erans

Igot the videos on Youtube. Iadmit that I am not very good with the camera and Iusually prefer not to talk while filming, but with the slats and flaps I had no choice (too many captions if not)
Flap and Slat operation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_AFV6aPy-c
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4_AFV6aPy-c[/youtube]

Aileron operation - http://www.youtube.com/watch?edit=vd&v=oqIJe8VcPUE
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqIJe8VcPUE[/youtube]

I hope it is helpful

glazier808

My Feedback: (1)

Looks like your making great progress on the wings! Both of my children have been out of school since last Wednesday, so I've been hard pressed to get anything done...

Casey

JGrc

My Feedback: (29)

HI Eran,

yes, 19 up and 15 down on ailerons, 33 up and down on elevators is about right.

JG

erans

Thank you Jose. The picture you attached to your reply is great. I can't wait to see my Me-109 in the sky.

Today Ibuilt a test stand for the retracts. Ihave never used pneumatic retracts or the Jet-Tronics valve before, so I thought it will be a good idea.
I did have one problem tough, and it is that Ihave a nipple on the Jet-Tronics unit which Ihave no idea how it should be part of the system.
Once I operated it, I was very happy that Idecided to test it on a test stand and not inside the wing... The force that it slams the retract would have demolished the wings.

I played a bit with the speed control on the unit, but I got it to slow it for the start of the movement and then it accelerates for the end of the movement, not really what I wanted...
Also, with the speed function the air last for single cycle compared to 3-4 cycles without the speed reduction. While the speed reduction is on, air is coming out from that "extra" nipple in pulses.

I will have to ask some friends who already use this valve for advice.

JGrc

My Feedback: (29)

Eran,

I use wheel collars on each line to control the speed of the retraction and deployment of the gear. I can also make one leg go up faster than the other to make it more realistic.

JG

glazier808

My Feedback: (1)

Eran,

They sell airline restrictors as well. You just put one inline on the up and down side and it will slow things down quite abit. I've found that using these as well as adjusting the flow at the regulator helps alot. Keep in mind that trying to slow things down at the regulator alone, can sometimes effect the gears ability to "pull" up the weight of the wheels.
I've finally got my wing mated last night. I spoke with Jose about the wing joiner, as his original was alittle off. I believe he has already reworked this part since, but your's may confuse you abit if you try to use it as is.

Casey

erans

Thank you Jose, Casey. I took the retracts to the airfield today to seek advice from a friend using similar valve. Unfortunately we had some problems with getting it going properly, but he did provided me with restrictors to try at home. Like everything new, there is a learning curve.

Ihave attached a video showing the operation in default settings on youtube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYjKI...ature=youtu.be
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYjKItawrUM&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

The good new today is that the postman delivered my engine for the Me-109, the MVVS30cc IFS SP (slant plug).

erans

Casey, Itemporarily attached the wings today to see if my joiner provide the correct dihedral. I believe it does or provide enough dihedral to allow adjustment to the correct angle (once I will clean the join rib for perfect match and remove all the ribs "wood tabs" from the bottom). Thank you for the heads up.

One minor issue that I suddenly figured out, my building table just accommodate the full wing with the wing tips... Working on it once fully glued together will be very difficult.

saramos

It's really coming together. Looks great!

JGrc

My Feedback: (29)

Eran,

the 4.3 inches or 109 mm. clearance at rib 10 under EACH wing.

JG

erans

saramos - Thank you for the kind words. Ifeel like I hardly make any progress and suddenly there come a stage that bring things together and it looks and feels great.

Jose - Thank you for the clarification. Iwill have to re-check again. Ihad more then the required for "one wing", but I am not sure I have enough for both sides 109mm. I was not even looking at the plans for the requirements as I am still quite some time away from actually joining the wings (have to sort out my retracts first), and assumed that the joiner will get me the correct dihedral.
If you have your new part design for the joiner (and if it is different to the part Ireceived), can you please post it in 1:1 size picture attachment?

glazier808

My Feedback: (1)

Eran, I have made a template for a new joiner. I'll post a picture when I get home later...its an easy fix, no worries mate!

Casey

Jose is drawing it up with CAD as well.

erans

Casey - Iam not sure how easy it is going to be, my joiner is glued to one side already and the centre ribs are glued at an angle to match. I will appreciate the drawings of the joiner if you have a chance to post it.
Imay decide not to bother with a fix and will settle for not to scale dihedral...

All I had time for today was to check the retracts valve speed programming. Iwas hoping that it was an issue of dry O-rings in the cylinders that caused the excessive air loss. As can be seen in the video which was taken after introducing silicon oil into the system that Istill cannot get enough pressure for safe 3 cycles starting at 90 PSI.

Youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keAJL...ature=youtu.be
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=keAJLGTOqMQ&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

erans

The fact that we are about to have a record of consecutive days over 40 degree Celsius should not be an excuse considering that the house is air-conditioned 24/7, but I couldn't get motivation today.
I only spent an hour on the Me-109. I checked the retracts with restrictors fitted (and it works well). See video on youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdj6S...ature=youtu.be or here:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdj6S9cTCu8&feature=youtu.be[/youtube]

The only other thing Idid today was to glue blocks of balsa where the dowel will be fixed before sheeting with 3mm balsa on top.

erans

Today I sheeted with 3mm balsa over the wing dowels area and then it was back to the landing gear.
First, Iwas quite impressed with how the wood screws held the landing gear in the test mount, considering the forces of the default settings retraction. To give the screws even greater surface area contact, I bevelled the holes a bit.
While Iwas working on the landing gear Inoticed that the wheels axles travelled out a bit. A closer look revealed that I cut too much of a flat on the axle and when the screw tightened all the way it hardly had any threads holding it in place. Better to find these things on a test rig. Ireplaced the little screw with full size 8-32 cup screw. It doesn't look as good, but it is much stronger.
Next, Iwas about to cut the small parts of Fliteskin that I need for the landing gear area, but first Iwanted to make sure that I have big enough Fliteskin to sheet the bottom of the wings. I decided to cut these first and store the cut sheets for later. Then I cut the wheels walls from the drawings. I had to make small modification to match my new semi-ribs, but quick test fit gave promising results.

