RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Now slightly open up and elongate the hole in the root rib where the adjuster pin passes through. Make sure you don't get too wide here, but allow the pin free travel so you can adjust without bottoming out on the wood.

Place the root rib in place on the side of the fuse, and slide the adjuster over the pin into place. Square it up, and tack it with thin CA.

Remove it and install the screws.

Now comes the tricky part. there are screws sticking out of your rib....you have to grind them flush. Take your time here, you don't want to get the wood so hot it burns. So do a little, set it down a let it cool, rinse and repeat until done. After it's flush, add a couple drops of thin CA direcly to the screw so it soaks into the surrounding wood. And forget about it, it's there forever.

Now lay your root rib on the stab and gently press. It will leave an outline of the adjuster. Take a hobby knife and carefully remove the foam. Check the fit frequently, you don't want to remove any more than necessary.

After you have a nice fit, make a small mark on the edge of the root rib corresponding to the adjuster screw. you'll hate life later of you don't do this step....

Glue on your root ribs with polyurethane glue, taping it firmly in place. Allow to dry thoroughly before sanding to final shape.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

After everything is dry, take a piece of small sharpened brass tubing and make the holes for the adjuster screws. if you miss a little, so what. It'll be close enough. use this pic to see about where to make the hole in relation to the root rib.

The next step can be done about a thousand different ways. This is mine, it works, and it's simple.

Tack a 1/4" piece of balsa stick to the LE portion of the root just in fron of the adjuster, and a piece just behind the tube.

Apply vaseline or mold wax to the stab tube through the center and wipe it down.

Place the center piece of socket in position and slide your stabs into position. the adjuster pin should be left long and uncut at this point so everything will engage.

Slide the stabs on firmly until the pieces of 1/4" bump into the sides of the fuse. Friction SHOULD holed it all in place.

Now check the alignment for any serious problems. Using a pin and piece of rudder cable like we did on the wing, poke it in a center point on the nose and triangulate the stab. For a true reference point, use the junction where the LE meets the tip right in the corner of the sheeting. if it's off, remove everything and sand the hole in the fuse so it will turn into position. Go SLOW here.

Now reinstall and check the horizontal alignment. the easiest way to do this is to install the wing (with the incidence set), and get a chair about 8 feet behind the plane. have a seat. Close one eye and sight down the stab tips with the fuse centered in your vision. The exact tips of the stab should cross the center TEs of the wing in exactly the same place. This is one place your eyes are as good or better than a bunch of measuring. What, doesn't sound technical enough for you?

When all is well, mix up some 30 minute epoxy and glue the center socket into place with the stabs installed. (That's what the vaseline and wax are for). Keep the excess off the tube if you can. Now tweak everything until you're comfortable with the alignment, and walk away. Come back and check every 5 minutes until the epoxy cures. Tweak if necessary. Once it sets, don't touch it for at LEAST 2 hours.

When it's all well cured, sand the tubes flush, remove the 1/4" sticks and you're all set.

Now reinstall it flush and trim the adjuster pins so they only stick out about 1/2" on each side, and glue them in place firmly. Make sure you check the fit of your tube itself; sometimes it's a little too long at this point and will drive you nuts trying to get the stabs to sit flush.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Now using 1/8" sheeting, cross grain, sheet the top of the fuse between the stabs. It should be flush with the top.

Make sure you don't leave any gaps. Wood is preferable to heavy glue to fill gaps ;)

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

NOW cut your hinge lines and cap everything on the fin and stabs.

There's nothing special to mention here, except use a band saw or scroll saw, with the piece laying in the bottom shuck so it's level, cut slightly outside of the line, and sand TO the line.

On the elevators, remove the inboard corner and install a solid piece of balsa (contest grade please.) After it dries, sand it all flush, and cap everything with good qquality (LIGHT) contest grade balsa.

Once everything is dry, mark center lines down the hinging surface of your fin and your stabs. If you don't have a tettra tapered hinging tool, I suggest you get one. Central carries them.

We'll mess with the wings later....now on to the fin.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

This part is fairly easy, but critical.

Place the fin in position, and line up the rear edge with the top rear corner of the fuse. mark where the fin needs to be cut. Just a little mark at the bottom will do.

Now using a square, mark the fin there and cut it.

using a sanding block and a bit more of that pateince, sand the front edge to fit snugly against the turtle deck face.

Once you have acheieved a reasonable dry fit, you can glue the fin.

