glazier808

My Feedback: (1)

I'm not sure it's big enough....not too late to blow it up 50% or so. You know so a couple of Moki 150s will fit.

LOL

Looks great Jeff.

Casey

John Sohm

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Jeff,

It's been almost a month since the last post. Any updates on this model? Would love to see some more progress photos.

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

I have been slowly plucking away at it. The elevator and rudders are done and I finished buliding up the retract/motor box assemblies last night. The vertical fin has been glassed and is ready to mount as soon as I get the stab glued on. But, since the retract/motor boxes are done, I will probably moved to the wing, before doing anything more on the empannage. Once the wing is done, I can glue the stab down, pop the fuse top half off the table, mount the wing, and then finish off the majority of the fuselage bottom half. I don't want to pull the fuse off the table until the wing is done, just to avoid twist or warp of the top fuse half.

I've been pretty busy the last 3 months prepping the house and all my models for the long winter ahead. But there is progress and I will post soon.

Jeff

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

I have the elevators completed. I hope Dave is OK with me deviating from his plans. The elevators call for open bay structure with 48 ribs to be cut. I took a shortcut and used a 3/32 core with false ribs glues to either side. Additionally, Dave calls for using small but strong servos mounted in the elevator that utilizes the control arm into a hard point on the stab to drive the elevators up and down. It is all internal with no linkages seen. I will be using conventional aeroshaft rods with a nylon steering arm (X2) attached to a 5/32 "U" shaped rod. I am old school and I am more interested in getting the prototype in the air to prove its flight worthiness, rather than the scale fidelity. You can see the 1/64 ply strip on the elevator, top and bottom, to make it ding resistant.

I will let Roy Maynard handle all the fancy stuff on his...he is a master. Yes, my camera date is off yet again...[:@]

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

Here are the 2 motor boxes tacked together with screws for fit. I will come back and glue them up later and add some hardwood tri stock at the joints to beef it up

Jeff

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

And then on to the wing. I have started the center wing section. It is built upside down over the plans, with the necessary jig strip under the rear sub-spar, to maintain alignment.

Jeff

Ham639

My Feedback: (13)

Looking good Jeff.

glazier808

My Feedback: (1)

Looking good Jeff, how's the weather up there?

Casey

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

Thx guys, oddly enough it was about 72 degrees today, but the floor falls out Monday with a high of 34. But for today, I made good progress on the wing. I started with the right center section half. It is built upside down with a jig strip a the trailing edge sub spar to maintain 0 degree washout for the center section. First, I laid what is the top spar on the plans (this is just the right half of the center section). Then I added ribs 1 -5 and 7-10, but not rib 6 at this time, making sure to keep them perpendicular to the table, but do not glue ribs 5 and 7 to the top spar yet. Next, I take the motor box, and lay it in place to align the rib 5 and 7, so that when I add the motor box, rib 5 and 7 will be snug on the motor box sides when I glue the box in and up against rib 5 and 7. I am careful not to get glue at the motor box and get it stuck to the spars. I will need to remove it at this time.

Jeff

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

Then I added rib 6. Next, I added the bottom spar and glued it in place, along with the 1/4 square mid spar and the 1/4 x 3/8 trailing edge sub spar. I then test fit the wing tube and added most of the shear ribs, which are on the front and back side of the main spar, the back side of the mid spar, and the front side of the trailing edge sub-spar. I then added the 1/4 balsa sub leading edge and sanded the leading edge-to-rib contour, which the 1/8 sheeting will reside. After this was all done, I removed the section of rib 6 to clear for the fuel tank. Also notice the 3/4 hardwood tri stock added to the opposite side of the rib that sits adjacent to the motor box, for additional stiffness and support. I also added the cardboard tubing for air lines and servo wiring. The plans call for a transverse mounted 16 or 24 oz. tank. I have not decided which route I will take. I may go with a single 50 oz. tank inside the fuselage, as on my big Heinkel He-111.

roydefiant

Nice work Jeff. I have started my fuselage. Will you be able to bring the gear to the scale flyers meeting end of this month?
Thanks Roy

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

Hi Roy, yep, I am done with your gear, so I will bring them end of month. Thanks for letting me use them Hopefully Darrell will have my gear soon.

