flyingagin

This may not technically be a crash and rebuild, but it sure is a rebuild of a very beat up plane from flying and many moves.
I have been working off and on, on this airplane since about February of this year. I got it second hand about 15 years ago. I t was a cheap ARF, unknown name. Tri geared. Original power was a .45. It flew ok other than it was very unstable in yaw on landing approach, unless you kept the approach hot and a low AOA. Tried extending the vertical stab up about 1.5”, it helped but did not completely solve the problem. I put a small sub fin on the bottom. The stabilized it nicely, but I kept striking it on landings and braking it off. I flew it on floats a few times. Didn’t break the sub fin.
Power this time will be a K&B Sportster .65, just because that is what I have available. Power this time will be a K&B Sportster .65, just because that is what I have available. Muffler will be the Aluminum Long neck Pepsi bottle.

flyingagin

I started by completely stripping all covering. Had to use dope thinner to get all the film glue off. It sure was not MonoKote. The covering’s glue was very sticky and had the pigment in it. It was a bugger to get it all off.
I removed all the control surfaces, as I intended to replace them with larger ones anyway. I also intended to install flaps.
After clean up I enlarged the vertical both wider and taller, and a bigger rudder.
New elevator, bigger.
Made wider ailerons but only the last halve of the span. Flaps inboard of them.
It should be rather quick on the controls. But that is what expo is for.
New wingtips, the original were plastic and badly cracked.
The wingspan is now 54. 12” inch chord. 648sq” of wing.

flyingagin

Here is a good thread on the muffler construction
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_73..._1/key_/tm.htm

flyingagin

The wing was originally rubber banded on. I sawed the mount dowels flush. Add an extra layer of ply wood, extending below and forward of the ¼ 20 nylon wing bolt anchors. I felt I needed to distribute the loads somewhat. I also installed two pieces of arrow shaft in the front of the wing. Made sure I carried them all the back to main spar. I glued a piece of ply with 2 holes drilled for the arrow shafts to front of the spar doubler. I did the same thing at the Leading edge. This ply doubler was cut to the height of the L.E. and extended to the last rib that had center sheeting. I added a piece of 1/8” carbon plate as reinforcing washers for the holes the arrow shaft were to go thru in this doulbler as principally it was inteneded to carry the loads of the hold down dowels (arrow shafts).
I also raised and reinforced the first bulkhead in front of the wing. Were the hold down dowels go thru it, that has an additional thickness of ply add to it.

flyingagin

More pictures

flyingagin

More pics

flyingagin

I made a mold for a fiber glass engine cowl. 3 pieces of 2” thick pink foam laminated together. I was certain that making the mold would be a super simple and fast really job. I was wrong. Bad approach to the job. I originally traced the fire wall onto the mold blank and drew center lines. Then I started carving and sanding to a pleasing shape. But when I stuck it back on the fire wall I then realized I had goofed big time. Ended up with a bad case of droopy snout. The down thrust built into firewall threw every ting off. Versus starting all it over, I added shim material to the bottom till my center lines were back on the money and that it would center around the prop shaft. Then I did some reshaping.
Next time I will just use screws to hold the mold blank to the firewall and shape it while it’s attached.
There is about 3° down thrust and 2° right thrust on the engine now.

flyingagin

More cowl pics

I will use light spackling to fill the seam at the back of the cowl and firewall. Next I will run a piece of 2” wide scotch tape around the nose starting at the front of the firewall. Wax that and then 3 layers of 4.25 ounce fiber glass cloth and laminating epoxy. Then dig out all the foam and soak the glass cowl in water to dissolve the remaining white glue. Trim the cowl so that it only overlaps the fuse about ¾”. Cut all the holes, cylinder prop shaft exhaust etc.

flyingagin

I see I double posted a picture. No ideal how to remove it.

