box car

Hi Vin, I use to make my gussets like yours but now make them with less cutting.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Ken, is that a gasket punch or a plug cutter you are using to cut out your disks?

Gray Beard

My Feedback: (-1)

Well, it hit 74 yesterday and it's supposed to be in the high 60s all week. I was just outside in the sun wearing a tee shirt starting an engine for break in. Couple years back we got 10 or 12 inches of snow up here where I live and the strip got a couple inches. Didn't shut this town down, can't recall if the airport was still open, I think so.
This is really an odd ball year for us though, yesterday was just below a record high. I didn't even get to wear my over coat this year it has been so unseasonably high temps?
Must be that strong Mexican ocean current again??? Got to blame it on something. I had to turn my drip system back on. I did move here for the warmth though and I'm not complaining!!! Had to have the windows down in the van and my shades on yesterday.

VincentJ

Ken, that's brilliant! I'll have to look into getting some cutters, thanks for the tip...Did they come as a set?

box car

I got a 1" hole punch and a 1/4" chisel from McMaster-Carr. If I ever do a frame that's 5/16 I will get a 5/16 chisel. With the 1/4" chisel you don't have to draw any cut lines.

VincentJ

1/8" lite ply formers were added to the top of the fuselage, they make-up the turtle deck. To ensure these formers are glued square to the top of the fuselage, I used my trusty machined rectangle block ,it also provided a place to clamp the formers to while the glue dries...I did this for each of the formers.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Beautiful Vincent! You know you're not helping my kit addiction at all!

yel914

Beautifully built structure VJ. There's just something about these things "in the bones".

Rick

VincentJ

Thanks Rick and Flyer...

Flyer there's always room for just one more kit in the fold, that is if you can find one!

With all of the turtle deck formers in place it's time to cut and fit the 1/8" x 1/4" balsa stringers. This job takes time more time than you think. In order to get them straight, I only glue the two ends first on the first and last former. Once dry, then I glue and clamp the remaining stringers to the formers using a straight edge as a guide. Using this method I find that the stringers come out straight.

VincentJ

I've been biting my tongue, but I have to say that I'm really getting tired of how quirky RCU has been lately. Sometimes it's hard to log on, other times I can't log on. If that isn't bad enough this site is very slow, I know it's not my computer because I don't find any of these problems on other sites...I thought that all of this has been fixed! How long do we have to put up with this? Sorry my rant is now over.

Leroy Gardner

Nope bad allover, picts. take forever. Wasn't even going to post except you wondering . Oh well, it is what it is.

Leroy

TomCrump

I normally use Explorer, but RCU seems to respomd better to Google Chrome.

It's not as good as it used to be, but for me, at least, Chrome makes this site tolerable.

I still feel that it is too hard to do a build thread here, especially when compared to RC Groups. Things over there work as one would expect. Not so much, over here.

If asked, I think Leroy may agree. Unless they get things fixed, I doubt that I will initiate another build thread on RCU.

VincentJ

Thanks Tom I'll try it (even though we shouldn't have to).

Work continues on the stringers, one at a time! I decided to add a little more strength on the top of each former that attach to the turtle deck stringers, so I added 1/16" square balsa stock to ensure a good glue joint...the pencil in the photo shows what I'm referring to. I'm also thinking of adding additional blocking between each stringer as I'm not confident of the stringers solely being edge glued.

Melchizedek

I thought it odd that the formers were not notched for the stringers.
What about a slight alteration on your gussets ?
That would keep the stringers from being nocked loose left or right.

Kevin

VincentJ

I'll look into that Kevin and see, I may just add some filler pieces in between each stringer.

Tom, I was wondering if you could answer a question for me, I noticed that the fin is not mounted on the center line of the fuse. The plans show that it's offset by 1/8". Did you install yours as plans called for or did you mount it straight? Seems strange to me...wonder if it makes up for the lack of right thrust on the engine?

TomCrump

VJ

I mounted my fin straight, and used no side thrust.

I had no problems with knocking the fuselage stringers loose, but I do have a problem with them bowing, when I tighten up the covering.

VincentJ

Thank you Tom for your response. I will mount mine straight as well. On the stringers, I am more concerned with them breaking when holding or handling the fuse in transport or when prepairing to fly...

out2pasture

I know its a big plane. But it looks like a Guillows.

skylark-flier

If you're in Atlanta an inch of snow is a major deal. I remember back in 1972, right before Christmas the Carmel valley in CA got over 18" of snow one night - threw the whole area into a tizzy. Apparently, they never see snow at all. We thought it was great - has just left AK, had a 10-month stint in Monterey and were going right back to AK again.

Personally, I'd like to see some of Tom's weather. It might get rid of some of the bugs around here.

TomCrump

No bugs here. It hit -12 this morning.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Nothing like a nice long hard freeze to cut the population of the local pests!

VincentJ

Oh man Tom, that is COLD!

VincentJ

The stringers have all been installed, and if you look carefully you will see the blocking that I added to ensure the stringers stay put! glad that's behind me...

Melchizedek

They not going anywhere.

I saw a build that had a lot of long thin stringers on the tail section.
This guy lamed a little hardwood (spruce/aspen?) to his balsa stringers for strength.
Happy middle for weight verses strength.

Kevin

Leroy Gardner

Vincent that offset addresses the prop wash and was done on several of the old models of the real planes, it was the result of the bigger engines being put in a non adjusted airframe. Works the same way on a model as it did on the real one and we use right thrust to counter it and rudder to trim it.

Leroy