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RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/1/2007 11:53:39 PM   
Steiny


 

Posts: 75
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Sherwood Park, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hello Bob, it's been a while.
As you can see I have been working on the gear doors and it's been a real pain. The doors ended getting all hacked up just to make them work, I used simple springs to close them and wires attached to the strut to open the doors. Next time when I have more room I will use a plate that the tire strikes with some linkage to close and open the doors, live and learn. Next on to the clear bits, turrets, and other scale details.

Cheers,

Mark

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< Message edited by Steiny -- 12/1/2007 11:54:13 PM >

(in reply to BobGeezer)
       Post #: 76

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/2/2007 12:46:35 AM   
BobGeezer


 

Posts: 35
Joined: 7/27/2007
From: SouthamptonHampshire, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		Hi Mark,

That looks pretty good to me. I see you had to make a few cut-outs, but noone (except you) will really notice as it'll be on the ground when they're visible. I've had family stuff to do - so far, two broken cars, a broken computer (this one) and work crapping on me, so I've been a bit busy for model making. I've decided in my heart to carry on with the Halifax and to get the ribs cut by a laser cutter despite the apparent cost. The trouble is I've written all over my plans, so I'm going to have to rub stuff out and explain very carefully which ribs I want cutting for my mods and which need to be doubled-up.

I'll let you know when I've sent off the order because that surely will give me the confidence to get on with the fuselage. I'm very sorry to see the formers I've already cut go west, but I've not got the confidence to build the fuselage 1/2" too high knowing what I know. I can see there might be installation probs with servos and stuff, but there are modern lightweight servos with amazing power that should be able to handle the surfaces of a bomber. When I fly off scale, I'll have to just be careful!

Regards, Bob

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(in reply to Steiny)
       Post #: 77

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/12/2007 5:46:13 PM   
Steiny


 

Posts: 75
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Sherwood Park, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hello Again Bob,
Well I pulled the clear pieces last weekend with my jury rigged vacuum board and I must admit I am a little disappointed with the results. The final product won't be too bad once they are all painted up but this is what I have learned:
1. Don't use foam as the substrate for your molds, it is not strong enough as it cracked under vacuum in a few places and the corners rounded over. Definitely use balsa block in the future.
2. Every little minute flaw in the mold transfers to the clear bits, on my molds there were spots where the fibreglass was showing through just a little bit, this is now on the clear bits as well.
3. Drilling a 1/32" hole on inside corners helps draw all the air out and does not show up in the final product.
4. Overheating the plastic is not a good thing it tends to make it crease in the corners.
5. You need to have at least 2" extra plastic all around your mold otherwise it will not pull down nicely.

Chalk this event up to experience, good thing plastic is cheap.

Cheers,

Mark

(in reply to BobGeezer)
       Post #: 78

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/13/2007 1:08:08 AM   
BobGeezer


 

Posts: 35
Joined: 7/27/2007
From: SouthamptonHampshire, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		Hi Mark,

You've made good progress. I'd love to see some photos of the airframe with the transparencies in place. Can you do some soon? Perhaps you need to paint them up before cutting out?

I found some wood at the weekend called "basswood" and I know I've heard of it but I can't remember if it was good or bad news. I've bought a couple of lengths and - they're exactly wide enough to do fuselage formers in one go!! Excellent. So, now to double-check those dimensions and cut some new formers - probably with the dremmel as it's too hard for a knife. Basswood seems very light, but much stiffer than balsa. Is it too brittle? - is all I wonder... or maybe too strong by half and might punch through the sides under stress...?

So far my Hali hasn't got off the drawing board - or perhaps even on to it - and yours is looking as though it'll fly soon! You're already into the kitting out stage.

Tell me. Did you use stringers and/or doublers along the fuselage? I'm wondering if simple balsa sheet is going to be enough - especially with the weak area on the plans near the wings, particularly forward. I guess the doubler they show is fared out into a long taper towards the front of the cockpit and to the rear too. Is this enough? I'm wondering whether some cross-bracing doublers and centre triplers are in order... Those formers are rather a long way apart you see... Hmmm - I could spend the rest of my life planning this project without actually achieving anything. Wifey has said no building until after Christmas now - but surely if I cut a few formers, that doesn't count. They're small and won't take up the dinner table. Still, on with transferring those dimensions...

Regards,
Bob

< Message edited by BobGeezer -- 12/15/2007 9:18:51 PM >

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(in reply to Steiny)
       Post #: 79

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/15/2007 11:24:16 PM   
Steiny


 

Posts: 75
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Sherwood Park, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hello Bob,
It's funny how the flash in this picture shows up the flaws in the clear pieces, they actually looks better live.

As for strengthening things around the wing I went with the plans, the changes I did make were because I created a removable belly pan that is roughly the size and shape of the bomb bay doors. I did this to give myself more room up front to easily access electronics and place batteries etc.. The extra stiffening I added were to extend the top beam up to the back of the engineer's canopy, I also added another former the same shape as F4 in this location. I also extended the wing seat doubler all the way up to F4 because I removed a little rigidity by removing sheeting for the belly pan. Aft of the wing I added nothing except when I ran my Nyrods I of course added little cross braces every 3 or 4 inches to support the Nyrods, this also helped support the fuselage sides in between the formers. I hope I am being clear, if not please let me know.

