Originally Posted by
N1EDM
Beautiful job, KHodges. I am building up an Anniversary Cub and would like to convert it to a L-4 but am afraid that whatever structure that I put into the fuse to hold the 'clear panes' will not be strong enough to hold. I will check out the BUSA site for those conversion plans to see if I can get ideas.
What did you use for your additional clear panels?
Bob
Bob, I used clear thin Lexan sheet, probably thicker than needed, to make the greenhouse on my L-4. I got it at Lowe's. It scores and snaps easily enough for straight lines, but a bit more difficult for curves, and it hard to crease if you need a bend in it. I imagine that the clear plastic like the kit uses for the windscreen would work, I'm sure you can pick up some from a hobby supply.
You mentioned the "Anniversary" kit, is that the Sig kit or the Goldberg, and what scale? I remember that I chose the 1/5 Sig kit to convert because the center wing section of the 1/5 scale Cub is part of the fuselage and therefore easier to keep structurally sound with the greenhouse, and makes wing removal for transport easier. Unless it has been changed since I quit, the 1/4 scale Sig Cub has the center section as part of one of the wing halves, and would be more difficult to modify with a greenhouse, unless you modify the wing plan along with the fuselage. The BUSA kit I am using for this upcoming build also has the center section as part of the fuselage.
Here are some more pictures of the 1/5 scale L-4 I built many years ago, showing some of the greenhouse detail. I welcome any questions about the conversion, but some of the details on what I did are a bit fuzzy to me now. I will say, all the sticks used for the framing are basswood and not balsa, to add more strength. One thing I would recommend, is if you have access to a full scale L-4 at a nearby airport, meet the owner and get him to let you take detailed photos for your build. I also have quite a few, and if you need them, let me know and I'll post them or PM them to you.
