RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Glad you enjoyed it 8178. It is a neat article.

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Dan Hines at Carolina Custom Aircraft [email protected] received my Blue Angel plans, wing rib tracings and some other drawings yesterday. He is considering doing a build thread on this forum to show how the Blue Angel wing and stab is made from the plans and tracings. I’m looking forward to Dan’s thread and to see my wing during the template construction and cutting.

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

I completed my Dynamic Balsa order http://www.dbalsa.com/ order today. Dynamic Balsa does a great job and I like the quality of their balsa.

I have a few 1/16” balsa sheets left over from another project to help cover the stab. The shipping on this order could be around $20.

Quan Size Type Use Cost
3 ¼”X2”X36” Balsa Stab and wing edges $4.65
1 ½”X3”X36” Balsa Elev&Rud $1.98
2 1/16”X3”X36 Balsa Stab sheeting $1.58
3 1”X2”X24” Balsa Fin front, top & stab tips $8.70
12 1/16”X4”X36” Balsa Wing sheeting $15.00
1 2”X2”X24” Balsa Wing tips $4.05
3 3/16”X3”X36” Balsa Fuse sides $5.01
3 3/8”X2”X36 Balsa Fuse corners $4.98
1 1/8”X12”X24” Light Ply Fuse sides $4.00
1 3/16”X3”X36” Balsa Fuse bottom $1.67
1 3/8”X2”X36” Balsa Fuse top $1.66
1 2“X4”X12” Balsa Fuse lower front $4.73
1 2”X2”X12” Balsa Fuse top back $4.05
Total Cost $62.06

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

I made a spare copy of the plans to cut up for templates. These will be rubber glued to the plywood and balsa stock and then cut out with my Dremel Moto-Shop jig saw. The firewall is not shown on the plans but I’ll create a template from the top and side views.

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Looks like spring has sprung in the Southeast. Going to be eighty degrees Sunday!

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

The Spring Air retract order arrived today. What super great quality! I see that the units are a little different than my 1991 vintage units that I’m using in the Tiporare. The new units have an improved aluminum pivot block that is the full width of the retract frame providing more bearing surface for the locking pin and a improved locking system. The frame is thicker as well.

With the special 25% discount Spring Air is offering the cost was $150 plus $6 shipping.

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

One of the things I always liked about the old Rom-Air retracts is that they would stay retracted for transporting and aircraft storage. While I was ordering my new Spring Airs they suggested a simple solution to keep the Spring Airs retracted. I just made a small wire retainer with a ribbon attached to it so it would not get lost. Pretty slick!

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

That is one of those things you look at and say "why didn't I think of that".

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

I know! Silly simple and easy! They said that they could be stored retracted without damage to the spring. It takes very little to hold them retracted. The wire I used is not even spring steel.

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

I’ve been on the road for a few days and when I returned my Tower order was waiting. My Dynamic Balsa order should be next.

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Close ups of the improved design of the Spring Air retracts compared to the older units. The pivot block is wider providing a better locking surface with the locking pin, stronger support with the frame sides and a larger bore for the strut attachment. The strut adapter can be adjusted and clamped AFTER the flats are ground on the strut to fine tune the strut alignment. They have changed the slots in the side frame so that the locking pin drops into a dwell to improve the locking force and the frames are thicker with strengthening webs on the mounting flanges. A larger piston is also used to lift heaver gear with less air pressure. And the best part is that they are engineered, manufactured and assembled right here in the good old USA.

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Dan at Carolina Custom Aircraft has started the process for cutting my foam wing and stab and you can follow his RCU thread here http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_4039073/tm.htm

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

After further inspection of the Dave Brown spinner I found a nick in one side of the blade cutout, so I sent it back with the adapter to have Tower replace it with a Tru Turn FAI 2 1/2” spinner LXKD68 and Tru Turn adapter. Tower is super great about returns and pay the return postage as well.

I’m still waiting for my Dynamic Balsa order and they say I should have it next Wednesday. I’m getting impatient to get the balsa dust flying!

