vasek

My Feedback: (4)

On the contrary, it could be more fun filming while you figure it all out LOL. Just a thought

frequent flyer

My Feedback: (6)

Ok Robert
I spent a few hours to read your thread to see what you are up to. I can pop you out some new Canopies just get me what I need. That last few days I've been very busy but I'm caught up now.

acerc

Then you may have noticed that even though I did some vac forming years ago, I apparently have no talent for it today.

frequent flyer

My Feedback: (6)

You are doing a fantastic job on this build. You appear to be as much of a perfectionist as I am. Is that kit a current production kit ?

acerc

Yes these kits are current and available from, http://vogelsang-aeroscale.com/. There are others overseas but much easier and affordable from Vogelsang.

acerc

The canopy has been made. But I had to recast the windscreen, the previous cast was a smaller one made for my little Pitts. How I confused the two I'll never know. Anyhow, I will make the windscreen after I return Thursday.

acerc

And I know it is going to be asked so here is a link to a video showing how. Pay close attention to his knee at the end, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS8ETVtKpCA, the force part is what I was missing. My eldest noticed it, I did it, it worked. Never had to do that with any other plastic than this PETG.

stevegauth30

Makes sense. I'd imagine you have to really force it all the way down tight to make an air tight seal. Glad you figured it out good.

acerc

PVC, Lexan, Styrene, does not flex when heated like this PETG. Nor do the other plastics resist the stretching like that either. I made a bunch of parts years ago with the white styrene and it was a cake walk, heat and slap it over the mold with ease, never any kind of force to get it there.

Melchizedek

Cooooollll

One more tick off the to do list

Kevin

acerc

Popped off the windscreen today. It is really weird the amount of force to get the frame down but as soon as it hit's the vac seal it's sucked right down. Anything else I vac I will use Lexan (plexiglass) instead of this PTEG, I don't care how much better the PETG is suppose to be.I have also measured and cut all the pinking strips for both wings, plan to start the pinking in the morning.

frequent flyer

My Feedback: (6)

Robert so what did you cut the pinking strips with? I have a few different cutters and was curious what you had.

acerc

I cut the rolls with a debit card, and the length with scissors!!!

frequent flyer

My Feedback: (6)

I'm sorry, what does that mean?

acerc

I bought the pinking tape from Stits. I only cut it to length.

frequent flyer

My Feedback: (6)

Oh, OK I get it, you're a funny guy. I just didn't get it. I do now.. I have a variety of machines to cut a wide assortment of pinks a different spacings and shapes of the pinks for different scales. This is an ongoing effort to find different machines and cutter that are being used and that's why I asked. I thought maybe you had one that I have not seen yet. Well, anyhow it's good that you got you canopy made, I take it you're all set with that now and don't need any help. Keep up the good work and show lots of pictures!

stevegauth30

Yeah, I didn't get it either. So, frequent flyer, how's that work now? I send you some solartex and you cut it for me? Lol.

frequent flyer

My Feedback: (6)

I've only been collecting and buying pinking machines to play around with them and make pinking tapes for a number of scale kits I'm about to release and hadn't really thought, at least at this point, of marketing the tapes by themselves. I assume that at some point I will sell them alone when I finished building my new shops.
Right now I'm very busy with other kits and things.

Hey I saw you Mr/ Mulligan thread, I have tuned in and will be watching it. Always loved that plane, I have that Kit also. Really looking forward to you build.

acerc

You should market them, we are very limited in our resources, and even more limited in the scale cutting of those tapes. The canopy is complete, I may even do a second out of Lexan to see the difference between the two plastics side by side.

frequent flyer

My Feedback: (6)

I have seen extremely clear results on .040" lexan large canopies that I have done. I know if you are near the coast and the moisture in the air is high as it is here where I am you need to warm it prior to heating and vac u forming it for the best results. It seems to store moisture and if not pre-heated an hour or so, millions of micro bubbles cloud it. At first I thought it was just dull or cloudy but under the microscope I could see that they were bubbles. Pre-heating it solved the problem. It is a problem I encountered also with PETG if it was heated just a little bit too long. I think the Dupont Lexan is much stronger than the PETG especially for large canopies. I still use the PETG for the smaller canopies and it works great. Did you get any distortion or almost a fine marbling in the plastic on the ones you made?

acerc

On the first pull yes, but because of how cold the PoP was, on the second I warmed the PoP and had no distortion and it was an easier pull.

acerc

The pinking has begun!

Melchizedek

Pink away, Pink away.

Kevin

acerc

I am, I am.
All the rib and spar pinking has ben completed. I will let these cure until tomorrow and then do the perimeter tapes.

Cub Flyer Fresno

Robert, that little loop that you showed at the wing tip will shrink that much??? I don't think Solartex can do that... can it?