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Old 10-03-2005 | 08:38 PM
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Default RE: Another "What engine" question for a 4*120


ORIGINAL: Phuzzy
I would love to experiment with a gasser but not to keen on doing any modifications to the plane.

Marcel
You'd better reinforce the Landing Gear block or you'll find the plane scooting down the runway on it's belly with the landing gear bouncing along behind. Trust me, I know.

Here's how to do it:

There is a lite ply former right in front of the LG plate.
The belly sheeting on the bottom of the fuse---behind the LG p[late isn't as thick as the plate.

Build up the sheeting behind the LG plate with some lite-ply untill it's the same thickness as the LG plate. You should build up this sheeting for at least 1" behind the plate. 1.5" would be better.

Now cut and sand a balsa block about 3/4" wide and the full width of the fuse---in front of the lite-ply former thats in front of the LG plate. Glue it in place with some 5 minute epoxy.

At this point--you should have an even surface---the thickness of the LG plate. It should extend from in front of the former to beyond the LG plate about 1.5".

Now--CAP the whole thing with a piece of 1/4" hard play and glue it in with some 15 or 30 minute epoxy.

Now--run a few pieces of traingle stock along the fuse sides on top of that 1/4" plywood plate and glue them in with 30 minute epoxy.

You can use some kabob scewers---the kind like you'd use for grilling chunks of steak and peppers on the grill--to pin it in place. Kabob scewers are available at any grocery store. They are made from bamboo.

Drill a little hole through the sides of the fuse INTO that 1/4" plywood plate that you glued over the top of everything. Drill into the plate about 1/2" or maybe a bit more. The hole should be the right size so that the scewers fit snuggly. Not rediculously tight or loose. Just kinda snug.

Insert the kabob scewer through the sides of the fuse and into the plywood plate. Snap them off. Now drizzle a good amount of thin CA onto the scewer so that it works it's way all the way into the hole in the plywood plate.. It will soak up the CA like a dry sponge and get rock hard in a couple seconds.

Sand with some 60 or 80 grit and your done.

Trust me--you WANT to do this to the LG plate.

There is another weak area in the 4*120. It's right behind the wing saddle under the turtledeck and behind the cockpit.

Look at the lite ply in this area--behind the wing mounting block. Not much there. It will snap the fuse in 2 pieces on your first really hard landing. It always snaps right behind the cockpit.

You got a few options:

You can add some lite ply to the area, and glue it in with 15 minute opoxy. You'll have to come up with a way to make it strong--without adding a bunch of unneccessary wood and weight.

You can use some fiberglass and 30 minute epoxy. Spread the epoxy on the area in a thin layer and then add some 2oz or 4oz fiberglass cloth to the area. Apply more epoxy and spread it out as thin as you can get it. This will help a lot.

You can buy some carbon fiber tape and CA it onto the area.

You can add some simple balsa formers to the area.

What you want to accomplish is to SPREAD the LOAD on this area. It DOES take a large amount of stress on a hard landing--and there's not much wood or strength in this area. So figure out a way to strengthen it up and add more area for the load to disperce into the rest of the fuselage.

Good luck.