TLH101

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I'm going to be starting a "Bomber Boy's" 110" B-24 soon. Glass fuse and nacelles with foam wings. This a "short" kit with next to nothing plans and instructions.
I have weighed all the components, and it looks like between 19 & 21lbs rtf. At 21lbs, wing loading will be about 39 oz / sq'. I think I am going to install 4, 2-stroke .40's in it. I wanted to try 4-strokes, but the cowls are way too short. I think this is actually designed for .32's, or .34's. I already have 2 good .40's so that's probably what she will get.
Let hear your opinions & ideas.[sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

rryman

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Nice looking. Looks about like my C-130 the day I got it! Where did you say it came from? That looks like something I'd like to do sometime.

robert waldo

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I've got one too. I bought the Bob Palmer plans of the same scale. They really help on the tail shape and size. Bob

TLH101

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Robert,
Is yours built and flying yet? What power are you using?
Pics?

TLH101

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Ok, I got started on the B-24. The first problem I needed to workout was the nose wheel retract. The CJM retracts raise the nosewheel in and arc. Wont work in this situation since the opening for the nosegear is barely larger than the wheel. At least if I want to be near scale. Sooooo, I made a slight modification to the retract assembly. You can see in the pic how it was done. The wheel still lifts in an arc, but the arc has a much larger radius so it will come up through a scale size opening. I also mounted the steering servo to the retract as well. No loose cables when retracted . The assembly actually mounts in aircraft near the leading edge of the wing so I wont be needing a bunch of tail weight to offset it. Hopefully these pics will show what I have done:

TLH101

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Here's a couple of shots of the nosegear from the wing saddle forward, and through the cockpit frame, and some pics of the stab& elevators:

Sir Fliesalot

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Looks like most of the work is done!
How do you like the Century Jet retracts? I am about to start building a Palmer plans 110" B-24(lots of little parts) and need to order the retracts soon. Their picture of the mains yoke looked squared off instead of rounded(scale). I was looking at your pics of the nose gear and they look good. Are the mains as nice?

TLH101

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CJM actually shows different gear for the Palmer and the Bomber Boys B-24's. The ones for the Palmer are based on the 1/5 retracts, and the B/B are based on the giant retracts. Don't why, I think the 1/5 would be all you need and they are about 1/2 the cost of the giants, and look easier to install.

I will post some pics of the preparations of the cores soon so you can see, though it wont help much with built-up wing on the Palmer. I have had remove a large hole in the wing cores for the giants.

MEMPHISBELLE

My Feedback: (24)

I recived the the upper retract units from CJ on friday. I will be using robart lower legs with mine. I also am building the nose wheel retract off of scale drawings. I did not like how CJ made their nose gear. I am building a Don Smith Liberator. I have the horizontal and vertical stabs finished along with eleavators and rudders ready to cover with coverite. I have the fuse about 70% complete waiting for some air cylinders to make the retractable ball turret and tail skid. I also have the bombbay area framed out. I should be able to start the wing in a few weeks. I am planning on using saito .91's for power.


Wes

TLH101

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Here are a few pics of my wing cores being prepared for sheeting. I used a "Drywall" cutting unit on my dremel tool like a router to cut all the spar and wire channels. Kinda messy, but sure does a nice job. I cut the openings for the retract assemblies with a hot wire in a soldering gun.

TLH101

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more:

TLH101

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I have put the tubes for the removable tips in the wing core now. I started with a groove for the tube and sleeve. Tubes will be mounted in the outer wing section. Here I have built a cutter from 10ga copper wire to use in my solder gun for cutting the groove. There is a wheel collar on the wire for a depth.
Next the tube and sleeve are cut to length. I am using a 5/8 tube from Gator R/C. I then covered the end of the tube & sleeve so no glue can get in. I have also used 3 rings from the leftover sleeve to help center the tube on the outer panel. here it is all dry.

Once the tube is all fitted I use a 10ga copper wire seperating tool to cut the panel from the main wing core. A saw can be used, but the hot wire creates just the right size gap for 1/16" ply end.

TLH101

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Now the wing core is held into place in the shuck, (I dont cut all the way through the shuck when cutting off the outboard panel) with short finishing nails so both pieces are in perfect alignment, and the tube and sleeve are glued in with ProBond polyurathane glue. Once it dries, I make the end caps. I cut a small pocket in the rear portion of the inner wing for a retaining bolt, and put a blind nut in the outer panel to screw into. The pocket will be covered with a hatch that is retained with magnets. After that, I will finish gluing the tube, and fill the area with soft balsa 3/8 sheet. I will then glue in all the spars & retract mounts, and then sheet the panels with 3/32

Baldeagle

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Terry Nice looking work on your Liberator. Please keep us informed. I am working on an 100 in p38 fiberglass and foam. I used the probond glue for the first time . It really works good on foam wings. It appears they are using a high aspeck ratio wing on the b24 . Good luck Rich

TLH101

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Well, I have one wing sheeted. I want to work out all the little details like servo placement, flaps and ailerons on this wing before I sheet the other half.

TLH101

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I now have both halve of the wing sheeted and ready to start cutting out and hinging the control surfaces. I just had to stick it together for an "ooh & aah" session. I can hear those four P&W 1830's roaring already. [sm=spinnyeyes.gif]

Sir Fliesalot

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Looking good! Keep the pictures coming.

TLH101

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Here is how I made the joints between inner and oure wing panel nice and tight fitting.

First cover the end of the wing with clear packing tape.

Next: I mix up some 30 min epoxy, & I thin it with alcohol. Then mix in micro balloons to thicken it up. (I thin it first so I will have a high ratio of ballons to epoxy with out being a thick paste.) Next place a thin bead around the end of the "untaped"panel. ( some pics are from different sequences of the build so you see some things happening on the same panel ).
It does not show the epoxy filler well in this pic, but the bead is about 1/8" wide around the perimeter of the endplate.


Now bolt the end panel on and wait for the epoxy to set.

Once the epoxy filler sets up, disasemble panel, romove the tape, then reassemble. "MAKE SURE EPOXY IS COMPLETLY SET!!" Bolt panels together and sand to smooth finish. The line between the panels will almost dissapear, if I dont screw it up when finishing the

TLH101

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This is how it looks when the panels are bolted back together

TLH101

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Here's a couple pics of my aileron servo installation. I am using servo mounts that come from Hobby Lobby.

TLH101

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I'm back. been busy trying to make a living so I have not made a whole lot progress, but here is some.

I have the flaps built, pic sucks, but thats all I got of the flaps.

I have mounted the wing, here are the hold down blocks, & the wing bolted in. I used lengths of Dave Brown glass pushrods to sleeve the mount holes and prevent the foam from crushing, when bolts are tightened:

TLH101

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Next, it's time to set up the incedences. I wanted the wing at +3, & stab at +2. Well the wing is +3 OK, but the stab is -2 [:@].
Sooo, time for a little surgury. I just cut the stab saddle loose on the sides. Then I lowered the rear and tucked it down inside the fuse.
Stab incedence is perfect now.

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Now time to set back and run a couple of practice missions[8D].

BJE

How did you make the nose gear assembly? Is this something you machined yourself? I'm facing the same problem with my B-24.

TLH101

My Feedback: (90)

Well, I finally got back onto the build of the B-24 . Mounting nacelles and firewalls now. I'll be posting a few more pics in the next couple of days.