RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way  
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Composites Fabrication And Repair >> RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way
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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/1/2005 12:36:32 AM   
Mike James



Posts: 2438
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Anchorage, AK, USA
Status: offline 		Ultra-simple "automatic" gear doors...

When the strut goes up, the string pulls the door shut. When the strut goes down, the rubber band holds the doors open.

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/5/2005 3:01:59 AM   
Mike James



Posts: 2438
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Anchorage, AK, USA
Status: offline 		Just a heads up for any of you following the article...

To consolidate and speed up my site, I'm moving ALL of it's contents to my server space at Apple. If you go to my homepage at http://www.nextcraft.com, you can then visit any pages that you normally visit, and update your bookmarks.

The new URL for the jet article, for example, is at http://homepage.mac.com/mikejames/n...sportjet01.html

(No content on my site has been removed, but the URL's have changed.)
Thanks!


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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/6/2005 10:14:21 AM   
hpghost



Posts: 485
Joined: 12/8/2004
From: dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES
Status: offline 		very nice job mike!

I really like your jet construction...very interesting to follow!

Will you fill the gap we can see between the body airframe and the gear doors?

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/6/2005 7:51:23 PM   
Mike James



Posts: 2438
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Anchorage, AK, USA
Status: offline 		While this plane is flyable as a prototype, it's been through some rough treatment. The main seam was broken when I first pulled it from the molds, since the first one didn't have formers installed, and was a little delicate. (Production kits will have the formers installed in the molds.) Then formers were test-fit and removed several times, and several different configurations were tried for the gear doors before I got it right.

The gap you see around the nose gear door doesn't exist any more. This photo was taken when I first rigged it, and the placement of the hinges caused it to warp under "up" tension. Moving the hinges forward about an inch solved it. Actually, a worse cosmetic spot on the fuselage is around the main hatch, where I distorted the fuselage a little with a former that fit too tightly. Solved all those things now.

Not sure if I'll bother with trying to make this one perfect, visually. We want to do the flight testing, adjust whatever requires adjusting, then I'll make the next one a "show" plane. Remember that for this prototype, all the parts were hand cut, whereas production kits will use laser cut parts. Builders who assemble this kit will have a much easier time than I did.

Starting on some masking and painting today...


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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/7/2005 11:08:28 PM   
Mike James



Posts: 2438
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Anchorage, AK, USA
Status: offline 		Here are some photos showing the beginning of painting.

Still have to vacuum bag the second vertical fin and second taileron, but here's what I have assembled. Now it's starting to look right.

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/8/2005 12:29:55 AM   
Flying Hog



Posts: 409
Joined: 6/1/2002
From: Waterford, CT, USA
Status: offline 		Mike... You have to be so happy seeing a concept become reality...Keep up the good work. It looks Beauitful!!!!

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/8/2005 12:41:40 AM   
Mike James



Posts: 2438
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Anchorage, AK, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks, Bob.

It is great to finally have it sitting on the table. It'll be sooooo much better in the air, too.


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Mike James
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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/8/2005 3:22:08 AM   
jetflyer



Posts: 1007
Joined: 12/26/2001
From: League City, TX, USA
Status: offline 		Mike,

If I can find a way to put a turbine inside I'd buy one for sure. Looks like everything is coming out nicely. Heck, might just have to buy a kit so I can check out your work close up.

JR Gautreaux

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/8/2005 4:35:59 AM   
TT2



Posts: 648
Joined: 3/19/2002
From: Osborn, MO, USA
Status: offline 		Looks great Mike. Just knowing what it takes to get from concept to finished product makes it that much sweeter. I hope your test hops go well!

-Tom

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/8/2005 7:27:41 AM   
Magne


 

Posts: 333
Joined: 3/7/2004
From: Moss, NORWAY
Status: offline 		Mike.
Your model looks really great.
I am a little bit concerned about your gear door mechanism though. I think that things MAY become a bit different with wind forces acting on the door.
It shoud not be a problem getting the wheels out, but I think there is a possibility for the open doors to be pressing against the gear leg, thus preventing the gear from retracting. (Depends on your air speed and the tension in the rubber band, I suppose.) Of course I have no way of knowing this for sure, and I dont want to sound negative, it's just a concern.
Take care, and good luck with the test flying.
Magne

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/8/2005 11:08:30 AM   
Flying Hog



Posts: 409
Joined: 6/1/2002
From: Waterford, CT, USA
Status: offline 		Magne... I don't think there will be a problem with the doors...That't the way they did it in the old days and had no problem.

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/8/2005 3:44:53 PM   
TGoodwin



Posts: 254
Joined: 1/10/2002
From: LAS VEGAS, NV, USA
Status: offline 		Been away from this thread for a while. WOW Mike you are making some serious progress! Looks great.

Ted

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/8/2005 4:05:44 PM   
Mike James



Posts: 2438
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Anchorage, AK, USA
Status: offline 		Thanks, guys!

Yep, the landing gear door rigging equates to using the .60... It's simply a demonstration that you don't have to be a millionaire to fly the plane. There's plenty of room (more room than most planes) for air cylinders, retract servos, or any other method you want to use on the gear doors. Doing it mechanically does take some fiddling.


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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/10/2005 4:11:21 AM   
Mike James



Posts: 2438
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Anchorage, AK, USA
Status: offline 		I painted some of the pinstripes on the top of the "Eliminator 2" today. (first photo) The second taileron and vertical fin are already painted white in the molds, and are being joined. I'll be able to pull them and start on their painting tomorrow. (second photo)

And... just a detail, but I also painted the wheel hubs white. I'll paint the struts white too, toward the end of the process.

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RE: "Eliminator 2" molds under way - 3/14/2005 3:02:47 AM   
Mike James



Posts: 2438
Joined: 1/19/2002
From: Anchorage, AK, USA
Status: offline 		Finally, the "Eliminator 2" is fully painted and assembled. Just some last-minute Loctite-ing and double-checking to do before flight tests. As of today, the forecast is (of course) calling for about a week of rain, but we'll see.

We're overweight, due to things mentioned in previous posts, and that's bugging me. (12 1/2 pounds!) But, that's prototype life, and we know that if this one flies well, the production versions will be much better, so we'll go for it as soon as the weather clears, and I'll let you know the results.

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