billberry189

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120 it is then. And bravo and ditto on the commentary.

rg1911

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And another big ditto on the commentary. I was on break from boarding school and at home in Germany at the first moon landing. My parents bought a small black-and-white TV just to watch it. Set it up on the kitchen counter. I even took pictures of the screen that turned out well. Wish I knew where those negatives went.

With my field at around 7,000 feet, I, too, am opting for the 1.20AX. I have the .95AX on a Stik and consider it to be adequate at our altitude. (In the summer, the density altitude easily hits 12,000.)

I have been giving serious thought to building the 96-inch span version; mainly because Mr. Kazmirski's last version was that span. I figure he knew way more than I.

Cheers,
Richard

kingaltair

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Kevin and I were talking about it during the flight, (we're both in the same club). We feel the reason he probably did it was to increase the roll rate. I DID snaproll the Simla which was quite a sight. It looked like "lots of wing" flying in all directions. Logic would dictate that Ed thought performance would be improved...and he felt this way enough to take a saw to the plane, (he was always experimenting). I haven't read anything, or met anyone yet who knows how much, (or even if) the 8" reduction in wingspan might have helped. We DO know that Ed did not place very high with the Simla at the NATS. It must have been painfully obvious to both Ed, (and Vic Husak with his Cream Puff), how underpowered the Simla was on a .60...even a Veco .61. It would be interesting to have two sets of wings...(the 102" and the 96"), to compare them back-to-back.

Duane

billberry189

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Good idea on the two sets of wings, possibly with a hand picked set of contest balsafor the second set. While on the subject, I order most ofmy modeling supplies on line and my question would be where I might be able to order said lumber online?

kingaltair

My Feedback: (4)

I got mine from National Balsa. The sheeting was considerably lighter per sheet, (can't remember now how much, but it adds up), than the wood in the kit, (which isn't bad, but isn't contest balsa...Jeff couldn't market the kit with contest balsa, it will have to be the builder's choice). My wing was originally a full pound lighter than Kevins, (before covering and painting).

Duane

billberry189

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Good day All, I am wondering if Dave Brown has a glass filled mount for the OS 120 AX. I have been looking for one on line with no success. A part number would be most helpful if it exists. Ordered my Simla and OS 120 AX this morning. Now it's like waiting for Christmas when I was just a wee lad as they say. Patience Lord, patience!

rg1911

My Feedback: (1)

According to the O.S. site, several engines, including the FS120 and the 120AX, share the same OS motor mount. This Dave Brown mount was shown in the information for the FS120:

http://www3.towerhobbies.com/cgi-bin...3220&search=Go

This is the information for the OS aluminum mount that's drilled and tapped:

OSMG2765 71904200 O.S. Motor Mount 140RX/FS120/120AX/FS200S

I've read that a metal mount is better than a glass-filled mount (something about less vibration), but I don't have any personal experience with the metal mounts. Perhaps someone else can comment.

Cheers,
Richard

billberry189

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Thanks Richard. That is the mount that I was considering but just wasn't sure about the dimensions. From what I've read the Dave Brown glass filled mount is supposed to isolate vibrations, plusthey are designed to break if a disaster occurs(read as crash) so that one is less likely to damage an expensive crankcase. Anyway, thats what I am counting on, especially since I have used Dave Brown mounts on all of my most recent builds. Time will tell.

rg1911

My Feedback: (1)

Duane,

Did you write earlier that you had used a carbon composite wing tube, and that it was 1 inch in outside diameter, instead of the 7/8-inch aluminum tube in the kit?

Thank you,
Richard

billberry189

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Richard, page 96 post 2377.

rg1911

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Many thanks. Now I just have to find from where it came. Neither ACP nor CST list it.

Actually, having just started the build, there are several items and tools I'll need to find and buy.

Cheers,
Richard

kingaltair

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Contact: patternflyer76...(Kevin Clark...I think on page 97). He bought the tubes for both of us. Due to the wingspan, we felt the 1" tube was a better choice. I'm happy with our choice, and would do it again. I don't know what the kit calls for.

rg1911

My Feedback: (1)

Duane,

Thank you. Have sent a message to Kevin. (I suspect he used TnT, since they are the only ones I found who have 1-inch O.D. carbon composite tube.)

The kit includes a 1-inch O.D. outer tube (sleeve) that looks like it's made of impregnated cardboard, and a 7/8-inch O.D. inner aluminum tube. I'm assuming you meant the inner tube (the replacement for the aluminum) should be 1-inch O.D. carbon.

Cheers,
Richard

kingaltair

My Feedback: (4)

Richard;

Yes, that's what I mean, but when I get home, I'll measure the tube to be certain. I might even have the tube sleeve in the box of wood leftovers. It has been a long time since I was at this stage. I'd better get that build thread started in the next week or so. I suppose I should get Jeff's "blessing", but he's got so many things "on his plate", that I doubt he'd want to do one.

I remember I "started small" with the horizontal stabilizer, (stab), then once I got a little something to show, I moved on to the wing, then finally the fuselage.

