troyhm

Hi Dean

What a great idea !!! Im going to find one right now

Troy

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

this little laser level is fun to play with, very easy to line up formers with. Having fun with this...

I am ready to start construction of the fuse jig....

troyhm

HI

Well keep us all updated on the fuse jig then

Troy

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

these formers are in the correct positions and at a perfect right angle to the laser line.... all I have to do is build a jig around it.....

stay tuned !!!!

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

I am triping over that last image...

BLACK MAGIC BABY!!!

MHester

My Feedback: (1)

That's pretty cool Dean [8D]

Dang, my methods are closer to Chuck's....LOL

Seriously, it may be overkill, but it is really cool! Keep on keepin on, you've got me reaching for the popcorn and notepad.

-Mike

PatternPilot

My Feedback: (58)

Hello Mike,

Do you have your wood parts formers and root rib in a CAD format ?

Scott Anderson
Performance Model Aviation
D3 AVP

troyhm

Hi Pattern Pilot

I can say yes they will be in cad format soon. Mike says on his web site that the plans are currently getting converted to cad under the NEWS section and anyone who has purchsed the plans will get a copy

Troy

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hello all,

I have the material for the fuse jig in shop and will be working on the setup over the next couple of nights. My next post will be of my first fuse in the proto jig. I am also in the process of finalizing my formers, I am adding a laser "pep holes" to the formers so the lights shine all the way through the jig. You may of caught that if you looked at my mockup tests last night. The first couple of fuselages I am building will use my hand cut formers, but I should have laser cut formers in about a week.

The production jig will be set up using the laser cut formers.

So I am hoping to have a couple of framed up fuselages done this weekend and then I'll get back on sheeting my foam.

Just feeling a little burned out tonight, hitting the sack early......

NJRCFLYER2

My Feedback: (42)

Awesome setup! That's a laser from Radio Shack that can paint the intersecting lines like that? Model number please!

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hi Troy,

Just home from work and have my numbers in front of me.

Here are the sizes of my formers...

f 2-4 from the centerline down (from the top of the lower stringer) 81mm (h) x 157mm (w)

f 5 89 x 136

f6 85 x 113

f7 81 x 90

f8 78 x 67

f9 75 x 43

my firewall is 140 mm wide...

these measurements are in mm and are listed (h) x (w), isn't that how you all do it down under?

hope that helps your CAD work, all my work is done in Adobe Illustrator CS2 on a mac in OS 10. Since I am a art director/graphic designer by trade I use what I know.....

cheers mate!

Dean

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hi All,

I am spending tonight cutting my final set of formers for fuse #2.

I finished all the work required to send my former files off the the laser cutter. Sent a test file to the cutter - he is telling me he is ready to rock.

So in about a week or so I will be able to offer laser cut former kits with laser cut jig guides, fuse side templates and my former position template which is used to set up my jig. I'll also have an instruction sheet and a webpage with step by step instruction.

I have about 40 hours into redrawing the formers, testing, rechecking, redrawing, re cutting, re testing, re drawing, playing with lasers, testing lasers, redrawing and recutting formers... etc. I have actually cut 4 complete set of formers at this point, I do feel that this R&D is going to pay off with well made fuselages with a lot less work. And the laser parts that I will have available will be AWESOME! The cost to build my jig is less than $20.00, Stay tuned, I will posted pictures and a complete breakdown of everything at some point over the weekend.

Since the Gator Jigs are not really available - my method will give anyone without the jig a way to build good fuses. And I will show how to do it step by step....

back to the world of balsa dust!

BLACK MAGIC - YEA BABY!

Dean

troyhm

Hi Dean

Thanks for the measurements, mine are very very close already as well. Yeah thats how we do it down here. I use solidworks like you its what I know.
I am in line for building one of your jigs as well. Gator stuff is hard to get over there its imposible down here.

Thanks

Troy

troyhm

Hi Dean

Are you sure about about formers f2 to f4 I agree with the width mine where 159 not much difference. But the height from the top of the lower stringer to the bottom of the base stringer I got 88.8 mm or 3.5" theu were what Mike told me.

