murfs_machine

I am in the middle of a 1/3 300s Lanier extra. It's a old kit I have had for years and decided to build it this winter and I am about half way done now. I did buy the lighter Godfrey parts for the plane and I am using a DL 100. It is turning into a fun build and also tough at times. Deciding on color schems and coat covering now. This plane seems more like a 35% and at the time this kit was out called for a G62 on the plans. Using the dl100 makes it tough with the cowl ring and installation of the motor but everything worked out so far. Good thread!

Nauset

Well I got off my butt and have restarted my extra build. I went and read through this entire thread, what a winding road we are traveling. I completed my wings and tail feathers some time ago and am ready to embark on constructing the fuse. Inspired by rate1's dremmel exploits I lightened the fuse sides and formers F2 thru F7 last night. I did not get as agressive with the fuse sides as rate1 but I did shave off 18g. I was concerned with weakening the sides if I took off too much. I managed to reduce the formers by 15g. I will drill some holes in the F1 former tonight to get that one down as it is quite hefty. Basically I just used my hole saw kit with various sizes to drill a bunch of holes. You just need to go slowly as not to chew up the ply.

PizzaMan

My Feedback: (4)

Glad to see some activity Nauset. Keep us posted please.

murfs_machine

yeah! glad to see the thread moving again, wish ya the best of luck on ur build Nauset. I still haven't finished mine yet, but I haven't had much time to work on it. My wife every once in awhile will say something to me about it, being it is setting on the pooltable and I have to get motivated before she ask me to move it into the garage HEH! HEH!

Rate1

murfs machine, Nauset, good stuff. Glad to see this thread alive again.
My kit is pretty dusty by now. Been busy building a house and got another baby daughter...
Hopefully your build will take off and motivate me to finish mine.

Nauset

Glad to see everyone is alive and well! Rate, I hope Capt Morgan is keeping up whith his his stick time. I have a new pup to get on the buddy box when he wakes up! Six month old Puggle.

Now that I have this on the building board I want to at least do something on it every few days till it is finished. I have all the parts collecing dust such as the engine, servos, and hardware.

Nauset

I'm thinking of finishing the model similar to the Sig Extra 300XS ARF. I like the contrast between the upper and lower wing panels for flight tracking. I see so many blue and red airplanes that the purple seems like a fresh alternative. A few years back I called Sig and ordered a replacement set of decals at a very minimal cost compared to what others are charging for graphics.

Rate1

Yup, I always liked that paint job.

What breed is the pup? Looks like a bloodhound...?

Nauset

BTW Rate, congrats on the new baby girl. My little girl just turned 13. I had her using RealFlight but she lost interest.

The pup is a cross between a pug and a beagle. A puggle.

Nauset

Got the fuse framed up this weekend. Need to drill some lightining holes in F1 and attach that piece.

Nauset

I only had time to drill the lightening holes in F1 last night. I got it down to 47g for a 20g savings. I used the 1/2" forstner bit I got for the control horn dowels. It drills a nice clean hole. It is best to clamp the piece down on some scrap wood to prevent ripping through the back side. I have to thank you Rate for bringing the weight saving idea forward as I never gave a lot of thought to it in the past. Another area I am being mindful of is not to use more epoxy than is needed on a joint as this can add up to extra weight as well.

Rate1

N,
Good call to use a scrap pice before drilling. Be careful not to remove too much material. I think it looks good.

Nauset

I got the F1 former installed last night. After the epoxy had set up I did a trial fit of the FS2 engine box sides but when I tried to slide the wing tube into the fuse, the four holes did not all line up. Did any of you have this happen? Did you need to modify the wing tube holes on the engine box sides?

BTW, I tried to find the Lanier website only to find that the whole line has been bought and scrapped by Great Planes. Most likely anyone offering after market parts for these kits will soon discontinue.

