got the two fuse sides ready to put together but I've ended up with a giant headache so I think I'll have to call it quits for the night.

forsakenrider

Sides are ready to be joined. I realized Im out of blind nuts and bolts so I'll have to install them later. Not the end of the world!

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

Those two triangles at the back aren't needed. They were an artifacts left on the laser cut file when I had diagonal braces @ the wing tips. You may be able to use one for the rear piece of bottom sheeting. There is also a couple of minor discrepancies with the fin height and the bottom of F-5 .. match them to the drawing before use.

The 1/8 X 7/8 is for an extra wing saddle doubler.. Your choice if you think they are needed or not.

Are you going to have landing gear?

forsakenrider

So far the only problem I've found is the laser cut tongue is too wide to fit in F1.

I wasnt going to put landing gear, but now I'm thinking I will...

forsakenrider

Fuse is coming along nicely.



Quick tack with CA, alignment, and glue it solid.



Approximate shape for the front fuse block. After installing the triangle stock in the front we are read to glue this on.



top front block glued and ready for "final sanding".



A little bench flying before bed!

hfenn

Too much coffee and not enough Selextra? Looking good so far!

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

Sir.. You are going to challenge CP for " All Time Speed Built Airplane" . How many minutes have you logged so far? What Octane is that Coffee?

forsakenrider

How many minutes? thats a good question. I didnt really log it, and I like to take a lot of breaks. (coffee, internet, food). Lets say 4h of actual working (not very hard though)

Plus another hour for just the wing bolt and aileron linkage. Most of my time this morning was spent modifying my CRAPPY cordless drill to have a deans plug. Now it runs on 3s instead of the crappy batteries that no longer hold a charge.

So today, where are we:



Mark where we want to install these torque rods, tack them in place with a drop of CA.


Mix up some 5 minute epoxy.



Cut the 1/8" block to shape, tack it in place with ca and when everything is how you want it, Epoxy time!



Glue on the ply reinforcement and mark out your centers.



Drill, tap, and install the supplied screw. Now we can safely bench fly a pattern sequence without worrying about losing the wing!

PS- Cp is fast, but my heavily modified espresso machine runs on PURE nitro

forsakenrider

Well we've got a bit more done. These last few steps are more time consuming and dont show as much progression. But hey, thats how it is.




Install the horizontal stab, measure twice glue once! this needs to be straight and square!


Install the front turtledeck former. use an angle template made from the plan. I used a scrap of balsa.


Install the vertical stab. AGAIN measure twice and glue once! this needs to be straight and square! After its tacked in place I glued the rear turtle deck former in place and then I epoxied the tail feathers permanently.


mark the exits for the rear controls and use your tool of choice to cut nice holes. There are lots of ways to go about this but I opted for tubes and music wire.



i like to cut an angle on my tubes and then epoxy them to the fuse. i will cover right over them and then poke the music wire through the covering.



This is why I left the turtledeck off. Left myself access. Again, lots of ways to do this. You could have left to bottom off and built up the turtle deck before installing the tubes.

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

Before you put on the Turtle Deck formers check the height of F5. The notches on the bottom may or may not need to be left on. there may be something about F5 that I may not have got quite right on the first set of kits..

forsakenrider

TD-5 you mean? i matched it to the plan and filled the notches. Looks like It should work out.

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

Sorry.. TD-5. I thought there was something amiss.

forsakenrider

Well the rest went together smoothly. I did the turtle deck TLAR, and it looks about right I think I'm ready to cover and then install the radio gear!



Turtle deck stringers, pretty much self explanatory. I could see how there could be a few different ways to do this.


rear end ready.


Cut the ailerons, bevel the edge and cut away the portion where the torque tubes are. Drill a hole, and glue it in! I will be doing live hinges with my covering.


Bench flight before we go back to the body shop....


Engine bay work. Kinda sad! but hey, gotta fit that big block nitro hemi-norvel (061) in there!

hfenn

Looks great so far! Yes, you lose a lot of the cowl area for muffler and throttle clearance, but once the engine is in there, it won't look so bad. I'll be interested in seeing how your covering works out where the TD meets the horizontal stab. I used a bottom stringer along the fuselage top to give the covering an attach point at the stab. Pics in my build thread.

forsakenrider

Well i used like 5 pieces just to cover the TD. It was tough. Im not very good at covering planes anyway! I think i've only done it like 5 or 6 times! most of my planes are painted

Pictures to come.

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

Covering is not my favorite part of a build either...

forsakenrider

Pictures dont really do her justice! that color is BRIGHT.







Now to install the inner workings!

forsakenrider

Well shes finished (sans canopy) I did things a little differently for the servos as be pictures. It seems like servos on the plan at 3.7g types which are quite a bit smaller then the HS55 size I usually use for half-a. You'll see how I installed them.

One thing, where should the CG be? I just assumed on the main spar and it seemed to fly alright like that (yes I said fly!).

So the cats outa the bag! I flew it, sans windscreen for the driver. He had a face full of oil by the end of flight two. HA!

Also the engine im using SUCKS. its the older style norvel. Its so finicky and I cant get it to idle low. I dunno why! I never really played with throttle though, but still, it needs work. I am going to pick through my parts and try and build something up. Or search for a newer bigmig.

also, I need bigger wheels, or to figure out the landing gear a bit better, maybe both? anyway! it was fun to fly! good speed and very predictable. What a glide too! yikes! never wants to land!

Here's the final set of images:

skaliwag

My Feedback: (1)

Great job Mr. . We don't need no Steenking canopy... After two flights the guy probably needed to go to the bathroom.

How much did it end up to be on the scales? Can you post the throws please.

The spar is 25% of MAC .. seems to be working. How did that happen !! Must put that on the plan.

forsakenrider

Yeah I was a little rushed trying to get to the field with my buddy so I didnt have much spare time. I'll document the throws and weight before I fly again.

One thing, I had to put my battery in the nose with the tank to get it to balance on the spar, but I noticed hfenn's doesnt look so tail heavy.

Also I will try and get a video next time I'm out! its really a fun plane to fly. Its like I can push my limits and when I make a little "oops" shes just so predictable and stable that everything works out nice. All I need is to up the rudder throw so I can get some good knife edges going on!

Plus, 3 days from box to field? that's a new record for me! usually I get to covering, and that part takes a few months.....