Pond Skipper

Tanks are easy with the right parts on tap. I have found a bottle type that works well with rubber test tube bungs.
Makes for a nice low weight tank all parts sourced off ebay. The bung / stopper is press fitted with a bit of glue then heat
shrink is used to keep the stopper from migrating.

RickP

My Feedback: (2)

Hello Guys,
It has been a while since we had an update here. Here are some photos, I got the fuse all boxed in.
Rick

RickP

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Hi all,
A little more progress. I mounted the horizontal fin (added elevator joiner) and vertical fin. I started working on the canopy. I am going to put the hatch on the bottom. I am trying not to deviate from the plans, but I do not have the vacuum formed canopy and I am not dealing with splitting the one I am making and putting the hatch on the top. I see a lot of difficulty in trying to get the seams to look nice on a hatch like that. I made the canopy from 1/4" balsa sheet. Enjoy!
RP

RickP

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Basically the fuselage is done, now on to the wing...

GREG DOE

It's nice to see someone using the old RC Modeler wing jig concept. In the last year I've built 2 Hummer wings on my 1/4" steel rods.
Over the last 30 years I've built more wings then I could count. Probably around 30.

RickP

My Feedback: (2)

Hi Greg!
Yes, I've been using those rods for years. Best investment I ever made. Just purchase two precision ground steel rods 48" long from McMaster if you have never tried it. Honestly I don't think I have ever build a wing quite this small. I didn't think It would work, and I had to leave off the outboard ribs on each end even still it barely fit. The 1/4 holes in the ribs made them very weak to handle and I broke nearly all of them in the process.
The real key to this method is to use oversized LE, TE and spars and glue them in, in a neutral state including any bow. Once it dries take a long sanding bar and true it all up.
RP

GREG DOE

My 1/4" rods were purchased about 30 years ago, so my rods are only 36" long, which at the time I figured would be
long enough for anything I might ever build. On larger projects I have to build one wing panel at a time. Someday I
might invest in some 48" rods. On a small 1/2A thin wing like the Mach None, or the Hummer, I just drill my 1/4" holes
closer to the center of the ribs where there is more "meat" (wood) to reduce breakage. Another trick I employ is to
Drill my holes around 3/16" dia. and then open the holes up with a 1/4" rat tail file in my electric drill, in REVERSE.

RickP

My Feedback: (2)

Quick update,
Wing is coming along. Just add TE and rough shape and cover...
RP

Pond Skipper

Very nice what is the wood weight thus far?

RickP

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Hey there,
Scale tells me 9.3 oz with the ailerons on now. I've never been accused of being a very light builder, but the plans call for an all up weight of 22oz. So I am still under 50%. I'm guessing that's pretty good? Not sure. What do you think?
RP

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

She looks very nice..! I built the foam winged version and really liked it a lot.

Pond Skipper

Hi Rick
Old gear back in the day 22oz would be the range. 2021 you want more power put towards performance.
by the weight savings from good modern hardware and RC components.

H5606

Very nice, clean build and workmanship -

RickP

My Feedback: (2)

Well,
The wing is aligned. I really didn't plan ahead, so this part is kind of difficult. I have to figure out how to get the wing dowels installed and wing bolts. As for the alignment I assume the Wing, Thrust line and horizontal stab is 0-0-0.
Rick

Pond Skipper

Given the airfoil shape zero works and plenty of squares for lift.

subarubrat

My Feedback: (1)

I just added a Mach-None to the collection, I'll scan the plans and build a copy so I can keep the original in the collection.

Does anyone happen to have a kit box with good artwork? If so, can you scan it or take the best pics you can and post them? My kit is in excellent shape but missing the sheet of paper for the box art.

RickP

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Hi There,
My buddy is concurrently building one from an old kit. He has the box. I may even be able to send it to you. I'll see what I can do...
RP

RickP

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Quick update for a not so quick build thread, I told you so. I ordered Dope from SIG for covering the wing and I also ordered three servos EMAX ES08MA II from another thread in this forum I got the advice from. We will be flying this year promise you!!
RP

small_rcer

Park Flyer Plastics has the vacuum formed plastic canopies for the Mach None.

www.parkflyerplastics.com

Will Sgarlat

The Mach None was a fun 1/2A plane. It was fast with a Cox tee dee .049, could roll nicely and fly inverted just great. I had fun with mine for years during the 1980s, before I smeared it along several yards of the runway, flying inverted a few feet high while showing off for my girlfriend.
In 2023, I'm interested in reproducing the orange and blue one in this pic, which was a home brew 1/2A, built around a friend's broken, undercamber glider wing. Half-A planes are way too much fun and should probably be illegal for that reason.

Pond Skipper

Nice, go for it Will, the clouds await!!
Tee Dee with upgrades can go much faster with APC E prop selection.
The plane design could do with improved airfoil and over all size at
75% of the original design -given the smaller RC gear today.

Will Sgarlat

Rick, I guess I was all caught up in seeing the Mach None again after so long, I neglected to say that you're doing a heck of a nice job in reproducing this plane, all in wood, too. Not many people build planes out of the box, much less from plans and raw stock, so you're carrying on a fine tradition of making planes with your hands and not just by using great gobs of money from your wallet to buy a pre-built plane. You get more than a passing acquaintance with your model when you build it yourself.
Well how is your Mach None now? How'd it turn out?
Regards,
Will

blvdbuzzard

I have a scratch built Mach None. It is E powered, build up wing, dual aileron servos, hand cut parts with the trusty ole #11 Exacto knife blade, 1500mah 1800mah, 2200mah 3s lipo. I should be getting maiden flight in a month or two.

Not sure why the pictures came out so BIG?


Buzz.

LLRCFlyer

The Mach None is definitely a great flyer. I built one in the 1980's using three channels to add rudder control. That was fantastic as it added knife edge flight, snap rolls and spins to its list of maneuvers, all on a Cox TeeDee .051 engine. It would do consecutive inside or outside loops for as long as the fuel supply lasted. It was surprisingly fast and fun to use as a pylon racer. With today's tiny 5 gram servos, 7 gram receivers and a 1S-300 mah lipo battery, it could be an exceptionally fantastic flyer now. If you are an old-school nostalgic pilot and want a piston engine, a PAW .061 diesel engine would be a perfect match. Hard to believe, but the PAW 1cc diesel engines will idle reliably at less than 3000 rpm.