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The Pup Has Begun!

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The Pup Has Begun!

Old 01-31-2004, 07:47 AM
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Chevelle
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Default The Pup Has Begun!

It arrived and I've started! I am all jazzed up about the arrival of my BalsaUSA 1/4 scale Pup. This is the first R/C kit I've put together since coming back after a LONG hiatus from the hobby. (Jimmy Carter was president, gas was .60 a gallon, there were no CDs, PCs, or cell phones, and no CA glues.)

The quality of the wood is great. The die cutting is also very good. Parts fall out of the sheets (sometimes too soon ) The instructions are detailed and with pictures at every step. The ABS cowl isn't all that terrific. Mine is a bit dented but I think I am going to an aluminum cowl anyway.

DAY ONE - Upper right wing panel done. (Why didn't anyone tell me that CA melts Syran Wrap?)
Old 01-31-2004, 01:25 PM
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juvatwad
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

I guess you've finally recovered from Carter's decimation of the economy and can now afford to buy R/C stuff again!
Old 01-31-2004, 02:19 PM
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Chevelle
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

HAHA! Yep. And I couldn't save much either. That 25 year old tube of TiteBond probably isn't any good and my MRC radio gear a) would not be a legal frequency today and b) stopped working 10 years ago! My old OSMAX 40 still runs though and I suspect my SuperTigre 60 would too although I don't think I would put either in a plane today.
Old 02-01-2004, 01:44 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Welcome back.
You picked one heck of a project to get back into building.
Keep us posted as you get it together.
Old 02-10-2004, 10:54 PM
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Chevelle
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Progress as of Feb 10, 2004

Things are moving along smoothly. No major glitches. So far everything is square and true. It's even starting to look like an airplane!
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Old 02-10-2004, 10:57 PM
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Chevelle
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

The fuselage went together surprisingly fast. Next step is the alignment of the lower wing to secure the mounting bits.
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Old 03-17-2004, 08:02 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Well I'm much further along. Most everything has been dry mounted. The power plant is a Zenoah G26. I am using the ABS cowl just for a template. When I get everything the way I like it, I'll spit the cowl and wrap it around the spun aluminum one as a guide for the modifications.

I'm new to the gas thing so mounting the motor was a challenge. The first mounting plate I made was wrong so I had to make another.

I didn't like the idea of a completely rigid undercarriage so I am improvising a bungee suspension. I slotted the wheel struts and made two brass brackets. With the bungees there, the axle will sit at the bottom of the slots and move up and down on the rare occasion that I should gently bounce it. Things are just hanging there for now. Any recommendations for the bungee material would be welcome.

I really struggled with the throttle linkage. The motor comes with two manifolds and so there are two ways to mount the carb. They each had their pros and cons. Neither was going to make running the throttle the easiest. So again I improvised. I made the bell crank bracket and added a tie rod with two ball joints. Now the throttle control will be a straight shot from the servo tray, through the firewall and to the bell crank. I had to add one drilled and tapped hole for the bracket. It took three tries at the bracket but I eventually got it the way I like it. This setup also allowed me to change the mechanical advantage a little. Now the servo can travel almost its full rotation from idle/off to full. This will give me better throttle control.

As always, any tips and suggestions are welcome.

Salute!
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Old 03-17-2004, 10:14 AM
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Bruno Stachel
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Looks great. That looks like a fun plane to build. Look at the Best Scale Photo thread in this forum. A guy there has a close up shot of a tail skid for his 1/4 scale pup you may want to see. It's post 803.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_50...page_27/tm.htm
Old 03-17-2004, 10:54 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

ORIGINAL: Chevelle
Things are just hanging there for now. Any recommendations for the bungee material would be welcome.
The black cloth-covered elastics that girl's use for their ponytails makes great bungee material. I get them in drugstores like CVS or Riteaid.

Your Pup is looking really nice...very neat job![sm=thumbup.gif] I think you'll be very happy with that plane/engine combo.

Jim
Old 03-17-2004, 11:03 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Here's a clip of a buddy doing a touch-and-go with his. He has a Homelite 25cc conversion in it. http://www.lcrc.org/pupt&g.mpg

Jim
Old 03-17-2004, 02:54 PM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Bruno,
OMG! That tail setup looks fantastic! Not for me this go around. Someday I may go all out on a scale project but this isn't the one. I do intend to rig up a better skid than just the wire that BUSA provides but not as far as the one you brought up.

Tmoth,
I thought about using girl's hair bands. I just figured that they wouldn't be stiff enough. My 15 year old daughter has lots of them so I will be doing some experimenting. I am really looking forward to getting this bird in the air! Thanks for the movie link! It looked great. I'll take any more that are around.

Salute!
Old 03-18-2004, 05:08 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Hi,

I am the guy building that tail setup. Thanks for your comment!

The original Pup used a 10 mm "shock cord" for the undercarriage. It was wound 9 full loops in figures of eight, with no initial tension, above the axle. So 2.5 mm would be scale (that is 0.1 inch).