Take care in alignment here. install the stabs, and use a square on your center lines. Make a center line mark up the turtle deck face so you can be sure it's sitting straight.

Mix up some 30 minute epoxy and glue on the fin. Spread it thin and even. It should make good contact, but not ooze out everywhere. Using masking tape, tape across the top of the fin and secure it to the stab tips. Play with you triangulation and squareness, you have plenty of time. When it's sitting good and straight, make sure you wipe away all of the excess eopoxy where the fin meets the fuse and turtle deck.

Allow this to cure thoroughly before removing the tape.

truthfully, I use 5 minute epoxy and a square. I get it close and as the epoxy starts to set, I tweak it into position until the epoxy kicks. It always comes out straight, but I don't suggest this until you've done quite a few.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Tail block

Run a straight edge down the hinge line of the fin, crossing the rear of the fuse. Draw a line and cut this part off (I use a coping saw). make sure you cut outside of the line, and watch both sides carefully as you cut.

Now take a sanding block and true up the rear of the fuse to match the hinge line of the fin.

Gluse a piece of 1/2" light balsa block to a piece of 1" light balsa block. This is what we'll make the tail block from. (measure the length from F-9 to the hinge line and make it slightly longer and slightly wider than the fuse.

After this is COMPLETELY dry, lay the block in position with the 1/2" block against the fuse. Sand the front of the block so it sits flush at the front with no gaps.

Now take a sharpie and mark all the way around here where the block meets the fuse, everything.

Roughly shape the outside of the block with a carving knife (don't try to get too close yet).

I take a router blade on my X-acto knife and hollow out the block. It's not much weight, but it's useless weight so it has to go. You can just leave it solid if you have a really light block of wood.

Now glue and tape this block into position using polyurethane glue.

let this dry overnight, and then sand to final shape.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

This next part is probably up there in the running for my least favorite thing to do.

Hopefully you still have the scrap laying around from where you cut your wing tips. If you look carefully, you'll find that this curve almost fits around the fin at the fuse. Well, sandpapr and a curved sanding block are about to become your friends.

There's no easy way to explain this. Just do it. Make these blocks fit as snugly against the fin and fuse as you can. You'll have to blend and fill this area, and wood weighs much less than any filler. So, get as much wood in place as you can without too much glue.

Add the dorsal piece. On mine I increased the size slightly, and the effects were wonderful.

Now after everything dries, sand, sand, sand :D

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Cowling

This part is ridiculously easy.

First, lay the cowl down on a flat table, and stack a piece of 1/8" and 1/16" wood for a total height of 3/16". using a sharpie, turn the cowl and mark a trim line where the cowl meets the fuse.

Next trim out the cowl as shown. Open up the bottom, cheeks and spinner area. Don't split the cowl at the bottom just yet, leave a piece running across at the rear, this will help the cowl hold it's shape during mounting. make sure and now wash the cowl thoroughly with both soap and water and alcohol, acetone or some other solvent. Thinner works well here. Take a piece of 80 grit sandpaper and rough up the mounting flange of the cowl about 3/8" in all the way around. Clean again with alcohol.

Mount your engine/motor in place. the electric version is shown for this but it works the same.

using a flexible ruler, make a mark around the perimeter of the fuse behind the firewall about 1/4" away from the firewall face.

Lay the ruler in place, and gently sand a step into the sheeting. Don't go too deep here, just a little at a time and try to follow the curvature of the cowl. When you complete the step all the way around, slide the cowl into place. Mount your spinner backplate for alignment and tweak/sand whatever necessary to make it line up nicely.

Once you have achieved a good alignment and clearance between the spinner and the cowl of about 1/16", mix up some 30 minute epoxy and micro baloons. Just brush a decent line around the edge of the cowl and slide into place. Using masking tape and T pins, make sure you have good contact all the way round and if you have any excess, wipe it off.

Let this cure and you're cowled.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Scoops

It's kinda funny, some people love these and some people hatet hem. I'll tell you fast especially if you're using electric, they WORK WELL.

using the supplied template, mark the hole cut outs on the top of the cowl. take your time and make sure they're centered. because of the right thrust built in, it may look funny at first....

Now cut the holes out with a router bit and a dremel. Stay inside the lines and then use a file to true up the edges.

Trim the scoop as shown. Wash with soap and water and alcohol thoroughly, and rough up the mounting flanges with 80 grit sandpaper. Clean again.

mix up some 5 minute epoxy and micro baloons and install. Wipe off the excess resin and make sure it's fairly clean inside those scoops; sanding epoxy blobs down in there after it's cured is not fun.

