crazy nick

My Feedback: (29)

Well Im starting on my sse fuselage tonight. Beings I'm married w/ a 3 yr old my funds come limited and slow. I was wondering which I would need first. 5 servos or 3 rolls of covering? They are the last items I need to purchase yet.

jcvt

My Feedback: (2)

I have been there, cover your airplane and enjoy it , when you are ready to fly, buy the servos.

Redback

f you cover first just remember to leave somewhere to run the servo leads. If I remember right the SSE has tubes in the wing so its OK.

BTW, you will LOOOVE the SSE


Terry

Square Nozzle

My Feedback: (1)

I always buy and mock fit the radio components first. That way I can deal with installation problems before I cover the plane. It's a real pain if, for example, the servo well in the wing is to small for the servo and you have to make changes with the covering in place. Also, it's easier to lay out wire routing and install extension leads when the structure is accessable.

crazy nick

My Feedback: (29)

Servos it is then. Thanks guys

Oberst

+1


Always install the covering first, then cut out the servo bays and install the servos. Covering = horses, servos= cart. For instance, all ARF aircraft are prebuilt, most without servos. All I need to do for those is just add the engine, tank, servos, receiver and assemble a few things, iron, balance and go fly. Kits you build the frame, cover, then start adding the equipment. You can add the servos in the fuse first before covering, but I like to build the whole plane first, then pick a day when I want to make a project out of adding all the electronics.

You always cover the wings first before adding the servos.


That's how I do it.


Pete

jcvt

My Feedback: (2)

Besides, there is a practical reason to cover first , it will protects critical parts such as, wing ribs, stab. etc. for long store or until you are ready. Bear in mind servo leads etc.

Have fun!!!

rafeeki

My Feedback: (11)

Servos first. This way u get all the rough work out of the way. Install the servos rods and reinforce them through the fuselage as needed to prevent flutter and eliminate slack. U undeoutedly will have to adjust the servo throws as well so all this takes its toll on your beautifullycovered model.
An alternative is that u do the wing servos frst, then cover the wings. This way u will see progress, next month tackle the fuselage servos and cover. You could also cover the tail section ahead of servo installation.

In my book fuselage gets covered last.

I know its all about cash flow. Been there done that.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I make sure I have everything that is going to be installed in the plane on hand before I even think of covering. I like to assemble my planes while in the bones, even the control rods and horns. I use tape and while the plane is on the CG machine {or two sticks in a mount} and tape the servos and rods on the outside of the plane to get the CG then hard mount everything then once I have found the CG I will start covering. If you mount your gear first you may find yourself using lead/dead weight to get the CG. I don't mind using a bit of lead on a plane but if I can avoid it I will. You can't do a lot of changes once the covering is on.

JNorton

My Feedback: (2)

BINGO. I second everything Grey Beard said - get your CG done first. Move servos and batteries before covering to eliminate uneeded lead.
John

KitBuilder

seems 50/50 down the middle. The ARF's are covered before equipment because.. well that;s why they are ARFs. And they usually recommend brand which they know will fit so generally in that case it's ok to buy electronics after because you have to.

I install servos first as I build so I know the compartments are correct in the wing. Then remove to cover and then re-install. Really all we're talking about is the wing since everything else is in the fuse.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

After I get the CG set while still in the bones I don't always have to remove everything to cover. If it gets in the way then I remove it, if not I just leave it in place. One of the big gripes about ARFs is how they balance. They don't give any thought to finding a CG so you get those way cool flat spots where they decided they had some room for servos and tank.
This year I built a Cub for a friend. He didn't know why I needed every thing he was going to use in his plane while I was building. He was doing the covering himself and when he came over to pick up his plane he was dazzled to see I could turn it on and all the controls were working. The hinges were left loose but the controls still worked. When he was finished covering he just had to move the battery a half inch to get the CG where he wanted it. It was the first time he had ever seen anyone build a plane like that and he has been building for a lot of decades. It's just something I do and it may not be for everyone but it works for me.
My new plane I built for myself required lead in the nose. Due to design and size/length of the fuse even using a gas engine over twice the size of what the plane was designed for it was still tail heavy.
Something to think about. If the full scale used a round engine, radial, then you can be pretty sure it's going to be a tail heavy model. I knew this going into the build and the only thing mounted behind the CG is two servos and the tail wheel. I even have the ignition on the fire wall. Just the nature of the beast and nothing much I could do about it, sit happens.

Hydro Junkie

Grey Beard, I like the fact that you and I think alike. Since I have a couple of planes and several hydroplanes on the building board, it's nice to see someone that does what I normally do. When I'm working on a boat, I dryfit the framing and preplan where everything is going to go by doing a rough fitting and a very rough balance check. Since the boats are skinned with 1/16" ply, it's not practical to try to fine tune the balance until the boat is more or less ready to go however, the principle is the same. My rough fitting verifies that the component will fit where I want it OR it lets me figure out an alternative installation or location as needed

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

Another for Grey Beards process.
Edwin

GAP-RCU

Another vote for getting the equipment fitted before covering & finish. I find that it's so much easier to get little things done (switch cutouts, servo lead cutouts, antenna routing, etc.) before the final finish.

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

I grew up in Washington and as a kid built a lot of hydros, back in the 50s it was Miss Thriftway, one of our local boats that got kitted. 1/2A and pole line. Had a big kid pound in the stake. Floating flight box used to drift away a lot until you got the glow plug wires connected. One of the boat pilots owned a big hobby shop in Tacoma so it was a big road trip to go there for planes and boats. I keep thinking about a nice RC Sail Boat.

Rodney

Always install the servos and radio gear before covering. That way you can make any changes necessary on servo locations, push rod paths etc. more easily and you wont muck up your covering job with all the minor changes you will find necessary. After all is installed and working properly and the CG is correct, then do your covering.

Bundubasher

Hi.
The real question is: Do you like to have trouble fitting the servo's after you have covered everything and you then found out you need to get somewhere in the fuselage or wing to fit servo's, wiring or control rods?

The safer option is to install servo's, wiring and control rods etc.

Good Luck

crazy nick

My Feedback: (29)

Well I ordered 4 futaba 3004 servos and 1 roll ultracote orange and 1 roll of smoke purple, told the wife I needed both asap, she bought it wooohooo

Edwin

My Feedback: (2)

The next thing to do is clutter up the garage with so many airplanes, she cant tell whats new and whats not.
Edwin

crazy nick

My Feedback: (29)

Haha yes agreed Edwin

oldtyme

Another vote here for equipment installation first. Get all the equipment installed and working right and then remove and cover. The only reason that covering works if it is installed first is ARF's where they have done all the work first and they know you will not have troubles........hence the strings they install for you to pull servo leads............definitely servos and equipment first.

cheers,
Andy