RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...between the cracks...Rusty's Deception?

Excellent observation...the plan under the photos which have been posted are of my Deception currently on the "primary" building bench. My shop has a number of work areas including the primary bench (butcher block top), a mechanical installation area, a finish prep/Monokote area and the maintenance bench.

The Deception is being scratch built using Scott Anderson's (www.rcfoamy.com) fine work. Scott created a very nice set of sheeted wings/stabs, glass canopy and plans. I had Scott set-up the wings for Pro-Line/Southern R/C, Dave Brown Mechanical retracts. I purchased a new set from Dave Brown's website and will use (2) servos to operate.

The Deception is typical of the construction techniques used on many classics. I will post photos in a couple of days. My process now includes installing every single nut, bolt, linkage during construction with a significant focus on future maintenance/replacement challenges. The fuselage is just about done...meaning the engine, pushrod, tank, nose gear, nose gear retract, nose gear steering, servo tray, elevator pushrod, rudder/nose gear pushrod, switch, voltage regulator, receiver, battery and tail skid mount are installed.

Jim Kimbro's original Deception was powered by a Rossi (Jim was always used Rossi's) and Pro-Line retracts. Mine will use a NIB OPS Ursus .61 (found on RCU for about $130), OPS header/pipe and probably a carved wooden canopy. I used the glass canopy on my Dirty Birdy and am too lazy to order another.

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...between the cracks...Taurus Flyer’s Orion?

My bench has a number of working levels including the primary wood working level, an electronics level, a finish prep level, a maintenance level and on this moment a mechanical installation level on top. In the Netherlands we do call this kind of arrangement on a workbench a “terp”.

The Orion I am working on is being scratch built. I had myself set-up the wings for own design mechanical retracts. I designing and building, on top level, a new set of mechanical retracts and will use the existing central single cylinder pneumatic system to operate.

The Orion is typical of the construction techniques used on many classics, PIANOWIRE.

I include this post with a couple of photos. My process now includes installing every single nut, bolt, linkage during construction with a significant focus on future maintenance/replacement challenges. The fuselage is just already done, I only have to rebuilt the wing after some FOD.


Taurus Flyer
Pianowire Team Multiplex


___________________________________
Taurus Flyer
Pianowire Team Multiplex

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Building techniques..."Just ASK BERUSTY"

My number one work bench currently has a Deception in process based on the assistance of Scott Anderson's fine work as discussed in a previous post.

Carving blocks of balsa wood for cowls-

The Deception uses a balsa block to create the engine cowl. One could use 1/2" sheet and build a box sort a thing and grind and carve or use a big giant block of balsa or laminate (2) blocks as I did.

Step 1: Cut-out side view of cowl from the extra set of plans you had copied at FedEx Office (Kinko's)...you did that right? Glue the lightest balsa blocks you can find using old fashioned Elmer's or Titebond wood glue.

Step 2: Glue template from above to SQAURE block from above using 3M spray contact adhesive. Cut-out outline using a $150 band saw available at Loew's, Home Depot... and draw center lines all over including thrust, block center, and cut lines for hollowing the block.

Step3: Put a 2 1/2" forstner bit in your $125 bench mounted drill press available at Loew's, Home Depot and bore a hole on the bottom of the block on the thrust center line. You can clamp a couple of 1" x 2" pine pieces to hold the block for a added saftey while drilling. You will have to vacuum and raise the drill press work surface to drill deep enough.

Put a 1 1/2" forstner bit in the drill press and bore the front of the block connecting to the previously bored hole.

Smile, and inspect work.

Step 4: Get your carving gouges and knives, Perma grit tools and remove material from the inside of the block. The final work can be done with a couple different sizes of sanding drums in your hand held electric drill.

Step 5: Add a little 6 ounce cloth/finishing resin to the areas you got a little thin and test fit to the fuselage AFTER the fuel lines, throttle cable and engine mount are attached.

Step 6: Using a counter sink bit, remove material around the fuel line exit holes.

Step 7: Glue on cowl...you just spent about (2) hours and have made a huge mess!

Remember that all of the hand tools and drill bits are pictured on the first page of this thread.

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Building Fundamentals...a tutorial..."Just ASK BERUSTY"!

Installing the fuel tank/tank floor/nose retract and retract servo in a Deception-

Rusty's Law # 98: The engines in the models with easily removable fuel tanks rarely quit due to split tanks, split fuel lines, leaky stoppers or clunks that fall-off. The engines of models with tanks NOT easily removable ALWAYS quit and generally quit just before enough altitude, airspeed or clearance over the tree at the end of runway is reached.