Sand and fill, you're done.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Belly Pan

Pretty straight forward stuff here too.

First, wash down the belly pan with soap and water, followed by alcohol and thinner or acetone.

Trim the edge mounting flange down to about 3/8" all the way around. A dremel is about the best way to do any of this.

Next mark the cut outs for the pipe opening, vent slots and chin scoop, and glow plug access if desired.

Trim it and sand it up good. Take your time.

Cut a piece of 1/8" a/c ply to the shape of the cowl at the nose flange and epoxy in place. Whenever glueing to the composites, always rough up with 80 grit sandpaper and then clean with alcohol and thinner.

Make sure your engine is mounted, then place the plane on it's back. On the OS 140 for instance, you have to trim around the carburator and your nose bolt will be off to the side. On the OS 160 a big nasty hole has to be cut in the side for the header to clear. A YS may fit inside and it may not...depending on your set up. At any rate, trim it up and do what you have to to give adequate clearance to allow the engine to move and shake without hitting anything.

Now drill a hole in the belly pan phenolic peice to allow for a 4-40 machine screw. transfer this hole to the cowl and install a 4-40 blind nut into the peice of a/c ply. Go ahead and screw this down, but don't forget to go back and fuel proof this piece!

Mark and trim the rear of the pan so it slightly overlaps at the face of the fuse core under side, but sits flat against the fuse itself.

Now with the belly pan in place, you'll notice that you can see the center of the phenolic mounting tabs. Take a sharpie and mark these points on the fuse, and remove the belly pan.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Now take a piece of sharpened brass tubing, either 3/8" or 1/2" depending on how good you feel about it. I use 3/8", but I would recommend 1/2" the first time around.

GENTLY turn the sharpened tube with the outer edge aligned in the center of the 1/8" fuse side and cut away the 1/4" stringer until you get to the floor. DO NOT cut through the floor. Now just take a blade and scrape the plug of wood out. The 2 in front are a little different, see pic.

Do this at all 6 hard points, then cut a disc of 1/2" hardwood dowel to fit into the hole you just cut. If it's slightly taller that's fine. Epoxy them in place making sure you have a good bond all the way around, and wipe off the excess epoxy. Allow this to cure FULLY and then sand flush with the fuse bottom.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Make oblong cut outs above the screw area in the belly pan for access. Make them large enough so you can get a screw through, but not so large as to be obvious from 100 yards away. (LOL)

Reattach the belly pan at the cowl. Pull the belly pan into position with the fuse side, tucked very slightly inside of the edge so you can later sand a curve to it, and drill a hole through the phenolic and into the hardwood dowel. Now install one of those nifty socket head servo screws. I have found it best to use a flat tipped allen wrench with some 3M 77 sprayed on it to hold the screw on the wrench until it's started. Screw it down tight, and go to the other side. Work your way to the back, keeping the belly pan in alignment, until all screws are in place.

That's it, one belly pan installed.

Tip: When you remove the pan, do NOT remove the screws completely. You've just seen how much of a pain they are to get started, so leave them in.

If you ever need to replace the belly pan due to....unfortunate landings for instance, all you have to do is clean the screw holes and plug them with 5 minute epoxy. Repeat the mounting steps for the new belly pan and you're good to go. I had one that I've replaced 4 times and the pan and hard points are still very solid.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

2 stroke pipe clearance

If you run a 2 stroke with a full length tuned pipe, you may have to do this step. if you run an OS 140 with standard header and ES pipe, you WILL have to do this.

First, install your engine and header. If you find your header hits at the corner of the firwewall, just grab a dremel and relieve it. That's why you put the 1/4" reinforcement across this joint. it all depends on your engine, mount and spacing.

Now lay the pipe to the rear of the header and make a mark where the end of the stinger crosses the fuse.

Go about 1" behind this and make a mark.

Mark a center line.

Measure out from the center line to allow for the pipe, sheeting thickness, and at least 1/8" on both sides for clearance.

Using a razor saw or very sharp hobby knife, remove this area of material. On the rear most face, at the end, cut it at an angle, about 30 degrees or so (just guess), not straight down.

Sand everything smooth and straight.

Cut pieces of 3/32 or 1/8" light blasa so the grain is vertical, and glue the sides in place. just use CA for balsa to balsa and polyurethane for the foam contact area.

