Blue Angel - Build
03-25-2006, 03:03 PM
#78
RE: Blue Angel - Build
Last night I rechecked the fuselage alignment with the fuselage mounted in the jig. I tightened the former clamps and then rechecked everything again. I removed the fuselage sides and put some small pieces of very thin plastic at the bottom corners of the formers where they contacted the jig cross pieces to keep the glue from running down the formers. I wanted to make sure that I didn’t glue all this work to my jig!!!!
I used 30 minute epoxy on the sides of the firewall, gear mount, the first former in front of the wing and the former behind the wing. I put the fuselage sides back on the formers and carefully checked the alignment. The fuselage sides must be absolutely parallel front to back and the upper non-clamped part of the formers square with the center line. The three C clamps shown in the test fittings were used to clamp the fuselage to the formers using small pieces of ¼†plywood under the C clamp jaws to spread the load across total height of the fuselage sides. Before doing anymore work I let the epoxy set overnight so that the fuselage would become very rigid.
This morning I removed the C clamps and started work pulling the tail together and installing the tail formers. To make sure the tip of the tail stayed in alignment I extended the center line of my jig with a straightedge and used a square to check the tail position. Before gluing the tail tip block in I taped it together to check the alignment with the square but also did a sanity check by sighting down the inside of the fuselage to the tail viewing through the fuel tank hole and general re-checking to make sure it looked right from different angles. The tail alignment must be dead on or the aircraft will never fly right. After I was sure it was good to go I glued the tail block to one side of the fuselage tail and let it setup. After it was set I rechecked the alignment and glued and taped the other side together.
After the tail block glue was well set I started the installation of the other formers moving from the back to the front making sure the tail stayed in absolute alignment. Four of the formers had to be projected from the plan drawings because they were not shown on the plan. I installed the formers that I could easily install with the fuselage in the jig in the upside down position.
View of the fuselage with some of the tail formers installed and using the square to check the alignment.
To be continued…
I used 30 minute epoxy on the sides of the firewall, gear mount, the first former in front of the wing and the former behind the wing. I put the fuselage sides back on the formers and carefully checked the alignment. The fuselage sides must be absolutely parallel front to back and the upper non-clamped part of the formers square with the center line. The three C clamps shown in the test fittings were used to clamp the fuselage to the formers using small pieces of ¼†plywood under the C clamp jaws to spread the load across total height of the fuselage sides. Before doing anymore work I let the epoxy set overnight so that the fuselage would become very rigid.
This morning I removed the C clamps and started work pulling the tail together and installing the tail formers. To make sure the tip of the tail stayed in alignment I extended the center line of my jig with a straightedge and used a square to check the tail position. Before gluing the tail tip block in I taped it together to check the alignment with the square but also did a sanity check by sighting down the inside of the fuselage to the tail viewing through the fuel tank hole and general re-checking to make sure it looked right from different angles. The tail alignment must be dead on or the aircraft will never fly right. After I was sure it was good to go I glued the tail block to one side of the fuselage tail and let it setup. After it was set I rechecked the alignment and glued and taped the other side together.
After the tail block glue was well set I started the installation of the other formers moving from the back to the front making sure the tail stayed in absolute alignment. Four of the formers had to be projected from the plan drawings because they were not shown on the plan. I installed the formers that I could easily install with the fuselage in the jig in the upside down position.
View of the fuselage with some of the tail formers installed and using the square to check the alignment.
To be continued…
03-25-2006, 03:42 PM
#79
RE: Blue Angel - Build
After the former glue was set I loosened the former clamps so I could remove the fuselage from the jig. It was stuck slightly by some of the epoxy but popped out. Then the moment of truth, I flipped the fuselage over and slid it back in the jig and aligned the former center lines with the jig center line and then checked the tip of the tail alignment. Dead on!!! Any error would be magnified by checking it from the other side but it was fine! The horizontal stab cutout was checked and surface is square as well.
I continued to install the other formers and the odd block that goes on the top of the former in front of the wing. After I installed the other formers I discovered that the former that goes over the center of the wing apparently was not projected correctly and I removed it and made a new one. It is much easer to check the formers now that the fuselage is out of the jig and I can put a straightedge along the edges of the formers. The small cross pieces used in F4 and F6 are there to keep them from distorting until I put the upper side pieces on.
I’ll put it back in the jig to hold the alignment while I put the top pieces on.
So far so good, not hard to build at all! With this easy snap together construction ARFs well soon become obsolete!
View of the fuselage with all of the formers installed and sanded lightly for trueness.
To be continued…
I continued to install the other formers and the odd block that goes on the top of the former in front of the wing. After I installed the other formers I discovered that the former that goes over the center of the wing apparently was not projected correctly and I removed it and made a new one. It is much easer to check the formers now that the fuselage is out of the jig and I can put a straightedge along the edges of the formers. The small cross pieces used in F4 and F6 are there to keep them from distorting until I put the upper side pieces on.
I’ll put it back in the jig to hold the alignment while I put the top pieces on.
So far so good, not hard to build at all! With this easy snap together construction ARFs well soon become obsolete!
View of the fuselage with all of the formers installed and sanded lightly for trueness.
To be continued…
03-25-2006, 09:44 PM
#80
RE: Blue Angel - Build
The next step was shaping the 3/8†upper side fuselage pieces. I used the two lightest pieces in the shipment of wood that looked like they would be the easiest to bend to the fuselage shape. The first step was rough shaping the upper edge to reduce the total amount of wood that needed bending. After rough cutting the sides to length the next task was using my Little Giant razor plane to cut a bevel on the lower edge and then sanding the edge. The sides have a compound shape with a twist and bend to follow the side shape of the fuselage. Using a little water, a clamp and a hair dryer I bent the back section of the piece to the compound shape. I glued the pieces on and held them in place with masking tape. During this process I re-checked that the tip of the tail was in correct alignment.
