jofunk

Thanks ST. Unfortunately the RV 12 tail kit is just out of camera shot patiently waiting for me to start building it.

sierratango

Yah, but building is building.

Unfortunately there are just so many hours in a day and only so much energy.

What you are currently building appears to be a masterpiece.

Keep pluggin away!

That thing needs to be a static display model for a good period of time.

sysiek

My Feedback: (176)

I know Joe and this jet definitely not going to be a statick model .

jofunk

Getting close on the stringers. The few stringers in the rear which run from the center section all the way to the back are very hard balsa to help connect things. I installed some lite ply plates in the landing gear area to further stiffen the box. It should clear the retracts. The sticks and clamps are just jamming and squeezing things into place while the glue dries.

jofunk

I made a few blocks to fill the corners of the intakes. I also boxed around the hoz. stab bearing to terminate the sheeting. Eventually a bearing ring will need to go on the stab tube so there is something for the stab to ride on and to set the distance of the stab from the side of the fuse.

jofunk

The stringers are done….. I set up a little urethane glue bonding test. The stringers were lightly dampened and in almost dry layer of urethane glue was spread on the sheeting. The sheeting is just sitting on top of the stringers with no weight on it. I want to see if and how much the glue expands, and how well it bonds to the stringers. If it works I may sheet the large flat areas like this.

sierratango

As usual...looks fantastic!

jofunk

A thin film of urethane glue on the sheeting didn't bond the stringers very well in the test. I am trying to decide the best way to lay down large pieces of sheeting. Each stringer needs a bead of glue and there are a lot of stringers under each sheet. I am afraid to use CA as the glue may start to cure and wick in before I get glue on all the stringers. I may just dab on urethane and take the time penalty. It stays wet for a while and doesn't wick into the wood. I started laying out some sheeting to get an idea of where I am going.

jofunk

I put one big 4"x48" sheet down with urethane glue……. I made some clamps to hold the side sheeting in contact with the stringers. They are some scrap lite ply glued into a U shape with some foam wedges to hold the sheeting tight. It is just a dry run, no glue yet.

jofunk

Put the side piece on and another bottom piece on with urethane. I put little scabs on the first sheet to tuck the second sheet under. I also started marking where everything is located.

Pondus

My Feedback: (1)

I use Titebond, lots of pins and patience when sheeting like this. If the pieces are not too big, slow CA on the stringers and formers and a light spray of kicker on the sheeting. But it has limitations on size and if things have to be weighed down/pinned down it does not work out too well

jofunk

Yes CA and kicker on the sheeting is one of my favorite tricks. Usually I put a magic marker line on the side that is sprayed with kicker because I've picked up the sheeting before and pressed the wrong side in place. After a minute of holding you figure out what you did wrong………….A few more sheets went on, I am combo gluing, urethane on the stringers and CA on the edges.Then tape, weights, wood scabs, T pins, clamps etc. The next side sheet will run into the intake angle. I put some blue tape to show the approximate angle and some Xs to show what will be cut out.

jofunk

Here is the magic marker with the accelerator on the scabs of wood. The scabs are just a guide to help hold the next piece of sheeting flush with the prior one. Well at least that is the idea…... I put down a curved piece running out onto the intake and did some sheeting around to servo tray and the elevon bearing. A few of the more manageable pieces in the rear are glued with CA.

jofunk

The king of beers is helping me out on this side. It's better to use them when they are heavier. I installed the all important T pin kicker to keep the weight from sliding forward. It doesn't slide by itself but the 10 year old sets off a 1.5 tremor a few times a day…. I modified the clamps to hold the next row of sheeting. They need to slip between the stringers then rotate down.

ps2727

Looking good Joe,
You are making good progress.
Paul

jofunk

Thanks PauI, and for your contribution to the project……. I knocked the scabs off the bottom of the fuse. I also glued a 4' piece on the side. I made a few disks to mount the turkey feathers. I glassed them to get rid of the wood grain. Since everything back there is black I put a few drops of black dye in the resin. Just goofing around.

jofunk

Another 4 footer on and the blacked out disks in the turkey feathers. West Systems is great resin. It is like glass the next day.

jofunk

I started sheeting around the radius using CA. The strips were a little low near the intake so a little lite filler was in order. The filler is a great product for scratch building but you can only apply it in thin coats.

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

Great posts Joe. What do you use to dye the resin, I have to do something similar and was wondering what it is.

I will end up needing 3 drops of whatever it is and I am also sure I will end up having to buy 50 dollars worth and then buy another 50 bucks worth of stuff to get reduced shipping charges.......it is a sickness for sure.

jofunk

Hi Matt,

I bought the black pigment from CST Composites a long time ago. The bottle wasn't even marked. I looked at their site. They still sell pigments and they are West Systems products now. It is just under $20 for 4 oz. I bought the pigment to make a mold of a space shuttle nose. I was told if you make a mold black it is easier to see what needs to be wetted out with resin when you are laying a piece up. I also goofed around with the pigment when i made a frame for my Panther canopy. It looked like carbon fiber when it was done.

Joe

jofunk

Slowly rounding the bend, literally and figuratively. The CA and kicker still needed to be held for a minute so some masking tape did the trick.

jofunk

I pretty much finished sheeting the bottom of the fuse. It will need some sanding and filling and then most of the bottom will get a layer of glass to harden it. I boxed in the intakes a little more. Eventually the angles will get cut into the sides of the intakes.

jofunk

The bottom is sanded and filled. Time for some glass. I also filled in the bottoms of the intakes. the black line is the shape of the intake.

jofunk

I got some glass down. Once it is cured I can flip the fuse over and continue working on the top.

jofunk

wrong pic.