Next will be working on the insides of the turrets, probably won't do too much in there just a couple of guns etc..

Cheers,

Mark

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(in reply to BobGeezer)
       Post #: 80

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/16/2007 2:06:26 AM   
Wayne22



Posts: 4340
Joined: 4/10/2002
From: Edmonton, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Mark..are you going to be around tomorrow or Monday? I'll drop off that 20 and hopefull get to see the Hali...it is looking really nice!!!!




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       Post #: 81

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/17/2007 1:01:50 AM   
camdyson



Posts: 828
Joined: 7/20/2005
From: Bairnsdale, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		Xoar make large props from Basswood I believe, so it can't be too bad.

There was a write up of this plane - electrified - in an R/C scale magazine from around 1997. Let me know if you're interested and I'll dig it out.

Cam

(in reply to Wayne22)
       Post #: 82

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/17/2007 4:31:52 PM   
Steiny


 

Posts: 75
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Sherwood Park, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Hello Cam,
If it is not too much trouble to dig up the article on the electrified version of this Halifax, I would be interested to know what the all up weight was and if he made any significant changes to the original plans from A. Robins? Significant changes to me would be things like adding retracts, glassing versus Monocote etc..

Thanks,

Mark

(in reply to camdyson)
       Post #: 83

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/19/2007 12:21:09 AM   
BobGeezer


 

Posts: 35
Joined: 7/27/2007
From: SouthamptonHampshire, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		Hi Cam,

Yes please if it's not a life's work to dig it out. I'd be very interested in any variations from the plans and the power to weight ratio. I'm looking at over-engineing the plane - as Mark has done. I'd like to see how the electric power used worked out in flight if you have that information. The engines I'll be using are Saito FA 30S giving 0.5 hp each making a total of 2 hp. In electric terms, I believe this is about 1.5kW. That's 375W/engine. I'd like to see how the electric flew and what power was used.

Thanks for the help.

Regards,
Bob.

P.S. Oh, and encouraging about the props, but surely a brittle prop is a safe prop... Hmmm.


< Message edited by BobGeezer -- 12/19/2007 12:23:56 AM >

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RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/19/2007 12:40:26 PM   
camdyson



Posts: 828
Joined: 7/20/2005
From: Bairnsdale, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		O.K., here we go:-

Vol 13 No 5 12th Sept 1997 R/C Scale Aircraft (UK)

Final weight of electric 6 1/2 lbs.(incl batts)!

Wing section adjusted to give a flat bottom, but +1.5 deg incidence maintained

Vac formed nacelles, turrets etc were made, and a "drop-down" undercarriage, ie could hand launch, fly, drop U/C, and land!

Motors were Graupner Speed 400 7.2 V on 1:1.185 boxes, running on 2 x 8 cell 1700 SCRC SP packs. Assorted 9x5-6 props used.

Structure was all lightened - spars, fuse sides, you name it.

Covered in tissue and Banana oil/sanding sealer, painted with Humbrols.

Flown gear down ROG, and hand launched then gear dropped - flew fine.

Moulds were made available from Nexus at the time.

I may be able to scan article but too big for RCU - would have to email.

Cam

(in reply to BobGeezer)
       Post #: 85

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/22/2007 9:08:06 PM   
Steiny


 

Posts: 75
Joined: 3/27/2006
From: Sherwood Park, AB, CANADA
Status: offline 		Thanks for digging up the info Cam, 6.5 lbs is pretty light and I will be almost double that. I have weighed all the pieces and it looks like the model will weigh about 11 lbs with no fuel, not sure if I should be worried or not.

I read on another post a guy who was estimating what the weight of models should be based on the original full scale weight divided by the cube of the scale. Depending on the Halifax weight you use (about 40000 lbs empty and 60000 lbs full fuel and bomb load, 1/15 scale plane) this gives a range of 11.8 to 17 lbs. There are a lot of variables that make planes fly nice or not but I think his point was that if you were in the right weight range it will not be the weight that makes it fly poorly.

Anyways I am committed now so it really doesn't matter other than it's an interesting point of conversation.

Cheers,

Mark

(in reply to camdyson)
       Post #: 86

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/23/2007 12:07:30 AM   
camdyson



Posts: 828
Joined: 7/20/2005
From: Bairnsdale, AUSTRALIA
Status: offline 		Fuel-powered prototype weighed 11 lb 13 oz and flew ok so I wouldn't worry. The electric guy was aiming for a wing loading in the low 20's (oz/in^2) which is really low on a big twin/four. Most fly closer to double this, so I'm sure you'll be fine.

Cam

(in reply to Steiny)
       Post #: 87

RE: Handley Page Halifax - Nexus Plans - 12/31/2007 3:43:03 AM   
BobGeezer


 

Posts: 35
Joined: 7/27/2007
From: SouthamptonHampshire, UNITED KINGDOM
Status: offline 		Thanks Cam,

I'm presuming a 400 motor means 400 watts - thus the 6.5 lb aircraft was powered by 1600 watts = over 2 horse power!!! We're only just in line with that power and nearly double the weight. I guess his plane was a real floater?

Regards, Bob.

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(in reply to camdyson)
       Post #: 88