ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Hi everyone!
I just started the build on the star cruiser. The quality of the kit is outstanding! Was planning on my sons building this, but they are having too many questions, due to the lack of instructional pictures. For me, it is pretty straight forward. We are going to install a brushless motor in this one.
Will update with pictures as we start the fuse.

Quigleywins

Go Earl . Up to your old tricks,no photos. Yours Paul T

Zor

Earl,

I do not know how Quigleywins know your name as Earl but I am following him.

I will be following your build with great interest.

I am a promoter of good gluing techique and favor fabic and genuine aircraft dope coverng.

Of course you do as you wish.

Enjoy your work.

Zor

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Zor,
Quigleywins and I know each other from past builds. My first real build was the butterfly, and he was building at the same time. Then we started the big wing build along.
He is still building big, I went for a small build that would be easy for the kids.
Glad that you are interested in the build. Pictures will come soon!

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Ok, I have some pictures. I will try to be more detailed on this build, as for what problems I may find or just explaining the directions. I thought this would have been a real easy build for a kid to try. But there are no pictures in the build instructions. The first step is to put together the tail feathers. They are soild planks, so all you really need to do is knock them out and cut hinge slots.
The hinge slots were alittle hard to cut, I know my sons would have messed the wood up on this step. Next I will have my son lable the fuse and former parts and lay them out. I will then start the fuse build.

Zor

ejam and the crew,

as promissed, I am following along ___

It is nice to see kids and dad working together on any project.
I know you will maximize the kid contribution even if you have to do some repair work so the kid has a real feeling of having been the main contributor and be so proud of his achievement.

Have fun and lots of enjoyment together.

Zor

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

I've got a couple of small issues, but I am going at this as if I were a 11-12 year old. While building the fuse sides, the directions tell you to start with the left side. And that letter "L" should be facing on the inside. Well there isnt a layout on the plans for you to do this. A child would place the left side facing inward, and start building. But It also states that the L on the parts should face upward. Not a big deal, but like an idiot, I glued the fuse brace on the outer side, lol. I did catch it in time, and thank God I didnt us ca. I will be using wood glue unless stated otherwise in directions.
For a person with builds under thier belt, this would not be a problem. So far I like the ease of the parts " fallin out". And all parts have came together without any gaps so far.

Quigleywins

Hay Earl is that a little bit of cake in the top corner of the first Photo

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Quigleywins,
I caught the tail of my Piece o cake in the first pic, just to see if you would catch it!
Its funny how each plane I choose to build, there isnt a lot of coverage on the net about them. That is why I am going to try to go in depth on this one and maybe help a newbe. From what I can find about this model, it seems that it is a very good smaller size trainer.

Zor

ejam,

I am looking at the two pictures you posted of the fuselage.

Remember that I do not have the drawings here nor any instructions.

I see a little problem. The fuselage sides are all one piece with doublers at bottom and top.
Those sides are a straight line from the rear wing dowel to the front and also straight from that dowel to the rear as seen on the top view of the drawing. So there is a change of direction at the former just in front of the dowel. It is not possible to have such a sharp bend in a continuous sheet of balsa.

I notice a heavy dashed line on the bottom doublers but not on the top ones.

To have the two straight lines, as seen on the top view of the drawing, there has to be a joint in the fuselage sides just at the rear face of the former. This former is justahead of he rear wing dowel.

I have no way to tell but there has to be continuity (no break) in the pieces closing the fuselage at top and at bottom.

Is there anything in the instructions concerning this area of the fuselage ?
I cannot see a sharp bend at this former with the forward and rearward parts both being a straight line.

Perhaps you can post a picture of the parts that fit on top and on bottom of the fuselage at this location.

Just someting that appears to me to be stupid and a puzzle.

A note here below ___
Do not go by any recommendations to use CA glue. Use wood glue (carpenters glue) and double glue and fillet all joints. Kit manufacturers like to sell a new kit when dozens of pieces fall apart in a crash.
Just a couple of weeks ago, my Skybolt, a fast flying model, landed in the trees at flying speed and came out without a scratch. It is alsofinished with a very stong covering.

I am following along. If my comments are irrelevant, please just disregard them.

Best 2 U

Zor

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Zor, You have good eyes, and I take it that you have many builds under your belt. Your concerns were going to be my next issue to discuss. The bottom doublers are hardwood with the dashed cuts. Directions state to crack at dashes and cut through. The left side I just bent at dash line and left it connected and didnt glue it yet. On the right side, as I was bending at dash line, it broke off, and I didnt glue it yet either. I knew from looking at top of plans, that area would be the start of the bend to narrow the fuse. It isnt a very sharp bend. Oh and the top doublers are light balsa.

