Contest entry for Newtech (Full Version)

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newtech -> Contest entry for Newtech (1/21/2004 6:15:20 PM)

Well, I am slowly making progress on the plug for my fuselage mold. The plug is open framework construction that will be covered with Coverite and doped. I am doing it this way so the molded fuselages will have a fabric over stringer appearance. I should have some pictures up by the weekend. Basic info is:

Description: Shoulder wing, sorta scale like Cassut racer with plug in wing panels (carbon fiber arrow shaft wing spar)
Selig S8036 airfoil
6" chord, 36" span, 216 sq. in. wing area
vacuum bagged carbon fiber fuselage. (Single layer 5.5 oz carbon)
Norvel AME .061
Three channel - aileron, elevator and throttle
Hand launch, no landing gear
Unpainted carbon fiber fuselage
Silk covered built up wing with molded carbon fiber leading edge

Since I don't have any pictures yet, here is what I was going to enter last year but ran out of time. This model has a Speed 400 motor rather than the Norvel I was going to use for the contest. It also has the same Selig airfoil I am using on this years entry and flies reasonably well.



DICKEYBIRD -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (1/21/2004 8:28:33 PM)

VERY cool stuff there N/t! [8D] Take lotsa pictures of the process and share them pleeze!



Rendegade -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (1/22/2004 1:12:19 AM)

Awwww is so cute!



ajcoholic -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (1/22/2004 3:23:47 AM)

Has a Globe Swift look to it. Nice!

AJC



combatpigg -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (1/22/2004 4:59:26 AM)

HI NEWTECH! That's gorgeous! I've never heard of using a flyable framework with covering as a plug! Is it a scary process to seperate? I guess you don't care that much about the plug if you know you've got a good mold out of it? Keep up the great work!



MR Flyer57 -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (1/22/2004 7:01:24 AM)

Good looking and also a great idea.
Sure do like all the new ideas and ways to do things this kind of contest brings out.
Super stuff!!
MR Flyer57



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (1/28/2004 8:03:07 PM)

Thought I would let everyone know what the project is looking like so far. THis is a "sorta kinda lookd like" Cassutt Racer. THis is just the plug and will be covered with sailplane weight Ceconite and doped. THe final finish for the plug will be PPG Concept Urethane auto paint.



DICKEYBIRD -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (1/28/2004 8:30:52 PM)

Pretty, pretty, pretty! [:D] Looks sleek & f-a-s-t! You must have a lot of will power. I'd have that puppy MonoKoted and flying, quick-like!



ajcoholic -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (1/28/2004 10:39:51 PM)

Thats a sweet shape, very SEXY! [:D]

Makes my Seneca look liek a shoe box with wings...[X(]

AJC



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (1/28/2004 11:11:05 PM)

Thanks AJC. Coming from you I take it as a huge compliment. Some planes just look right. I took the basic Cassutt design and sanded off everything that I didn't think looked like airplane :-) Actually, I wanted to smooth most of the intersections and curves so it would be easy to mold in carbon fiber. It will be molded in two halves split along the horizontal thrust line, i.e. top and bottom.

I have been checking the forum almost hourly to see if you have posted any new updates. I can't wait to see what you have done since your last update. The Senica is one of those plane on my "it just looks right" list. Hope you are having as much fun on this as I am. A little good spirited competition sure gets the juices flowing :-)

Keep up the good work AJC

Will be cutting wing cores to make a plug for the leading edge mold tomorrow. Still thik I will be molding a carbon fiber leading edge with the rest built up construction.



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (2/2/2004 6:05:09 PM)

Well, I haven't gotten very much done on my model. Did sand the top of the fuselage off and rebuild it. I kept sanding through corners and gave up and rebuilt it the way it should have been in the first place [:D]

I did buy one of the Walley Mart digital postal scales for $17 last night. I have an unfinished carbon fiber fuselage and an extra fuselage skin for my RV-7 design and used the new scale to check the weights. The fuselage that has a coat of primer and white paint on it weighs 4.5 ounces.

The separate fuselage side has a white epoxy primer finish, that was sprayed into the mold before laying up and vacuum bagging the carbon fiber, weighs 1.5 ounces. Since this is a somewhat larger part than my Sky Terrier contest entry is going to be I think the actual fuselage halves will be about 1.2 ounces each. That should give me about a 3 ounce fuselage. All up weight of 16 ounces should be doable.

Will be making molds later in the week and will document the process here.



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (2/10/2004 3:39:37 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: combatpigg

HI NEWTECH! That's gorgeous! I've never heard of using a flyable framework with covering as a plug! Is it a scary process to seperate? I guess you don't care that much about the plug if you know you've got a good mold out of it? Keep up the great work!


