reincarnate

Since I posted questions about this company and model in a previous thread, and a few expressed interest, here's the much awaited build thread for the TNPC (Top Notch Products Company) Shoestring.

http://topnotchkits.com/index_files/TN_Kit5.htm

The above link is the website for the String and gives all the specs, which will save me some typing, and let me get to posting pictures and impressions.

Please keep in mind that I am far from a professional builder (it may become obvious as we go[X(]) so please post thoughts and better ideas. I promise I'll get stuck and need assistance.

reincarnate

These first two pictures are the unpacking pictures. I didn't break down the sheets of laser cut parts, because there are many small parts on 1/32 balsa and I didn't want to loose them (yet!) The first picture is all of the balsa included in the kit, with my 2"x48" straightedge for reference. The second pic is the parts package. The canopy is from Sig, and rest of the parts aren't labeled. There is a small hardware package consisting of a few blind nuts, control horns, etc, but there isn't much there, which is just as well.

The cowl and the pants are both fiberglass, and both of very good quality. The pants are a little thin, but they're big enough that if you want to reinforce them it will be easy.
The ruler in the pic is a 12" for reference.

reincarnate

These next pictures show the first problem I ran into. First let me say that you have to build the pin down tabs to be added to false leading edge. I spent about 20 minutes searching through the balsa trying to find them. Not a big deal at all, but it brought up a problem I foresaw while reading the instructions before I started. For starters there is no parts index with sheet numbers and parts on sheets. Makes finding the parts difficult the first time through. Second, while the parts are laser stamped with the part number, not all of them are, and there are only about a half dozen pictures in the instructions. You really have to work to decide what some things are, and even then I'm not sure I have all of them right.

Now...onto the problem. When I got all of the tabs cut and glued, and went to pin the false leading edge down, I noticed that when you line up the reference mark for center rib W7 (picture #1), the rest of the slots for the ribs slowly got "off" as they went toward the root and tip (pic's 2 and 3). This caused me a great deal of grief, because either the parts were off or the print was.

reincarnate

After about an eternity, (15 minutes give or take) of reading, moving, repinning and fretting, I decided to press on with the process, because you don't actually glue anything together until the wing is almost completely framed.

A word here about the quality of the wood and the cutting. I haven't been building kits forever, like a few have, but I have done a few. I'm really impressed with the quality of the balsa, (a few pieces still had a Bud Nosen stamp on them) and the laser cutting is simply fantastic. Like I said earlier, a lot of these pieces are on very thin balsa and have extremely fine lines and small details. On about 90% of the parts so far, I only had to show the Exacto to the parts and they separated. The ply is a little tougher, but not much. And, When you get the part out, there is usually only a tiny bit of flash to remove. Well done here.

Anyway, the problem I encountered with the leading edge appearing off is working itself out. I went ahead and assembled the whole wing base structure. The only gluing done up to this point is the servo bay doubler, and hinge point backers in the aileron TE. I pinned down W7 at this point(pic #1), and with the interlocking assembly the wing uses (again, fantastic idea and fit) it came together. Its a little shorter than the print relates, but only about a total of 1/8". It's straight, square and went extremely quick, considering I spent a lot of time trying to figure out if I had goofed up.

The second pic shows the completed framing of the wing. It is only at this point that you get out the glue and start gluing the assembly together. Believe it or not, there isn't a single drop of glue holding the wing together in this picture. Great concept. All told, from unpacking to the time I came upstairs and downloaded the pics was just shy of two hours. I'm really enjoying this so far, and it looks like it will be a great build and really good looking plane.

Feel free to point out things I've missed or better ways to build (or post!) as this goes. I think only two of us (myself and Mormon Mike) are building this plane, but post your thoughts. Please!

*JCB*

My Feedback: (9)

man, that thing goes together quickly!!

So about the issue that you had: have you concluded that the printing is just off? and do both wings have the same amount of difference in relation to the plans??

