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Hangar-9 Sopwith Camel Build Thread

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Hangar-9 Sopwith Camel Build Thread

Old 01-18-2016, 07:38 PM
  #1376  
WI53072
 
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I started in on this project but have been sidetracked since. I'd love to see what you come up with.
Old 01-18-2016, 08:32 PM
  #1377  
tclaridge
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I just did an update of my sound system. Took out the two 4" speakers and replaced with two 2" SPL and a transducer and bass transducer for the same weight. But she sounds much nicer now.

https://youtu.be/lrVrTY69PRk
Old 01-19-2016, 05:24 AM
  #1378  
WW1 Flying Ace
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I have also gone electric - an E 60 and two 3S cells in series on a support built around the engine mount, and the motor is on the end (outside) of the mount, not 'inside' per the directions. The ESC is ahead of the firewall too. With a magnetic cowl, will only have to remove the prop nut to change batteries. I've read this whole thread and hope to avoid adding much lead - if I can go easy on the paint!

The covering job on the H9 Fokker DVII was much better - no problems, and with a shot of Testor's Dullcote, it came out great.

Anthony - that sound system is outstanding! Much better than I had imagined. Nice flying too.

Last edited by WW1 Flying Ace; 01-19-2016 at 05:30 AM.
Old 01-19-2016, 07:40 AM
  #1379  
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Yes would love to see a recovering on the plane, never had a wrinkle problem on mine, but never really liked the looks of the covering on the plane, will be watching!
Old 01-19-2016, 08:57 AM
  #1380  
WW1 Flying Ace
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Thanks - started last night. You guys think I should change the bottom hinging on the ailerons to middle-hinge? I'm not shooting for a super-duper scale effort, but to avoid adverse yaw, i'd like to have more 'up' travel than 'down'. I'll look over the framework and see what else could use some improvement too.

Right also about the gray undersides, instead of the clear doped linen. I'm using Koverall so I'll have to simulate the linen color with paint, but I haven't picked a scheme yet. Brown's Camel with the red front end, wheels and tail sure looks good. There's also the idea of adding 1/64 ply on the front end and staining/varnishing the wood part, and painting silver or a color the metal part.
Old 01-19-2016, 10:11 AM
  #1381  
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I have never really like the look of the bottom hinging either, but you may be able to program in enough differential without changing the hinging at all. Experiment and see what you think.


Once you get it stripped, you may consider beefing up the lading gear legs (which may require a new mounting method to the fuse). That has always been one of the major weaknesses of this model. Especially considering the 1 lb lead block and everything else in front of the firewall needed to get the CG right.

So many great color schemes and possibilities. One thing that comes to mind immediately is adding the distinctive oval engine access panels on each side of the fuse and may as well add the carburetor intake tubes as well. Easy to do and would add a lot to this model.
Old 01-19-2016, 11:14 AM
  #1382  
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It's not a build, it's an assembly.
Old 01-19-2016, 11:17 AM
  #1383  
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In my original post, I properly called it an 'assembly', but at some point of effort it will be a build I guess. After all, you didn't 'build' the engine in your plane, right?
Old 01-19-2016, 01:39 PM
  #1384  
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A good ARF bash can be every bit as time consuming and technical as a lot of full "builds". It's a real challenge incorporating new things in a previously built airframe and kudos to all those that take on the challenge.
Old 01-23-2016, 05:12 AM
  #1385  
SkyPilot101
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I reciently acquired a Camel, decent shape, around a 7 on the hanger rash scale. The biggest problem with it is the ailerons have very little up travel. The simplest soulition would be to re-do the covering hinge to allow a bit more spacing/travel. Beside striping the covering and making structural changes, anyone have a better way?
Old 01-23-2016, 06:23 AM
  #1386  
Mustang Fever
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H9 did the hinging wrong on the ailerons. They are too close to the wing, and that's why you get so little up travel.
Old 01-23-2016, 06:28 AM
  #1387  
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So the quick and dirty fix would be to slice the ailerons off, and re-hinge with strips of covering is what I'm thinking ?
Old 01-23-2016, 07:56 AM
  #1388  
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Before recovering mine, I considered slicing through the covering, sealing the open edges, and just using either CA or Dubro hinges. You want more up than down anyway, to reduce adverse yaw.
Old 01-23-2016, 12:18 PM
  #1389  
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Originally Posted by WW1 Flying Ace
Before recovering mine, I considered slicing through the covering, sealing the open edges, and just using either CA or Dubro hinges. You want more up than down anyway, to reduce adverse yaw.
Ace, Not shur how you did this? Did you inlay the flat hinge into the trailing edge & aileron, or slot the wood approx center, like a double bevel hinge?