flyingagin

I am using swivel links on the controls, both ends. They really help to reduce any slop or play in the controls. The very little bit I do have is all in the servos. In the past I used snap links or and z bends. Even when it started off pretty tight, the holes in the control horns or servo arms would enlarge over time. I don’t think that can happen now.
Using swivel links similar to these
http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...?&I=LXFPW7&P=0
The flaps drove me nuts for a long time. I am using 1 servo to drive both halves, and just stacked 2 swivel links atop each other. 4 40 all thread is what I am using in between.
The flap torque rods are 4 40. To ovoid have to bend and align the unthreaded end, I have the threaded end going into the flap, and put a well collar on the other with a 4 40 Socket Head Cap Screws as the horn with STRIP AILERON HORN CONNECTORS threaded onto the bolts. The swivel links then bolted to those. No play, well a little bit in the servo.
Just a snap ball link on tail wheel.
Much to my dismay and surprise the STRIP AILERON HORN CONNECTORS would twist slightly when moving, changing the flap deflection just a little. So I added a second collar / bolt and STRIP AILERON HORN CONNECTOR, and just passed the swivel connector bolt thru both. That solved that. Not very elegant, but I will come back and revisit them.
Might even take some bar stock and make my own collars that are drill and tapped for 2 bolts and 2 set screws. Then replace the STRIP AILERON HORN CONNECTOR with a pair of brass barrel nuts with a brass tap soldered to it (pehaps silver solder?).

flyingagin

Aileron servo covers. I will leave the top exposed, but am still making covers for the holes to keep it as neat and clean as I can. 1 picture before the cover and 1 after, but it still needs a little more work on fit.
The covering will be 100% polyester dress lining. Hancock’s had a good sale a little while back so bought more than enough. Paint will be Rustoleum.
Will soon be ready to cover. Other than making the cowl, I am almost ready to start throwing rags on this bird.

MrGoodwreck

This is the stuff I love to see!

Very nice job on your recycle project!

flyingagin

Remounted the cowl mold, and saw that it had some fit issues (sub size) that I just was not going to be able to readily fix, also I was not happy with the front and how it it would mate up with the spinner.
So the first has to be considered a learning experience.
Just cut 3 more foam blocks and epoxied them together. I only put epoxy in the very middle so as not to have a hard glue line that would be all but impossible to smooth and shape.
I will screw it on from the back using sheet rock screws through the motor mount bolt holes. Then sand the sides, bottom, and top to match the nose of the plane with a sanding block. Then transfer my alignment lines. From those marks and lines I can transfer the angle of the engine and length to the front of my new mold This time I will make a hard ply spinner ring and glue it on. I have to be sure and subtract the width of the ply ring from the mold.
Then with the mold screwed to the firewall I can start shaping it.

flyingagin

BTW
All my building is done on the kitchen table

flyingagin

OK New foam block ready to start rough shaping
Had a bad scare when I went to take the last picture. Camera would not power on. So after checking batteries and card I took a good look under the battery/card cover. Did not look right. Did not see a metal battery connection tap on the inside of the cover. Some looking and I found it on the floor, very slightly bent by my shoe I'm sure. Put it back in and a course it it not stay on its on.[&o] So I built up a little bead of super glue across the plastic pins that go through the middle of it (using a tooth pick to apply) and then set it with kicker also applied with a tooth pick. HOT DOG, IT WORKS. I will keep an eye on it in case it needs a more secure repair.

flyingagin

I used a hand saw to rough cut the mold to match the fuse. I just laid the saw flat and used minimal pressure, kind of just let it guide itself. I was dripping with sweat. It is hot and humid here, but if I did not want the wife to kill me I had to do that task outside. I had no proplem with the saw tracking, no grain in foam.
I cut both sides, , bottom and top. Gave it a rough sanding then transferred my alignment marks and lines.
I made a 1/4" ply disc that will be right behind the spinner. The engine down thrust is built into the firewall, so all I had to do was measure the length to the spinner, then transfer that to the cowl mold. Keeping the same distance top and bottom, that way the front will align to the spinner. I did have to angle the front for 2° right thrust.
I will cut out the spinner ring after I have classed the mold.
I have applied light spackling compound to the mold to smooth it out and fill imperfections.
A little more very light sanding and spackling, then it will be ready to seal with white glue.

