Pork Chop

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Subscribed Bob, as others have said what a great model to build I'm looking forward to this build and you're doing a great job so far I might add. Well Done!

All Day Dan

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Here's a nice image of "The Man" with his creation. Dan.

rj lemay

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Hi Guys!
Well another day, and another 9 hrs at real work, and then another 4 of fun work on the plane! I finished up with all the foam blocking on the fuse, installed the engine for the first time, so I could route the throttle cable easily, then made the 2 control horns for the elevators. I'll install those tomorrow, then i'll be ready to install the stab to the fuse. I make the horns out of 2 pieces of thick laminate, CA'd together. It's an idea that i got from two Wendell Hostetler builds, that has proven to work well. One is on his 35% RV4, the other is the Gee Bee. I am able to custom cut it to the application that I need, then use either a 4/40 clevis, or a swivel link. They're very strong. O.K I guess that's about all for now... Getting close to that wing cut!!
Have a good night,everyone
Bob

TCampbell

Bob, I like those control horns. Could you provide more info on what the material is? I read "think laminate" but what is that and where do you get it?

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Everyone!
Well today, I cut the elevators from the stab, drilled the hinge points, rounded the leading edges, and installed the 1/64" ply trailing edge top and bottoms. I did the same for the fin and rudder. It all came out well, but it's one of those tasks that I've never really enjoyed doing. It always seems like no matter how accurately you layout the hinges, some misalignment occurs. Then you have to hog out the hinge holes, add shims inside, ect..ect,Oh well! I'm glad it's done! Also I did install the elevator control horns, Tim, the horns are made out of laminate, which is Formica. I work in a commercial cabinet shop, and we have tons of leftover scrap that I can usually find any color to match the finish on the plane. There are different thicknesses of it though, and you have to use the thickest, the stuff that's used on counter tops. When you glue the 2 pieces together, it comes out to 3/32". If you want to P.M me your address, I'll send you a bunch! O.K! well that's about all for now, hope everyone has a good night!
Bob

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Guys, Not much work done today, I was kinda struggling with the root and tip airfoils for the wing cut. On the plan, the templates didn't match the top view of the wing lengthwise. It took some time to adjust things a bit, then to cut new templates. Now all is ready to go. I just have to find a brave assistant to work one side of the bow! Hopefully I'll be able to post some pictures by the end of the weekend.
Bob

TCampbell

Ah, I was overthinking it. Really appreciate the offer to send some my way, but I think I can easily get my hands on some locally. How do decide how long to make the horns? Anything empirical or just eyeball it?

All Day Dan

My Feedback: (5)

Bob, You installed the elevator control horn blocks in post 15. Are they balsa or a hard wood? How did you cut the slots for the horns and what did you use to bond them in? They look great by the way. Dan.

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Guys
Tim, the length from the surface of the elevator to the hole for the clevis is 3/4". I use this number because it has proven to work well in my 2 other large scale airplanes. It's a stronger link moving this hole outward, and I've never had any issue with surface throw. If I need more throw, I'll move the link outward on the servo arm. Then, you just want to have enough laminate to insert into the control so it doesn't protrude through the top. Make sure the hole for the clevis is squared up with the hinge line.
Thanks, Dan. The horn blocks are hardwood, I used poplar this time just because I had some laying around. They were 1"x 1". I just drilled the blocks with a 3/32" bit, making a row of holes, then connecting them with the drill. Not very scientific, but it works! I did come through the top once or twice, but it's ok, the epoxy will fill that. I used hysol epoxy to glue them in, pushing the glue into the slot with a toothpick first, then coating the horn especially through the drilled holes. You should have some good "ooze" when you push them in... clean up the excess with a small square or whatever, I used 1/64" ply.
Have a great day!
Bob

TangoBravo

Bob, I was so glad to see that big radial Saito on the nose. It just wouldn't have been right without the sound of an ICE. I'm pretty sure HH would have had a fit if someone had suggested an electric motor for his H-1.

