tlgibson97

Well, here is where Im at now. Looks like Ill be covering it this weekend. Just doing some final sanding now. Im going with a Chrome and red scheme. Ill post some more pics when its covered and you guys can see how a beginner covers a plane

ticketec

My Feedback: (2)

Wow, awesome,

Looks like you have done an excellent build with her so far.

I will not be getting any progess in on mine till next year!!!! I'm being sent overseas with work for 3 months and then i'm having a month's holiday there with my wife after the project. Great fun i hope, but no good for the 'stang....

You'll have to keep reminiding me how good they look with your progress pic's.
thanks

aerolimpia

Hi Zope_Pope I´m a builder and collectionator of plans here from Brazil. I´m looking for plans for Extra 300 Carl Goldberg and P-51 Mustang 1/7 from Top Flite. I see your construction, congratulations is very good. You have this plans in digital format ? jpg, gif, bmp oe others ? I need one copy, but a dont now if was possible. Thanks.

zope_pope

I am not too sure on copyright laws, but I think that would be against them to scan the plans in and send them to you. If you'd like a copy of the plans though, you can buy individual parts from all Hobbico products. Here is a link to the TF P51 parts list and how to order at the bottom. http://www.top-flite.com/parts/topa0110pl.html

I am pretty sure they'll ship overseas. Hope this helps, and all you other guys, I plan on starting construction on my airplane again. Just been caught up with a bunch of other stuff lately, but hopefully this week, I'll sheet the wings.

zope_pope

Hey,

I hope this hasn't been covered yet, but I am thinking about sheeting my wing with that new foam core stuff. I saw some that clamed to be stronger and lighter than balsa at the hobby store the other day. Has anyone done this? I plan to glass the whole plane. Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.

Adam

tlgibson97

I need some serious help guys so lets see if I can tap into some of your experience. Ive started covering the plane. I have all the control surfaces done, both hor. stabs, and the rudder (mostly). Im about to rip my hair out trying to covre the concave surfaces like the wing fillets and where the rudder meets the dorsal fin. Im sure there are more places Ill have trouble with once I get to them, especially on the wing since I was stupid and glued the radiator scoop on. What is the trick to covering these areas. I just get tons of wrinkles that wont come out. Im trying to di the wing fillet with one strip of covering. Should I try it with a bunch of smaller peices? Im using monokote if that makes any difference.

geh3

My Feedback: (84)

If you mess up with monokote, you can always heat it up with a heat gun and pull it off. I have built several of these and here is how I did it.
1. apply to the bottom of the fuse first, bringing the monokote up to the center of the curvature on the fuse sides at the bottom.. pull it as you go to get most of the wrinkles out. trim it to get nice straight lines for the overlap joints
2. for the fillet, you have two choices A. cut a curved piece about 1/4" larger and iron it on with a "trim" iron or your regular iron using the iron upside down and use the front curved section of the iron. B Mask off the sides and spray it with the matching paint that TF sells
3. apply to the sides in one long piece, overlap at the bottom by 1/4" or so, bring it up to even with the stab and at the curvature of the front curvature... iron it down to the wing fillet and then cut it carefully along the top of the fillet on one smooth cut with a sharp knife ( I use disposable scalpels). Then cover the top with two pieces ehding in a small overlap right at the top pf the fuse.

fOR A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT APPROACH. you can try this:
1. get very lightweight glass cloth and a qt if water based clear polyurethane
2. lay the cloth down with a paintbrush, it forms easily to allsurfaces
3. using a foam brush, apply the polyurethane, then wipe up all excess by "dabbing" with toilet paper
4 continue this precess until the entire plane is covered, wait until it dries, lightly sand and apply a second and/or a third coat
5. pain the plane with any paint of your choice

this gives you a stronger finish, with no wrinkles and is very light too see my gallery - geh3 for pics of my current TF P-51

jamie_duff

Hi guys,

Still looking in from time to time. I haven't done any work on the Mustang all summer []

I got distracted and have been building this little thing instead:








I hope you've all guessed what it is by now

I hope to get some work done on the Mustang again soon. Keep up the good work guys

jamie_duff

A couple more which should give the game of way:







Someone must have guessed it by now

zope_pope

I have always wanted to build a p38. Nice bird buddy.

Anyhow, anyone sheeted the wings with foam? I am trying to save weight since I went pnuematic retracts and am thinking about adding some extra's.

bull51

Hey, tlgibson97

Your stang is looking great. I wish I had the time and $$ to sart up on mine again. A couple of months should do the trick.

Asphalt,

you still around, and filght reports yet?

bull

N1EDM

My Feedback: (2)

Zope Pope,
I can't comment on the foam covering, and I'm just learning about epoxy covering myself, so I'm no expert. But, it seems to me that using foam instead of balsa would make for a weaker structure. The balsa sheet bonds the framework (wing ribs, fuselage formers, etc.,) into a monocoque assembly. I can't see foam doing that, even if covered with fiberglass cloth and epoxy.

I also am curious about how much epoxy the foam would soak in?

I'm not saying it's a bad idea, just that it doesn't seem like a good one from this end.

Perhaps others might comment on this and let us know if this is a good idea or not...