Based on Rusty's Law #98, a removable fuel tank is a must. Planning is the key because it is just not easy to do after you have completed the model make a plan and sleep on it.

Review your installation and determine location based on the capabilities of your motor/model and tank selection. Determine location of fuel lines considering how you will fuel the model, pressure for muffler/pipe...

Step 1: Carefully assemble the tank of your choice and triple check for proper vent, clunk action and leaks . Wrap nylon packing tape around tank to form a pull handle for removal.

Step 2: Go to step #1.

Step 3: Using a Sharpie or permanent pen, draw a circle around the vent line, date of assembly as well as an arrow for top and write the word "top".

Step 4: Using foam insulation tape (3/8" x 1/2") shown for this installation and apply to tank.

Step 5: Add a cross brace limiting the forward movement of the tank.

Step 6: Make a tank floor. The Deception used 1/16" aircraft plywood with a few forstner bit created holes. The holes are place to inspect the fuel lines and reduce weight. Weight is best removed (1) gram at a time in 30 places rather than finding a savings of an entire ounce in one place.

Step 7: Slide tank in and stare at it...will this work?

Step 8: Did you install the tank floor glue rails when you made the fuselage sides? I did and used 1/8" square balsa.

Step 9: Install tank and glue floor with thick CA. Go around edges with additional CA and or add triangle stock. This installation will have the retract servo sitting just above the tank floor (below, perspective is everything) so only triangle stock was added in rear.

Step 10: Stand back and admire your work. You just spent (2) hours!

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Building Fundamentals...a tutorial...Rusty's techniques work for Rusty and may not work for you!!!

Radio layout planning, servo locations, elevator push rod, push rod exit guides, elevator horns-

My prefercence is to tape the plans of my projects to the work bench and plan the installation. Pencil is used to draw locations of equipment, push rod exits, servo output wheel centers and ? The plan shown is for a Jim Kimbro designed Deception that I am scratch building using Scott Anderson's custom wing/stab cores and my scratch fuse and stuff.

Battery technology has advanced rapidly and I am NOT going to tell you what to use rather show what works very well for me. I will use a Thunder Power 1350 mah 7.4 volt battery and a Jaccio fail safe 5.1 volt regulator to power my mostly digital flight pack consisting of (2) 9154 aileron servos, 9151 rudder servo, (?) digital elevator servo and really basic 3001 throttle servo. The Jaccio regulator fails "on".

A servo template was drawn on a 3" x 5" note card after several hours of thinking and fiddling about what I was trying to accomplish. YOU MUST PLAN THIS STUFF!!!

Goals:

1. Elevator push rod to drive independent elevator halves.

2. After much thought...use Jim's rudder horn mounted like an old school aileron horn, driven by a .070 carbon fiber rod inside a teflon tube.

3. Rudder steering has very little travel due to Dave Brown retract constraints.

4. Gotta look clean and simple.

The pushrod was made using a 3/8" balsa stick, planed and rounded by hand. The finished product weighed 23 grams and a pushrod for my Calypso, of the almost identical size and same except was made of a carbon fiber arrow shaft was 28 grams. NOTE: The $8,000, Naruke of Japan, custom F3A models use a plain balsa stick!!! One reasoning is that the balsa stick has the same properties as the balsa airplanes...less trim change due to temperature/moisture. A carbon fiber blade was glued (CA) on to the top of the stick and wire pushrod ends are bent, wrapped with 1/2a control line thread and CA'd. A Central Hobbies Dual axis rod end (3 mm?) is used for the servo end and a titanium 3mm rod end is carefully carved, wrapped with 1/2a string and CA'd.

Klett large exit guides are used for the exits and Hayes steel pined clevis's will connect to MK large aluminum control horns.


Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...perfect practice makes perfect?

How to learn techniques that you have never tried without wrecking a "real" airplane-

Build a minature Classic!

I have a Sig Yak 18 framed and ready for finishing. I have decided that using Monokote would be crazy so I have committed to an old school silk/silkspan/Kover-all and dope finish. I decided to build a few other classics to learn about this type of a finish and involve my tiny boys in the process.

The Sig Staggerwing is a classic 1/2a control line model that is mostly balsa and a plastic cowl/landing gear doors. The model has been built and I am experimenting with sanding sealer (number of coats), how much prep is really needed and the final finish of the wood versus plastic parts. Fun project requiring a few hours last Saturday morning to get this far.

