Cub Flyer Fresno

Fantastic job there Kevin! And thanks for that excellent tutorial as well! You're setting the bar mighty high for a guy like me. But then if I don't try, I'll never gain anything. I'll have to see what I can apply from here to my SR-9.

Melchizedek

Thanks Cub Flyer

I did not know what a SR-9 was, went looking.
Nice looking airplane. Are you very far along and what kit ?

Kevin

VincentJ

Great job on the veneer and finish, great tips...now as far as your quote on Cool Hand Luke goes, anyone spending time playing with dolls spends a night in the Box! Now, about eating those 50 eggs....

Cub Flyer Fresno

As you found out Kevin, the SR-9 is a Stinson Reliant. The kit is a Top Flite Gold Edition.

You're more than welcome to follow along and give all the advice you want. I'm open to any and all suggestions! Here's the link just in case: http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showt...0&goto=newpost

Melchizedek

Thank you for the link.
I have not spent much time over at rc groups. Just stopping by.
Now I have a reason to be a frequent flyer.
I will be lurking often.
There won't be much advice from me. Just popped in a few minutes ago.
Just a quick look exposed a tallented cast. Robert , Vincent, Splinter and Tom come to mind.

When I get home I will get caught up with your build.
Will be great to have another to follow

Kevin

Melchizedek

Vincent, Boss caught up with me. And sure enough off to the Box I went. Not for 1 night but for 3.
Boss was all bent out of shape I could hardly understand him. Something about poor communication skills.

Well 3 nights in the box will learn anyone.
So back to the air frame. Will tend to you know who's attire when Boss taint around.

When I left off (way back when). I had altered the front deck in front of the cockpit to make room for the removable cock pit module.
Previous to that I had set the throttle and chock servos. They had to be moved forward. So I did that and then fixed a place for my battery to plug in.

I am using a Life battery with 2 out puts. One for the ignition and one for the receiver. On the top deck I also added a deans plug. This plug will connect to nothing. It is just a holder for the deans end so it don't flop around. No holder for the balance plug, it will flop.




Next was to make up some servo wires and route them down to the lower compartment. The Ignition and kill switch will be located in the lower compartment, it will have an access panel on the bottom of fuse. When the wing center section gets glued to the fuse, the servo wires will pass thru the wing all the way back to behind the cockpit where the receiver will be. Will mount some sort of wire channel front to back of center wing for this.


The black thing to the right with a screw in it is a voltage step down thingamajig (elec jargon ) That thing takes the 6.6 volts from the life battery and steps it down to under 6 volts for the receiver. This was a great tip from Robert aka acerc. Hat tip my friend. If you want the details on this thingamajig go to post # 205, Robert posted a how to link there. Just checked it is a " bridge rectifier ".


All the wires are routed thru a 1/2 vinyl tube to protect and keep them together.
The gas tank tray is removable thru the cock pit for service.



This last photo is a plate that will get glued in under the fuel tray slide. The Ignition module and optical kill switch will get mounted to it and access hatch will be place in the underside of front fuse.




This is where I need ......help ?

I need to decide where to mount the receiver/ignition switch and fuel dot.
Would it be problematic to mount the switches under the chin where the ignition module is located.
Not having run a gasser before, I am not sure how much crud gets spewed from them. The exhaust ports will drop straight down and centered.

If not in the chin, Would the belly behind the wing be ok ? I would like to hide them is why.


Kevin

acerc

First off, thank you, but I just copied from others knowledge on the rectifier. Now as for the switches I would first like to suggest, unless you have better, using a Miracle switch. And being a good looking accessory you may even find a better mount for it. I would never recommend mounting switches under an airframe, just to far out of the way in case of an emergency. I usually get one in a color to blend in with a stripe or such. Here is a link to view some, http://milehighrc.com/switch.html

Melchizedek

Thanks Robert

Safety first. Was thinking form and not function.

Kevin

Melchizedek

I glassed the fire wall to the inside fuse This was suggested by Vincent a while ago . I also coated everything inside in the nose with epoxy finishing resin to fuel proof it.
Then made some stand offs for the ignition and kill switch and glued them to the permanent shelf under the fuel tank pull out shelf.
Then made a ply plate to strengthen the fuse at the leading edge of the wing saddle. This will provide a solid surface to glue the wing to.
The third pic below is how the stock kit would be built in this same area.


Next landing gear support blocks and 2 wing formers for the gear blocks were installed.
The wing formers no longer fit because of the cock pit floor mod. So they were altered to fit the modified location and epoxied in with the blocks.



Now that the gear support blocks were installed I could see where to put the servo wire chase.
Took another page out of Vincent's play book for the wire chases. I used rocket tubes.
After pondering where to place the switches and fuel dot. I decided they would go on the left side behind the cockpit near the wing trailing edge.
Will go with the " Miracle Switch" Robert suggested . The switch will be placed in a swing out door to conceal it.