I am using the kind of elastic that is made for clothes. Some of them has a circular section, with a woven covering. I haven't found 2.5 mm, but I think that 1.5 would be even better (I have tried 3 mm, and it seems to be too stiff for 1/4 scale)

Good luck! The Pup looks great!

Magnus
Old 03-18-2004, 05:43 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

This is a pic showing my prototype undercarriage and the part of the original drawing from Jim Kiger. The wheel axle is split and hinged in the middle. It moves freely up and down.

Cheers,

Magnus
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Old 03-18-2004, 06:57 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Great detail on the undercarriage. I had intended on going with a similar setup but ran into trouble trying to bend music wire. I'm just not set up for that. My first attempts came out awful. I decided to see what I could do with the landing gear wire provided by BalsaUSA. If I used their wire and attempted a setup where the axle is in the crux of the struts, I felt the wheels would be moved further back and may make landings more touchy. This seemed to be a reasonable compromise. Maybe the next go around I'll be able to bend up whatever I need.

Just how did you manage the metal bits for your Pup's tail skid! I am designing a 1/4 scale 1910 AVRO Triplane. Now THAT plane should be very scale. I would love to add the kind of detail that you are using on your Pup.
Old 03-18-2004, 08:33 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Thanks! (But I am building a new undercarriage using profiled steel tubes like the original. I am not satisfied with this solution).

I made the metal bits using mainly time, steel sheets (1/64 and 1/32 inch) and silver solder. Mostly time...

My work process is like this: The Jim Kiger plans have dimensions, so I draw the metal brackets in CAD and print them out (my very simple desktop printer is accurate enough). Then I use spray glue to attach the paper templates to the sheets. I cut them out, punch and drill the holes, bend them (hard to do correctly) and silver solder. The hardest part is often to hold the pieces together at the correct angles while soldering. And to solder several pieces together - the old seams melt and fall apart. After cleaning, I use a spray primer and then airbrush the brackets with an acrylic dark gray color (do not use black - it looks just too black on a model). I finish the thing with tiny screws and nuts and some weathering (washing with dirty water and adding dust, rust and oil residue. Last thing is to add a clear coat for protection.

In the tailskid area I also used brass tubes and some other stuff. I have found that using thick CA with accelerator produces perfect dummy welding seams!

Good luck!

Magnus

PS This is a pic showing the armoured seat (extremely small - you just wonder what they tried to protect). I may have done it too worn - maybe I will have to redo it when the cockpit is ready.
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Old 03-18-2004, 08:43 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

I forgot to mention that I produce the small eyebolts using my desktop lathe (EMCO compact 5). I am also doing a zillion turnbuckles. I am building the prototype Pup (N3695) which had turnbuckles and round wires instead of streamlined RAF-wire with forks.

Cheers,

Magnus
Old 03-18-2004, 08:23 PM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Chevelle, you can get bungee at many fabric stores and its cheap. Only about 50cents per foot. Here are a few pics for the UC for my SE5a. There is no metal in the UC, only wood reinforced with brass on the inside and outside. I hope the pictures help. BobH.
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Old 03-25-2004, 03:32 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Thanks Bob. Actually, I had already seen your pictures in another thread and "borrowed" heavily from your design. As they say, "Stealing from one is plagarism, stealing from many is research."

I'll consider the hard fixed all-wood approach. I'll have to come up with a clean way to attach and remove the undercarriage since on the Pup, it attaches to the fuselage in the front and the lower wing in the back. The existing rods make that easy.
Old 03-25-2004, 07:55 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Chevelle, please feel free to "research" any of my work! LOL For me half the fun of scale modeling is sharing what you know with others.... Keep us informend on your work please. BobH.
Old 05-06-2004, 08:14 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Radio and servos are installed. Engine & fuel tank installed. Although now removed. The staining is done and the urethaning. The covering has started. One whole aileron is done! Whoohoo! I'm hoping to get it in the air in early June.

Old 05-06-2004, 05:36 PM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Wowser looks great and the guy is going to fly nakey? LOL. Just Kidden!!!!!!!!!
Old 05-06-2004, 10:13 PM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Great Project Chevelle!
Good to see you back to Rc'ing! here's my latest and I bought a Proctor Triplane for this year
!!!!! LOL
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Old 05-07-2004, 05:31 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

Nakey? Nah. He got his "whitie tighties" on.

About that Triplane. I think they sent you the wrong manual with it. It turning out a lot like a Corsair! Hope to see you at Rhinebeck.
Old 05-07-2004, 07:03 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

That blue triplane just proves that a rose by any other name is still a rose! Nice planes.
JEB
Old 05-16-2004, 08:24 AM
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Default RE: The Pup Has Begun!

More progress....

I'm working on the metal panels. Need to cover the top wing (duh!). The landing gear needs to be finished. The elevator and rudder need to be painted (red, white, blue). The cowl needs to be cut and the engine reinstalled.

I am concerned about the durability of the covering seams. Is there something that should be applied to the seams? After the decals are applied, should the model be sprayed with something? (The olive drap is SolarTex and the cream is 21st Century.)












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