Now cut a piece cross grain to go in the end cap. it should be at an angle to help the cooling air flow. GLue it in, sand everything flush and you're done.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Finishing the wings

Mark the hinge line for the ailerons on the wing. Notice that the 1/4" facing for the wing extends past the aileron cut out, this is important.

Using a band saw preferrably, cut the ailerons off. make sure the cut line stays in the area where material will be removed for the facings. I usually make the first cut close to the wing line, and then cut the remaining off the aileron. Do these steps with the wing and aileron in the shuck so everything stays straight!

Now cut a piece of light 1/4" balsa for the wing facing and glue in place. take your time fitting this piece; glue isn't very strong and it's heavy. Sand it to fit snugly everywhere, especially inside of the aileron cut out towards the root.

Glue a piece of 3/8" light balsa to the ailerons. be careful to keep these straight, they will want to try and bow on you. use tape and set it nice and straight, and lay it on the face to dry. I use polyurethane glue for this step as it doesn't "wet" the wood and make it warp.

After everything dries, sand flush.

Now cap all of the ends with 1/8" light balsa the same way. let dry and sand.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Servo boxes

I'm not going into too much detail here. Cut out and sand the servo box in the wing. make it nice and squared.

make the servo box out of 1/16" light balsa. It only has to be about an inch tall/deep, don't go crazy here. just glue it up and drop it in, or drop it in sides first then glue the ends...whatever works. let dry and sand fluch. Add rails of your choice.

As for the servo lead hole, not a big deal. get a long piece of 1/2" tubing. sharpened, and run it through the hole at the servo box. take care to go straight toward the box or you could end up cutting through the skin or worse. But don't panic, I've done a ton of them and they all came out fine. just take your time. Go in a few inches, pull it out and clear the foam from the tube. Check alignment, repeat until it comes out inside the servo box.

One thing of note" The servo box is about 13" deep, and at the time all I could find was 12" tube. I bought 2 pieces and one size smaller that slipped right inside, CA'd it together and voila. Extra long servo hole tube cutting thingy.

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Canopy

If there's an easier way to do this, I'm all eyes and ears. I hate this part, but the outcome is very cool.

Start by block sanding all 3 faces that meet the canopy, make sure they're flush.

Cut a piece of lite ply slightly longer and slightly wider than the canopy opening at the bottom.

With a block sander, sand the front and rear edge until it sits perfectly flush front to rear.

Holding it firmly in place, draw a sharpie line underneath on the edge of the fuse sides. Remove the bottom piece and cut to those lines.

Now place the bottom piece back in place and sand the edges until the bottom piece is more narrow than the fuse by the thickness of a piece of folded poster board, all the way from front to rear on both sides (it sucks, but it's not THAT bad, just tedious).

After you have achieved the fit you're looking for, cut the front and rear pieces and sand the angle on the bottom so they sit on top of the bottom piece nice and flush. Again, sand around the edges to achieve a slightly more narrow piece than the surrounding fuse.

After you have achieved the right fit, remove all the pieces and cut out the centers for lightening.

Lay down a piece of wax paper to fit between the canopy and the fuse, and install the pieces with tape. Go ahead and drill the front piece for the pins and install them. make sure you have a somewhat forward down angle on them or your canopy won't come off easily. Glue in the pins, then glue the front and rear pieces to the bottom. Go ahead and cut some 1/4" braces to hold the front and rear pieces in place (so they don't spring back). glue them in place, but keep in mind they'll be broken out later.

To hold the canopy down at the rear, you can go any of 100 different ways. I've done about 20 of them, but the one shown is the one I like best for glow.

First I take a couple of scraps of phenolic and lite ply and bond them together. they need to be about 3/4" wide and 1 1/2" long.

Make a notch on the canopy bottom just inside the fuse sides at the rear, so that the outer edge of the pieces ride against the fuse sides. Glue them in place, making sure they contact the 1/4" stringer on each side. Go ahead and glue a piece of 1/4" triangle stock (light balsa) to the edge of the bottom front to rear, this gives the actual canopy glueing area. now after everything is dry remove the whole thing.

Mark the fuse sides where the phenolic pieces extend. Here, I glue in a 1/8" piece of phenolic to the side of the fuse, and a piece of 1/8" a/c ply to the inside. After it all cures, check the fit of the canopy and make sure everything slides into place and lines up. Sand and adjust as needed.

Now make a mark about 1/2-3/4" down from the bottom of the canopy on the fuse side centered on the phenolic.

