Ron Stahl

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Got the stabs leading edges on and shaped along with the tips tonight. Cut off the movable section of the elevators and joined the two halves. Epoxy curing right now on the joint and taking a break for the night. Will try and post the pictures in the morning, Jan is watching DWTS on the big screen which is also my PC monitor so no upsetting the wife as she supports my hobby 100%.

Ron Stahl

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Pics from the last few days of work and the canopy.

Ron Stahl

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some more

Ron Stahl

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Skinned the second stab today. The pictures will show the layout of the sheeting as it should be done with the grain following the leading and trailing edges. I used about 1.5 fluid oz of epoxy and find that the three hour NHP is just right in viscosity so that it does not soak into the balsa and give you plenty of time to complete the process without rushing; also you do not have to put any epoxy onto the foam just the wood skins. I tape the sheets together and do not glue them as most people do and find it is not needed since the vacuum bagging process drives the adhesive into the joints and the tape prevents it from coming through to the outside of the balsa. I have been doing it this way for over twenty years and have never had a loose skin once the process is complete. The vacuum equipment is from ACP sales and I have used it for over the last ten years bagging things at home. If you use EPS ( White Beaded foam) DO NOT go over 6" of vacuum as it will crush the foam cores. The setup I have at home is preset for white foam from ACP and I use it when ever I am skinning with balsa no matter what type of foam I am using. I have been using the pink insulation foam from HD as it is easy to get 2" x 24" x 98" blocks and most of what I built will fit this size. The wing will have to get cut from thicker foam as it is 3" think at the root. As you will see the sheeting it sized to fit just a little over the edges of the foam since the bagging process puts about 4 PSI of pressure from the atmosphere on the cores and if you let it over hang to much it will break it off For those of you worried about only having 4 PSI on the bag surface this would mean that your work bench would have to be able to not bow in any direction with 750 -800 lbs on it for a core this size. The wing will be in the tons of weight that you would have to put onto it to get the same pressure mother nature gives us for free. I mark the skins and place the foam 1/4 inside the trailing edge and tape the two skins together face to face so that they touch each other at the last 1/4" to form the trailing edges. Once inside the bag I clamp the straight edges together at the trailing edges just until the vacuum gets pulled down good and tight. I then place the skinned cores back into their sucks for the cure cycle. Also you will see a piece of paper towel inside the bag between the two stabs and this is to allow the bag to remove all of the internal air otherwise it could close off and trap air inside and not allow good pressure to be applied to the skins. Next the wings will get cut, but first i have to build the cordinate file to fit Nicks ribs. He thought that he used a RITZ 2-12 airfoil but we cut a test piece and it was not even close. Once we get it right I will pass on the files to anyone who wants to cut cores with a CNC foam cutter.

k12rc

ok guys sorry to take so long to get back to the wing builds great as a one piece but when trying to make a three piece the spar holes are no where near right it need to be re desgned when put togeather the wing is tip down and twisted foreward it would be a nite mare to cut skin back off and get the spars straight

limeybob

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What do I need to do to fix that?
Bob

k12rc

Bob give me a few days to get wing skins back off to see if its inside wing or outside wing holes out of alignment

k12rc

ok got the skins back off the front tube w8 hole is to low on the back tube w7 holes are to high I consider this my fault as this is a proto types and I didn,t check before I built the wing I would recommend build the wing with tubes in on build I have a total nee replace next week so it will be a while before I get Back to it .Ron youre wright getting old sucks sorry guys I thought it would be done by now

limeybob

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OK, thanks.
I'll check parts out.
Bob

Ron Stahl

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Been off line for a week or so. As most of you have seen my wife has been I'll and she had to go back into the hospital again when I got back from Toledo. We got semi bad news today but not much we can really do about it but wait and see. Glad I have this wonderful hobby and friends.

Ron Stahl

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Well looks like we might be making some progress on the plane finally again. Really busy at work and with the wife's health issues. I was able to get the plans scanned and the file is off to a new friend I met through a coworker today.He is a semi retired designer who is going to convert the airfoil to code we can send to the foam cutter and get the right airfoil since Nick can't remember which one he used. We tried several attempts to hand convert the shape with poor results. Give me a week to make sure it is right and then those of you who have asked can get a price from Troy for wing and stab cores.

grbaker

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Finally getting started on mine. Going to build the wing first. Anyone else already built the 3 piece wing yet?

k12rc

gary make sure w5 w7 w8 line up for the tubes mine were off and I had to take skins back off

jefff

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I have one half framed up. I dry fitted the ribs first. I added cardboard tube liners, (Wing tubes TnT's Online ) for the aluminum tubes. The holes have to be modified for the cardboard liners . Plus the holes need to be realigned so the ribs line up. I just floated the liners, glued the spars, then glued the tube liners.

A7Bldr

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Watching with interest. How many are currently being built - 4 or ?

Jim

grbaker

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Thanks jefff, I think I will go with the cardboard tubes also. Ordered them today.

Moved the wing parts off the table and started on the fuse.

grbaker

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Finally made some progress on mine. That's a Merlin 160 next to it for size reference. YA F-15 in the background of one of the pics. Will start on the wing next weekend.

k12rc

looking good gary

Ron Stahl

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Been really busy at work on the new project. Had dinner tonight with Nick and his lady friend Olga. We are working together every day on the pay the bills job and might get some time later this month to get back on the Turbinator 125. Nick really wants to see one down before he goes back to FL.

grbaker

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Fuse and stabs are about ready for glass. Started on wing.

grbaker

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Got both wing halves sheeted on the bottom. One is almost ready for the top sheeting. I clamped them together to get a measurement and came up with 98.5" without the wing tips. That's big enough!!!
Hope to finish the wing next weekend and get started on the inlets.

Anyone else making any progress?

Ron Stahl

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Not me. Lol. Working 80 hour weeks with the man himself. Nick is back again next week for all of July working for me at my day job. Charile got the files for the wing cores but we haven't had a chance to cut any core. Maybe we can fit some in next weekend I hope.

grbaker

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Well danget Ron.....this is all your fault......I mean this was all your idea to begin with, so it's only fitting that you should have the first one flying.

Ron Stahl

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Did some test cuts and we have success with the enlarged core files; there not perfect but are much closer than what Nick thought he used for the airfoil section. Lol. Now all I have to do is get some time to cut cores, and start laying out the wing structure for a two piece wing. Remeasured my minivan and while a 48" wing panel will fit in between the opening; I decided that a two piece wing will be easier to deal with for transporting the plane and storing it at my shop.

grbaker

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My center section measures out closer to 49". Good thing I have a full size van to haul it in.