The Herr Engineering Piper Cub was a porject to acquire more attention to stick construction detail, tissue techniques, number of dope coats and dope/thinner reducing levels as well as testing brushes and brush marks. My kid's helped in all facets and it was a rewarding little project completed at the kitchen table with a ceiling tile as a building board and about (10) hours of time.

Consider a building a free flight or control line model for a change of pace and learn/hone a new skill.

If you want to learn about flight trim...you gotta try AMA free flight and AMA catapult gliders. My boys (4 and 6 at the time) competed in the 2008 AMA NATS in Junior hand launch and catapult glider. They helped me build the models (the rules mandate!) and were very much a part of the continuous trimming. They now attempt to trim anything that flies by bending wings, licking the tips or tearing off parts for a better CG. They built (3) gliders for each event for the NATS and now regularly get 25 - 45 second flights from the school yard. I learned a lot about triming as well...I even had my personal hand launch glider "fly away" last August on a hot summer afternoon at the local school yard. It circled highe and higher and then...it was gone!! Probably one of the most awesome and neatest event in my almost 40 years of modeling. The event was witnessed by the whole family and we still wonder if Dad's glider is still flying!

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Berusty,
I do built my cowls from birch plywood and pine.
The only way to show is making some pictures of the inside.’
If you want to see this, let me know.
I prefer birch plywood because this will withstand much longer. Also I think the shaft of the engine is better protected in frontal impacts and crashes.
This cowl is already 5 years old and still in top condition after one modification with a diffuser.
BTW you see the centre line of the tank is on a high level when compare with the carb, that's why I use pressure regulators for the glow engines.


Cees

Wrong editing about grain of the wood , removed

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Berusty,

Classic Fundamentals...between the cracks...


When I look to your pictures about the cowling maybe you only can remove the cowling after remove the engine or not?
When I compare the hatch with my Orion it is easy to make the first modification and I did make a picture for you.
Remove the topsite of the hatch and glue this topside against the fire wall, together with the mounting blocks with thread for the screws I use M3 metric thread.
The side surfaces of the cowI l did make of 1/8 birch plywood to make a rugged mounting possible with the three screws.
I did mak a former (and more but not visible) near the firewall in the hatch to make the hatch strong.
Top by me (and bottom for you) is curfed 2 mm biirche plywood , but you can balsa for that (reinforged with epoxy 2 comp glue?)


Edit about grain of the wood against the firewall.

BTW the wood against the firewall, top part of the old cowl, (some plywood front layer against balsa), does have the grain square on the wood of the existing top block, it is better to keep out the fuel of the top block of the tank compartment.
Sometimes I mount a complete 2 mm former in front on the firewall to protect all the wood of the fuselage against fuel (as example the triangle stocks fuselage sides etc..


Cees

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Berusty,

Classic Fundamentals...between the cracks...


When I look to your pictures about the pushrods you better forget the Klett large exit guides (see post 55 picture 3 and picture 1 in this post).


Klett large exit guides are used for the exits and Hayes steel pined clevis's will connect to MK large aluminum control horns


When I compare your linking with the tail of my Taurus or Orion it is easy to make the second modification and I did make some pictures for you.
Remove the “Klett large exit guides” and glue the balsa back in the existing slot, drill the hole the way I show in second picture with a piece of 4 mm PIANOWIRE with special point. See for the point also the third picture left bottom corner
If you want, you can glue a little piece of small inner diameter nylon tube in the drilled hole to guide the piano wire end of the pushrod (blue).


Do not forget all the linking of a Taurus and Orion are “in” the fuselage and/or wing, without the only one I can show you for the rudder!!!!!

GOALS

All the parts I see on the outside of the plane even if they are transparent do generate drag. The more unneeded components, the more drag.
All the parts you want to mount on the outside and do not need do cost you too much money and time.
All the parts on the outside that are not needed do add weight and in your case make the plane more tail heavy

All the high value (cost) components low weight material (titanium?) you need to compensate the extra weight. Because if you do not do that the wing will generate more drag because we need a higher lift coefficient. (no not during taxiing, but flying of course!!)

Of course I also know a method to mount the pushrods after finishing the fuselage!

When I see our Zlin in the future with 8 Klett large exit guides, four on the wing and four on the fuselage I will think by myself: ”let’s forget the retracts too, because so much drag we never can compensate anymore!”

