AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
#327
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Whitehorse,
YT, CANADA
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
Was just thinking this morning over a coffee .... about the flutter .... could it be at (high speeds) that the rudder control rod that runs across the two engine nacelle be setting up a harmonic ? just my $0.02 worth
#328
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Kortessem, BELGIUM
Posts: 3,607
Likes: 0
Received 13 Likes
on
11 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
Rich showed me a video of the sloppy rudders... IMO something went wrong with the torque rod bearings on his plane... his torque rods somehow had massive amounts of play in the epoxy bearings (in the stock location that is).
A word of advice on epoxy bearings: don't use massive amounts of grease on your rods when you glue them in... too much grease will make for a sloppy fit! You only need just enough grease to not let the epoxy stick to the rods... it doesn't need much. Only the surface of the rods has to be coated, you do not want lumps of grease hanging everywhere. Epoxy doesn't like grease at all, so the slightest amount is enough to prevent a bond.
A word of advice on epoxy bearings: don't use massive amounts of grease on your rods when you glue them in... too much grease will make for a sloppy fit! You only need just enough grease to not let the epoxy stick to the rods... it doesn't need much. Only the surface of the rods has to be coated, you do not want lumps of grease hanging everywhere. Epoxy doesn't like grease at all, so the slightest amount is enough to prevent a bond.
#332
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
SU-27 arrived today. It looks like art, I have never built a laser cut kit. Awesome! I have read all the posts. Anything special I should know about a laser kit? What glues are you guys using?
#333
My Feedback: (20)
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
Thick and thin CA - General construction
12, 30, 2 hour epoxy - high stress areas
Aliphatic glue - where you have to glue sheet edges together that are on the outside - sands easy with no lumps or ridges.
You have to sand the little bumps off the lasered parts so if you feel like it, sand the brown ash off the charred edges too but that isn't really necessary.
Don
12, 30, 2 hour epoxy - high stress areas
Aliphatic glue - where you have to glue sheet edges together that are on the outside - sands easy with no lumps or ridges.
You have to sand the little bumps off the lasered parts so if you feel like it, sand the brown ash off the charred edges too but that isn't really necessary.
Don
#335
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Kortessem, BELGIUM
Posts: 3,607
Likes: 0
Received 13 Likes
on
11 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
I found that trying to sand the charred edges on laser cut wood parts is a PITA...
So I came up with something else: I use a small, fine brass wire brush to remove the carbon. That way every part that you touch doesn't get black finger prints all over it. The same goes for your sanding blocks: you can still use them for without messing everything up with carbon...
Ordinary white wood glue (is that aliphatic glue?) is great for glueing on sheeting (and butt joining it) and stuff like that. It allows you to make corrections if necessary, and it sands easily. And it's strong too. The fast kinds set up in about 5 minutes, so it's not that slow.
If you are using epoxy you must make sure the carbon is gone, or it will not stick properly. CA doesn't have as much problems with it, because it wicks through the carbon layer.
Make sure your center fuse is well pinned down. It has to take some force when you are bending and glueing the 1/4" sheeting.
I also used a lot of rubber bands to hold everything together while setting up the formers and fuse sides.
So I came up with something else: I use a small, fine brass wire brush to remove the carbon. That way every part that you touch doesn't get black finger prints all over it. The same goes for your sanding blocks: you can still use them for without messing everything up with carbon...
Ordinary white wood glue (is that aliphatic glue?) is great for glueing on sheeting (and butt joining it) and stuff like that. It allows you to make corrections if necessary, and it sands easily. And it's strong too. The fast kinds set up in about 5 minutes, so it's not that slow.
If you are using epoxy you must make sure the carbon is gone, or it will not stick properly. CA doesn't have as much problems with it, because it wicks through the carbon layer.
Make sure your center fuse is well pinned down. It has to take some force when you are bending and glueing the 1/4" sheeting.
I also used a lot of rubber bands to hold everything together while setting up the formers and fuse sides.
#336
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
It is an awesome design.... highly recomend a very thorough study of ALL the instructions before beginning. I studied it before i even ordered the kit. It is somewhat complex but simple to build! Was a pleasure to build. Well worth building!
Rich
Rich
#338
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
I only used CA and epoxy, canopy glue for the canopy and a few other areas... i did not find it nesessary to sand away the carbon unless I needed a better fit in a certain areas... which was rare. Parts fit together nicely in most areas! Used regular balsa filler for a smooth transition from the LEX to the fuselage! FUN TO BUILD THIS ONE!