I started the right outer wing panel today. It starts with the 1/4 medium balsa spar pinned to the table. The spar has a taper (front to rear, staring 12 inches from the inner wing rib of the outer panel to the tip rib. Again, the wing panel is built upside down with a jig strip along the rear edge of the ribs. Rib 11 (first out wing rib) is clamped to W-10 on the center section. The ribs are then added to the top spar and resting on the jig strip. Then the bottom spar (1/4 medium balsa) is glued in place. The 1/8 sub leading edge (my contribution) is glued in place and sanded to contour with the rib leading edge radius. I then added the 3/32 shear webs to the front and back side of the main spar as per the plans. I also test fit the wing tube.

I found a problem with Rib 11 where thewing tube hole on the plans did not line up with the holes in the center section or the holes in rib 12 and 13. I will let Dave know and check with Roy and Dick when they build theirs. It was an easy fix to just oversize the hole and then cut a donut that will glue to rib 11 to capture the tube. Ribs 12 and 13 were fine.

Finally, I added the center (1/4 square balsa) and aft 1/8 x 1/4 balsa) sub spars. I also added the servo wire routing tubes.

Jeff

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

After the right outer panel was all framed, I came back and added a basswood hard point on the bottom of the center section between rib W8 and W9. I then marked 2 holes for where the hold down bolts will go and then drilled 2 pilot holes. I then added 1/4 inch balsa filler and sanded it to the contour of the ribs. After I sheet the bottom of the center section, I will drill back thru from the top to the bottom to punch the holes thru the bottom sheeting (the tube and sleeve are not yet glued in).

After the hard point was finished I came back and sheeted the outer panel with 3/32 balsa, and applied lead weighted ziploc bags (reinforced with duct tape to hold the lead shot). I'll note that the outer ribs are 1/32" larger than the center section ribs. This is to allow sheeting of the center section with 1/8 balsa, for the required strength and support, while sheeting the outer panels with 3/32 balsa. You end up with a perfect faired inner to outer panel with no step at the sheeting/wing joint.

Jeff

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

SEE POST #65 CUZ I FUBARED........


Popped the right wing panel off the table and added the top mid and aft sub spars and added the shear webs at each. I deviated from the plans, which has you leave a 1/16" gap behind the aft sub spar and then add the aileron sheeting, to be removed later and the aileron finished off.

I left the 1/16" gap as called out on the plans, but I moved the aileron sheeting back 1/2" and added 1/4 square sticks along this line. I removed the forward 1/2" from the aileron pattern, cut the aileron sheeting out and lined the aileron leading edge up with the front side of the 1/4 square sticks. I first glued the bottom aileron sheeting on, sanded the back edge to match the slope of the top of the rib trailing edges to set-up a sharper trailing edge. I then added a small strip of 1/64 ply to make the aileron trailing edge more ding resistant. I then came back and added the 1/8 ply control horn support and scrap balsa for Robart hinge backer supports. Finally, I added the top sheeting. It was difficult to glue it all up and keep the trailing edge perfectly straight, but hey, the full scale were not perfect either.

Later, I will cut the aileron free, and add 1/2 inch balsa to the leading edge, shape it and finish it off.

Jeff

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

I just discovered that I Fubared the right wing outer panel. So, I will scrap it, cut some more parts, and rebuild it.

I shimmed the R11 rib to mate with R10, with the center section on the top washout jig, and clamped R10 and R11 together. That left a gap at R11 top of rib between the rib and the washout jig strip. I simply shimmed it, thinking the pattern was off, without compensating and shimming R12-R20 with the same thickness. I simply laid R12-R20 down in contact with the jig strip....rookie mistake This messed up the panel incidence.[:@]

I should have just built the outer panel free from the center section, on the washout jig strip; or at least removed the center section from the upper jig strip when I clamped them (r10 and R11) together, with all of R11-R20 contacting the upper jig strip.