The proper fix would require removing the covering, reworking the trailing edge / aileron leading edge, hinging and recover per standard designs, but not wanting to get that involved, right now, anyway.

I want to get this Camel air worthy enough to fly to see if I like its personality first!

Last edited by SkyPilot101; 01-23-2016 at 12:22 PM.
Old 01-23-2016, 12:33 PM
  #1390  
WW1 Flying Ace
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I was going to use a CA hinge and cut a slot at the edge - keeping the bottom hinging. Since I'm recovering, I might add some wood to each aileron and then sand to a double bevel, and center hinge it. Haven't quite decided yet... You could also drill it out for Robart hinge points, and angle them into the wing and on the edge of the aileron.

Or just use a covering hinge, but 'looser' than Hangar 9 had it set up originally.
Old 01-23-2016, 12:48 PM
  #1391  
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Slice or remove the covering hinges, then lay the ailerons bottom edge to bottom edge of the wing, leading/trailing flats parallel, and cover them on that way. (Aileron is actually upside down and trailing edge forward at this point.) Then, flip the aileron over as far as it will go, and hold it in that position while you cover the other edges to each other. The pix show it a lot better than I could ever describe it.
This gives you about 2 inches of aileron "up" travel. If you need more than that, you're in the wrong business.
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Old 01-24-2016, 11:35 AM
  #1392  
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Mine is covered with solartex.
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Old 01-24-2016, 12:38 PM
  #1393  
WW1 Flying Ace
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Looks really good. I was thinking of solartex, just to avoid the dope fumes. Does it stay tight okay?
Old 01-24-2016, 01:29 PM
  #1394  
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yes it stay tight. only some small wrinkles if it stand in the sun. Solartex can also be painted with a good result. it looks like old fabric to
Old 01-29-2016, 12:16 PM
  #1395  
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Here's the bones. Oh boy, warped wings. One lower panel and one upper will have to be rebuilt. The upper bends convex and the lower has built-in extra dihedral.
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Old 01-29-2016, 12:18 PM
  #1396  
WW1 Flying Ace
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I think I'll remove the leading edges and all the spar webs, pin it down flat and replace those parts - should work okay.
Old 01-29-2016, 01:35 PM
  #1397  
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Originally Posted by WW1 Flying Ace
Here's the bones. Oh boy, warped wings. One lower panel and one upper will have to be rebuilt. The upper bends convex and the lower has built-in extra dihedral.
I have one of these planes that's never been assembled and a couple of years ago, I decided to strip it and recover with a fabric covering like you're doing. All four wing panels were badly warped and I tried every way I could think of to get the warps out but never succeeded in doing so. One of these days, I plan to build all new wings for it and finish it. I even thought about selling it in the bones but didn't want to unload such a mess on a fellow modeler. Anyway, I'm following your project with great interest. Good luck on getting the warps out.
Old 01-29-2016, 01:37 PM
  #1398  
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They're built so light, considering their size, that this is probably inevitable. Mine was the same way. I just put it together and shimmed it all over the place to get it as near to zero-zero as I could. Flies OK, but I'd never buy another H9 WWI bird.
Old 01-29-2016, 02:44 PM
  #1399  
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It's junk inside. The ribs are thin and punky wood, the main spars are some kind of hardwood, which is okay - but the rear spar isn't one piece of wood at all. It looks like blocks inserted between each rib, which is a crazy way to do this.

Major surgery underway. I ran the leading edge off in the band saw, then cut the wing apart 1/2 way through the rear spar. I'll replace both these with full-length spars, then cut through the attachments of the shear webs with the whole thing pinned down flat. Then replace the shear webs and it oughta come out pretty flat.

I managed to cut out all the shear webs and broke only one rib, but the warp is still in there pretty strong.

I'm surprised there hasn't been inflight failures of this wing, as heavy as some of the finished models have been.
Old 01-29-2016, 02:50 PM
  #1400  
WW1 Flying Ace
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Russ - I can see how this happened. I really only have a problem with one lower panel, but I might as well do them both. I'm thinking that once the Leading Edge is replaced, I can cut the main spars free from the ribs and they'll shift a little, and new shear webs will do the trick. I'll end up putting the webs on the front of the spars, instead of the back just to save the effort in cleaning them up... or maybe I'll do both front and back to pull those hardwood spars into alignment.

I didn't weigh the whole show before hand, but I expect they'll be quite a bit heavier. The wood they used is pretty light - and 'brittle' if you know what I mean.

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