Hi C/P, that is always the moment of truth :-) Will probably wax the plug with eight or ten coats of wax where I normally use five coats.

Haven't made as much progress as I would like to have but here is a picture of the covered fuselage plug. It is covered with full scale sailplane weight Ceconite using Poly Fiber's Poly-Tack adhesive. Will get two coats of Nitrate dope today and then I switch from full scale aircraft covering methods to automotive body shop finishing methods.



Andrew -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (2/10/2004 4:02:57 PM)

Hi Steve --

When you mentioned sailplane weight Ceconite, I'm assuming that is the Ceconite 102. Have you used the uncertified Ceconite Light? How difficult is it to control shrinkage to keep from bowing your structures. I'm always looking for new covering approaches, but weight remains a real factor. GoodWinds Kites has 3/4 oz. coated ripstop -- I think I could soak the coating off with denatured alcohol, but I don't know if I could get a good covering without wrinkles and if nitrate dope would stick to it.

Your plug looks super -- please keep the pictures coming.

Regards,

the "other" Andrew



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (2/10/2004 4:56:23 PM)

It is uncertified. I buy it from Wicks Aircraft Supply http://www.wicksaircraft.com They list it in two places in their catalog but use the same picture. Under fiberglass supplies it is sold as peelply for $3.22 a yard. In the back of the catalog it is sold as uncertified Ceconite Light (1.7 oz.) and is sold for $4.53. I keep a pretty good supply of it on hand for use as peel ply in my fiberglass work. I use it for just about all of my model coverings except for the 1/2A stuff. I really wish I had weighed the plug before covering to see what the weight gain for the Ceconite and two coats of Nitrate would actually be.

You really want to put two coats of Nitrate Dope on it before you switch over to Butrate. Since this fabric is used as peel ply it is hard to get stuff to stick to it reliably. Butrate only will eventually crack and flake off in stress areas. The Nitrate seems to stick pretty well but isn't fuel proof. \

I use the standard monocoat Iron to seal and shrink it. You do need to experiment some to determine the temperature you are comfortable with using to shrink the covering. THe longerons, on the plug in the picture, are spruce for this reason.

TO attach the covering to the frame work I use the same stuff the full size guys use. Poly Fiber's Polytack fabric cement. I just thin it a little with dope thinner and brush it on the framework just like Sig's Stix-it. Let it dry and iron on the Ceconite. You can rub in some Poly-Tack where you want with your finger but the iron does a good job.

THe 3/4 oz. ripstop sounds intriguing. Pretty much any polyester material is going to shrink up just fine with a covering iron so I wouldn't worry too much about wrinkles. The shrink is pretty easy to control with temperature and can be a little or a lot. I think I would do a little searching around for untreated polyester.



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (2/12/2004 5:03:06 PM)

Slowly making progress. I have two coats of nitrate, two coats of butyrate and one coat of lacquer primer on the plug. Will sand the primer down tonight and fill all of the areas that need it then another coat of primer. Final finish will be about four coats of black acrylic lacquer sanded and rubbed out. So far I am pretty satisfied with the way the finish is turning out.

will post some pictures tonight in its final primer. Pictures tomorrow in its shiny new black finish. Hope to be able to start the mold making process this weekend. Will be using a, new to me, method of making the mold. The bottom half will have a molded in joggle to simplify joining the two halves. This should result in the lightest weight structure and one where the joining seam can simply be covered with trim tape with no finishing or filling. The mold halves will be sprayed with clear PPG Concept before the carbon fiber is vacuum bagged in the mold. The clear Concept will be the final finish letting the weave of the carbon fiber show through. Plug-in wing panels and the tail surfaces will be covered with fluorescent yellow MonoKote. Don't know if I can find fluorescent trim tape at the auto paint store but if I can the stripe will match.

Since the wing panels plug in there will be a removable equipment hatch on the bottom of the fuselage held on somehow [:D]

Plotted out the S8036 airfoil template on the printer last night using Plotfoil that was downloaded from the University of Illinois airfoil site. Scraping the idea of using a carbon fiber leading edge and just forming the leading edge contour by soaking 1/16!QUOT! balsa and using hot-wired forms to pre-shape it into a D section leading edge. No spars other than the 2/3 span carbon fiber arrow shaft that plugs into the socket in the fuselage.

Need to workout a quick connect method to connect the ailerons to the fuselage mounted servo. I want the wing panels to be easily replaced at the field should the unthinkable but obviously predictable happen. Anyone have any good schemes for quick connect aileron linkages?



cropdusterdave -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (2/12/2004 5:45:13 PM)

Hey, I like the RV-7. I have it's big brother sittin' in my garage....mostly pieces at this point.



