VincentJ

I thought so too Mike, but the photographs that I have clearly show the same number as what I put on. Actually, their supposed to be Phillips head sheet metal screws that are removable so each panel can be removed to access the electrical, plumbing, etc. When my wife gets home I'll have her scan the photo so you can see it. (I don't know how to use her scanner.)

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

They actually might be Duz fasteners instead of screws.

VincentJ

Here's the picture I was referring to.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I see hat you mean 3/16" HD rivets spaced just like you have them.

Leroy Gardner

Doing a fine job vincent, your right about all the detail work taking time, matter a fact building the whole plane. Doing it scale will have it's rewards in the end but you half to love the time spent and it seams you do.
I learned a lot about patience building my super cub, if you haven't got it you might as well not start a project like this, finishing it takes almost as long as building it. I hope you have a terrific paint scheme to really set off all your work.

Build away,
Leroy.

VincentJ

Thank you Leroy. I have enjoyed almost every minute of this build, and putting the "scale stuff" on for me is what really sets it off. Your right about the patience part, sometimes I have to slow myself down to get it to come out the way I had envisioned it. I just wish I had access to more photos of the original, but I've been able to make due and it's close enough! As far as the paint scheme goes, I will duplicate the paint that Hazel Sig had put on it when she and her husband took ownership of the plane. Speaking of your Super Cub, have you maidened it yet?

Leroy Gardner

Vincent I don't want to burst your bubble but the picture of the plane with the canopy open shows your rivets as screws and that would make them 00 X 3/16" at 1/4 scale or close to it. Vertical screws on the lap side panels look to be around 3" apart so you would need a few more rivets to look right.. Rivets will not hurt the effect your after, after all no body will ever know the difference and will never see the real plane.

It's funny when we get to these things, in the more modern build of this plane (real one) they would probably be rivets because they don't work or come lose like screws will.

Back in the days when I was involved with the EAA through my uncle's builds I seen several experimental builders using screws but we riveted any panels on Ed's planes and only used screws on fairings, cowls always had dzus fasteners. I'm talking the late 50's and early 60's time period. Those were my hay days and I finished school with a A&E (airframe & engines) certificate, called A&P today because of the jet engines.

Just a bit of my history,
Leroy

VincentJ

Thanks for the feedback Leroy. I always knew that the panels were screws and not rivets. Bill Morrisey's Varga Kachina has a lot of the same features as the Bravo has. All of the side panels were removable for service and maintenance hence the screws. Your point is well taken though about adding more rivets to achieve the same look. I actually counted all of the screws and replicated the quantity of them on the side panels. The horizontal rivets were spaced at 1-1/2" while the vertical ones were spaced at 7/8". Maybe a larger rivet would have given me a better effect?

You must have worked on many interesting projects during your career Leroy. In fact if you think about it, you still are, only on a much smaller scale!

Leroy Gardner

Vince I had the thought that you might know that, your right about the panels being removal, their not structural and the fuel system is in there amid other things.

Yep, I have a very deep mechanical and welding back ground, I did the things I loved to do, most of it was building and repairing things. I worked on planes for 5 yr's. after school and traded labor for use of the planes for flight training. My school instructor was a flight instructor also and loved to fly and taught me. "Haw" it never cost me a dime and I did my first solo in a Baby Ace we built in school. I haven't flown a plane since 1985, just couldn't afford it anymore. It's been a good life and still is, I hope that for you too.

Leroy

VincentJ

Bravo update: the cowl has been sanded and filled. It had quite a few pin holes to fill and irregularities to fix. With that behind me, it's ready for butted panel lines, these differ from panel lines that overlap. To get this effect I had to order some very thin Chart Pak tape that will give me the effect that I'm after. So I'll have to hurry up and wait until it arrives. I am also going to fabricate two faux hinges that will give the illusion that the cowl halves can open to access the engine from both sides of the cowl. I guess I can start to prep the wheel pants now.

VincentJ

My Chart Pak tape arrived today, so I didn't wast any time making the cowl's panel lines. I sprayed a couple of light coats of primer over the tape and now I'll let it dry...

On another note, I have some sad news. Last week I was excited to get my Spacewalker back in the air. The weather was perfect, 81 degrees with barley a whisper of a breeze blowing. The conditions were to say the least ideal! I loaded my Spacewalker into my truck and headed to the flying field. I had made a lot of adjustments to all of the control surfaces and improvements that I hoped would improve the way it flew (and it did). It started quickly and after doing several range checks I decided to taxi it up and down the field first. It tracked perfectly, and with each pass the tail would come up, ready for it to take flight, but each time I backed off the throttle until I was ready... I could feel my heart beating a bit faster, I slowly advanced the throttle and as before the tail lifted, my Spacewalker telling me that she was ready. It took flight effortlessly. It flew great! No trim adjustments were needed. I landed, refueled and took off for my second flight of the day. About five minutes into my second flight the engine sputtered and died. I really wasn't too worried about the dead stick as there was ample room to land in any direction. I banked to get the plane ready for it's landing, and that's when I lost contact with the plane, nothing was responsive, no elevator, ailerons, etc. She dove head on into the ground and broke beyond repair. I was speechless, mad and sad.. I don't know if my Rx died or what. I spent a lot of time building that plane but her last flights put a big smile on my face...RIP Spacewalker.

