dauntlessuk-

Since this thread started (and the most recent post up to yours was back in Jan), I have arrived at about the 1/3 point in my construction of the Vaillancourt 1/4 scale 'Dawg. I have a build thread in the Warbirds and Warplanes forum, check it out. (25% Cessna L-19/0-1 BirdDog build) There are several builders contributing and some great info. Although I haven't done anything in a month and a half, I am at the point where all structures (fuse, tail, wings, and control surfaces) are built and skinned and initial fitting has been done, servos mounted and controls routed. Engine (G-45 Zenoah) is mounted and many details have been roughed in. I haven't started the interior details yet, but all electronics have a "home" in the fuse.

Some of the scale deviations have been addressed. All the wing control linkages are concealed, but I can achieve the full 60 degree flap deflection of the fullscale, whereas the plans only allow for 45. The inner end of the flaps is correct to the full scale, which required alteration of a couple of fuse formers which also made the fuselage true to the fullscale's. The one scale deviation I can't correct is the H stab incidence, which is modified "so the model will fly.....period" to put it in Roy Vaillancourt's own words.

Some of the details I have included is all nav lights, including the tail strobe and Mars beacon, operating landing lights, which operate from a micro switch when the flaps begin to deploy.

The one thing I still can't figure out is how to build this plane and achieve a weight anywhere near the one that madmax purports is possible. Sure, I could build it like the Gossamer Albatros and use lighter material with tensile strengths thousands of time greater than balsa, but I want to be able to pick it up without putting my fingers through the skin, and would rather not have to take out a mortgage to afford the materials. Right now, my projected weight is in the 25-27 pound range, which I hear from owners of this model is typical, and the performance at this weight with this engine is very good. I am still looking at alternatives to the aluminum LG, even some spring steel alloy, which could be much thinner than the aluminum, but stronger and only minimally heavier, if at all.

Good luck with your Marutaka build, please feel free to use anything from my thread that is helpful or pertinent to your plans.