Posts: 1524
Joined: 12/17/2001 From: Lawrenceburg,
KY, USA Status: offline
Salmonbug,
I understand you not wanting too risk messing up the canards, but it is not that difficult, especially if you have a belt sander. You just have too mark the sand line around the perimeter the canard and work slowly. You would only taper the hinged part of the canard, bevel the hinge line, and round the leading edge of the fixed portion.... not airfoil the whole unit.
You mentioned that you rounded the trailing edge... I would advise that you at least leave the trailing edge squared off. I am no aerodynamics guru, but everything that I have read on aerodynamics states that a squared trailing edge is better than a rounded one. I guess the theory is that the airflow would leave the surface cleanly on a squared edge, where as, it would create turbulence on a rounded trailing edge; thereby promoting flutter.
I can't take credit for doing the fiberglass molds, as they were done by a friend of mine that was building one also. He sold his before completion, and I ended up with the molds. He also made a plug too do a clear canopy and the vacuum forming machine to form the canopy, which I have access too.
From what I readed on RCU after a year of daily visit, it apear that the opinion of the aerodynamic gurus concerning the 'to round or not to round the trailing edges" is aproximatly 50% each.........
I will think about the idea of shaping them, but I am convicted the effenciency won't increase
today, I builded the wingtips and the ailerons with counterweight. This was the end of the wood job. Now I will start to finish my reaper, and a first coat of primer has already been applied on the parts I plan to paint. I plan to paint the front plastic hatch of course, but also the rear wood hatch and the engine bay
spot filling has also been done on the fuse (at the position of the formers notches)
on the pics you can see that I didn't sans the leading edges of the wing, I always keep that for the very very hand, so if I hit the wing I don't damaged a nicely rounded LE
< Message edited by SALMONBUG -- 7/11/2004 6:55:05 PM >
Posts: 1524
Joined: 12/17/2001 From: Lawrenceburg,
KY, USA Status: offline
Very good Salmonbug. You have actually surpassed me in the construction stage of mine. Of coarse, I haven't worked on mine in a bit. I hope I have been some what of a motivational inspiration to keep you plugging away.
I come back from hollydays and will continue the work on my reaper. I have also been a bit short on the money, but now I can afford the price of the covering and paint.
I will continue soon.
wings are ready for covering with leading edge in shape and the painted parts are ready to receive the final coat.
I would have said that mine will be for sale very soon, because I have other projects and I plan only a dozen of flights with it, I will sale it without any equipement but the retract and brakes. But imagine the price of shiping to US............
just to show I am not dead, here are the slowwwwwwww progress on my reaper I have been fulfill with work and started a other project, but now I am on the reaper again and will finish it !!!
Posts: 27
Joined: 10/14/2004 From: KentKENT, UNITED KINGDOM Status: offline
I have just started building my Super reaper, I will post pics as and when, this is my first jet, in fact my first every build, I'm used to building and flying Helies so this is a bit of a challenge, The information on this site is helping no end and any hints and tips would be appreciated
The reaper is not very difficult to build, but the kit suffer a lot from the lack of instructions.
for experimented airplane builders (this is my first jet, but not my first kit) it's not a problem. For a first building it can be a bit more complicate. I am ready to help you step by step
in this kit, the biggest challenge in my opinion is to build a good front hatch wood frame.....
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RE: MICK REEVES SUPER REAPER BUILDING - 
RE: MICK REEVES SUPER REAPER BUILDING - 
