SilverEagle2

My Feedback: (9)

I have built one of these already and I enjoyed building it so much I wanted to do it again. The fist is my hanger queen and hangs over my desk at work.

Couple questions. I am looking for similar experiences with this kit or other experiences that apply.

My first one was nose heavy with a K&B 40 on the front.

1. I want to take the 1/4" Stick frame tail group and frame them up using 1/8" inch sticks and then sheet completely with 1/16" Balsa sheets to get solid surfaces. How much weight will this really add? Same overall dimensions, just fully sheeted rather than open bay.

2. The aft turtle deck is framed up with 1/8" stringers. I don't like this look and thought about just doing the two side stringers and the top stringer and sheeting the aft turtle deck just like the forward one with 1/16" balsa sheet. Again, how much weight will it add?

3. I would like to fill in the open wing bays with balsa sheet as well. Advantage? Disadvantage?

I have attached a pic of the plans so that those willing to give advice can see what I am looking at.

Thanks for looking.

Cheers

Flyfalcons

SE2,
Try 1/64th ply for your aft turtledeck with no stringers. That's how my Midwest Extra went together and it is very strong.

SilverEagle2

My Feedback: (9)

Thanks Flyfalcons!

Anyone else?

Cheers

GoMike

Hey SilverEagle2

I don't know about yours, but mine was what I considered an extremely heavy airplane (over 28 oz/sq ft wing loading with an FP40) - and I built it as light as I could. I'd hesitate to add any weight at all to this plane. If you want to make those mods, I'd look to take that same amount of weight off elsewhere, maybe from the hardwood part of the fuse.

GoMike

matlok

Ditto on keeping it as light as possible - mine came out waaay to heavy (forgot exactly what; it's been a while) and this plane definatly needs to be as light as possible. If you're gonna do something to lighten it but you think it may be too extreme, it's not. The plane flies fine, but it WILL NOT fly slow. If it gets too slow it's gonna roll over, no matter what you do with the sticks. As long as you keep this in mind everything will be ok; go up and do some stalls high up and try to fly it slowly (again, high) to see what it does and how far you can stretch it. The lighter it is the lower the wing loading and the better it will perform slow - which it doesn't do well, thus the need to build it really really light. Hope this helps! Good luck!

Hey let's see some pics of that "hangar queen"! I always thought this was a cute looking little plane!

SilverEagle2

My Feedback: (9)

Here is a pic of the first. Makes alot of heads turn at the office hanging there.

I guess if I can make the mods work without adding any weight, then it should be OK.

Maybe I will build as outlined and just suck it up.

Thanks for the advice guys.

Cheers

SilverEagle2

My Feedback: (9)

I know this thread has been dead for a while, but I just got around to starting the second try at this plane.

I built up the tail group per the plans and then built them up using 1/8" stock and then sheeting them.

Stock, weighed in at 1.4 oz
Sheeted came in at 2.2 oz

The rear turtle deck is the next experiment. We'll see how it turns out. I think I can use some really light 1/16th sheeting over half the stringers and be fine. The rear turtle deck does not seem to be a structural element. Strength should not be compromised.

Cheers

SilverEagle2

My Feedback: (9)

I am now covering this bird after a good long wait.

I had my trim scheme in mind a while ago and was chuckling when I saw Mike McConnvilles new Hanger Nine Extra and realized that they are close in schemes. Oh well.

Here it is so far.