Mustang Exhaust
- Kit
Seller:tony-howard Details:
$35.00
| 9/21/2008
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Posts: 837
Joined: 7/21/2003 From: atlanta,
GA, USA Status: offline
Ken, can you show me a close-up pic of your aft cabin? How are we supposed to support the sheeting forward of former 6 as it transitions into the cabin?
Posts: 5091
Joined: 7/3/2003 From: newton,
NC, USA Status: offline
Rick-- here's a pic of the rear of the cabin. If you look to the left of the floor at the edge, you'll see a square piece glued to the side, which is what the forward part of the floor rests on (that part is removable). I extended that square piece along the side, but had to taper the bottom to fit against the lowest stringer that penetrates #5 and ends at #4. It is tapered so that the rear floor stays level in relation to the front half. I glued my rear floor in place, but I think I am going to cut out a large access panel, because there is a good bit of usable space under it. I am probably going to move the two servos just behind #5 (put them between #5 and #6), as the rear of the back seat should be right at the rear edge of the floor as I now have it. I'll extend that part of the floor all the way to #5. I got to study the inside of the Forest Service BirdDog and got a better idea of the spacial relationships of the seats to the windows and each other.
There was an interesting notation on the left wall next to the rear seat; It referred to "third seat" limits. The rear seat would hold two skinny people side-by-side, but there is only one harness; I asked the pilot about it and he said that putting somebody in the back seat that weighed more than about 175 put the plane over max gross. I really don't think so, since the plane could carry 250 pounds on each wing in addition to two people, but maybe he means that particular plane. I noticed it did not have and hardpoints or electrical attachment on either wing in the hardpoint area. The rear seat is also made so that the back can be reversed so the observer can face the rear. The rear stick has to be removed in order to do it though.
I have not done as much as I have wanted to do. I need to order my lighting system so I can run my wires to the tail. I have the V stab and rudder framed and ready to sheet. I put a small tube in each to run the wires to the taillight, which I have yet to make a housing for; still figuring out how to make it and from what. I will probably frame the H stab and elevators first, and then sheet everything. I made the stab and rudder thinner than the plans call for.; the pictures of the model's tail look way to "thick" , so I trimmed 3/32" off either side. When all is skinned and finished, the tail will be about 3/16" thinner throughout its section. I plan to reinforce the spars and hingeposts with hardwood, but overall they will be lighter. I will do the horizontal surfaces the same way. This way the leading edge will be less rounded, and the trailing edges can be made "sharper".
I'm going to use a Ram lighting system, I suppose (three of them actually). One will be the green, red, and white nav lights, one will be a rooftop strobe, and the other will be the landing lights. I'm going to have separate switching, but will run them all on a single battery pack. I don't plan to use the lights much, but want them functional for fly-ins, etc.
here are latest construction pics, the rear cabin shot you wanted, and some more of the Forest Service BirdDog:
< Message edited by khodges -- 3/20/2008 8:29:47 PM >
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Club Saito #2, WACO Brotherhood #20. What other trouble can I get into?
Posts: 322
Joined: 10/14/2002 From: Alexandria, VA, Status: offline
I'm back from the dead, thank God. I just finished up the cowl but I really need to work on getting my cowl latches to look as good as yours. I'm putting in the floor and beginning to paint the interior. The instrument panel has been worked to house the two battery switches, they fit so well they look like nav radios. This afternoon, I'll glass the bottom of the wings. I made some mods to the FM ant's attached to the stab. Now looking pretty good. Airplane guy, I think you asked for a copy of the build but you never gave me your snail mail address. Its still here. With regards to the sheeting overhang into the cockpit area, if your sheeting is done well, and you glass the section, the edge jutting into the cockpit does not really need supporting. It is not like you are leaving 4 or 5 inches of sheeting to flop around. The stringers underneath give great support. Ken, thanks for the shot of the rear cockpit, I was wondering about the attachment point for the rear harness. Did you get a box from me yet? Chic
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Joined: 7/21/2003 From: atlanta,
GA, USA Status: offline
Ken,
Thanks for that info, and the pics as well. The f/s aft cabin shot is perfect. I wish I had been more specific in my question, because I am wondering about the sheeting at the top of the fuse. There doesn't seem to be any support, other than the ends of the stringers. I'll add some sort of stiffener @ this location.