Oberst

Great job so far. I just restored, and highly modified my 11 year old Discontinued GP Fokker Dr1, and currently restoring and modifying my 7 year old Neptune Seaplane and turning it to a Blohm und Voss WWII "make believe" amphibian with working retracts. I'm a firm believer in keeping the discontinued planes going. It's a work of art in its own right, and can be more difficult than just building a "Out of the box Kit." MPO


http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_10038870/tm.htm


Pete

flyingagin

Well I attempted to bend up my exhaust header pipe. NUTS!!!!! Made a bending jig. Capped 1 end of pipe and filled with water, then capped the other end. Man I tell you it took some muscle to bend the pipe, wow. But then it bent, AND KINKED.[X(][:@][&o] Next I will fill the pipe with sand past the bending area. Put a dowel in the rest of the pipe. I will also make a better bending fulcrum, deeper (more matching) concave groove to match the pipe radius. And while digging in my parts bins I found another muffler adapter, so I can just bolt them together to exit the engine cowl. Still have to have the header pipe and bend back to aircraft center line. Right now it is exactly lined up with the right landing gear strut. Muffler and gear strut can't occupy the same real estate.
I doped the entire aircraft (all surfaces including control surfaces) with nitrate dope. I did that outside, that be some stinky stuff! The light sanded with 400 grit. The dope penetrated the light spackling I was so concerned about, and it appears to be much harder and more crack and chip resistant. I still may remove the spackling were I put it around control cable sheaths. As an experiment I mixed some light spackling, Epoxy, and micro balloons together. Very robust, hard but flexible. Still somewhat sand-able. I will just shape and smooth with a wet finger.
Getting close to fabric.

flyingagin

Oberst your GP Fokker Dr1 is a great looking bird.
Rebuilds are very challenging and time consuming.

Oberst

I Thank you Sir. Having fun aren't you? It's always fun when you have to make everything from scratch because there are no parts to be had.


Pete

flyingagin

All the tips (i.e. wing tips and tail feather tips) were starting to suffer hanger rash just during the build process.
All my building is done at the kitchen table with some cutting and sanding (also the dope) out on the little patio this apt. has. A VERY UNDERSTANDING AND TOLERANT WIFE. A frequent question of hers " well you gonna work on right?"
So I put a narrow strip pf 3/4 ounce glass on all of these damage prone areas. I used laminating epoxy for the job and used just enough to wet out the glass cloth good. I sanded one down using 220 grit sand paper. (experimenting) Then put a another coat of the resin on. So far I am pleased. It sand nice and easy and was very flush with the rest of the surface. It seemed to be pretty hard so this should help significantly reduce dents and dings were it is most likely to occur. I have one wing tip wet right now. Tomorrow I will sand this out and see how flush it is.
I cut fabric and covered the elevator yesterday. I used a Kraft (Elmers)type of glue stick to tack down the cloth (100% polyester dress lining), and dope the edges. Not happy with it or the method. Will remove and sand the fabric. I think I will use water based urethane paint (no odor and I can use it inside the house) and tack down a corner, let that dry then I can do the opposite corner why pulling the fabric snug. I want to get the fabric as tight as I can when I put it down. That way I should end up nice and tight.

flyingagin

When I cut the fabric (both the glass and polyester), I used two strips of paper laid the length of the cut with a narrow gap between the and spray the exposed cloth with hair spray. The I cut with a rotary blade. I did not get the usual fraying that I have always experienced in the past. You just want a narrow strip of fabric hair sprayed as it will make the fabric stiff and hard to work with otherwise.

MetallicaJunkie

will you include a pictorial when you glass the mold? im very curious as to how its done

flyingagin

Paint question?
I went to the hardware store today thinking I would get some Rustoleum water based polyurethane. Then I realized I was rather confused. I thought it came in colors. The oil based dose.
I have done silk and butyrate dope when I was young and Koverall and butyrate dope. For most of my planes I used Monocote (just don’t like it or it’s look) But now I want to get away from nitrate and butyrate dopes, as they just are not small apartment friendly. I need to lock the corners and edges of the fabric down with something. In the past patient work with dope was the ticket.
So what do I use to lock the fabric down with?
Next what should be my first coat of paint or primmer, and then on to color coats and trim. What for them?
Lastly Fuel Proofing.
Spraying is out of the question except for rattle cans.
I have been searching threads, and studying them, but at this point in time I am flustered and confused.
I ready to move on.

edited this post
I forgot to mention I am using 100% polyester dress limning.

flyingagin

MetallicaJunkie
I will get my wife to shoot some pics while I do this.
There are probably a 100 right ways to do it some better than others or better suited to particular individuals and circumstances.