Thanks again for all the updates and for sharing your talents with us.

Tom

All Day Dan

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Thanks for the details. Dan.

rj lemay

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Hey Guys,
Yeah, no electric power in that plane... you're right I think HH would roll over in his grave at the slightest mention of electric power in the H1! I'm not an electric enthusiast anyway.. I've always enjoyed the smell of nitro, or gasoline, or some kero being burnt in a Jetcat. Not to mention the sound. So today,I spent some time on the wing cores, first laminating 2 together to make a 4" thick block, then took them to the shop to square them up on the big panel saw. I then cut them to length, and hot wire cut the outline of the wing, minus the L.E. Tomorrow will be the actual wing cut. I made 4 panels, in case one or two of them get screwed up. A couple of pictures, nothing too exciting, but it's progress!
Thanks for the comments!
Bob

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Everyone!
Well, today in Ct. it was like a spring day! That meant a trip to the field with my son, The Smith Miniplane and its infamous pilot, and my son's FPV quad racer. There wasn't even a breath of wind! Snoopy had 2 great flights, and the FPV...well that's going to take a little getting used to. All in all a great time! I'm happy that there was one Sunday in the middle of winter here where we could go for a couple of flights, maybe it'll hold us till spring.
Back home, we tried the wing cutting for the H1. I had 4 blocks ready, and the first two attempts were bad. So I changed to the pivot method, and with the help of my stepson, the third attempt almost made it, and then the fourth...Success! , but now I've got to go back to HD for one more sheet to make the other half. It's been a good learning experience, using the foam, but I think I'll continue to build up my future projects. So a few pictures tonight, one of the Miniplane, one at our field looking north, and the last is of the new cut wing.
Hope everyone's doing well!!
Bob

TangoBravo

Bob,
Looks like you share your runway with some full scale planes. Lots of space and the trees certainly aren't a problem.

The foam cores are looking good.

Tom

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi everyone!
Thanks, Tom yes that field, where we fly, is an airstrip named "Good Hill Airport", located in Roxbury, Ct. It's part of a land trust and is just wide open. There's just as much space behind me, from where I took that picture. I'd say maybe half a dozen full scale flights per week is about all the business that runway sees. If we're up there on a Sunday, and a full scale wants to land, they'll do a low pass, usually wave, and then they'll come around again to land. There's a guy in a Stearman that loves to come up and watch us. There is only 5 of us that use the space for RC. The planes at the end there are an old Eurocoupe and a Cessna 140. They've probably been there for 20 yrs or more. Well not much building on the H1 tonight, I spent most of the time laying out the wing patterns for the retract cuts, and the spars. Cutting those out took some time. Well, that's all for now!
Goodnight All, Bob

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Everyone,
Did some more on the H1 today... I'm installing the 1/4"x1/4" continuous spars, Fabricated the front and rear spar/ wing joiners, and installed the wheel well liners. I used some cherry for the continuous spars, and they will glue directly to the front wing joiner when the two halves are joined. The front joiner is 3/8" ply, and the rear is 1/8". They will both say hello to the drill press with a nice sharp forstner bit for some lightening tomorrow. That front one is a heavy piece of lumber. I cut the wheel wells with the hot wire, and when I epoxied in the 1/64" liners, I replaced the cut cores back in the hole and shoved some toothpicks between it and the liner, and it made a nice, tight fit. Everything's going pretty well, but now I'm beginning to try to figure the geometry of the retracts.... hoo boy! I have a couple of ideas, and will probably mock it all up, before cutting it into the wing.
Hope Everyone's doing Well!
Bob

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Looking good Bob!