Duane

rg1911

My Feedback: (1)

Duane,

I started the stab yesterday, and realized that I need a bunch of small pieces of angle iron to hold the ribs vertical. Have been calling around town to see who can make them for me. (Make, as in cut 50 or so small pieces from a longer length.)

The last note I received from Jeff, along with the full-size images of the tiny ones included in the instructions (I definitely owe him) indicated that he's swamped at the day job (I incorrectly had thought his hobby business was his day job) and with trying to get the kits assembled and mailed. So I suspect you're right that he's not in a good position to run a build thread.

I noticed that it looks like Jeff used a large piece of steel and magnets to hold parts vertically. That looks like an interesting method, although finding magnets with a 90-degree angle might be difficult.

Many thanks for all your help.

Cheers,
Richard

billberry189

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Richard, I found a set of forty rectangular magnets for $38.88 including shipping at [email protected]. They are advertised as Dowling Magnets DO-710D Block Magnet Display 40 Pcs. I plan on sandwiching the ribs between two magnets per rib.That would give me enough for twenty ribs. Hopefully that will be enough for anything I want to build. If not, then I will just have to purchase another set.LOL

rg1911

My Feedback: (1)

Thank you!
That's certainly less expensive than the quote of $130 to get 50 pieces of angle iron cut. And I can get a 2X6-foot piece of 20-gauge sheet steel for $37.

Cheers,
Richard

kingaltair

My Feedback: (4)

Richard;

If you look at the picture, (taken from page 78), I adopted Kevin's method of holding pieces in place, and even had a duplicate of his table made. In the corner, you can see the ply pieces at an angle that are held against the metal sheet by 4 magnets. The magnets come between two small pieces of metal for protection, and can be used "as is" for small stuff, or as part of the ply pieces of differing height used to hold things together. I give all the credit for this to Kevin; he and his father built the table for me, and gave me some of the ply pieces.

I have always built planes on a soft board with pins...I still used pins some, but this method of using magnets is absolutely great, and like many things, once you've experienced a better way, it's hard to, (and I wouldn't want to), go back. You can see the Simla prototype kit in its "plain brown wrapper" ready to be assembled.

If you don't already have them, go down to Home Depot or Lowes and buy the steel alignment rods, (I think 5/16"). Kevin made a wing jig of two blocks of wood with 5/16" holes in them at the proper height to hold the entire wing structure together, (note the construction pictures from the article that illustrates the wing jig).

By the way, a good proportion of the pictures provided with the kit in the instructions are actually pictures taken by me while building my plane (with the magnets on that table). Jeff inadvertantly erased most of his own construction pictures, so the construction photos you'll see on the build thread, (as well as those in the article), are mine. I don't know if that's good or bad because I know Jeff is a photographer in his own right, and has specific things he wants to illustrate in his photos. In this case, he had to make due with mine, so I hope they work for you.

I might have the manufacturer of the magnets at home.

Duane

billberry189

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Duane, Love your build table! Any dimensions and or construction diagrams?

kingaltair

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Yes, I think I may have drawings...I'll look.

We'd better start the build thread!

Duane

rg1911

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Duane,

The table is bloody beautiful!

One of these days, I too ...

In the meantime, I've ordered some cut-to-size 20-gauge steel plate from a local shop, and I'll steal Kevin's idea of combining magnets with ply pieces. By the way, if you find the source for the magnets, I would like it. I've spent a couple hours searching the web and am coming up with some scary prices (if you want 40 or so of those sandwiched magnets).

The PDF with the clear build images is much appreciated.

Cheers,
Richard

patternflyer76

Duane:

I actually got the magnet idea from the airfieldmodels website. The table itself was my dad's design. I have really enjoyed mine as well. The magnets have a link from the airfieldmodels website. There are also hundreds of building and finishing tips that are the best I have ever seen. Attached is a pic of my Simla taken at ABA by a spectator. I just got the pic and he is mailing me the other pictures that he had taken that day.

Kevin Clark

billberry189

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Well, it must be Christmas!!! I just received my kit and yesterday my 120 AX came in. Tonight I plan on going over the instructions, plans and parts. Tomorrow the build begins for me. That is after a quick stop at Graves R/C to pick up a tank, wheels, motor mount, and a couple of othersmall items. Oh yeah, what a beautiful kit!

kingaltair

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I pride myself as a photographer, and took the one of the Taurus II that appeared in the "Kaz" article when you made that slow fly-by, but this photo is FANTASTIC...either your "spectator" was lucky, or he really knew his stuff when he took the picture. It's clear as can be and shows every detail of the Simla...even a little cloud cover in the background for interest and depth, (I know that part you just have to take what you can get). Sun angle is perfect, but that angle is normal for our club field in the morning.

It is not easy to take a picture of a moving plane...even on a slow fly-by. That is worth an enlargement for sure. Wonderful....sometimes a picture just has everthing come together.

Duane

billberry189

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That photo is fantastic! It almost looks like someone photographed the sky as a backdrop and then inserted the Simla. Kudos to the photographer!