I am adding lights as well. Are you planning on installing the red "belly light"? Do you happen to know if this light blinks or shines continuously?
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Joined: 7/3/2003 From: newton,
NC, USA Status: offline
I think I will install the "belly light". It is a rotating beacon, called a "Mars Light". From most angles, it will appear to blink, and the Ram version blinks in a manner where it starts dim and brightens, then fades and goes out. I forgot to order it today, I ordered the nav lights and the strobe that will go on the roof. I was going to order the landing lights from Ram also, but I think I'm going to make my own and use the new bright led's that the Maglight flashlights use. Lower power consumption than standard bulbs.
I also have wondered about the rear edge of the rear window and I planned to double the balsa from underneath for about an inch back; seems like there should be something to put a few screws into to keep the window in place, too. I will solder a small bracket onto the larger bracket I made that fastens the window brace there in the center; then I can find something to mimic the roller for the harness take-up cable and mount it there (Proctor has small pulleys, but I wonder if ordering just one is worth the cost of postage). I like the "upholstery" in the full scale that covers the opening into the rear fuse area. The cockpit kit has the material that I'll use for this detail. I like the idea of concealing switches as something else on the I.P. and will do likewise, I think, at least the switches for nav lights . I may use toggles for the kill switch and Rx switch, and affix them to the floor in an unobtrusive but easily accessible spot.
Another detail I had the opportunity to examine closely on the full scale was the tail surface hinging. To tell the truth, they are difficult to see, even close up, so I decided to go with Robart hinge points rather than cobbling up my own; I did like the idea of being able to relatively easily unhinge things for maintenance if I made my own. I am rolling things around in my head (sounds like a bowling ball in a steel pipe ) and might look at using the hinge pockets or otherwise trying to pin the hinges for removal.
Until I get my nav lights and can thread the tail light into the rudder, I will wait to sheet things. I'm starting the H. tail tonite.
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Club Saito #2, WACO Brotherhood #20. What other trouble can I get into?
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Joined: 7/3/2003 From: newton,
NC, USA Status: offline
This morning, I got out my copy of "Lovable One-Niner" and looked up the specs for lighting. It states that there are "provisions" for making the wingtip and tail marker lights blink, so I guess they can be either steady or blinking. I have a couple of pics of Vietnam-era 'Dogs that have no beacon underneath (between the gear legs). There is one picture in the book showing a rooftop beacon, and it is on a USAF aircraft. Most of the Vietnam 'Dogs DO have the belly beacon, though.
I had seen this a while back and planned to use this detail in my model; howver, I remembered it as a strobe instead of a rotating red beacon. The fact that the only reference I have is for a USAF version, and that I'm doing an Army version, means I'll not use the rooftop light. The rooftop beacon has a "guard" or deep cup around it to limit its visibility to directly above. This was done so a FAC plane could be detected by fighters above it, but the beacon could not be seen as easily from the ground.
So, I guess as modelers we could have either steady or flashing nav lights and be correct, and have, or not have, the red belly beacon and still be correct; it would depend on the specific a/c modelled as to what was correct for the beacon. I guess I'll have to change my order tomorrow when the LHS opens. (He won't place the order until tomorrow)
< Message edited by khodges -- 3/21/2008 4:27:35 PM >
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Club Saito #2, WACO Brotherhood #20. What other trouble can I get into?
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Joined: 7/3/2003 From: newton,
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Made it over to the LHS and reordered my lights (he was open after all). I got the Ram flashing lights this time, along with the Mars beacon, and from Xlites I got a couple of wingtip strobes. If you look at the wingtip pics in the previous post you can see that each wing has a strobe in addition to the nav light. I also got from Ram their "extra bright" landing lights, they look like I can fit them into the reflectors I have from "AA" size Maglights.
