Mike,
Thanks for the welcome aboard. Did you see my pics on page 6? This is the aircraft I would like to build out of my Palmer Plans, 133" wingspan 130.
So you used your round 3/32" sticks as the formers around the interior of the acft and then sheeted over them? right? My plans call for four different formers (half moon shaped) around the rectangular interior, meaning about 15 different former, then sticks from nose to tail to be sheeted over.
I can understand your use of all of the 3/32" balsa as my fuse and wings are all supposed to be covered with it. I have been toying with the idea of buying myself a saw and cutting 3/32" out of thick boards of balsa, if I can find reasonablly priced boards. Then I would cut all of the spars, etc, for the rest of the construction, too. Don't know if I would pay for the saw or not. But would be set-up for scratch construction for the rest of my life!
What size engines do your plans call for? Mine are to be 49CC rear exhaust MVVS. These plans show the exhaust directed straight out the back like the full sized acft. Think that will be kind of neat but don't have any experience with the MVVS engines.
I have a professional builder friend (probably won't be friend after my 1million questions) that says most designers preplan for more strength then required and he suggested cutting back to 1/8" sheeting and lightening all of the ribs, etc. Trying to make plane as light as possible. His one vote of confidence was , "Well, if you crash it will be a nice explosion of parts anyway, so build light" I love his use of the word "explosion"!! Yikes. I hope not.
Ok, better get out of here, keep me posted on your bird and if there is anything I can do for you, hollar. I'm sure we'll be on this thread for sometime to come.
Mark