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hey Guys!,
Thanks,OKC
Well today was the day I cut the first aileron out of the wing, and added the leading and trailing edges, and cut the first servo hole in. It all went pretty well just took a lot of time constructing the jigs to hot wire cut them. The aileron was bowed when I removed it from the wing, some, so I clamped it between two pieces of Corian while I epoxied the L.E on. Tomorrow I will do the same to the second half, then I have to start thinking about how to construct the split flap.
I have to ask a question. This is the first plane that I've built that I'd like to have simulated rivets on, especially flush looking ones, as the H1 had. I am going to try the Aerofoil that OKC suggested for covering, so how do you do it? Thanks in advance, and have a good night everyone!- RJL

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

When using AeroFoil or FliteMetal read the instructions on the seller website and watch the numerous YouTube videos they are very helpful. It doesn't matter which product they use in the video the process is the same.

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Guys!,
Yeah, thanks OKC, right after I made that post last night, I thought, hmmm I wonder if Youtube might have... sure enough they did. There was even a guy making rivets on foil covering. I guess that if there's anything that you need to do or ask, youtube has it pretty much covered! So today more work... I went to HD to get a soldering gun to make myself a foam cutter and boy, that thing works awesome! I put a piece of 14/2 copper wire bent to the servo width in the end, and man it makes the foam disappear very quickly! I actually had to just "blip" the trigger every so often to control the heat. I also installed all the aileron blocking, and sanded it to the airfoil. Tomorrow, i'll go and find some cardboard tubing to install so I can route the wires through. Thanks Guys, Bob

TCampbell

Great idea on the soldering gun.

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hey Everyone,
Thanks, Tim.
I had to find something that would act as a tube for the servo wires today. I was going to roll some brown wrapping paper around a dowel to make one, then, there in the plumbing aisle in HD, I found some Sharkbite apex tubing, 1/2" inside diameter. Perfect. Light too! So then I went to the electrician's tool aisle to find one of those 3 or 4' drillbits, and good lord!, they were $40-50 bucks apiece! I bought a 11/16" paddle bit, a 3' length of 1/4" metal rod, and a nut for about 10 bucks, took it home welded it all together, and presto! a 3' long, servo wire tube, drill bit! It worked great, and that job is done. I also started mocking up the retract install, which is proving to be pretty complicated. I'm very happy that I saved the reject wing cores for the practice cuts. OK, well that's about all for today! Thanks Guys!
Bob

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Hi Everyone,
Well another day of building.(I did go into the shop for about 3 hrs of real work!) Anyway,I tackled the retract install today. I was making the process more complicated than necessary, and as soon as I cut into the reject piece and made that cut way too big, I knew what to do. I also made a little adjustment on my solder iron cutter, by simply adding 2 wheel collars for a depth gauge. They are installed! I also covered the inside of the cutouts with balsa. I installed 4 "posts" that go from the top of the cherry rails to the surface of the top of the wing. I will then add a piece of 1/64" ply over these, before I sheet the top of the wing with the 3/32 balsa. This will give it a little added strength for those inevitable hard landings! Well, that's all for now! Thanks for looking, everyone! Bob

FlyerInOKC

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I find that plastic Jumbo drinking straws make great servo and light wires tubes. I bought a big bag at Walmart and still have some. I tape them together and they will flex to allow the servo end to pass too!

rj lemay

My Feedback: (8)

Great idea, OKC! Normally in built up wings, I don't use any tube, but i guess in foam cores there's not much of a choice. Well today I got my order off to Ed at Scale aero, for the flite metal, it looks like that's going to be a neat way to finish this plane. I also purchased their Rosie the riveter kit for the flush rivets. Ed's a very nice guy to deal with. I actually called them at 6:30 am EST, just to leave a voicemail, and he answered! It was only 5:30 am in Houston! He talked to me about their products for nearly a half hour... Thank God for bluetooth in the car! When I got home, my goal was to get one skin on the wing that was ready. I joined up 4 sheets of 6" 3/32 balsa, marked it all up for cutouts, and with 4 pumps of West System resin and slow hardener it's done. I set the core and the skin inside the shell it was cut from, then set 200lbs. of corian on top. It looks good. Can't wait to get them all done! That's all for now! Thanks for looking, Guys. Bob