I really like the interlocking parts! Makes for a quick easy build

Also, what motor are you planning on? I am thinking that a YS 110 would be a nice match for this plane

keep it up!

reincarnate

Hey JCB. I think that issue is that the scale of the prints is off just a hair. The way the pieces lock together insure that you're building square and true. I think you'd have to try hard to screw up the wings. And yes both wings have the exact same issue (or non-issue). I've sent an e-mail to TNPC asking for their feedback, so I'll let you know when I hear from them. Who knows, maybe someone from there will pop up here.

I'm going to go with a Saito 100 in mine. The YS would be a great choice too, but I got a great deal on a NIB Saito here on the marketplace.


Go buy one and join in!!

fourstar40

My Feedback: (27)

It is clear to see that you are an excellent builder. I have built kits that required more finding and searching than building. I have no doubt by the few posts you have here that you will build and fine aircraft. I am looking forward to reading the rest of your build. Good luck!

I bet that you are also one of the better pilots in your area.
I live not to far from C.C. Do you fly in the area?

*JCB*

My Feedback: (9)

I would love to join in the fun...but i'm knee deep in a Hog Bipe right now!! I think i may wait on a flight report before i get one. The way i would like to set it up would be WAY too expensive for my taste if the plane doesn't fly well...but if it flies as good as it looks, I'M IN!!

MormonMike

My Feedback: (2)

ReinC, Yes!, all that you have incountered up to this building point, I too, have been through. [ twenty minutes looking for Pin-Down Tabs, Ribs not lining up with the plans,etc. I'm hurrien to get back to the bench and post photos. Don't panic, the wing builds fine BUT........ don't sheet the top till I get back with you AND DON"T join the wings at all, hold off and I'll show you in a photo post why. I may have a better way to secure them. Worth a look at, Seeya then, MM [X(]

MormonMike

My Feedback: (2)

Doug, the reason I wanted you to hold off on putting the wing together [If it was not already too late] is because the 1/64 ply joiners look just too lite for a yank and bank plane like this one. I fashioned a thin piece of aluminum to fit where the joiners go and will drill and screw this right into the shear web spar top and bottom, with epoxy. Also the inside ribs needs to have some gussets installed to beef-up those two ribs for the center joiner to bond to. I'm still in a hurry for the next few hours so I'll get back then and slow down for this post. MM

reincarnate

Mike, interesting thought. I haven't been back in the shop since last night, so I'm no further along than I was. I'll look into the issues you posted when I get there.

I received an e-mail this morning from John Valentine at TNCP. Keep in mind that I sent the e-mail last night at 10 PM and today is Saturday! That's customer service. He stated that the problem with the wing lies in the paper, and the process used to duplicate the prints. He guarantees the wing will come out right, and based on what I see, he's right.
John also said that he is working on refining the plans and including a parts directory in the future models. I got one of the earlier releases and it just wasn't included. I have no fears about them helping out if things don't go well or future problems arise. Thanks John!

reincarnate

fourstar40, thanks for joining in, and please continue to post. I'm sure you have a lot of experience to add.

Yes, I fly in the Columbia City area, and belong to the Whitley County Barnstormers. http://www.whitleycountybarnstormers.mysite.com/
We're a smaller club, but we have bigger plans. Next season we are moving to a new field, a post use solid waste facility, and would love for you to join us. The guys for the most part are a a great bunch, but there are one or two that are constant trouble-causers. We all have them, but we manage to get along. Come see us this summer. We have the "most helpful" people.

fourstar40

My Feedback: (27)

Thank you on the invite reincarnate but I am a loner and prefer to fly by myself. Most of the clubs I have been in usually throw me out because my superior skill intimidates the other pilots too much. Jealousy in an ugly thing.

It sounds like you belong to wonderful club. I envy you!

I am looking forward to the rest of your build thread and please post a video when it's done and ready to fly.

reincarnate

Sorry to hear that. We would welcome your skill. We have one guy at our club that thinks he is the line boss, and makes things difficult for everyone. He usually just shows up with this big old Telemaster and floats around all day, in everyone else's way, complaining about this or that. Makes the others miserable and uncomfortable. I can understand why you fly by yourself. Guys like that spoil it for everyone. Still, stop out sometime. If you fly warbirds (especially P-40's) bring it out. The Telemaster guy had one once, but couldn't handle it. Would make the rest of us laugh.