Back to the scroll saw for round 2...Ding! Ding!

Jeff

John Sohm

My Feedback: (9)

Looking real good Jeff, I'm impressed with how far along you've gotten. I wouldn't sweat the time stamp issue any, just a little fun pokin' at you is all. Looking forward to seeing it all in the bones soon. Take care and keep on gluin' !!!

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

Hi John...I don't get that camera...lol

wildbills21

Looking real good Jeff, did Mickos Hellcat ever fly ? I saw some posts about a month ago but no updates.

Wild Bill

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

We got it balanced and he glued the lead in. We were going to re-check the balance and fly it, but I got busy and out of town and then the cold came. It is all ready to go tho. Oh well...fresh meat for next year.

Jeff

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

OK, I got all the right win panel ribs cut out and have the spars cut. I laid more wax paper down over the right wing panel plans, pinned the top spar down, as well as the wing upper surface washout jig stick. Got all the ribs resting on the spar and strip ready to glue in tomorrow night. I should have a new right side outer wing panel by Thursday evening. We'll see how this one goes...

I will post some pictures tomorrow night...stay tuned

Jeff

DGUY

My Feedback: (9)

Jeff I have enjoyed watching this come together keep up the good work. I have subscribed.. to this build..

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

OK, so tonight, in a couple of hours, I got the new/second right wing panel framed up and ready to sheet. As you can see in the first picture, the rt outer panel is clamped to the center section with the upper surface jig strip removed from the center section. Now all of the right panel ribs are free to make contact with the upper surface washout jig strip. Remember all of the wing panels are initially built upside down with a jig strip to control washout (no washout in center section).

In the second picture you can see the start of the leading edge. Dave's plans call for a 3/8 balsa leading edge glued to the front of the ribs on the outer panel. As you can see, I always use the Ziroli method of notching the ribs for a 1/4 square balsa sub leading edge spar. I then come back with a 1/8 balsa sheet that is glued to the rib leading edges and the 1/4 square balsa stick. This 1/8 Balsa sheet will be sanded to the radius contour of the rib leading edges. This will give me a base platfor to glue the wing skin to. After the wing skins are glued on, I will come back with a 1/2 balsa sheet (which now gives me the 3/8 leading edge) that will be shaped to form the panel leading edge.

The last picture shows the tapered 1/4 sheet balsa spar and 1/4 square mid spar with the shear webs glued in. Next I will need to add the trailing edge 1/8 X 1/4 balsa spar before I can sheet off the bottom surface of the outer panel.

Jeff

F4u5

My Feedback: (81)

I lost some building time over Thanksgiving to travel back home to see family, but it was worth it.

I now have the left center section panel all framed up with the wing tube and wing bolt hard point, shear webs, all spars, servo wire tubes, anti-rotation pins and bottom sheeting all installed/applied (remember wing is initially built upside down). I used Gorilla glue to glue the wing tube to the ribs. Now I will go back and build the left outer panel before I glue the two center section panels together. It's all coming together after initially scrapping the first right hand outer panel.

The first picture shows the rob angle pieces tacked to R1 to set the dihedral angle. You can also see I always add some soft scrap balsa to end rubs and formers to give sheeting a bit more base to glue to. I also have the top and bottom spars along with the 1/4 square balsa leading edge sub spar (my touch) added.

The second and third pictures show the wine tube installed with some shear webbing starting to be applied.

The 3rd picture shows the panel mostly completed with the bottom sheeting installed and ready for the top sheeting.

Jeff

Scott Prossen

Looks great Jeff! Wish I could of got up there to see you guys this year. Gonna be a while. My business is got me tied back down for a couple years now and the kids are all just in their teens! So pretty much all my hobby $ are going into education and cars, gas, auto insurance ........................! Never enough funds. I get them through High School and I think College will be cheaper.

Great build and Happy Holidays to you and the family,

Scott

Jeff Foley

My Feedback: (45)

Uhhhh.....I just finished getting one through college and one getting started. Believe me....it is NOT cheaper!!!! Lol.