I found a NIB OS 61 SF ABC-P #17712 for my Blue Angel on ebay that one of my fellow ebay bidders let me have for only $183.51 and only $2.50 more than he wanted to pay! Thank you fellow ebayer, it’s for a good cause and for a world class “classic”! I paid about $25 more than the last one I got on ebay last year, but they don’t come up for auction often and I need it now. That gives me one new one running in the Tiporare, one for the Blue Angel and one NIB for back up. Not sure why I end up have three engines of each type, three Webra 61s, three RJL K.61s, three OS 61 SFs, etc.

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Nice engine, Mike!

Are you planning on going with beams per the plans, or try to work in a radial mount?

The latter would be my preference.

BTW, I recently picked up a NIB YS60SE in an Orlando hobby shop for $131 for my BA. I have an OS muffler adapted to fit it.

-Ron

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Ron,

Funny you should mention the engine mounting and eliminating the beam mounts! This evening I’ve been working on the layout of the firewall and will be using the radial mount that was left over from my Great Planes Tiporare kit. I considered the Sullivan flex mount like I used in the Tiporare but the firewall surface space is too small. As you know there is no firewall former plan view shown on the plans so I created a layout from the side and top view. The firewall with be ¼” plywood and will tie into the light ply fuselage side doublers.

Great buy on the YS60SE1

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

I rubber glued the paper templates that I cutout from the copy of the plans to the plywood and balsa parts. Then I cut them out on my Dremel Moto-Shop jig saw. I’m not sure that I’ll use the odd shaped plywood part that was used in the kit for the nose ring. I made a new round nose ring that I typically use.

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

That's an awesome engine 8178. Your formers look great, beautiful job with the scroll saw.

I was looking at F15, the longitudinal side plank for the top half of the fuse. That's going to be fun to cut; bevelled on both edges AND it tapers in width!

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Thanks rainedav! Yes, I was very pleased to find another 61SF ABC-P! Although, all of mine are new, Hobby Services still has parts to rebuild them, excluding the pump.

I’ve been studying the plans too and for sure it’s not going to be super easy to build. It’s complicated but not too bad! In the olden days I built a few planked fuselages so hopefully those experiences will help me with the process.

Here’s a picture of me back in the early 70s preparing for my solo flight routine at a full scale air show. I flew a demo flight with my Century design (same wing platform as the Cold Duck, used a flying stab and tri gear retracts). In the background you can see my F86 that I built from FM plans. Now, that is what you call a complicated fuselage and wing! Good old silk and dope covering too!

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

View of the parts with the template paper removed.

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

That F86 is incredible! Are plans for that still available?

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

It was published in the November 1969 Flying Models magazine. I’ve seen copies of the plans on ebay item # 6043706620.

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

After cutting out the firewall I test fitted the motor mount, then clamped it in place and drilled the mounting holes for the 6-32 bolts. After drilling the holes I counter sank the back side of the holes slightly for the blind nuts. I make the blind nuts a tight fit and pull them in place buy using a large washer on a 6-32 bolt from the front. After they are pulled in place I soak CA in around the outside edge of the blind nut flange to strengthen the plywood around the nut area.

To be continued…

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

The fuel tank mounting system idea I’m using is borrowed from Howard Engineering kits. I’ve used it for decades on a number of different Howard Engineering kits, two Kwik Fli IIIs, two P-51 Mustangs, Hawk and a Flying Boat. It works very well and I’ve adapted to all the aircraft I build. In these images the third fuel tank line has not been installed yet. The pump on the OS 61 SF ABC-P uses the third line to return fuel back to the tank kind of like fuel injection systems do. I’d like to use a 16oz tank but there is not enough room.

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Let me get this straight. You replaced the cap on the fuel tank stopper with a 1/4" plywood plate consisting of two blind nuts for two bolts through the firewall. Is this correct? You get a complete sealed fit between the tank and the firewall.

Jim

RE: Blue Angel - Build
 

Jim,

Before Sullivan made the cover that wrapped around the front lip of the tank we removed the front piece and replaced it with the plywood. When they added the new wraparound front piece I just added the plywood part in front of the plastic wraparound piece. Tony used a fiberglass disk in the later Howard Engineering kits. Works great!