Maj. Woody's Ultra Flash
02-24-2017, 04:58 PM
#176
Drill pilot holes before screwing the servo covers in place. I used a drop of thick CA on each screw. The large diameter screws and plywood doublers make for a secure connection. I entertained putting blind nuts and machine screws in place for the covers but that proved unnecessary.
02-24-2017, 05:09 PM
#177
The linkages are made up of the supplied hardware which includes a 3mm threaded rod, ball link and clevis. Two things that I did not like about this hardware: The clevis did not have any provisions for a keeper so I had to use fuel tubing over the top, the threaded rod was too short for my comfort. I like to have the ball link screwed down till it hits the stop and I also like a few threads showing past the clevis. I had to compromise on both ends. That is the stuff that keeps me up at night! Also my technique of masking off the area around the control horns for paint did not work out like I had hoped. I was never able to feather that edge and it looks like *****. Good thing its on the bottom. I will brush the paint on the remaining control horns like I usually do.
02-24-2017, 05:17 PM
#178
Man that blue fuel tubing looks terrible! I wonder if I could slightly notch the ends of the clevis with my Dremel fine cut off wheel then use some safety wire around it. That I could paint. I may experiment with that on an old clevis. I sure wish Sullivan made a 3mm clevis. I love Sullivan golden clevises. I know its on the bottom but it just looks awful.
02-24-2017, 05:23 PM
#179
By the way, I set my throws to 15mm up and 16mm down per the instructions. Boy those JR servos are singing away in the neutral position. Are anyone else's doing this? I know its just the servo working to find center but I always feel like it going to burn out my servo over time. They say once in flight that the air pressure relieves the weight of the linkage / surface and the buzz stops but who knows.
02-28-2017, 04:07 PM
#182
Ok I could not live with the thought of those threaded rods not being long enough so I made up a new set that fully engage the clevis and ball joint. I also ditched the blue fuel tubing in favor of small section of Tygon. While painting the new rods, I just painted the tygon keepers as well. Ahhh...now I can sleep at night LOL.
02-28-2017, 04:12 PM
#183
Like I stated earlier, my kit was not perfect. There are blemishes here and there. Here is an example of some delamination. The wing tips have some spider webbing going on too. And when looking at the top surface of the wing, you can see the impression from all the ribs. Does anyone elses wings do that?
02-28-2017, 04:33 PM
#184
Ok Back to the wing. The first thing I did was separate the servo / gear covers. I used a square and continued the straight line that was already present in that location. I cut the cover using a fine toothed zona saw blade with the back removed.Before cutting, I applied some masking tape to prevent splintering. Next I assembled the servo trays. After cutting them free I used various files and sanding block to clean them up. Although not shown in this photo, after the trays were completed, I installed plywood doublers under each servo screw location then reinforced all the glue joints with a small bead of goop which was neatly applied with a moist Q-Tip.
02-28-2017, 04:46 PM
#185
The Aileron servo is prepped by adding the grommets and a trimmed JR HD Servo Arm. Be sure to center your servo and add a drop of thick CA to the screw before tightening. The servo is then placed into the servo tray and the tray is positioned on the composite cover. Center your servo in the slot and note the position of the tray. I elected to clamp a scrap piece of hardwood to the cover that was the correct width from the edge of the slot to give me a perfect center for my servo arm. I Then used a extra fine sharpie to outline the location of the servo tray on the cover.
02-28-2017, 05:01 PM
#186
Sand the cover in preparation for gluing. Be sure to clean the area with alcohol after sanding. At this point I used double sided tape to hold my scrap hardwood "Jig" to the cover. I used 5 min epoxy to glue the tray to the cover. The epoxy was spread over the plywood tray and I also applied epoxy to the cover and used a small amount of heat from my heat gun to get the epoxy flowing on the cover. This ensures it gets into all the nooks and crannies. The tray was then mated to the cover and clamped in place to dry. Cleanup any excess Epoxy from the outside of the tray with Q-Tips and alcohol before it sets up. I left the excess epoxy in the inside of the tray for extra support. That scrap hardwood really helped maintain the position of the tray during gluing as the parts tend to float when clamped. In these photos you can see my servo screw doublers and that goop I was telling you about. The servo is then installed in the tray using a drop of CA on each screw. Note the servo horn is centered in the slot.
02-28-2017, 05:12 PM
#187
Next prepare the flap servo and servo arm. The servo arm is trimmed on both sides since the full length is not needed. I used the second to last hole in the arm for my flap linkage. The flap linkages are made up as shown. Again I used Tygon "Keepers" to hold the clevis closed. After the flap servo is screwed to the tray I added piece of electrical tape to cover the slot between the servos to keep the wires from flopping around. A section of shrink tube also aided in keeping the wires secure while at the same time offering protection from the hatch screw in that area. I cut the shrink tube to a length that keeps the wires protected all the way until they enter the slot in the spar. I added the servo extensions at this time securing the connection with shrink tubing.
02-28-2017, 05:28 PM
#190
The covers are screwed in place using a bit of CA on each screw. The Aileron linkages are completed next and painted before final assembly. Final control throws are set for the flaps and ailerons.
Last edited by MaJ. Woody; 02-28-2017 at 05:33 PM.
02-28-2017, 08:47 PM
#193
Let me add my thanks MaJ. Woody. I think this kind of thread is very useful for both beginners and experts alike. I have been building jets for many years, but I am always interested to see the techniques other use.
And I have to say you are very good at this. Explaining each step in detail, with useful photos.. That is a skill in itself..
RCU at its best..
03-01-2017, 07:16 AM
#196
Hi Bob. It sure does. But considering the box was in Perfect condition and the packing was impeccable with no signs of disruption, I have to conclude this damage happened by mis-handeling at the factory before or during the packing process. I have accepted it and look forward to flying this awesome jet. I can repair and repaint the wingtip if it really nags me but I foresee hundreds of flights on this bird with a total makeover someday anyway (like what I did with my Feibao L-39)
03-07-2017, 03:55 PM
#197
Here is what the stock openings look like for the landing gear blocks. The openings are wide enough for the Prolink Retracts but some clearances needed to be made for the various screw heads and pivots on the retract. When deciding where to trim for the clearances, make sure you have your strut and wheel attached so you can properly position the retract while considering where the wheel is positioned in the well. Next use a dead centering drill and make the Pilot Holes in each of the 4 locations. Once I have the pilot holes drilled I slowly step up the drill bits until I have the hole size I desire. This takes some time but if done correctly you are rewarded with pefectly aligned holes and no splintering.
03-07-2017, 04:01 PM
#198
To install the blind nuts, I use a thick large diameter washer to draw in the blind nut. This spreads the load over a large area and ensures that the wood is not crushed. Be sure to apply a good amount of thick CA or epoxy under the blind nuts before drawing them up into the blocks.
03-07-2017, 04:08 PM
#200
Here is what the gear looks like temporarily mounted in the wing. I positioned my retracts so the tires were as far forward in the well as I could get without touching. My thought process was that when the springs settle in after a few landings, the gear will remain slightly pivoted bringing the wheel into the center of the well. If centered initially, the wheel may bind when the springs relax.