Slide a single piece of poster board between the canopy and fuse here to shim it, then drill and tap all the way through for a 4-40 machine screw. You may have to run the drill and tap through a few times to get it where it starts easily.

After you have it all secured, remove it.....

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

For glueing the canopy to the frame, I built a home made jig from balsa and MDF board. it works great, and serves as a great paint fixture too.

Start by cleaning the canopy with soap and water, followed by thinner/degreaser/alcohol/whatever. just clean it.

Rough up the glueing area with 80 grit. be careful here, you have to go in about 3/4" from the edge. Rough it up good but don't go too deep.

Now just mix up some good slow cure epoxy and micro baloons, paint on a fairly thick bead, and install the canopy on the frame. it should have an overhang of around 1/4" all the way around. this isn't really critical, but if it's cocked, SOMEBODY will notice (we're pattern guys after all).

Now just tape it down and take care that it's secure all the way around, but not pulled too tightly in any one spot. it should be evenly glued all the way around.

After it cures overnight, remove the canopy from the fixture, and sand the edges flush with the frame, putting it on the plane and adjusting as necessary to achieve a good fit.

Pretty huh?

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Now you should have something close to this in your shop [8D]

That's it, the rest are just details. I will of course post all of those, but sheesh I'm typed out for the day!!!!!

-Mike

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Mike

I collected the 2 kits this morning and another $100 later (VAT) i can only say i'm very very happy. I think you have been very modest about the parts your putting out, i've built from plans and ARF and think these are some of the best quality parts and clearest plans i've used / seen to date. What supprised me though was its size - this is going to be big - or i should say they.

I'm still not sure weither to go 4stroke or electric, but given the cost of batteries in the UK four stroke is the only option really although electric being more attractive.

Can't wait for the next build update

Ian
UK_Flyer

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Welp with the parts you have, you can go either way. I usually make very lightweight parts specifically for electric, but if you use TP 5300s and and a similarly light motor, you shouldn't have any problem at all. As always, if you have any questions just ask, and if you have any pics, POST them....I wonder if me and Dean are the only guys actually building ;)

The core of the build is all here, the rest is just details. Important details, but nothing that would slow down anybody. I'll post some more stuff when I get a minute, right now I'm going through this month's K Factor for an edit. (I actually use a spell checker for that one).

I'm glad you like the parts, I haven't heard any complaints yet. And there's a lot out there......

the only complaint I have is that you can't really use the belly pan to support the plane after it's built unless you add a small former. the wife and I am currently playing with the layups some more to see how good we can get them. S-Glass is a wonderful thing, and carbon is getting downright scarce.

And if you think this one's big, the V3 will be a little bigger. But I haven't even started drawing it so it's at least a year or so off. I honestly can't find much I want to change!

-Mike

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Hi Eveyone,

Here are some pics of recent scenes in my shop.

enjoy!

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

just a few more pics....

As you guys can see, my flying surfaces are just about done, I need to install the wing/stab tubes and root ribs. The fuse is getting there, I have built a light but super strong landing gear box and I am fitting the engine position and cowling. I am going to have the YS rotated slightly so the header clears the chin cowl...

What's next -

finish wings and stab - ready for alignment - glue in tubes and root ribs.

drill firewall for mount, pushrod, and fuel tubing

throttle servo mount,

tank mount

elevator and rudder servo mounts

deps pushrod

wing and stab alignment......

in about that order!


So I hope to have more exciting Black Magic photos soon!!

cheers!

Dean

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Excellent work Dean! That also answers my question about just how a YS would fit...looks like it's completely enclosed, good deal!!!

-Mike

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Just wondering - Split Fuselage

I'm wondering if its possible to split the fuselage in half to make it easier to transport. I'm thinking from just behind the canopy at a 45 degree angle to the bottom of the fuselage, Ply cap both sections and brace, use 4 wing joining bolts top, bottom, left, right that should be accessable from the canopy,

i'd build as one piece and once complete then cut becuase i'd know the 2 parts fit together "exactly", once this is done then the ply formers can be made that cover each end, now i know this will increase the over all length by a few mm but not enought to make a difference.

Ian

RE: Black Magic v2 builder's thread! *Updated*
 

Hmmmm good question, I know you guys have been known to do that over there.

I'd say if you know what you're doing, it should be fine. Personally I don't feel that good about doing it myself, but then I doubt it would ever be necessary over here.

if you decide to do it, definitely post some pics because I'd love to see it!

-Mike