TomCrump

Sorry to hear about your Spacewalker II. Having built one myself, I am appreciative of the time that you had invested in yours.

I also know how well they fly. Do you think that you will build another ?

VincentJ

You know Tom, I think I will probably build the 1/3 scale version next time as I like the idea of the wing being split. But for now I'm just so frustrated, I'm struggling to even complete the Bravo...

cardinalflyer

My Feedback: (11)

Sad news about the spacewalker. We have all been there, none the less it always hurts. The time and effort it takes to finish a project is substantial. However, the pleasure of building our aircraft and then flying them always seems to win out. Keep up the fine work on the Bravo. Regards.

Stephen S.

VincentJ

Thanks Stephen, its amazing that when you spend so many hours building a plane how attached you get to them. I know that every time we fly our creations the potential exists to crash, that's part of the hobby. You're right though, the pleasure of building always wins out in the end.

TomCrump

The 1/3 scale version builds in a similar fashion to the 1/4. I think that you would enjoy the build.

Here's a pic of mine.

VincentJ

I remember following your thread when you built that Tom. You sure did a great job on it!

Question: What do you do when you you can't find a faux hinge for your cowl? Answer: Build it yourself!

I was going to make the hinge from styrene plastic tubes and rods, but the smallest tube that I could find was too large and didn't look "scale" to me. So, I made my hinge from 1/16" brass tubing and a length of music wire as the hinge pin (Photo 1).

In Photo 2 each segment of my hinge was cut to 1/2" . I place the brass tube against the steel ruler. Then I take a sharp single edge razor blade and place it over the top of the tubing and roll the tube while pressing down firmly on the razor blade (Photo 3).

Once all the segments that you need are cut, thread the music wire through each segment leaving a small gap between each segment. Place a very small drop of thin CA on each segment. The CA will wick in locking it all together (Photo 4).

All that's left is to place a few small drops of epoxy beneath each hinge to secure them in position... Well what do you think?

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

It really looks like a hinge, great detail Vince!

cardinalflyer

My Feedback: (11)

That's a nice scale detail. My building has slowed since we lost our field of 40 years. I have a 1/3 scale Spacewalker under construction which lacks covering on the fuse and a Top Flite Stinson Reliant that is ready for paint. They will be finished but at a slower pace.

VincentJ

Thanks Mike! It was easy to do...
Sorry to hear about your field Stephen, that seems to be happening a lot around the country lately. Did the landowner(s)/town give reasons why? Don't be shy to post pics of your handiwork! What engine are you using in your Spacewalker?

Probably the last photos of the day, I need to tend to other chores, but wanted to show the progress that I've made on the cowl. It still needs a bunch more rivets...

VincentJ

The cowl is done! I think it's time to put my paint order in...

Leroy Gardner

That's a sad note on your spacewalker Vince, to have a radio failure take it down is enough to make you sick, it would me. I hope you will find what happened, it will drive you nuts if you don't. I'm sorry you lost it.

You did a nice job adding the scale features on your cowling, so many leave that stuff off and it rob's the plane of it's character, your's will have plenty of that.

I used Plastruct to make my hinges, they even have the hinge pin in the segments, rivets down both sides, another way to do it.

Leroy

VincentJ

Thanks for the kind words Leroy. My Spacewalker (what's left of it) is sitting in my garage. It's too soon for me to try and figure out what caused the radio failure, the wound is still to fresh... l too added the hinge pin in the segments. I think it will look pretty authentic when the paint goes on. Your Super Cub is some of the best work I've seen in awhile. It should be a real joy to fly! BTW, did you make the Dzus fasteners for the cowl or did you purchase them? If you made them how did you go about it? They would look great on the Bravo.

I just placed my order for paint a few minutes ago. I ordered epoxy paint from Klass Kote, at $184.75 it wasn't cheap!!!

I have a question that I hope someone could shed some light on. I would like to fill the joint/seam between the dorsal fin and fuselage, what product would be best for that. I'm looking to add just a very small fillet between the two sections...

Leroy Gardner

Vincent I used pictures to make the Dzus fasteners, using a #0 slotted screw and 3/8" wide brass thick enough to be tapped into the slot firmly and then soldered them to the screw using silver bearing solder. Those pieces of brass are 1/8" X 3/8" , I used my micro files which has a round one to shape them while being held by the screw in my small vice. For a retainer I used those spring loaded steel screw clips or what ever you call then, vibrations won't loosen them. Notice the rivets behind them, there actually is a stiffener along that edge.

For Joint/seam filler I use epoxy and micro baloons or milled fiber glass powder mixed to a tooth past consistency and put it in a cake decorating funnel and squeeze what ever size bead you want and shape the radius with your finger dipped in alcohol. Sands easy and adds strength to the joint.

VincentJ

Thanks Leroy for the advice, I think I will try my hand at making the Dzus fasteners as well. I like the idea of the brass pieces being "keyed" into the screws then soldered. Good food for thought!