hllywdb

Have been enjoying my 74 size Integral Jr. so much lately, figured I needed to try another full size scale down. This time I'm trying my hand at Chip Hyde's Dr. Jekyll. So far, just starting on the wing. It's a tad over 31" span. I'm planning on putting one of my extra 061 Big Migs to work on this one. My goal is somewhere between 13 and 14oz, with 5 servos could be tough.

I'm thinking a 1/32 balsa turtledeck, but the front end of it might get interesting to get close to the original. Any suggestions are more than welcome.

hllywdb

Got the wing finished except the belly pan. Pretty much have the stab and vertical fin done. Ready to start the fuse. I am getting too spoiled being able to get stuff laser cut.

Tell me if I'm retarded, I'm thinking of just sheething one side of the stab. I want the strength that the sheet gives, but I think 2 sheets is over kill.

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Sheeting does give a lot of rigidity, doesn't it. I can't think of a reason to sheet the other side. What kind of covering are you going to use?

hllywdb

Most likely Ultracote. It's not the lightest, but this one I will fly mostly from a huge feild across the street, but they only mow it twice a year. With the lighter coatings I end up patching little holes almost every time I fly. Interestingly, I get more holes in the TOP of the wings as the weeds slap back over the top and the little kernals pop right through the lite coatings.

So the sheeting on the tail will face up for the same reason. Necessity is the mother of invention, I also go with 2 outboard aileron servos and run flapperons so when the weeds get high I can slow it down and just drop it into the weeds. As a bonus I don't have to worry as much about how small I build the fuselage and how to cram all the linkages in there. Ain't as purdy, but it flies nice

hllywdb

Got the fuselage started, here is the rough mock up for porportions. Got the wing block in and the ply brace for the front dowels. Next is get the wing squared and mounted, then the tail. Pushrods and then it's time for the turtle deck.

Does anyone have a side veiw drawing of a Jekyll? I've got photo's but no drawings.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

It's coming along nicely. If all else fails, I'll bet Mr Hyde would get a kick out of one of his planes being scaled down and would send you a side view.

ptulmer

My Feedback: (5)

Drum tight covering and bahia grass. You gotta love it! After a few "clear monokote" patches and your wing sounds like a cheap baby rattle. The plane looks great so far!

hllywdb

Thanks guys. I've got a few pictures of the Jekyll, but they have different canopies. Maybe what kit it was. So I'm thinking pick the one that's easiest to build out of balsa

Yuu

Why not just build a plug for the canopy, and streach a plastic two liter soda bottle over the plug with a heat gun for the clear canopy, so we can see the 'pilot' inside?

hllywdb

I've never tried that, sounds interesting though. Like to hear more. The problem I usually have with canopies is losing them when the pilot ejects after the first blender that gets a little low

I've got the wing mounted, belly pan done, stab is trued and glued. Pushrod tubes are in.

Now comes the thinking part. Still don't have a good side veiw, am thinking an angle close to this. I'll post over on the classic pattern forum and see if anyone has a side veiw.

hllywdb

Thanks to Scot Anderson from Performance Model Aviation on the Pattern forum for sending me an original drawing. Good thing too as I was off a bit. The canopy looked taller to me.
So, now have the correct top line and started the canopy deck, finished the filler blocks and installed the vertical fin. Also have the CF pushrods in and the servos mounted.

hllywdb

I like to get all the control surfaces in place, tape the hardware on, servos dropped in, tank and battery and then slide the firewall around until it balances. So now the firewall is in, blocks for the bottom hatch, top deck and my feeble attempt at a balsa canopy.

Starting to play around with the nose section, needs some trimming still. I like the idea of enclosing as much of the Big Mig as I can, I'm thinking about another bottom hatch to slide the motor in from the bottom, then fight with the throttle linkage and the muffler clipped in place. This is where a bolt on muffler like the 074 would sure come in handy. The nose is narrow enough that even with the needle out, the muffler clip drags sliding the motor back in place. Thats why the hole for the needle is so large, the clips on the NVA stick out too.

I guess I could just saw it off at the firewall and build a cowl.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

The Norvel is a tough one to cowl in. A shaft extension would help relieve some congestion up front and some way to adapt the .074 muffler design would be a big improvement.
I like the way Rainedave handled the front end on his planes with cheek cowls and just called it good enough.

hllywdb

I have also thought about just putting the AME in with no muffler and backplate pressure, but I like the better idle and quiet of the Big Mig.

hllywdb

Just went with cheeks and bottom around the engine. Got the wing covered and rigged. Started on the fuselage. Going with the "Vegas" color pattern is turning out to be a pain at 1/2A size! Still have lots of tiny color sheets to put on the fuse and stab. Found doing the wing it works better to get it all tacked and shrink after it's done. Would have been easier with trim, but too heavy.

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

It's lookin' very pretty!

Are you talking about the covering method where you assemble swatches of each color with just a minimum overlap, then iron the whole works on at the same time?

hllywdb

No, I thought about that, but ended up doing them one at a time with the small overlap even over the ribs. Apparently the universe has decided I need to learn patience and handed me this!

hllywdb

Got most of the covering done. Need to get the lettering for the side, then start finishing it. Way to many colors to do on a 1/2A. It's a lot easier on a 2 meter!

combatpigg

My Feedback: (3)

WOW! That looks super!

You've got a good eye for design and color.

hllywdb

Thanks a bunch CP.
See what I mean about trying to cowl it? Just didn't seem worth it. But balsa canopy with chrome monocote!
It's 31" tapered LE wing, haven't weighed it yet, but not a lot there I didn't need, CF pushrods, Radical RC battery. So the Big Mig should haul it well. But it's also thin enough I could toss my AME in there and run a 4 1/2 or 4 3/4" prop too. It's that old debate of thrust/vs speed. In the end the plane will decide what it likes best.

fit90

Sweet looking covering.  You obviously learned patience both quickly and well.  It also looks like Snap On red in the background of some of the pics.  You're not an aircraft mechanic are you?

Bob

hllywdb

Thanks Bob,

You are correct, that is Snap On red. No, not aircraft mechanic, but that is their old box designed for aircraft. It has suspension and the hitch to hook up to the baggage dollie trucks. I started with cars, then my own shop building performance motors for cars and building choppers. Then went to marine and had my own shop for a while. I've been doing computer consulting for the last 15 years, but I still occasionally do chopper work, but with the economy right now, the bike lift makes a nice table to build planes on

hllywdb

The wind has been 25 -30mph the last few days. It finally dropped to 15 - 20mph this morning so I took it up. 1 click of right trim and 1 click of up trim. The CG is a bit forward so it was rock solid in the wind, but I needed to drop the dual rates on the ailerons a bit as the roll rate is real fast. Still haven't wieghed it, but the Big Mig hauls it vertical real quick. After a couple flights to get it sorted out, I tried the flapperons on landing. Not that it needs them, but it just realy tames it down on landing and you can't force it to tip stall.

I was using one of my pre XE computer radios so I forgot I needed to program a mix for each aileron seperatly for the roll coupling so it was only moving the right aileron. So knife edge was a bit of a handfull in the wind.

I have the battery stacked up vertically back against F2 already, so I may need to move it to the belly pan to move the CG back, but I think I'll tape some weight to the tail first to test it before I make that much of a change. I should have trusted the CG calculations but I went a bit conservative.

hllywdb

Rather than move the battery to the belly pan, I built a compartment with a removable divider in the main section. That way I can still remove the pushrods. Got to love turtle decks, it leaves so much room to tuck all the wires out of the way.