JGrc

My Feedback: (29)

Keep it coming Eran

JG

erans

Over the last couple of days, when I had some free time, I kept working on the wheel walls.
I marked the radius around the wheel and tried to fit the cut pieces Imade from the plans, but could not get it to fit properly.
Since it is quite difficult to hold the Fliteskin bend in place, Idecided to glue 3mm balsa support around the edges of the marked circle to the skin, and a full height support balsa pieces where the gap will be for the landing gear leg.
Ithen cut by trial and error new piece of Fliteskin for the "TE" side and it came quite good, so after making a copy (for the other wing) I glued it in place with Gorilla glue.

JGrc

My Feedback: (29)

YOu can also laminate the fliteskin with 2 0r 3 mm- 1/16 balsa. Use the grain vertical. It works quite well and makes a stiff wheel well.

JG

erans

This week I had a bit of motivation crisis. I think that I started to get bogged in making the aeroplane "scale" which was not the original objective ("Sport Scale"). Looking at the amazing workmanship on the other builds got my spirit a bit down when I compared it to my own.

Jose - The Fliteskin alone on the wheel walls is very stiff, I was quite surprised how much. Once the bottom skin added to the wing and glued to the wheel wall it will be as strong as anything. If there is anything that this build was worth doing for it was the discovery of Fliteskin material and Polyurethane glue.

What I did managed to do this week was some more work on the wheel walls. I had a bit of a "blond" moment looking at a picture of the area in a book and constructing it with "straight edge" at the far side from the axle. Later I noticed it was a picture from a Gustav... So I mended it to a round shape...
Ialso fixed one of the landing gears with its screws and found out that the wheel was touching the "semi ribs". Iadded couple of washers to lift it "up" (actually down).
I also had a quick look today into the mounting of the slats / flaps servo. I think I will add couple of spruce beams under the Flitskin for its attachment, but still looking at lighter options.

JGrc

My Feedback: (29)

ERan

I prefer to install the wheel well lining after the bottom of the wing is sheeted. I laminated the bottom skin on that bay with thin balsa sheet so the the well lining has more surface to glue.

JG

erans

Thank you Jose for the advice. As many things on this build, this is my first ever wheel well lining, so I had no specific order of build in my head. I think it will still be quite strong. Even before gluing it to the bottom skin it is very stiff.

Today I finally got back the motivation to work on the wings after a bit of down time. I started with trial fitting the left wing landing gear. I again needed couple of washers to stop the wheel from touching the top skin.
I then completed the wheel wall in the strut "channel" similar to what I did in the right wing.

Next Iconcentrated on the servo for the flaps / slats. Each side will have its own servo. I glued spruce servo mounts and then cut the skin "around" the servo. Iused the 1-1/4" 4-40 socket head screw from the torque rod to the top of the wing. I have to repeat it on the right wing, hopefully tomorrow.

erans

Icompleted the second flap / slat servo installation today, and have attached the air valve next to it.
Then, with the air tank in place, Itemporarily joined the wings to check the dihedral again. I measured 72mm at rib 10 on both sides, quite short of the required 109mm...
Considering that my wing joiner is glued with epoxy in place (as is everything else touching the centre ribs), I think that I will not bother fixing it and leave the dihedral as is. If anything, it will probably enhance the flying characteristics. If you think it won't, let me know.

Brad330l

My Feedback: (1)

Hey erans, i'm not sure about the different flight characteristics with the lower dihedral but it does look pretty good from your pictures. Could you show more about the measurements? Rib 10 you say?
The rest is looking the goods mate.

Cheers,

Brad

erans

Hi Brad, thank you for the compliments.
As to your question, rib 10 is the last rib before the rounded wing-tips. Jose, who designed this "kit", clarified my previous miss-understanding in regards to the required dihedral specifying it should be 109mm on both sides, at rib 10. I was made aware by Casey who build identical aeroplane that there was a mistake in the design of the joiner, which as a result provide lesser dihedral. Casey, being an amazing craftsman, just fixed it.
I looked at the scale of work required to fix my wing and decided not to bother. I do not intend to compete with this aeroplane in scale or any other competition, and even with the lesser dihedral it will still look very convincing. I think that with less dihedral the aeroplane will roll more axial and fly inverted better anyway. A 72mm dihedral at both sides is still quite a lot compared to other aeroplanes I currently fly.

glazier808

My Feedback: (1)

Erans...let's just fix it(I can help from here!)

First...draw a line on the joiner where it protrudes from the wing.

Second...cut it at that line(flush with mating edge of the wing)

now if you can get that glued piece out...I'll send you a template I made from 1/64 ply for a new one
No biggie all fixed

if you cant get it out, glue the other half in and mark the protruding end and cut again flush with the mating edge of wing

now when you pm me your info, I can send you this template. Once you make a new one we'll glue it in right next to the original...you will just have to cut some slots so it too can slide in like the original..

Fixed!

Oh yeah...I'm not an amazing craftsman....20+ years of building skyscrapers has taught me how to fix what engineers told me will work! LOL

Casey