Back to the shop with me. Hopefully I'll get one side of the wing sheeted today, as I'm on my own today. Wife and kids went shopping!

reincarnate

Got another e-mail from John @ TNPC that had some good information, along with a PDF of the parts list. This guy is one step beyond helpful! With his permission, I'm copying some of the e-mail. If you'd like a copy of the parts directory, I can copy you, or just email John at: [email protected] He's a great guy.

From the e-mail--

"I am not sure what washout would do for the model except add unnecessary drag. I can tell you it is absolutely not necessary. When you pull power on the Shoestring and it slows down, it just sinks straight ahead. It's one of the best behaved models I have ever flown, bar none. The airfoil is a little secret from days gone by and it's claim to fame is less loss of speed in the turn. This was designed and flown by a gentleman who won a lot of Quickie 500 races some years ago. I tried it and flew it on some of my Quickie 500 models a couple of years ago and was suitably impressed. When it came time to design the Shoestring I thought I would give a shot on a larger model and I'm glad I did. Don't change it.
The model has been doing pretty well on the local pylon circuit here in middle Tennessee. These guys limit all Formula I models to the OS 91 Surpass and with that power plant it has been clocked at about 110 mph."

I had asked about adding the washout to help prevent tip stalls at lower speeds. That is where this response came from. Thought I'd share his response, since the information answered some of my unasked questions.

MormonMike

My Feedback: (2)

ReinC, Yup, I'm quite impressed with this John V. A very sharp individual indeed. Now to business. This type of wing gives exceptional performance. Don't worry about the washout, This wing will work just like the GP Shoestring. The plans appear to say about two inches of dihedral which means four inches propped up on one side. That's fine and it'll give excellent stability from there. I chose to take out half an inch on each tip. Nothing radical, just personal prefrence for performance. The ailerons, well, I chose to buy pre-shaped ailerons from the LHS. Just my way. Seems a .91 two or four stroker is whats recommended. My altitude here is 4500 feet. I know this "Shoeser" is going to come out a little more heavy than the GP Shoeser. The cowl is so small I'm not sure I can make an OS 1.2 two stroker fit. GP Shoeser cowl is much bigger two work with. I may have to settle for a ST.91 with Bisson Pitt's style muffler. [Like on my GP Shoeser] For now, let me know what your going to decide on extra gussets on the inside of ribs F-1 and top and bottom binding straps for the wing joiners. More tonight, Later, MM

reincarnate

Didn't get as far as I hoped last night, but when your 17 year old son comes home and asks if you want to watch a movie with him, it's hard to turn down. I try to keep my priorities straight!

I did however, manage to get one side of the wings sheeted. No problems here, you just have to build a 15x36" sheet of 1/16th balsa from four 4" sheets and glue it down. I chose not to trim the sheet to size (15" ) because I wanted a little play, and it's easy to trim and sand after the glue sets. I do need to make a couple more sand bags of different sizes. No pictures here, because there is not much to see!

About the glue. So far on the build, the only thing that I have used thin CA for tacking in place. When I glued all of the ribs and wing pieces in place, I first went through with thin CA and tacked, using just enough to get penetration into the tabbed joints (and there are a few!). Then I went back through and ran a thin fillet of medium CA along both sides of every joint.

For the sheeting, the directions call for aliphatic resin (carpenters glue) and it's a good choice. You glue the whole wing surface (with a few exceptions noted in directions) and apply the skin. Easy as can be, you just have be patient while the glue sets.

More on MormonMike's thoughts next.

reincarnate

I'll agree with you on the gusset's Mike. I went ahead and sheeted the top first so I could see what kind of gusset would work best with the sheeting. I think I'll add one at the leading edge and one on the rear of the shear web. The trailing edge has quite of ply for adhesion, so I'll leave it off.

On the Ply joiners however, this is where we see it different. I do not think that your idea is off base, and will work great. However, my real job (i.e. hobby support mechanism) has taught me a couple of lessons that I can apply to modeling situations.