Rich
Rich
#339
My Feedback: (123)
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Hattiesburg,
MS
Posts: 1,134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
Boy, you guys are making it tough for me! I find myself going to AKM's site to look at my airplane over and over again. Really makes me want another one. Mine is the grey with white bottom with the nerd (me) beside it. I miss it bad!
#341
My Feedback: (123)
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Hattiesburg,
MS
Posts: 1,134
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
That is pretty obvious! It is just finding the time and space!!! I will just enjoy looking for a while. It is hard to start all over again on one of these.
#342
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Posts: 852
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
Ive got the Juno Hornet and the AKM Flanker...just no where to build them..I'm getting impateint as I keep reading this thread and seeing all this valuable information..might just have to commendere the living room and put locks on the door..kit building and having tubes of glue sitting around just doesnt blend well with 3 kids running around!!!
#343
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Whitehorse,
YT, CANADA
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
Rich! in your head on pic of the SU ... are the fins moving or fluttering ...or is just the way the pic was taken?
#344
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
No Flutter! All the stills were taken off of video so they aften do not come out clear... I tried to get the best frames or at least the ones that looked kinda cool!
Rich
Rich
#346
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Whitehorse,
YT, CANADA
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
ORIGINAL: jetpilotrich
How did you install blind nuts without the retract units?
Rich
How did you install blind nuts without the retract units?
Rich
The holes for the retracts are already drilled out and I used some plumbers putty (which is fuel proof ) to keep the blind nuts in place .. I check with a hole pattern from a friend that has 101HD and it was smack on but if i do have to move them around it will be fine,
#348
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
could not make it to the field to fly today.... sucks!
For the last 17 years I have been using a Futaba 9VHP (Helicopter) Radio that has been glitch free since My Father bought for me in 1988! I got back into R/C about 2 years ago... I mostly used to fly helicopters.. I sent some pics.. taken some time in 1998.
Anyway, I just disabled all the Helicopter functions and the radio works fantastic as an airplane radio.... I just do not have the airplane mixing functions like flaperons. One of these days I really need to get a current airplane radio!
The Flanker has all y-harnesses set up for both ELEVATOR & AILERONS.
That is the really superior things about this plane... It does not need any of the fancy electronic mixing stuff... flys fantastic without it!!
Rich
For the last 17 years I have been using a Futaba 9VHP (Helicopter) Radio that has been glitch free since My Father bought for me in 1988! I got back into R/C about 2 years ago... I mostly used to fly helicopters.. I sent some pics.. taken some time in 1998.
Anyway, I just disabled all the Helicopter functions and the radio works fantastic as an airplane radio.... I just do not have the airplane mixing functions like flaperons. One of these days I really need to get a current airplane radio!
The Flanker has all y-harnesses set up for both ELEVATOR & AILERONS.
That is the really superior things about this plane... It does not need any of the fancy electronic mixing stuff... flys fantastic without it!!
Rich
#349
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Sydney, AUSTRALIA
Posts: 852
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
hey Rich, thats a really cool lookin chopper , nice pic's.
what type of servo's are you using in the ailerons, elevator and rudders on your flanker, want to get an idea of what torque rating I should be looking at! I dont think they need to be to highly rated.
I want to gauge what I'll need now and is there access to mount all servo's after construction and finish or do you have to do them as you go.
Reading the pdf, it seems you have to install at least the aileron servo's for the sake of threading thru the extensions even though they have hatches, I'm not worried about the retract servo as I have that on order so I'll have that during construction. If I need the servo's before hand I'll get them a couple weeks down the track because if I get started on it I would want to get through all the the building without having to wait for servos etc
thanks
Roger
what type of servo's are you using in the ailerons, elevator and rudders on your flanker, want to get an idea of what torque rating I should be looking at! I dont think they need to be to highly rated.
I want to gauge what I'll need now and is there access to mount all servo's after construction and finish or do you have to do them as you go.
Reading the pdf, it seems you have to install at least the aileron servo's for the sake of threading thru the extensions even though they have hatches, I'm not worried about the retract servo as I have that on order so I'll have that during construction. If I need the servo's before hand I'll get them a couple weeks down the track because if I get started on it I would want to get through all the the building without having to wait for servos etc
thanks
Roger
#350
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2003
Location: Whitehorse,
YT, CANADA
Posts: 1,216
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
RE: AKM SU-27 Flanker-Does Look Good
OK there Rich sounds good . I have mine set for Flaperons just to try them out after a Std test flight will let you know how they work out. Cool looking helicopters must have been fun to fly. I flew the real ones for 26 years up this way ...I will have to give them ( models ) a try one day.....just to stay current lol.