Bob

asphalt252

My Feedback: (5)

Bull-51, Yup we are here read every chance I get. However not much time to fly very busy at work till very late hours. But we'll get her up before the snow flys I promise! Jamie NICE P-38 What kit or plans did you have & what is the engine size? Keep us posted on this project!

asphalt252

My Feedback: (5)

Foam is a very good inner structure for wings they can get more strength from the use of spruce spars cut into the foam. Simply use a soldering gun with a custom made wire tip and a wooden straight edge to make a channel in the foam for it on both sides ¼ x ¼ is just fine. Or you can use some carbon fiber strands with epoxy on the foam from tip to root before sheeting it. Any aliphatic glue works great for sheeting foam wings cover the whole wing and wood panel with it as this type of glue is not very heavy and will not attack the foam. Remember a foam wing has no open rib bays it’s all solid and fully sheeted they can be and often are much stronger than built up balsa wings. Most of the best model aerobatic aircraft manufactures use this method for that very reason I’ve built and flown many of them. However you just don’t get that ribbed look, naturally without ribs that we scale builders like to see on our planes. I can’t even begin to imagine a Tiger Moth with foam wings and not be able to see all those wonderful ribs popping out of the covering. One more thing a long ½� sharpened at the end copper pipe can be used to cut a tunnel down the thickest part of the foam core wing for the servo wires.

Out of the mouths of babes........
A six year old boy hopped up on the lap of an old man as he was crying from the resent loss of his wife. When the boy returned to his Mother she asked, what did you tell him? Nothing the boy replied I just helped him cry.

zope_pope

Hmmm, no go on the foam. Thanks for the input. I have built up the wing already and just debating on how to sheet it. I can't remember what this stuff was called, but it was supposed to be stronger than balsa, and quite a bit lighter. It was meant to sheet wings. I'll let you know if I find out. But looks like I'll plan on balsa sheeting for now. Thanks guys!

jamie_duff

Haha I knew it was too easy.....

The P38 is just a tiddler.......52" span - I fancied a break from the complex models for a while.

This thing is one of Gordon Whitehead's plans. It was a free plan in 1988 Radio Control Model World. It's now sold by Traplet along with a canopy. Power is from a pair of .15-.25s. I had an OS .15 lying around which someone gave to me years ago. I asked on a UK forum (www.rcmf.co.uk) if anyone knew where I could buy a second and a very nice man (electric convert) posted me the second engine free of charge!

teebox11

My Feedback: (33)

Built a few of these! Late night, I can give some suggestions later. If you e-mail me, I'll send you a couple of pics, before and after type, and some info. Big is beautiful and easy to build!

zope_pope

Alright guys. I plan to sheet the wings tonight. I am building them with working flaps. In the instructions it says you can remove the flaps prior to sheeting, how many of you have done this? I am planning on it just to make sure the flap builds straight. Also any tips on sheeting this kit would be greatly appreciated. Have a good one.

Adam

zope_pope

Hehe, I was just looking through the p38 pics, and I know why it was so easy for me now. In the first pic in the top left on the plan, you can pretty much see the p38 shape, atleast the twin tail boom. I didn't notice it till now... Subliminal??

ticketec

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Zope pope,

Good to have you guy's back!

I did remove the flap from the wing proir to sheeting because i found it easier to sheet that way. Otherwise i was trying to cut the sheeting to fit the L/E and the T/E. With the flap removed, you allow the excess to hang of the back of the wing and cut/sand it down later.

I just started fiber glasing my fuse. The wing is complete fibreglass wise anyway. Once it's dry i will snad it down and prepare for the primer. I'm keen to finish the fuse glass so that i can make the wing fillet.

For those not making a full depth cockpit. check out the aces of iron pilot busts. They are awesome! And the online painting tips are really good. I hate painting pilots but look how my 1/4 P-51 pilot is comeing out so far, using their guide. This guy is just for static purposes because i finnaly got the German pilot for my 1/4 Me-163 Komet.

Thanks

zope_pope

Thanks for the input. How much weight has the fiber glass added so far?

jeffk464

I'm about ready to start glassing my fuselage and cant decide on doing the wing fillets before or after the glassing. It looks like its much easier to glass the fuse before doing the fillets, are you going to glass the fillets afterwards.

Looking good by the way.

Rate1

jeff,

Looking good, impressive bird.

Christian

ticketec

My Feedback: (2)

Hey Jeffk464,

I am doing the fillets after glassing the whole airframe. I'm told that it's much easier to do it this way so that the fuse surface is as hard or harder than the fillet material and reduces the chance of sanding grooves into the balsa fuse and wing when you shape the fillet.

Here is a link to the thread i'm working off fo the filets

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_13...tm.htm#1311032

Zope_pope,

Not sure on the wiweight increase other than to say i've been told that it's not much more than monokote. But, It's a far better surface to work with. I'm not on day 2 of letting the epoxy dry, so i can feather in the edges tomorrow and do the other side of the fuse.

thanks

zope_pope

Good to know. This being my first war bird, and first fiberglass project, I am still new to this. That thread on the wing fillet looks very very good. I have been tied up working over the weekend, so no progress on the airplane, but I hope to sheet the wings this week.

What kind of cloth are you using on the wings, also where is a good how to on fiberglassing a warbird? Thanks!

Adam