The directions call for a 4 layer, 1/64th" laminated ply spar joiner to be applied (see MM's picture in original post above). When built properly, with no gaps or pockets, there just isn't anything much stronger than a laminated ply beam. Add to that to the fact that I'm going to glass the joint, and I think that I'll destroy something else long before the wing fails. I know how I fly. I'm still tossing around the idea of glassing and painting the whole wing, possibly the whole model. Weight when I'm finished will help decide.

Neither way is wrong, just modelers choice. That's what makes build threads work, different idea's. Keep up the good work Mike! I probably wouldn't have added the gussets if not for your suggestion.

fourstar40

My Feedback: (27)

That looks great! I wish I had a "real" plane to build. This profile plane I am building just doesn't do it for me.

MormonMike

My Feedback: (2)

Well, thank you Doug, . Sheeting was easy enough. Kinda difficult using the solid-sheet method but, it worked out just "Peachy". I installed a 1/4-1/2'' piece of basswood stock just under the the screw holes for the servo mount trays, I wanted just a little more "bite" for the servo screws. [ another one of those little personal-prefs ] All else on the wing is done, ready for a lite sanding and covering. This will be done with black Ultracote all over with flouro pink disstorted stars and trim with silver 1/8'' trim on all pink. Look under the Skybolt build thread in the ARF section RCU for an idea of it. It's in thread 17. Tail feathers dont appear difficult to do but reading on the fuse is going to be just a tad chalenging. After I get through shovelling snow off the driveway [[&o]] I'll head downstairs. Later.... MM

reincarnate

The fuse does appear that it's going to present a little more of a challenge. That's one thing that I would like to see in the instructions are a couple of more pictures to augment the written instruction. Maybe that's just me. I'm more a visual learner than anything.

Look forward to seeing the finished covering job Mike! Shouldn't be hard to pick out of the sky! I think mine will be an orange base, with blue or red for contrast. One of my fellow club members redid an older scratch built Klemm http://www.whitleycountybarnstormers...11_renamed.jpg (having to rebuild from scratch the whole fuse) and I really like how the orange and blue contrast. But thats a ways down the road.

Now some of you watching have no doubt noticed conversation between myself and fourstar40. I think it's time to clear the air. He is actually a member of my club, and good friend of mine (yes Dan, a friend. Put that in your pipe and smoke it). We have been having a little fun, and I don't want anyone thinking ill of him. He is correct with one of his statements, he is one of the better pilots I am privelged to fly with and a tremendous good sport. Notice in the other posts earlier I mentioned the "Telemaster guy", and another member who flies P-40's. Both of these pilots are actually fourstar40, and while he does hog up airspace with his giant powered glider, he's one of the guys I look forward to seeing on Sunday afternoon. Had to clear the air. Hopefully you stick around anyway, fourstar40. It won't be the same without you.[sm=75_75.gif]

EDIT: Just checked out the Skybolt Mike. Well done sir! Thats a great looking job. I'll not be competing with you for covering honors!

MormonMike

My Feedback: (2)

Doug, I thought you might like that . Shovelling snow took a little bit longer than expected. I'll do the tail feathers when I get home tonight. And last, yes, a few more photos of the fuse construction part would've been helpful . Oh well, let's do the best we can. Seeya tonight, MM

MormonMike

My Feedback: (2)

Doug, It's been a long, miserable day at the hospital. 11 hours. I'll try to get something done tommorow. Good night, MM

reincarnate

Right with you Mike. I'm busier than...well you know. Haven't touched anything since Sunday morning, and probably won't till the weekend. Work and kids, kids and work. Hardly have time for a hobby!

MormonMike

My Feedback: (2)

Doug, it's alittle difficult to be in the mood to build after a long day at work too. Shoveling snow does'nt help either. I'm trying though. The horizontal stab assembly is a little vague. The parts ELE and ETE are not to be found. Could they be the 1/4 inch balsa strips ? Photo is not very good in the instructions. Kinda stumped at this point. MM