sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

OK folks... here's yet another build thread.

So far I've got the cowl mounted and canopy cut and ready to install.

Mounting the cowl was a little tricky since the back edge was not square. First I cut out the air intakes and prop-hub hole to match some scale pics I found. I made sure the firewall from the factory was square, then I stood the plane on its tail and stood the motor on the firewall... I approximated the vertical (below center) and measureed the lateral offset exactly (centered). I test fit the cowl several times until it was centered on the motor, then I drew 2 lines on the fuse at the top and bottom of the trailing edge of the cowl, about where the top and bottom bolt would go. Removed cowl. I measured from the lines on the fuse to the front of the fuse rail, subtracted 3/8" from the meaurements, and plotted these on the cowl. Connected the top and bottom lines (since the trailing edge of the cowl was not straight). Then marked where the bolts wouls go on the line. I have 3 bolts 3.5" apart (7" total). Drilled the cowl with a high speed dremel... drilled out to a #8 size. Mounted cowl back on plane and drilled the pilot holes for the blind nuts. Installed 8-32 blind nuts and mounted the cowl with 8-32 x 3/4" bolts and some rubber backed #8 steel washers. All nuts wound up dead center on the rail and the cowl is perfectly centered. Next I will cut back the firewall and use some short stand-offs to save some weight and get better cooling. I will use the cowl to align the motor when setting up right thrust.

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

For those who don't think the canopy can be tinted (as I had heard), it can. My wife was very understanding when I pulled out the bucket... it's going to take hours to siphon the black stuff out!!!

The canopy is not mounted here... just trimmed and dyed. Will mount it soon.

Panzlflyer

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Sillyness, what did you use to dye the canopy?

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

Before the scale nazis get me... I know the real one is not tinted... just think it looks B.A.!

I used powdered Rit fabric dye from WalMart... 2 packs black and 1 pack blue to 5 gallons of water. The water must be very warm... I filled the bucket with the hottest tap water I could get (and we have hot tap water!!!) and added one normal sized pot of boiling water, then the dye, and stirred it up with my broom while picking at my warts and adjusting my black hat and kicking my black cat. I sumberged the canopy for 25 minutes, rinsed well with warm then cold water immediately after (there will be spots of powder and drops of stuff on when you pull it out... want to get those off ASAP) and whala!!! Voodoo!

Panzlflyer

My Feedback: (15)

good deal, Im off to get the dye!!
Some of them just wont dye due to the type of plastic but I agree it looks better.

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

I forgot to mention... I washed the canopy thoroughly in the shower with dish soap prior to dying. I also washed out the bucket very thoroughly. I think it's important to get all the mold release compounds off before dying. I may be smoking crack, but then mine came out very nice. I won't change the process.

Today was the wife's birthday, but I did get a chance to do a few things.

1) Got the canopy glued. Will trimit with vinyl tomorrow.
2) Checked for fuse twist... dead on
3) Measured distances from wing tips to stab tips... within 1/32"... better than I could meaure.
4) Checked incidences... all were within 1/8 degree... I think that's really the limit of my chintzy laser gauge. Very impressive.

I can't get over the precision in these planes... my Extra was the same way... everything was dead on. Outstanding!!!

extratorker

My Feedback: (8)

Good job on the canopy, it does look good. Got a question about using standoffs for better cooling though. I've never heard of anyone doing this nor having problems. Talked with someone that worked for DA and he felt it wasn't needed.

fasterthanlife

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WoooHooo Guys!!!! Finally flew a Panz'l today.. not mine... but it was sick!!!

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

On the cooling... you are probably correct. I just want to try it to see if I can get the aft cylinder's temps a little bit closer to the forward cylinder's temps. More of an experiment for me. Plus, by cutting a chunk of the motor box off I'll save a little weight.

I finished the hatch... looks smokin'!!!

Going over all the covering now, measuring out the drill holes for the control horns, and getting ready to hinge.

jtec radiowave kid

You can go either way with using standoffs or not. As for the engine cylinder temps they will always be a bit different because one cylinder runs richer then the other (since it is an opposed twin). There should probably be about a 10 degree difference between the left and right cylinders on a DA 100.

See what three years at DA will get ya, a whole bunch of useless information and occassionally some good info to chime in with!!!

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

Keep it coming man!!! We need expertise like yours around!!! I plan on putting an RCBlimpPro carb plate on my 100... waste of time or noticably better midrange?

Panzlflyer

My Feedback: (15)

Sillness, I played around with my rudder and it looks like with a 4" arm then your limited to about 35o throw, Istill havent got my stuff from SWB but will call them as it looks like 4.5 to 5 inches is whats needed.

Panzlflyer

My Feedback: (15)

Are you going to baffle the cowl?

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

Yes I will be baffling. Also cutting the usual exit hole 2.5 times the entrance hole are, along with a small spoiler lip to help extract hot air.