A lot of wholes needed to be cut for the tubes (no spars were cut just sheer webs).The acceptation was the front balsa spar cause it was in my way. will be repaired later.
The tubes for the aileron wires were tube mitered to one of the front to back tubes. This was done to keep from cutting another whole in the sheer web. Since this is a 90 deg T corner, and the difficulty of fishing the wires here. I pre fished the aileron wires then glued the joint together. The front to back servo wires are a straight shot so no pre fish.

There are two front to back tubes. The reason for this is one of those tubes will house the fuel filler line that goes back to the fuel dot in the back.
To fuel proof this tube I fiber glassed the outside of it before installing it. Wrapped it and put it in the oven on 180. It was cured in 20 minutes.
If you look close there is also a 8 deg miter in the front to back tubes near the main spar. This was done to get them in and a slight bend was also necessary.
That joint was wrapped with fiberglass.





The aileron tubes at the wing joint will eventually get cut back and will end in a little balsa box at the wing joint so the wire can be stuffed in or pulled out easily.


Kevin

acerc

WOW! I'm speechless.

VincentJ

A lot of thought went into this Kevin, nice work...

Melchizedek

Thank You Robert, and thank You Vincent

Well Robert my Miracle switch with fuel dot came yesterday. Really is a fine piece of hardware.
Not cheep but fine. Several venders sell them on the net. All about the same price. The problem was shipping. To pay 1/3 the cost of an item in shipping made my toes curl.
Then I found Aerobeez rc. They are on the far left (pun intended) coast.
Would like to give them a shout out. They shipped it first class mail to me in Missouri for $2.50 . Every body else wanted 10 plus ( ups ).
Took 5 days but I was in no hurry. http://aerobeez.com/

Worked in the shop a little today. Worked on the landing gear mounts. I am sticking with the kit and building to plan on this.
This really seams like it will be stout enough to bounce in . Pleased with the robustness of it.
I also pinned the center wing section to the fuse front. Even though the center section will get glued to fuse I thought the pins prudent.
The plans called for the location of the pins very high in the leading edge blocking (almost to edge) in fact to the edge (my boo boo) on the right one.
I almost relocated them when I went to drill them. It just seemed wrong. Glad I didn't cause the landing gear blocks when in place put the pins in the center of the meat.
If you look closely at right pin I had to shave it down a little to make a seat for gear block. That hole strayed a little north on me.


These are all the part (pre fit) that make the mount.



First up was to fix the balsa spar I had to cut for the wire chase. Since this is part of the gear mount I replaced it with bass wood spar.



Nest up was the rear gear blocks and ac ply dihedral brace.



Then the rear ac ply back plate for the rear gear blocks.



Then 1/2 inch end grain balsa blocks to keep front gear blocks from being pushed/crushed to the rear blocks.



Then the front gear blocks



Then 1/8 inch light ply between front blocks and rear blocks.



Now that everything was fit. Everything but ply was epoxied in place.



It was a little strange. The gear blocks getting reinforced with ply base was one of the first things I did on this kit way back when months ago.

Kevin

acerc

Kevin, there are two different finishes to the Miracle switches. Which did you get, the one where the wires come directly off the soldered tab or the one that has a plastic block covering the soldered area?

acerc

I'll just post this. For the miracle switch with the exposed solder tabs I wrap the area with a piece of masking tape, then I fill the area with silicon. This will reinforce the tabs so vibration does not cause them to break. Below is a pic of the results, albeit a different wire arrangement.

Melchizedek

By your description I think I got the good one



Do the plastic blocks disengage from one another ?

Kevin

acerc

Yep, you sure did. Excellent. And I don't know, never got one of that type.

Cub Flyer Fresno

Kevin, to some of us, that's not funny. This coast is so far left sometimes I wish it would just keep going into the Pacific ocean!

Okay, enough of that. Beautiful job! Whenever I get around to building one of these, I'm going to have a plethora of information to glean!

Melchizedek

Robert, when I read your post last night. Your pics had not posted yet of the way you secure the wires. Great suggestion. Will keep that in mind for other switches.

Thank you, David. These forums are better than the Encyclopedia Britannica (remember them ?). For you younger readers, that was when the family only had one phone and it hung on the kitchen wall so your mom could listen in.

With the landing gear blocks set in stone, it was time to glue the ply plates in place. I used epoxy here also, maybe overkill but when I bounce it in I will be glad its there.
Next it took some time to clean up all the cap strips that were previously glued down. What a pita.
Then made end boxes for the wire tubes at the wing end. This will be a pocket to tuck the servo wires into.
Next I prepared to sheet the lower side. Then I caught myself. Almost sheeted over the wing parting hardware. So stopped sheeting and address the jointer hardware.

