ajcoholic

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Cause I dont have a cnc foam cutter...

Lucky guy!!

AJC

Bipe Flyer

I built my machine using information on this site. http://www.8linx.com/cnc/day6.htm

MR Flyer57

That stuff is absolutely amazing, combined with the CNC cutter that Dickybird has and the mill that AJ is using. There is some serious machine talent afoot here.
I would love to be that far into cutting, but it seems light years from where I am now.
Still blinking with amazement,
MR Flyer 57

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

HI MR57! I still use a $6.50 lamp dimmer switch and 115VAC. Formica makes great template material, and stainless aircraft safety wire works great also. It's always amazing to see 6 wing panels materialize before the first can of beer gets emptied! BIPE! Thanks for the link to the CNC machinery!

Bipe Flyer

I did some more work on the plan and started framing up the fuse. I'm trying a little bit of foam on the fuse to support 1/32 sheeting.

It may look a little weird right now but it'll make sense as I get more done.

Bipe Flyer

The fuse is sheeted and I've started on the stringers.

Bipe Flyer

The tail has been cut out, the wing has been mounted and a few stringers have been added.

I was lucky to find a hair gel container that is the perfect size for the cowl.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

HI BIPE! Looks great! What makes this design more appealing than ever before is that you can take an off the shelf bottle, and probably cut down a hobby store canopy to make the plastic parts. You aren't that far away from covering, are you going to cover the cowl?

MR Flyer57

Hello again Bipe,
Did you go with the 30" wings? It was mentioned but I don't think you every told us for sure.
I am trying to scale my plane and was going to work for about a 34" wing. I am in the process of getting some new (or just different) motors. One is the norvel .61 and I might go with that for power. I believe that is what you are using, and if it will pull yours around it might also drag my bird up.
Oh,,, and the plane,,, it is looking soooo good. But then again I am crazy about Gee Bees.
Thank you,
MR Flyer57

Bipe Flyer

CP,
This model of Gee Bee only had a windscreen, so I will use a piece of PETG and I'll have to vacuum form the wheel pants. I was going to vacuum form the cowl, but I took a look at the grocery store and found the hair gel container that was the exact dimensions I was looking for. I might buy a couple more for future projects. It would be perfect for a Pup or a Harvard (Texan).

I think I'll paint the cowl. I have some Tremclad red which is fuel proof, but not quite the right colour. I found some other rust paint that is a perfect patch for Ultracote, but it isn't fuel proof. I may use it and clear coat it with polyurethane or varathane. I guess another option would be to use Lustrekote and Monokote. I've covered plastic before, but I find it difficult to get a wrinkle free finish. I wish I could 21st Century Fabric because it would look great, but it's just too heavy.

Marshall,
Yes, I went with 30" wings and an .061 because I wanted it to have a fair amount of power for its size. It'll easily handle a 34" plane. I've seen them in stuff well over 40" that will still rog and loop from level flight.

I really like Gee Bees too.

ajcoholic

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looking great!

AJC

Andrew

BF --

You might consider Silkspan -- use the light to cover the solid areas (SIG-400-00) and medium for the open areas in the fuse (BH-926). It will give you the texture similar to fabric unless you fill it completely and it is very light. It will also need to be doped to maintain tension and remain fuelproof.

the "other" Andrew

Brodak has silkspan in single sheets and packs of 3. I think these links will work unless there is a session ID embedded.


http://www.brodak.com/shop_productde...maincatagory=1

http://www.brodak.com/shop_productde...maincatagory=1

Bipe Flyer

Andrew, that's certainly an option. Maybe a little "old school", but I might be able to pull it off.

I'll look into it, thanks for the tip.

Bipe Flyer

I got a little more work done.

I added a few more stringers and the wing fillets

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

That's very nice BIPE! It looks like the fillets are balsa?

Bipe Flyer

Yes they are balsa. I made a large piece of tri-stock from soft balsa and then cut darts on the back side to allow it to conform to the shape of the wing and then sanded to shape.

prole

My Feedback: (3)

Bipe-

good god that is beautiful- sorry I know that i am a little late, I've been sitting here for hours catching up on all that I missed last month.

