Half-A-Hec

Howdy all!

I am home today playing hooky from work. Actually I need to be home while the power company relocates our electrical service, phone and cable. This is good since I am working on my new fuselage for my LLS wing. As ya probably read the LLS II was done in by my stupidity[:@]. I tried to fly it indoors and lets say them four walls are a lot closer together than they look. I am trying to duplicate an old plane called the Southern Belle. I pulled the plans out of my RCM illustrated plan index and had them sized at Kinkos' ($4) to generate a fuselage length of 16.5". I have cut out all the parts except the rudder. The fuse goes together much like a Guillows kit. I liked the look of the rounded fuselage and tailfeathers. The plane kind of resembles a cross between a Ryan Sta and a Astro Hog? Maybe I should call it something else? What do you think.


Hec

mclintock

My Feedback: (3)

It's the plane that cannot die- eaten by a dog, crashed indoors, still comes back!
Astro Piglet? Pig Stick, Stuck Pig?
Real cute- looks old timer and sporty at the same time, with that stick wing.. but rounded fuse top.

Half-A-Hec

Clint,

Stuck Pig huh? That cracks me up. Do you think I should sheet the fuse between the stringers?


Hec

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Don't know about between the stringers, but 1/32 over the whole thing wouldn't weigh too much and is very strong.

how 'bout "squeal like a pig"? (I am from Georgia...)

mclintock

My Feedback: (3)

I'd think that sheeting the front part of the top of the fuse stringer area would be good, it looks like the stringers are few and far between, but the back part looks like it should be ok without sheeting, as there appear to be more stringers closer together back there.

It may be easier to sheet the front with the stringers gone, just sheet on the formers, but since the stringers are already there...

did I say 'stringer' enough times?

Half-A-Hec

Well, I decided only to sheet the from the canopy forward. I will leave the rest as is. I figured out the radio install and it was a chore. Like the old saying 10 lbs of #$%! in a 5 lb bag. It's in there though. I did a preliminary balance and she is nose heavy. I hope that by the time I sheet the bottom of the fuse and add the rudder it will get pretty close. I weighed all the parts so far and I am coming in at 6.5 oz uncovered. I think I will be right at 7 oz. with this one. That's ok cuz I have a 3 cell LiPo in there now. Should scream!.


Here is where I am at now.





Hec


PS. The name Southern Belle reminds me of an old Southern girfriend I had in college. She talked slow and polite. By the time she got done telling me she wasn't that kind of girl.......
She was!![X(]

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

Very handsome plane! When I first saw a prop held in place by a rubberband, I thought it looked totally nuts. Now I wonder if that gizmo would save a few 4.2x4s on our glow models ?

Half-A-Hec

Thanks CP,


Actually its a little o-ring. I don't think that it would work on a high rpm engine though. I finally got the cowl finished. It is pain due to this little o-ring arrangement. It makes trying to change props a real pain. I think I got it. If it don't work I will 86 the cowl.


Hec

build light

Great looking plane. The o-ring thing gets better after time. Like many things we are not used to.

Half-A-Hec

Here is a picture of The Southern Belle taken from RCM March 1973. The LLS wing I am using is clipped a couple of inches compared to the wing in the plans and my LLS wing will have a 20 % larger chord. The two wings are very similiar outside of this though. I am hoping the LLS wing will work out.



Hec

Half-A-Hec

Howdy All,


With all the Christmas shopping and activities it has been hard to find time to work on anything. I did manage to squeeze a few hours of building time last night. All that is left to do is install servos, sheet the bottom of the fuselage, cover fuselage, make headrest, make windscreen, and install tail skid. Geeze theres more than I thought!. It is starting to look like a plane though[8D].


Hec

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

HEC, it's taking shape nicely. You're going to need just a couple more bursts of energy, and this one will be flying! If that motor can turn that prop half way decently, it looks like it could hover that little plane.

Bipe Flyer

It is really looking cute, Hec. You're fast becoming a master of tiny, low wing models.

Half-A-Hec

Bipe, CP

You guys are too kind. Master of tiny low wing models? I don't think so. Lets see if it flies first![8D] I am currently leaning on making a closed canopy for it instead of an open one. I am going to try and make a plug tonight and see if I can shape a canopy using a heat gun. I don't have a vacuum former.[>:]. Here is a link to the method I will try to use.

http://modelairplanenews.com/how_to/cowl.asp

The plane kinda looks like an RV-4 don't it?. Take a look at my cowl. Do you recognize this part? Heh heh. CP, that motor with the 3 cell pack will pull the model out of my hands straight up if I let go. Great Googly Moogly!


Hec

Half-A-Hec

Last night I tried the pop bottle technique for making a canopy. It works well. I think I need to mess with it some more because I not 100 % satisfied with the canopy I created. I need to work with the shape of the plug. I learned that the trick is to really stuff your plug in the mouth of the bottle. Wedging wood beneath the plug is critical, the tighter the fit the better it comes out. I am amazed on how much those bottles shrink! Here is what I managed to make. I have the wife collecting bottles at her office to bring home for some more tests.


Hec

mclintock

My Feedback: (3)

That works well! In the third pic, the shape of the canopy looks sorta backwards to me though, aerodaminicalliy speekin, that is..
Is that a gum-ball machine toy container cowling?

Half-A-Hec

DING, DING, DING! Mclintock you win! Yeah that cowling is a gumball machine package bottom. Im not sold on it. I want to form me a proper cowl. Yeah the canopy is on backwards. I am still working on the soda bottle technique. I am going to make me a vacuum former though. I want to build it this Mon. as I will be stranded at the inlaws. On the plus side I will be in the same town as my brother inlaw and he is a carpenter with lots of woodworking tools! I think we could knock out a vacuum forming table in no time!


Hec

flybug

Ok, what is the soda bottle technique???

Half-A-Hec

Fly Bug,

Here is the link for the technique. http://modelairplanenews.com/how_to/cowl.asp

Yesterday on my way home from work I picked up one of those flavored water drinks[:'(] just to get the bottle. This bottle was hour glass shaped. Exactly what I needed to get a good canopy. I cut the bottle in half and used the piece that had the bottle opening. I shoved my balsa canopy plug in it and wedged balsa under the plug so that the plug fit really tight in the bottle half. I got out my heat gun and presto a nice little canopy. Here are some pics of how it turned out. This one is a keeper. I began covering last night and encountered a set back. The stringers used in the rear of the fuselage flexed to much as the covering was tightened up and the result was wrinkles galore[>:]. So tonight I am going to take Ptulmers advice and cut out all the stringers and simply sheet the rear with 1/32" balsa. I should of done this in the beginning.[:'(].


Hec