What I did was cut 4 brass tubes to short lengths . After centering the tubes over the center of each securing screw hole I carefully CA'd them in place. Being carful not to get any in the threads or jointer sleeves. Once the CA went off they were reinforced with epoxy. By this time I only had time for a little sheeting; Will complete the sheeting next time.



The tubes will be ground down flush with wing skin and bonded to skin.






Over and out,

Kevin

Melchizedek

I have a confession to make.
I am a messy. No, Not just a run of the mill messy. But a lost with out hope Can somebody Pleeeeease help meeeee messy.
If they new what it was half a century ago I'm sure I would of been diagnosed ADD (and no that is not +). I wonder if there is some federal grant money for this late in life diagnoses . I will get so consumed with a project that the mess doesn't matter, just push it aside. Then why stop and clean up from the last project and ruin the really cool thought I got going between my ears on the next project. Just plow ahead. And then I hit a wall. All of my tools are lost !!! I probably have at least two of everything some three, to compensate for this, uh, orginizationalychallenged gene I have. That's it, It's one of those twisty things with an oddly shapped thingamabob on one of the twisty coils.
Oh well, I hit one of those walls today. Spent 3 1/2 hours cleaning the hanger.
I found (on my build table) 3 drill bits, 3 ball end drivers, my 2 spar slotters, 2 scalpels (told you I have 2 or 3 of things) razor plan, an adjustable wrench, 3 jewelers screw drivers, solder, a plier. Oh poo, I could go on and on. You get the idea.

And here is the result.
Yes Virginia there is a table under there



Now that, that lousey good for nothing task is out of the way. We can do some real work

Since we last spoke, I was skinning the center wing section. With it skinned. I thought it good to finish up the rework of the outer wings. Rework being stripping the cap stips of the first two wing ribs and skinning the first bay at the wing joint. After the prep work (only 1 wing pnl today) I needed to clean up the Merlin locks. They were left hanging out. So they got cut and sanded flush with the wing. Then said wing was skinned. Then flipped over for the servo wire channel and end boxes were worked up.




If you look closely, the Merlin tube blocking is just a touch low. I have learned It is very difficult to sand something very hard flush with soft balsa (like that brass tub).
So what I will do is back fill that area with some soft filler. That was flush with out sanding divot in balsa is easier.



Then flip over do channel and skin


Then work up servo access hatch.





One wing panel down, one to go

Kevin

acerc

LOL! You are hilarious.. It's funny how one can be so focused on a single task. But to be quite honest I have the opposite problem. I can't stand to have a mess or be unorganized to the point I can't focus on the build but rather of the dust and disarray. Shoot, I even organize the scrap box, how's that for an issue....

Melchizedek

Glad You were tickled Robert.
Most good humor has a grain of truth to it. A few grains even

Update on the SW.

I got the other outboard wing to the same place as in post 269.
No pictures though. If you need pictures return to post 269, only read it in revers and it should look like the other wing

Kevin

VincentJ

Work is progressing nicely Kevin, I'm like Robert in that I have to keep my work table somewhat organized or it will drive me crazy!

Leroy Gardner

Kevin if I had to go to the lengths you do when you build it would drive me crazy, I do however admire one that carries out an idea to it's fullest degree. You have alot of good ideas not to mention the skills that go with them and what you offer is educational at the very least. So much for the rookie builder concept, you don't have it. Fun to see the many building styles we all have and how it feeds the many others of us.

I think a kinda clean and organized work area speeds up the building process, you don't spend much time looking for things which can alter the thought process like, where was I, ha ha. Ask me how I know that.

Going to be quite the plane when your done.

Leroy

Melchizedek

Well, I Repent. With Gods help I will try to not be a messy. (God knows it ain't happenen without His interdiction).

I will call this the RoVinRoy Principle (dedicated to Robert, Vince, and the recently decorated Leroy).
What is the RoVinRoy Principle ? Glad you asked .
To clean up and pick up after or before the next build session. Yes, that's the ticket!!

Oh, Thank you Leroy for the kind words. If I could I would change the name of this thread to:
"1/3 Space Walker by the builder formerly known as Rookie" (like Prince ).

Well for the first time all three wing panels have been assembled.
The span is quiet breath taking for me. Big comes to mind.




Now, lots of feathering in. I think I will get the wing complete before moving on.

Kevin

acerc

In that third pic the 104" looks to go on forever. Nice work and nice to see someone doing something.
Now! As for RoVinRoy, that just is not gonna work. I would imagine the other two, Vin&Roy, are as Rob and clean up as we go along, not after the build.....