foodstick

Kram,
How are we gonna get Frank and Dwayne to build some German or Japanese bombers? These guys are starting to build the 17 and 29 in their SLEEP ! Actually I think they are both day building and sleep walk building !

hahahahahah

kram

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Hush, foodstick!

First I gotta talk one of them into a B-24

Can you imagine?

I think Don Smith has one

kram

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Nose gear simply mounted on 1/4" aircraft ply

Wait for final alignment before gluing permanently in place with gussets to reinforce

Cockpit floor will go down on top of this and double as sealed upper containment of nose gear bay

kram

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Continuing with vertical fin and rudder construction:

I use very soft lightweight 4 inch wide ("contest grade") balsa sheeting rather than the 1/16" X 3" from the kit

On the complex curves of the vertical fin, this gives you more depth for sanding to create a non-rippled surface, and in the end you wind up with no additional wood (weight)

kram

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I have found it easier and more precise for a straight hinge line to build the rudder (and elevators) starting with a light ply center


5/32" control rod notched into rudder. I should have cut it an inch too long, then trimmed it after all the control junk installed down below (after mounting to fuse)

kram

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Rudder will have two hinge arms

Small balsa triangle serves as stop to the hinge wire

kram

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Horizontal stab begins

Easiest and straightest way to build elevators is use thin balsa center plank with ribs on both sides

kram

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So throw the awkward pre-cut elevator ribs in the trash and custom cut yer own

It will save about two hours building time and give a straighter, stronger, light result

kram

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Starting to look like tail feathers!

Cut lightening holes in the elevators' center planks

Carefully sand the ribs to a smooth gradual, unified contour before sheeting, just like the wing and fuse

kram

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Now is a good time to add a 1/64" ply cap to the stab where it meets the elevator. Makes the whole assemble stronger and smooth enough to be paint-ready if covered with thin CA and finely sanded

kram

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Elevator Hinging and Control:

Bottom side of elevator, showing imbedded 5/32" piano wire. At final assembly, I will lube the exposed part of the wire with Teflon-based oil

Bushings at inner and outer hinge points are blue Nyrod

Sig 5/32" wheel collars hold the wire beside the control horns

kram

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I use TWO nose gear control horns on each elevator control rod and secure them to a Dave Brown CF control rod with a 4-40 bolt to sandwich the ball link

Use scrap balsa to determine exact shape of complex little plywood parts

Bottom side of tip, I cut balsa wedge, epoxy the hinge tube in place, then replace the wedge before the epoxy sets

kram

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Looking at the bottom of the elevator/stab assembly:

LE's are rounded, center pocket is open for control arm installation

Next step will be fitting the gap strips and that should be easy with the ledge we have on the stab TE

Elevators move freely and are easy to remove if you take the Sig wheel pant collar off

Of course, the 5/32" wire will get flat spots to help lock the control horns in place

Of course, I will Loctite anything with threads at final assembly

Mopaerial

Great Build! Keep up the great work.

kram

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Mopaerial recently did a masterful edit job on a 5 year-old video I thought was spoiled by too much backlighting, also cut a bunch of useless jibber-jabber out to make a 1-hour DVD we call

"Bomber School 101:" basically a 1-hour seminar by Dwayne in my shop giving his experience on how to build, set up and fly a 4-engine bomber

I'm toying with the idea of selling copies, but I suspect my target audience is very small.

Unlike this thread, which can be decent vicarious entertainment, the DVD is only worth something to flyers who plan to actually fly a 4-engine plane

It made the difference between success and failure for me


Mark

foodstick

Kram you have been more persistent on making this a Complete thread than you are at forcing trophies on people

kram

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Thanks!

Would you believe I'm 3 days behind??

kram

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Cap TE of vertical fin and bottom of rudder with 1/64" ply now, while they're easy to glue and sand smooth

kram

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Fit and attach rudder hinges and cap rudder TE with a 3/16" spruce square. This will be more resistant to dings and will sand smoother

kram

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Cap bottom of rudder with 1/64" ply

Cut slots in rear gunner parts so the 5/32" wire can be pulled and placed

kram

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Drill a hole in the table to insert the 5/32" rudder wire and draw a line forward so all the steps of assembly can be perfectly aligned

Put loose 1/64" ply spacers between rudder and rear gunner station

kram

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Put tail feathers on and start lining things up

This is where all your efforts of building all the parts straight will pay major dividends

kram

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Horizontal stab assembly must be level side to side and ) degrees incidence, just like the center line of the fuselage and the wing tips

kram

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Bulk up the fuse side planking with more balsa and the fuse formers with lite ply

Epoxy the empennage in place

kram

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Glue the gap strips in place