I've got a pretty simple question, I am going to do a box fuselage kinda like yours and I was wondering on the dimensions of the wood you used for the fuse sides, fuse doublers - if you used them - and the tail surfaces.

I don't have a ton of experience with the box type fuses, I guess all the Guillows Rubber powered kits I made as a kid and in college shaped my idea of how airplanes should be made. I guess that's where my natural tendency to the stick fuse comes from.

I was planning on 1/8" for the fuse sides with a 1/16 or 1/32" lite ply doubler on the front and 3/32" sheet for the tailsurfaces. 1/16" balsa for sheeting the top and bottom .

What do you think- over kill or not enough?

any thoughts would be great.


timothy

Bipe Flyer

I used 1/16" for the fuse sides on this plane because there are external formers and stringers which add plenty of strength. Usually I use light 3/32" for fuselage sides on 1/2A models. This plane didn't need any doublers because of the fairings. I used 1/32" sheeting on the GeeBee because it is supported by foam. I've tried 1/32" over stringers in the past, but it is too flimsy and the formers show when you cover it.

Here's my typical 1/2A wood thicknesses.

Fuse sides: 3/32" balsa
Formers: 3/32" balsa
Fin and Horizontal Stab: 3/32" balsa
Firewall: 1/8" ply
Top sheeting: 1/16" balsa
Bottom Sheeting:1/16" balsa from the wing forward and just a couple of cross braces or 1/32" from the wing back.

I very rarely use doublers, but if I do I just use another piece of whatever the fuselage side is made from. I only use plywood on the firewall or sometimes a very small piece of 1/16" at the bottom of the former just in front of the wing to accept dowels.

prole

My Feedback: (3)

Thanks Bipe-

that helps out a lot.

I especailly like the creative use of the foam for shaping the outside of your plane. I have never seen that before. Is that common in the larger planes?

I checked out that CNC that you put the link to, pretty cool. They talk about getting a full size one for making guitars at work. I'm not so into it simply as a job security thing but they sure are cool.

So yours is a hot wire cutter, do you know what the cutting bit/blade/wire is on the one Dickeybird uses to cut balsa?

any similarities?



t

DICKEYBIRD

Both Bipe's CNC foam cutter and my CNC router share the same type tool of movement method, ie: stepper motors turning leadscrews turning in drive nuts attached to the tool holder. The stepper motors are precisely controlled by a CNC controller attached to the PC's printer port by a cable. His is 4 axis control (2 independantly controlled X/Y carriages) mine has 3 axis control (X/Y- back & forth worktable movement plus Z, tool up/down movement.) My machine is small (12" x 12" worktable) and slow compared to the machine you'll probably get to cut guitar stuff and I use 1/16" & 1/8" 2 flute solid carbide router bits. Your commercial machine will also have servo motors with encoders instead of stepper motors. MORE SPEED, MORE POWER! YEAH!

Don't worry 'bout job security with the CNC router....just polish up you CAD skills and volunteer to the boss to help with all the CNC stuff. It's a really neat tool that will speed up and "accurize" things like fretboard inlaying, bridge and neck making immensely. Besides, just bring some G-Code files to work on a floppy and if your boss is cool with it, spend part of your lunchtime cutting out some airplane parts! Also, just think of it as another skill to add to your resume.

Bipe Flyer

Prole,

The sheeted foam over a box technique isn't very common in .40 and under planes, but it is used quite a bit in giant scale. It is strong, light and gives a nice finish to cover over. You can see an example at this web site. http://www.edge540.com/ Click on the "Foam Parts" link.

My CNC cutter is how Dickeybird described and is 42" X 22" X 16".

Bipe Flyer

I added the wire frames for the landing gear today.

I've been pretty busy lately. I hope I can finish in time.

Bipe Flyer

The landing gear has been a project in itself.
Here are a couple of pictures of one of the wheel pants.

Japanman

Way cool plane, Bipe.
Those old air racer types really get me going
J.M

Bipe Flyer

The wheel pants are done. Now I just need to install a few servos and get covering.