I am glad that you are being so abservant to the build. This will help other new builder, and that is why I am posting. So keep the questions coming!
Once again, I dont want to knock this kit, it is a great kit, but my opion is that it is not a first timer kit. It would be a first timer kit if the instructions had photos to help explain.
You really need to read the instruction, and ask your self, ok after this step, what changes will happen with next step.

On to the next step. The instructions state to find F-6, F-7. And place them into right side of fuse. You will need to make sure that the former F-6 and F-7 are 90de, then glue in place. Next you are to place the left fuse side on top of F-6,F7. Make sure its at 90d and glue.

Next step is confusing. It states to glue in place the main landing gear support F-6into position with the markings TF at the front and facing the inside of the fuse.
I have not looked at the rest of parts yet, but F-6 is the former in the last step.
I am going out to build table to do some work, will post more on what I have found of this other F-6.

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Ok, I think I may need to get some reading glasses! Or I am trying to work on modeling too late at night.

The instruction should state, Part TF F-6,or state that part is on the 1/16 ply with wing joiners. Even the Craft Air Piece o cake build would tell you where to find parts!
I found it right away, and marked it with a pen.

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Well I have former 6 and 7 glued in, and glued the left fuse to 6 and 7. It is looking like a plane now. The next steps are to glue the landing gear in place and former5. I will add pictures after these steps are done. No other issues yet. And every thing is straight and 90de.

Zor

ejam,

I am wondeing ____

In this post where you have a picture identifying F6 and you have the plywood piece marked with a pen.

Immediatly to the right of the plywood we see part of the drawing on which we can read F6 and it is not the part shape you identified on the plywood.

Please have a look and comment about that in your future posting.

Regards always de Zor

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Zor, you are right. That is where it may be confusing for a child in the build. The plywood f6 is the landing gear support. And you can see on the plans, a former is marked f6.

I have mad some progress since last post, and so far, there hasnt been any more issues that my sons have questioned.

I will add some pictures in a few, with an explination of how things go together.

Zor

How R U making out ?

Zor.

Quigleywins

Earl ,up to your old tricks no photos yours Paul T PS Flying in the morning.

Zor

Quigleywins

R U in the proper thread ?

Zor

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Sorry guys,

I had slacked off on the build and posting. Last week I had the flu. But just to let everyone know, the build is coming along and everything else has been easy. I did finish the wing and had to add some balsa/weight to one side of wing to balance it out.

Zor, Quigleywins likes to pick on me sometimes. He means no harm. lol but he is right, I have a bad habbit of starting something and slowly finishing it!

Quigleywins

Earl a least you get round to finishing your projects I must be in the top ten of the people with the most unfinished aircraft kits. The problem of having a big shed and lots of shelf space. Off to Melbourne Tuesday to get some suplys to help finish maybe one of the projects. Have all the saitos for the Lanc working on getting the servos now. There is a reasonable amount of pressure from club members to get it in the air before Christmas. Just remember that I'm watching your thread with intrest. Work related flu thats the think I would not like about where you work. Keep safe all and enjoy every day,go flying. Yours Paul. T PS Zor I like keeping a eye on that Young Earl ,keeping him on the straight path.Thats what friends are for.

Zor

Hi folks,

Nice to read about your good frienship.

I was a bit confused and unable to relate some previous posting.

All is fine now. Thanks for the explanation.

Regards de Zor

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Good news, I got some pictures! I have failed on making this a detailed build, but All in all it has been real easy. You just have to remember that building is a fun part as well as flying it.

I have no pictures of the wing build, but they go together real quick. I still have to sand the fuse and of course install landing gear and electronics.

Zor

ejam.

Coming along nicely ___

So what happened at F4 where the drawings are showing a sharp change in fuselage sides ?
I cannot tell by your pictures.

Zor

Quigleywins

Great ,Pictures at last Yours Paul T

ejam

My Feedback: (1)

Zor,
F4 is the front piece that makes the windshield. You may be talking about where the fuse starts to taper in running towards the rear? If so, there are doublers on each side. and at the point where the fuse sides begin to taper, the doublers have small cuts to be bent. The directions are a little unclear as what to do. I states to cut into the part at the dashed line, and glue. But what I did was left it unglued till the fuse was done, and then glued them( the small cut off part) in.
When I finish the wing covering, I will take a picture of the doublers to help explain.

Quigleywins, I am covering the wing with solite from mountain models. This film is very light, and took me some time to learn how to work with it. I have found that using low heat to make the glue stick to frame, then turn up heat and shrink. It does have a lower heat rang than other coverings, so you do have to be carefull when using it.