Rate1

Nauset,
The same happened to me, wing tube didn't line up perfectly with the fuse sides. I hade to sand the holes on the fuze sides inorder to fit the wing-tube. Be sure you fit the wing-tube absolutley square with the longitudal axis.

Nauset

Thanks Rate,
I think I will sand the hole in the engine box sides as the tube lines up nice in just the fuse sides.

Rate1

Yup, exactly what I did. Just be sure the tube is square with the longitudal axis of the fuze.

PizzaMan

My Feedback: (4)

Nauseat,

Your pictures are getting to me. I want to build mine so bad, I just can't take the time right now.

I think the parts for any kit are going on the endangered species list. I like to build, but it seems to me that the few of us are just in a very small minority. Great Planes seems to do this a lot. I've built two kits from them, and by the time I've finished the build, they are no longer selling the kit. (One of them was an RC modification of a Top Flite control like kit that was produced in the 1960's. They still make an ARF version of the control line airplane though. Go figure.)

Do you have specific aftermarket parts in mind?

Put this in the for what it's worth department, but the AMA had a large scale Extra project with a similar design. (See http://www.modelaircraft.org/mag/hurley/hurley1.asp if you're interested.) Their original design had the engine box going back to the wing tube also. They ended up modifying it to isolate the engine from the wing. This modification shortened the engine box so it does not have the wing tube running through it. There were other modifications to tie the engine box to the front fuselage sides, just less directly to the wings. I don't know if it's something you want to try, but I thought you might want to know about it.

Thanks for posting.
Dan

Nauset

Thanks Pizzaman,
I think at some point it will be hard to find FG parts for this kit and forget about replacement parts like wing kits cowls, canopies, etc. I am very familiar with that project extra article. I used a few tips on sheeting foam wings from it.
I will be enlarging the wing tube holes in the engine box sides so there should be very little if no contact with the tube after that. With that said I may double the fuse sides with small pieces of ply on the inside, like a washer.
I have a lot on my plate also but now that I have the thing on the building board I will just try to do a little bit on it when ever I can and hopefully finish it up.

Nauset

I sanded the wing tube holes in the engine box sides and got those installed last night. The ply for the sides are thin and had some warping. I used some 30 minute epoxy and shimmed them straight while the epoxy set up. Also I drilled some lightening holes in the engine side pieces in the section behind the F1 former to save 5g.

I'm hoping you guys will dust off your kits and start slinging some glue.

Nauset

Well I have all the steps in the basic fuse construction completed. I enjoy building rather than sheeting foam. I can go in and glue a few parts at a time when I have a spare few minutes. The fuse builds fairly fast. After vacation it will be time to start on the engine cowling.

Rate1

Looks good.
As PizzaMan, me too wish I had time to build but no time...

Nauset

Well I got the FG cowl mounted. The dremel drum sander worked well for cleaning out the holes in the front. My first time using the tool. I used #2x1/2" screws going into ply blocks mounted to CW1. I have good luck with this type of arrangement as you don't need to tighten the screws too much avoiding cracking the FG but they don't vibrate loose.
Now on to the FG hatch. I will be going with the previously discussed method of sanding down the top of F1 flush with the top of CW1 so the hatch will be even with the top of the cowl.

PizzaMan

My Feedback: (4)

Nauseat,

Good to see you back.

I like that 1 piece fiberglass cowl. I got an aftermarket one that's two piece, and I wish I'd have known about about the one that you and Rate1 got from Lanier first. I don't know if it's still available, and I hate to spend the money twice on the same thing.

Dan

Nauset

Yes the one piece is nice and is less work to install. I got mine from Stan's Fiber Tech. I got the front hatch cover from them as well.

pacorro

My Feedback: (9)

Hi guys.
Really an impresive and awesome work, anyway that time it seems is going a be finished, and would see if it´s enough modify dimensions in aileron, fin and horizontal stab to made a reliable 3D, myself i´m with a GP Extra 300-60 and i´m not really sure about capacity and performance.
I will follow that threat and have my best wishes for your proyect.