I started working on the tail last night late, and also today. I decided that I would make a new trailing edge for the elevators that incorporates an extension so that the counterbalance has more support. In the plans it is glued on separately; the wing sheeting will reinforce only the rear half of that glue joint. I didn't have any 1/8 ply to make the parts from (kit uses lite ply), but I did have a bunch of 1/32 hobby ply. I cut six pieces, and made two trailing edge sections with 3 pieces each. They are 3/32 thick, just slightly less than the originals, but instead of 3 plies, I now have 9. I cut the pieces so that the plies go in 6 directions, laminated them with Titebond, and put weights on them all nite. They are surprisingly stiff to be as thin as they are. I'll sand the edge to almost a knife-edge along the rear, and then thin the stab and elevator ribs about 1/8". Then it is a matter of alignment, assembly, and shape sanding before I sheet the frame with 1/8 balsa. The finished surfaces will also get 1/64 ply over them, cut to panels that simulate the fullscale's sheet metal. Finished product will be thinner than what the plans show by about 1/8" but should be about the same weight, and stronger. Plus, the trailing edge will come to a point rather than having any rounding of the edge.
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Club Saito #2, WACO Brotherhood #20. What other trouble can I get into?
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Joined: 10/14/2002 From: Alexandria, VA, Status: offline
Ken, I built the elevator halves as one piece with a good size dowel connecting the two halves. Of course I reinforced the area with balsa dust, f/g, and CA. Then I decided to make and place a scale looking elevator control horn in its scale place. So while I had the elevator half unskinned, I installed the plywood mount for the control horn. Sort of did the same thing, with the rudder since I'm using a pull-pull system on it. I installed the elevator control horn at an angle to match the angle of the push rod coming out of the side at the rear of the fuse. The elevator trim tab that you showed in you Forest "Dawg" I installed and it really looks just like the picture. That made me feel pretty good that I was correct for once. Smile. Still working on those latches. Will not cover them with alum cause I will paint them the same as the airplane with the wooden platform holding the U-shaped brass and the raised wood simulated latches painted black. Will then install inside the cowl tucked within the holes cut into the cowl where the latches go which should make it look like there is depth due to the outlined latches in black. Chic
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Joined: 7/3/2003 From: newton,
NC, USA Status: offline
Chic, they say great minds think alike; what you did is precisely what I have planned. The elevator horn fits on the rod between the elevator halves and I will make one out of aluminum stock and screw it to a ring on the rod. It is the same shape as the Robart horns, and I'll probably trace one for shape. I only used the Robart horns on the rudder for reliability, as scale size would have been too small for the available materials and would eventually fail, IMO. I have some Proctor 1/4 scale turnbuckles that I may use at the rudder linkage, as they look just like what is used on the full scale. I will have to replace one of the end rings with a cable end which will be soldered to the rudder cables and threaded into the turnbuckle body. The trick is going to be getting the rudder and elevator linkages to stay out of each other's way on the left side, as they fit very close together.
As far as the cowl latches go, I plan to paint mine also; the aluminum treatment was just a way to avoid having to sand and seal them to make them look like metal when painted. After I get the tail feathers done, I may shift gears for a change of pace and work on the air cleaner and oil cooler fronts for the cowl. I have to wait for my tail strobe to arrive so I can thread the wires and look at making a housing.
Are you enjoying the NCFS 'Dog pics? That's one well worn plane, but a wealth of info. I haven't looked up the registration #, and I forgot to look at the SN# plate, but it is one of the early "A" models, having seen service in Korea and who knows what else before the Forest Service got her. NCFS has had her over 20 years.
< Message edited by khodges -- 3/22/2008 2:58:11 AM >
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Club Saito #2, WACO Brotherhood #20. What other trouble can I get into?
Posts: 322
Joined: 10/14/2002 From: Alexandria, VA, Status: offline
Ken -------- Fantastic photos. Anyone building this airframe should surely be thanking you for the time you spent photographing this "Dawg". I for one certainly appreciate it greatly. As always, keep up the great work your doing. Chic
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RE: 25% Cessna L-19/0-1 Bird Dog build - 
) and might look at using the hinge pockets or otherwise trying to pin the hinges for removal. 