Thanks

Troy

MHester

My Feedback: (1)

Oops miscommunication Troy (they're correct on the plans). Total heigth of the fuse sides is 3.5". So F2-F4 do not go all the way to the bottom; they're actually 3.25" total heigth. They run to the top of the top stringers, but only the top of the bottom stringers.

Y'all excuse me for the next week or so, painting and covering 4 planes plus editing a magazine and running a small business is taking it's toll. Mailny it's the painting and covering, I should take stock in sandpaper.

So I'll be in and out over the next couple weeks, then expect some huge updates as the V2s hit the skies in full color [8D]

But right now.........must........sleep........

-Mike

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hi Troy,

also notice mike has two options for f5 - one is for the longer pipe. My laser cut formers will have a line etched for triming the bottom of the former if you go with the longer 2c pipe....

later friend, dean

patternflyr

My Feedback: (17)

Man Dean,

You aren't messing around with these planes!!! How long do you think it will take you to finish one and how many do you plan to build? It looks like D3 will have several Black Magics showing up at contests. I can't wait to get mine in the air soon! I know Mike hasn't been sleeping much.

Keep us informed.
Emory

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hi everyone....

Real happy with my efforts tonight. I finished cutting the second set of formers - which I redesigned (for about the 4th time) to let the light shine....

These images are of my final mock up. I can see the laser all the way from f1 to f9 - these photo's a a bit blurry. But with my shop lights on, the laser is very bright and is a nice thin line of light. My plan is to have one laser positioned where it is in the mockup pointing towards the tail (in front of f1) and another above f9 pointing towards the front. The cool thing about this laser compared to the string method is the laser beam is about 2/3 the dia of the sting and you can center your reference line in the center of the beam, the string blocks your view and prevents you from visualy knowing your on center.

I still have a lot to do with building the jig but this should all come together this weekend. I am still on schedule to frame up two fuses by sunday night... I hope the weather isn't flyable ; )

It's 2 am - and I am a total NUT!!!!

enjoy the images!

Dean

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

the best thing about tonight is that I am confident that the former patterns are final and ready to be laser cut!

thank god....

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hi Emory,

I am currently building two, but I do have wood for a total of 4 planes in the shop. I will be offering building services once I get the first plane out. It's been a really busy week, getting the shop all tooled for building these awesome planes. My first challenge has been digitizing the formers for laser cutting and the jig system with laser aliginment, it's been a busy week, but I feel like I have got a lot done towards setting up production. Mike and I have been working together on this and I think it will work out well for both of us...

I have a new website -and I hope to get it running with some real content soon, my domains are:

http://www.precisionaerobaticstructures.com/ or http://pasrc.com/ which is a bit eaiser to remember and spell....

hope your doing well and we get to fly soon!

Dean

troyhm

Hi Dean and Mike

I have seen the light and errors of my ways . I thought the formers went from top to bottom of the fuse and cut out bottom cut out for the stringers on the wrong formers now it all makes sense. It didnt help I drew a pencil line right across the bottom of the formers cause I thought they were the same size. I should have checked them more. I guess a result of to many late nights. The plans are perfectly correct in every way just people like me cant read. Apologies Mike and Dean you were both right

But Dean I think 157x 82mm LOL


Troy

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hi Troy,

man, I was getting worried ; )

I thought you Aussie blokes didn't muck around...

good on ya!

Dean

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hey Everyone...

since I finshed work on the formers, it's time to share them with all my Black Magic Brothers!

enjoy!

I get to glue something now.... yippee!

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

OH NO!!!!!

Sorry about this but do not use the above files as they do not print at the right size.

I just noticed the the RCU website must shrink these files a little bit,

I was hoping that anyone would be able to print these at the correct size from the browser window.

But after I uploaded them and tested it buy printing them - they all seemed reduced in size.

So unless we can fix this - email me directly and I will send you a ziped file with the original jpgs.....

I wasn't aware of this problem until after I uploaded thse files - sorry for any confusing or troubles.....

just send me an email....

cheers, Dean

handglider

My Feedback: (23)

Hi All,

I've posted a pdf file of the former templates at

http://precisionaerobaticstructures.com/BM_Formers.pdf

they should download to your desktop.....

soory about the RCU uploading problem, I had no ideal it would be an issue.....