propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

The Old Quality Line Kits fiberglass fuselage as I got it, and after some rough sanding with 150 grit to start removing the old paint.

propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

Cracks in the fuse that need to be repaired and possibly areas that need more reinforcement when the new fuselages are laid up. I'm going to fill back in the old engine and retract cutouts using foam as it will be easier to shape back to the original contours. There is some pretty good cracking at the seams in the tail and I'm going to cut the old fuse right down the middle after the engine and retract cutouts are done. I'll then secure the two halves to individual pieces of white board.

propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

Cracking in the tail at the seam and cut outs that need to filled in.

bruce88123

She's had a rough life but you can do it.

jirvin

I would worry about spliting the fuz to put onto boards. The distortion may be difficult to manage. May be better to use splitter board?

For a project like this I often make a very quick splash (thin) mold to lay up a heavy plug in - this gives a much more stable suface to get a good finish on. When doing this I simply fill cutouts with blocks of foam and cover with 2" wide sticky tape. The heavy plug then allows finer finishing of these details.

Making the extra throwaway mold may sound like more work however the joy and time saved working on a more solid plug soon make up for this. I have often gone the 2 mold method when resurecting a favourite crashed balsa model - glue back together - sticky tape and plasticine over the divots - quick mold - heavy plug- mold number two - and turn it into a fiberglass job.

cheers jeff

dreadnaut

My Feedback: (5)

I think you will have a very hard time getting the mold halves to match. I thought of doing it like that, and have come up with a way that should work. However, it involves making a plug from scratch. Maybe you could adapt the technique. No guarantee that it will work though.

I would start by building a half fuselage on a profile crutch, like the old Guilllows models. First, I would cut two identical profiles from 1/8 lite ply. Then-and here is the crucial step- I would stack the two profiles and the two mounting boards together. Then I would use a drill press to drill holes for alignment pins through the stack. I would also put holes about 1/4 inch outside of the profiles for the mold alignment pins.

Next I would build left and right fuselage halfs on the pre-aligned profiles. I would then put the two halves together with pins in the alignment hloes for the final finish.

Attach each half to it's pre-drilled base, and lay up the molds. When the molds are cured, drill the alignment holes from the back of the backplate through the holes you drilled in the first step.

I have actualy started doing this for a 45" Yak. Other projects, and the need for domestic harmony, have stalled it.

propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

Well, Thanks for the advice guys about cutting the fuselage (especially navav2002)! But it's all a little too late, as I've already cut it this morning before checking for comments. First off, after the cut, the firewall is still firmly attached to the seperate halves and there is no deviation in the two contours there. The rest of the fuse from the firewall back to right before the vertical stab is very stiff and checking with a profile guage there is no noticable differences up to that point either. The vertical stab itself is a different story. The fiberglass is very flimsy and moves easily to the touch. Here's my plan to assure proper alignment and identical shapes of the two halves. I'm going to trace out the centerline profile of one of the halves correcting for where the wing fairings need to be squared back up caused by the exsisting cracks. Allowing for the thickness of the fiberglass itself, cut two identical pieces of white board that will sit inside each fuselage half. These "inside" boards will then be each attached to their own slightly larger piece of whiteboard which I can then mate up and mark and drill for alignment pins. I will also make formers (two identical at a time) which will be placed on top of the "inside" centerline boards, at the same places, to stiffen up the vertical stab area and assure the same contours along the length of the fuselage. Working from the inside of the individual halves will be a lot easier when it comes to doing the crack repairs, and working inside the vertical stab while the fuse was still one piece was nearly impossible due to the thinness of it. I'm fairly confident that this will work, and well, that's my plan at least!

propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

Filling in the engine and retract cut outs with foam and rough sanding for now. Also the cutouts for the horizontal stab will be filled in and redone as the previous owner hacked them up and covered up the resulting gaps with fillets. Also, not having the original wing that came with the fuselage, it seems that the NACA 18 airfoil is a good match at the wing saddle and decided to go with that when repairing that area of the plugs.

propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

Here's the two identical boards that the fuselage halves will be attached to. I think I'll come up with someway to be able to put the two halves together for the plug prep and painting and then seperate the two for making the individual mold halves.

Pitts S1S

My Feedback: (9)

Try double sided carpet tape for holding the halves together, when done prepping, pry them apart for molding.

Jeff

Atlanta 60

My Feedback: (18)

Lookin' Good Dude!!

Have Fun!!

Chuck

propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

The boards now attached to the fuselage halves. They straitened out the slight twist in the tail section and made the fuse a lot stiffer to work with. The two halves mate up perfectly and now I can really get to work on them. The vertical stabilizer is going to need a lot of filler to get it perfect and I'm thinking that the fuse as it came new, wasn't all that great to start out with! Very flimsy to say the least.

propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

Not a lot to report, except a lot of filling and sanding going on! Once I get it a little closer to perfect I'm going to use a laminating epoxy to finish it out. Anyone have suggestions on how best to color epoxy? Also, I have the templates for the wing ready and will be cutting the cores soon.

Pitts S1S

My Feedback: (9)

I wouldn't use an epoxy, to much work sanding it down. Try a high build auto primer. A couple of coats of that, you'll see easily what needs to be worked on, and it sands and polishes easily.

If you want to color epoxy www.cstsales.com has pigments you can add to the epoxies, ussually West Systems. I've also seen an article of using a little spray paint mixed in with the epoxy. Never tried that one though....

I'd definatly go with the primer though, you'll say TONS of elbow grease, it dries in minutes. You could also use a 2 part epoxy primer like KlassKote sells. Very tough stuff. I have found with KlassKote though it wet sands better than dry sands.

Jeff

propbuster

My Feedback: (1)

Pitts, Yeah I plan to use primer for the final sanding, I meant using epoxy rather than paint for the final finish rather than an automotive type product. Thanks for the link to the pigments!

dreadnaut

My Feedback: (5)

I totaly agree. I learned this the hard way. I spent a week trying to get a good finish on a plug with epoxy. The next one I did, I used auto primer and thought I had died and gone to heaven.

partroy

Is there any update on this?

bruce88123

Most of the above posters haven't even logged onto RCU since last year. The others may not be subscribed to the thread.

Time will tell.

partroy

Thanks for the info. Do you know where I could get a fiberglass curare kit 40 or 60 size?
Marc

bruce88123

Fiberglass? I'll look but until then: http://eurekaaircraft.com/plan_kits/curare.htm
http://www.vogelsang-aeroscale.com/sunshinecurare.html
look at http://www.trentonrcflyers.com/pattern/patternc.htm

one occasionally shows up on EBAY - Rare though.

check with the classic pattern forum I think RCU has.

JeffH

My Feedback: (43)

contact hobby barn, they are making this plane again. There is some information in the Classic Pattern forum.

bruce88123

Check this build thread: http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_11170772/tm.htm You'll also be in the "Classic Pattern" forum then.

partroy

What is the website or telephone no for hobby barn or quality line kits?  I want to buy the curare kit. Thank you Marc

hrdflite

propbuster. ,,,here at HOBBY BARN/QUALITY LINE KITS we own the rights in NORTH AMERICA to CURARE and SUPER CURARE.    WE sell these kits and they are not -out of production. and are avalable at HOBBY BARN 520 747 3633

hrdflite

P.S . please do not reproduce and sell our products.(thats illegal)   thanks.H.B.