Posts: 255
Joined: 1/24/2002 From: Mt. Vernon, IN, USA Status: offline
Day 1
Welcome to my Colombo -Anderson Models 27% 300L building thread.
The reason I like doing these threads is that many people these days want to know what is involved with building kits. Many of them think building a kit is a insurmountable mountain. Some kits sure look that way when you look in the box at a pile of sticks. This thread will be broken down in days. These days, are days that I get to work on the plane. My average building session is about an hour and a half. Fortunately my family goes to bed early and I get a lot of sessions.
This kit in particular almost needs a class of its own. It has a bunch of very nicely laser cut plywood for the fuselage. And the wings and empennage are all foam pre-sheeted with balsa. The fuselage goes together like a 3D jigsaw puzzle and the foam sheeting saves a lot of time.
The following is a direct quote from the originals: “-Fit with rod crossed of 6x8 mm between F6 and F7, F7 and F8, F8 and F9 in the inferior part and to cross in inverse form in the superior part (Photo24) Then, forming a cross between F6 and F7 because this is the zone of greater torsion of the airplane.” I much of that makes sense to you congratulations but what makes it even better is that it two typed pages with NO PHOTOS! That makes it kind of hard to see Photo 24. The web versions are MUCH better and have very good photos.
Then I got to epoxy the first parts together. There are three parts that are doubled plywood.
From what I have seen, of a friends birds, with sheeted foam wings they fly well and can take a beating that would destroy a built up wing.
To give you an idea of my experience with building here is what I have done so far:
Posts: 255
Joined: 1/24/2002 From: Mt. Vernon, IN, USA Status: offline
On closer examination of the instructions, the English is better but they are still greatly lacking.
At this point I have the sides together and the engine box sub assembly. Of course the engine box is clearly labeled left and right. I noticed when I saw left on the right side arg! I should be able to make it work though.
Posts: 255
Joined: 1/24/2002 From: Mt. Vernon, IN, USA Status: offline
This is the part that is just like putting a three-dimensional jig saw puzzle together. I found that using rubber bands on the bulkheads did a decent job holding most of it together. To help make sure that it was straight I put a piece of ¼ inch basswood in the center stringer hole. This made it a lot easier to see if it was straight.
Posts: 255
Joined: 1/24/2002 From: Mt. Vernon, IN, USA Status: offline
Today was a shortened building session for two reasons.
First and best!: I wanted to make my plane a copy of the American Fire Birds Blue Fire bird. They have a nice web page at http://www.firebirdairshows.com but all of the photos are realitively small. So I was able to contact Jack Knutson, one of the pilots, and he sent me HARD COPY PHOTOS! This of course sent me scanning. I have posted the photos along with my build photos at: http://home.insightbb.com/~rogerslocum
Second I set up this page finally.
Tonight I got the bottom stringers on and one of the floors. The instructions make it sound like there is wood that will fit from F3 to the back. Since there wasn’t anything that long I spliced some. The rest tonight was very straight forward.
Posts: 255
Joined: 1/24/2002 From: Mt. Vernon, IN, USA Status: offline
It doesn’t look like a lot got done, but it did. I put in the ¼” balsa bulkhead reinforcements. It is really surprising how this stiffened up the fuselage. Today’s photo shows a typical bulkhead with top and bottom ¼” square and side ¼” triangle. In trying to translate the instructions on this step I looked at all of the photos and noticed something. The next step, which is to put in diagonal braces between bulkheads, show the stringers off! It would make more sense to put them on after all of the braces are in. I should be able to get them in but it would be easier with out the stringers.
A note about instructions: Normally I assume that who ever wrote the instructions knows more about the kit then I do and I follow them very closely. Clearly if you do that with these, you are making a major mistake. Due to the quality of materials in this kit it should be easy enough that a first time builder should be able to build it. But due to the quality of instructions of this kit, I would only recommend it for a somewhat seasoned builder.
Posts: 1495
Joined: 5/13/2002 From: Indianapolis, IN, Status: offline
[QUOTE]Originally posted by rslocum Today’s photo shows a typical bulkhead with top and bottom ¼” square and side ¼” triangle. In trying to translate the instructions on this step I looked at all of the photos and noticed something. [/QUOTE]
Not trying to criticize your work however you don't need to add the 1/4 sq on the bottom and the tri on the sides to each former. The bottoms have the stringers to help strengthen them, the sides interlock into the ply sides so the tops are really the only side the needs the 1/4 sq reinforcement.
You also got to be careful not to get ahead of yourself. If you add those on the bottom you may not be able to set the rudder servo tray and the rx tray into the fuse bottom.
Your building it to fly not to withstand a crash so the less weight the better it flys.
Remember I'm not trying to criticize your work, I'm just sharing from my own experiences...
Also you are correct on the stringers... I wouldn't add them until everything else is complete on the fuse just because they are easy to break if not careful.
Great work and I look forward to more pics. I started covering mine last night.
Posts: 970
Joined: 3/9/2002 From: Rantoul,
IL, USA Status: offline
This is what the 27% looks like all put together. I have about 9 flights on this bird and all I can say is WOW. I love this thing wgeffon flew my 27%, the prototype 31% and a recently completed 38% and he says they all fly the same. He says the 27% flies like a bigger plane than it is. I have flown the 31% and think it is just awsome. I have a ZDZ50 in my 27% and the flying weight is 13lbs. This is the best 3D airplane I have ever flown in the 80" span. I will have mine at the internet fly-in, in june and it will be all graphiced up by then. If you want to have something in the air quick that is not a cookie cutter ARF. This is the bird for you and they have it in 5 sizes so finding one to fit your needs will not be hard.
Posts: 255
Joined: 1/24/2002 From: Mt. Vernon, IN, USA Status: offline
Today consisted of putting the cross braces on the tail. This would have been easier for the bottom if the stringers were not on yet but I worked from the top and did the bottom first and did not have any major problems.
Snag Number 1: I was missing a piece of the 6x8mmx900mm balsa. Fortunately I had some stock and cut my own.
David on the bulkhead reinforcements, this is about the only thing in the instructions that has been clear. They say to do it. The construction photos show all of them except the bottom piece. This was not a crash proofing addition. I am a great believer in build to fly not crash but I try to go with the design the first time.
< Message edited by rslocum -- Mar 23 2003 3:43AM >
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All Forums >> RC Airplanes >> Kit Building >> Colombo-Anderson Models 27% 300L Build by RSlocum 
Colombo-Anderson Models 27% 300L Build by RSlocum - 
. If I can find room I'll bring it to olney tomorrow. My 24% is ready
Colombo-Anderson Models 27% 300L Build by RSlocum -