Question to all Aurora 60 owners:

Is your engine bolted onto two Al-plates (4x10x65mm as per plans), which are fixed to the hardwood engine mount rails by 4mm tapping screws?
This way of installation is showed in my plans, but it seems that later it has been crossed out on the plans by Kato. If I would place the engine flanges on the hardwood without the Al-plates, crankshaft will be off centerline about 4mm. There are no such plates in the hardware plastic bags, so I am considering to do them myself.

My Aurora is under construction out of a original MK kit, I am planning to install a RF 61 Hanno special.

Thanks

Those plates you see in the plans are of the MK floating motor mount.

If you can’t find such a mount it can easily be fabricated.

Dave Brown Products has a similar product.
You can also just shim the motor and mount it directly to the beams.

Thanks Pitstop000,

I know those vibration isolating mounts - but think this was not intended here yet in the Aurora.
At old MK Curare kits I have seen these Al plates already....

.... here is snapshot of this arrangement on the plans....

It seems like I had the MK beetle plans in my mind.
The soft mount is pictured in those plans not in Aurora like I thought, but I did use the MK mount in my Auroras.
Soft mounting has it’s advantages.

I just looked at my plans for the Aurora and they show the plate also. It seems easy enough to fabricate.

IM made the mounting plates with tapped holes for OS and YS engines. The plates were screwed to the engine mounting plate with large wood screws. The MK soft mount works nicely or you can make your own plates. I've used aluminum successfully, but you must be careful not to over tighten the bolts in the aluminum threads!!
Good luck!
Will

thanks all,

I made plates from aluminum, glued those with 30min epoxi to the hardwood beams and will bolt them down with wood screws as well.
Then I plan to tap the threads through the aluminum into the hardwood, as there is lots of wood behind it. Of course I need to take care then when I tighten the bolts.

Regards
Dominik

Will is right on the button with those IM mounts. They were made for both YS and OS .61s and made it very simple to swap out engines. My assumption here is that the designers felt that screwing the engine just to the hardwood motor mounts wasn't secure enough and they wanted metal there. I've used this mount on a Cosmos 60 and an Aurora and both worked great. I think I still have one set of parts hanging around the shop somewhere. You were quite correct to build up those aluminum mounts as the engine centerline would be a bit high without it. I need to get back to work on my new Aurora. Basically mine is framed up which means 90% done 90 % to go.

Dan
Carolina Custom Aircraft

I agree this was the idea, easy change from one engine type to next one by using the plates, which have engine specific hole pattern, but always same holes for the hardwood bolting. I found today a set of the MK floating mount in my other Aurora kit ()

Since I am no way intending to change every other week the engine in my Aurora, I have installed the plates permanently now. After some more consideration, I will not tap threads into the Al plates and wood as it may be too weak for safe tightening, as Will remarked. The aluminum may be too soft, and the thread size is too small for being well tapping in wood. Instead I will use self tapping wood screws to bolt the Hanno down.

I am curious how the Aurora will handle with the Hanno special - if it does so well as it looks, it will be outstanding!

i don't know about anyone else's experience with hardwood rails but the Skymaster i bought off ebay a couple of yrs ago has hardwood rails. a ys .61 ar was screwed directly to the rails so thoroughly i liked to never got if off. it literally took me 2-3 days to remove the screws. i would twist so hard my hand would lock up. all i could get was a partial turn before i had to let my hand recover. no glue, no epoxy just strong wood i guess.

If the engine had been sitting for a long time the wood around the screws may have expanded providing a very firm grip!!
I like to screw in the screws firmly then remove and drip thin CA down the holes. Let it set for a while (you may get 'pooling' at the bottom of the hole) then you can mount the engine - it also fuel proofs the holes.
-Will

Good point - I will do the CA sealing.

Finally.... some pics.... plane is almost finished.
Wow, nearly 2 years passed since last post about this project!

Very nice!

I'll second that comment for sure............... I love the simple color scheme. What does the bottom look like?

David

Thanks!
I will post some more photos later, it may take some more weeks to find the time to get the remaining finishing work done.
Underside is white with wing and stab showing red stripes running from leading to trailing edge, gives a clear contrast to top side.

By the way, there is a set of Aurora stickers, but only one in a smaller letter size (for the fuselage...) and one in lager letters (for the wing, I´d say).
Anyhow, I would like to see both fuselage sides wearing the Aurora name. I may have to ask a print shop if they could duplicate it for me.

Dominik, your Aurora look great!! well worth the wait. Pete

Nice job Dominik! It's always a good day to see another Aurora soon to grace the skies.

Say, what kind of finish did you do on it? Are your wings/stabs painted or covered? Fuse/Pan?

I'd be interested in seeing your gear install too.

David.

More pics of my Aurora from the bottom side and engine area under the belly pan... thanks for your nice comments!

Wings and stabs are iron-on film covered.
Fuselage was sanded, brushed 2 times by grain filler with sanding in between. Then covering the fuselage by what we call japanese tissue paper, using almost water-thin glue (same stuff what you use to hang the wallpaper). After thorough drying, brushing 3 times grain filler again, and careful sanding by 400 grid. Next step was spraying so called spray putty from a rattle can, and sanding 600 grid. Repeat this step 2 times. Then, at some point, saying to onself "it´s enough" and spraying base coat by rattle can.

(You see this was the reason it took me so long since last post... )

Now, white color also from rattle can, I used 2 full spray cans.
Last step, clear coating by 2-component lacquer which is really fuelproof and stays crystal clear. This last spraying was the very first time I used spray gun and the compressor - it went quite well for my taste, the paint was easy to work with and it was fun.

I forgot to take a pic of the radio gear inside the fuselage, it is very tight in there, took me some time to figure out the arrangement. Will post those pics little later.
Landing gear is Robart 520 series spring down.

Wow, that is impressive!! Can I have it?

Very Very impressive indeed. Besides, just think. With that Hano in the nose, I bet it willo fly as awesome as it looks.

David

Here are the pics from fuselage inside, radio gear installation.
Under the transpararent plastic sheet are battery pack (Sanyo Eneloop 2000mAh) and receiver.

I spent some time over the weekend to get the nose landing gear retracting properly. There was interference with the silicone coupler, which connects header and tuned pipe. The landing gear wire hit it in retracted position. I ended up giving the wire a slight S-shape to clear the coupler. Next I have to find a simple way to keep the NLG centered when it retracts. I do not like it to be able to move around while being retracted, and may get into some undefined position for coming back down.
Any ideas for that?

Dominik

Design Update!

Just pure white and some red was not enough. I took a classic pattern plane which today is very popular as a replica for example and added some blue stripes.
You guess that particular plane and color scheme....

The Aurora still wasn´t put into air for maiden flight, many things got in between. Now I am waiting for the right weather and the right time to get it done!

Very nice job!! Those blue pinstripes really add to your scheme. Good luck.

Gene

Aurora made its 2 first flights last weekend. Plane flies well with no real issues, cg still to much front, and some left aileron trim was needed. I am going to balance the plane also laterally during next days, and put the cg little bit more backwards.

The Hanno Special was still too new to feel comfortable, it overheated and I had to come down earlier then desired. Will need to test that next time, how much can I open the needle valve and still have enough power.