On the rudder... don't tell SWB but I am going to make a hybrid tray... using an Airwild offset tray with a 5" offset bellcrank and SWB double lock 2.5" servo arms with all the self adjusting hardware from the SWB tray I already have. Will save a good deal of weight doing this... also helps shift CG a little (not that it will be a factor) so I can use the Pete's Carbon spinner I just ordered. I prefer to
keep my radio gear as far aft as possible... the Panzl is a great plane for this... most others require the gear to be forward.

Due to the large amount of offset in the Airwild bellcrank I will have to set the system up with the control horns behind the hinge line a bit. I'll do some math and try to figure out how much, then test it out. I'll be using the Dubro #882 control horn so if the offset is wrong I can easily just get another set and re-drill it with the correct offset... easier than having to re-mount on the rudder!!!! This will take a while... just found out I have to go out of town for a week for work.

Ciao for now!

fasterthanlife

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How's she comin???

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

Slow... been working my tail off (at work, not on the Panzl).

I got the canopy mounted.

I the plane sit in basement with 30% humidity for a week. It really got some wrinkles from shrinkage. Went over all the covering over the last couple evenings (being very careful not to melt foam!!!) and she's all tight now. I find if I do this when it's really dry then I'll likely hardly ever have to deal with a wrinkle again.

I got my angle iron (3/4" x 1/16" 2024T3) in today and will mount the gear. This adds less than an ounce to plane, and increases gear strength tremendously. 2024T3 is very strong stuff... used in full scale aircraft.

I'll be out of town from tomorrow 'till the 11th... won't get much done[&o]

Here're some pics:

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

OK,,, finally back.

How are you guys re-inforcing the gear plate on the Panzl?... I've heard it needs to be done.

Looking for light ideas. I plan on pegging the front, and was going to use angle iron, but it will at about 1.3 ozs with the stuff I have. I know that angle iron saved me a prop, muffs etc before (motor quit too far out with a h9 33%, landed in a rut short of the runway... bent the alum a little and bent the gear but it didn't give out.)

extratorker

My Feedback: (8)

Don't know who said it needed to be done, but don't bother. I've slammed, and I mean slammed mine down a few times and had nothing more then a bent gear leg.

al

Jason,

the gear plate should be fine, the only guys that have problems on any plane are the guys that forget to flair before contacting the hard pack stuff.

Al

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

Understood. The re-inforcement is more for the unforseen than anything (deadstick mainly). I should hope that such a fine engine would never deadstick, but then they told me that about my ZDZ-80 too.

al

the canopy looks great, really adds to the plane

sillyness

My Feedback: (25)

Thanks Al. It came out better than I could've hoped.

OK... another short installment...

I temp mounted the RCBlimpXLPro TW... a sweet unit, and VERY light... 56 grams, or less than 2 ozs.

I also got the landing gear temp mounted... easier to work on things this way. I don't know if I'm going ot use some small pieces of the alum angle iron or not... haven't decided yet. I drilled all holes so they are a bolt in addition if I decide to go with them. I did put some hardwood squarestock on the inside of the motorbox sides to strengthen the gear plate.. T-88 epoxy should keep it together. This also elevates the angle iron so the side screws will have more motorbox meat to bite into should I go with the angle iron... what can I say... I'm a perfectionist.

I also cut the motorbox back to the correct length. I debated a lot about what to do here... on my JTEC Extra I mounted the firewall at an angle... it was kind of a pain. I also thickened the firewall a little since it was slightly flimsey. On this one I decided to give an SWB motor mount a try... it has 2.5 degrees right thrust neatly built in. I cut back the motorbox to fit the engine with the SWB mount, then weighed both the wood I cut off and the mount... the mount weighed 32 grams, the wood weighed 29 grams... I gained only 3 grams, minus sawdust!!! Plus, since the mount will be against the firewall I don't think I'll reinforce it... it should be fine. On the Extra I couldn't mount the motor flush against the firewall... I had to put washers behind it so the stock muffler wouldn't hit the firewall... lost the strength from the motor backplate.

I cut out the balsa behind the hatch... it was backed with a ply arch anyway. Saved a tiny amount of weight, but more importantly lets me work in the arse end.

I got my Pete's Models CF 5" Extra Style spinner in today... 3.8 ozs... lighter than advertised! Very cool!

Here are some pics... the vert stab is just sitting there. As you can see from the empty mat, my daughter went to bed before i did. She likes to hang out in the basement with me.

I'm out of town for work again this weekend... she'll be a slow thread. I just hope the plane's ready for the IMAC season!!!

Panzlflyer

My Feedback: (15)

I returned my SWB arm for a 4.5 inch as that works without touching out the sides....get her done or Ill have my kit up before you

al

Hey Andy.

any pictures of the scheme you are doing?

Al

Panzlflyer

My Feedback: (15)

Not yet but it will be a modified John Klett, after much changing of mind!!!