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (2/12/2004 5:58:39 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: cropdusterdave

Hey, I like the RV-7. I have it's big brother sittin' in my garage....mostly pieces at this point.


Actually, have its big brother in the garage also. Empennage and the left wing are done and I am working on the right wing. Hope to get my fuselage kit ordered in the Spring. The models are getting some attention while the garage is too cold to work in
[:)] You can see what I have been doing here http://www.newtech.com/n14se/rv7.html



cropdusterdave -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (2/12/2004 7:50:43 PM)

I've got the tail pieces done...wing is in progress. I'll be lookin at the fuse by this time next year. Think I'm going to do the Eggenfeller Subaru engine...but haven't made any decisions yet. I wish they had an RV builder forum like this one somewhere out there. I run into so many questions. Lucky for me there's a very experienced RV builder 30 miles down the road from me.



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (4/26/2004 2:44:41 PM)

Why do I always seem to run out of time? Oh well, The wing panels and tail pieces (empennage) are finished. The plug for the fuselage mold is finished and I will start making the molds today. Molds should be finished Tuesday and will probably vacuum bag the fuselage halves Tuesday night or Wednesday Morning. Engine and R/C equipment should be mounted in the lower fuselage shell Wednesday evening. Cement the fuselage halves together, mount the wing panels and finish up the installation details Thursday and into the air Friday, WHEW!

Will cover the wing panels and empennage and break in the Norvel AME .061 during the period while everything is curing. We are down to crunch time here....good thing I am off work this week [:D]

I still haven't come up with the elegant method I am looking for to drive the ailerons, in the plug in wing panels, so it is going to get a little more dihedral and be controlled by rudder, elevator and engine control. Ailerons will come later.

OK, how many other builders are running out of time too?



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (4/27/2004 2:29:56 PM)

Minor setback [:o] I tried a new method I saw over on the Composites forum to make the parting board for the mold. Ended up sticking the plug in the parting board and have to do some refinishing work on the plug where it stuck. The mold isn't going to be as glossy around the belt line but it should be usable. Should be laying up the glass for the top half of the mold yet today. Hopefully the extension of the deadline to include the weekend will give me enough time to finish everything. Will post some pictures tonight.



combatpigg -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (4/27/2004 4:19:14 PM)

STEVE, The slip fitting of square brass tubing might work as part of the linkage if KS sells sizes that slip in with no slop. I don't think you should add dihedral and spoil the looks of the plane, plus you probably won't be happy flubbing around with just a rudder. Don't the guys who are into competition sailplanes have info on how to do a stab in hook up? You've got a marvelous project under way, and should not be made to feel pressed to meet some kind of artificial deadline. I can tell from the examples of your work that you are a perfectionist, and you should take whatever time is needed to execute your original idea to perfection!



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (4/27/2004 7:54:40 PM)

Hi CP,
I have been wrestling with the aileron issue. I like the idea of telescoping tubing and will probably do that for the final fix. Based on how the earlier versions of this plane have flown I really hate to loose the ailerons. OK, the die is cast, it will have ailerons. Probably will eat the weight gain from an extra servo and put one in each wing panel. After it is flying I will work out the final plug in configuration.

I am sitting here waxing the plug right now. Two coats of Johnson's paste wax on and four more to go. Have to let each coat harden for at least thirty minutes before applying the next coat. I recovered from the stuck plug without any lasting damage to the plug. Fixed the damage and re-sprayed it with black lacquer this morning. Will have to make the mold tonight since the lacquer will continue shrinking and I will loose the rubbed out finish soon. Always something [:D]

Can't wait to see the molded parts, should be pretty.



combatpigg -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (4/27/2004 8:06:23 PM)

Steve, an HS 55 in each wing won't add any weight [vs a single HS 81], can be concealed easily, and will perform at least as well, if not better than the tork rod setup. A skin type hinge will work better with out fighting against the tork rod too.



newtech -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (4/27/2004 8:25:34 PM)

The wing panels are already finished and I sanded the top surface of the ailerons flush with the top of the wing in preparation for MonoKote hinges so it is already for the flush skin hinges. A servo in each wing sure makes things easy. I have been changing my mind hourly but this is probably how it will be. Only three more coats of wax then I start slinging the epoxy. UPS just delivered the fast West Systems hardner so there are no more excuses.

In case anyone is interrested, I ordered the hardner from Wicks Aircraft at 2:00 yesterday and it was delivered at 2:00 today via UPS ground no less. Can't say enough good things about http://www.wicksaircraft.com



combatpigg -> RE: Contest entry for Newtech (4/27/2004 11:51:37 PM)

Steve, I don't want to seem too much like a pest[:D], but are you going to make your own custom control horns[8D]? Or go with the hideously ugly and substandard nylon bolt on type[:'(]? Just asking...



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