View of the fuselage in the jig and the upper side pieces installed.
To be continued…
View of the fuselage in the jig and the upper side pieces installed.
To be continued…
03-25-2006, 09:57 PM
#81
RE: Blue Angel - Build
After the glue was setup well, I used my Little Giant razor plane to rough shape the sides and rough down the top edges so they were just above the top of the formers. I used my long sanding block to take the top edges down even with the formers.
I think Kato stayed up all night figuring out the shape of this fuselage and it is going to be a beauty.
In this view there is a facet on the side that will be removed to create the beautiful rounded shape of the Blue Angel
To be continued…
I think Kato stayed up all night figuring out the shape of this fuselage and it is going to be a beauty.
In this view there is a facet on the side that will be removed to create the beautiful rounded shape of the Blue Angel
To be continued…
03-26-2006, 07:02 AM
#82
RE: Blue Angel - Build
After the fuselage top was sanded true with the formers I glued on the 3/8†aft top section. The top piece that goes on the front part is thicker and will curve up into the canopy to create the classic top shape of the Blue Angel.
View of the aft top glued on.
Going flying!
To be continued…
View of the aft top glued on.
Going flying!
To be continued…
03-26-2006, 02:08 PM
#85
RE: Blue Angel - Build
When you review the plans of the blue angel, and take in consideration this design dated back to 1973, it was truly ahead of others. In terms of swept wing style, and placement all the flying surfaces, the closest north american design would probably be the Bridi's UFO. The UFO only came about 3-4 years later.
Mike, maybe in the fall, you should pick a design and have a build-a-thon thread?
Mike, maybe in the fall, you should pick a design and have a build-a-thon thread?
03-26-2006, 07:15 PM
#87
RE: Blue Angel - Build
After the glue on the top piece set, I did some rough shaping with the razor plane. There is a lot more balsa to plane off to achieve the oval shape for the fuselage. The image below shows how much more balsa needs to be removed.
To be continued…
To be continued…
03-26-2006, 07:23 PM
#90
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RE: Blue Angel - Build
Yep, that was the Speeda one. The 2nd one I had was a Blue Angels, painted with the same scheme, but different colors and a clear canopy. I liked the way the BA looked better, until I took-off and forgot to connect the ailerons.
03-26-2006, 07:25 PM
#91
RE: Blue Angel - Build
View of the area in front of the stab with the doublers installed to support the large balsa block that goes in this area and over the top of the horizontal stab. This large piece becomes the base for the vertical stab.
To be continued…
To be continued…
03-26-2006, 07:32 PM
#92
RE: Blue Angel - Build
Not sure how well this will show up, but this image shows how the three top pieces and the bottom side pieces seamlessly join the fuselage side pieces (and each other). On a fuselage like this one it is important for the seams to fit tightly because of all the razor plane work needed to achieve the oval shape. Hope they will all look that good!
To be continued…
To be continued…
03-26-2006, 07:50 PM
#93
RE: Blue Angel - Build
Mike, is this build going a lot faster than even you expected? It's only taken a couple of days for you to build up the fuselage. Is the canopy going to be the challenge on this aircraft?
03-26-2006, 08:08 PM
#94
RE: Blue Angel - Build
Actually it is moving fast! Once I figured out that I needed a way to hold it together for gluing it has been fast. I haven’t spent a lot of time on it.
I hope to use a canopy and I’m looking for something that could be cut to fit. It apparently used a standard MK canopy and I’ve asked Singapore Hobbies if there is a way to order one from MK. The canopy has a very sallow curved shape from the side plan view.
I hope to use a canopy and I’m looking for something that could be cut to fit. It apparently used a standard MK canopy and I’ve asked Singapore Hobbies if there is a way to order one from MK. The canopy has a very sallow curved shape from the side plan view.
03-26-2006, 09:18 PM
#96
RE: Blue Angel - Build
8178, I'm just throwing this out after having gone back and looked at the pic of the plans you posted. It may be a bad idea, but could you use the rear portion of one canopy for the front up to the frame line and another canopy for the back 2/3rds? Of course you could just vacuform one from a carved plug, too, send it to Dan and he'd have everything needed for planbuild short kits.
03-27-2006, 12:18 PM
#98
RE: Blue Angel - Build
ORIGINAL: bigton
How do your methods to transferring the shape of the fuselage on to Balsa?
How do your methods to transferring the shape of the fuselage on to Balsa?
Take a look at Post # 75 on this thread.
Some images of the tracings I used for the fuselage sides are below. Of course these were peeled of the parts after cutting.
03-27-2006, 01:29 PM
#100
RE: Blue Angel - Build
ORIGINAL: rainedav
8178, I'm just throwing this out after having gone back and looked at the pic of the plans you posted. It may be a bad idea, but could you use the rear portion of one canopy for the front up to the frame line and another canopy for the back 2/3rds? Of course you could just vacuform one from a carved plug, too, send it to Dan and he'd have everything needed for planbuild short kits.
8178, I'm just throwing this out after having gone back and looked at the pic of the plans you posted. It may be a bad idea, but could you use the rear portion of one canopy for the front up to the frame line and another canopy for the back 2/3rds? Of course you could just vacuform one from a carved plug, too, send it to Dan and he'd have everything needed for planbuild short kits.