Think about the clean surface of the wing I did draw for you. We want speed for power and not drag for money and that’s the only reason why we are trying to store the wheels in the wing.
As an example I show you a last picture, the DH Chipmunk with fixed gear, original, not photo shopped!

If you want a detailed description how to drill, let me know and I make that for you!

Cees


Edit: Some people might think Zlin? It's from another thread, so I do add the picture of that thread with the extra red circles.
Compare the wings and all the FOD (foreign object drag!) that's generated.

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...building light models that fly!

Cees,

Your level of arrogance is profound and only pales to your inability to move "let go" of 1960's technology and embrace proven advanced materials of the new millenium, which by my math, is about 35 + years. In the last 35 years the FACTS would reflect that a man has traveled to the moon and back and somehow did it with precious little "piano wire".

Creating a cowl out of a block of wood-

The cowl is not removable, balsa wood was chosen to save weight and requires no contribution to the models strength. Your notes are excellent and just not applicable to a high performance pattern model with a non-removable engine cowl.

Pushrods/control systems for models that fly-

The system I described has personally worked perfectly for thousands and thousands of precision aerobatic flights in dozens of models. I fly my models hundres and hundreds of flights. Each element is/was chosen for temperature stability, durability, precision, thoughtful about the order of assembly and simplicity.

I recognize that the my country of residence has provided access to high quality, durable modeling hardware at a nominal cost. The integration of the steel pin contained in the 30 year old Hayes clevis is brilliant and has significantly retained linkages with little slop from the first to 500th flight.

Embracing Technology-

The models of yesterday can benefit by integrating modern materials including manufactured items made of nylon, carbon fiber, adhesives, finishing materials... Personally, I am recreating models from yesterday with materials of today and without exception, they fly better.

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba (disclosed as a courtesy to readers)

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Berusty,

Now we are on level,


Classic Fundamentals...between the cracks...

It cannot be a problem to show both sides
I have Hanna my quality and investment controller and what I do she says it is alright, that's the only important fact for me.
Let's continue : Did you google for the "constant speed prop"?

Cees

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...Cees and desist!

Dearest Cees,

May I be so bold as to request you post comments of a constructive and positive nature. It seems this may be simply too much for your giant brain to embrace. You and your smarmy cat might consider a group more worthy of your contribution...I understand that model railroading is dedicated to producing "yesterday" in profound detail.

Formerly respectful of your contributions,

Rusty Dose
Supporter of the tirelessly polite!

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Berusty,
The project you did make jokes about did cost my hundreds, maybe thousands of hours.
Read, your own posts about that.


http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=8359267

Do not start a thread with my name in it anymore.

"Just ASK CEES"...complex questions answered HERE!"



Cees

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Cees, what does your response have to do with this thread? It seems to me that whenever you get involved in a thread, you very quickly go off topic and condemn others for the techniques that they use. Why do you insist on endlessly doing this? I used to really enjoy this forum, but I'm visiting it less and less as you continue to pollute it with your "contributions."

I was hoping that this thread would enhance my build skills, but as expected, you're turning it into a "my way is better than yours."

Just remember, our brains are like parachutes, they work best when open!

FB

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

FB

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_79...tm.htm#9168117

Read this page, post 626 and 628
Do you think this is allowed becasue I run my project single? Look to the date 10/13/2009

I do want to let you know this and also when that thread that Berusty started is removed, I did not ask for that remember!
I hope the moderators also will take notice of that.

With my Moki question it is clear to me you forget the history of constant speed props, just as the history of the Taurus.

Cees

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Again, you haven't answered the question. Why do you have to keep dragging in quotes from other threads? Can't you just give a straight answer?

FB

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Tutorial...more tools have been added to the front page!

The front page of this thread shows many, many, many photos of tools!!!!

Classic building techniques require some kind of tools, mostly hand tools. I began building when I was 8 or 9 and had the following tools:

(1) X-acto knife with the same blade for years!
(1) piece of 120 grit sand paper remnant
various nails to drill holes
MonoKote iron
MonoKote heat gun
(1) X-acto razor saw
felt tip pen
plastic ruler

The drill was later improved with a hand drill that had (3) bits and you pushed, the drill would turn. An actual electric drill was not available until I was in high school (gotta love birthdays!).

Jr. high brought Mr. Harriger and Mr. Kreihble of Valley View Jr. High in Omaha, Nebraska. These fantastic teachers assisted with drilling motor mounts, silver soldering and making field boxes using the wood shop tools...all after school. Bud Kilnoski of Bud's Hobby Shop provided hours and hours of patient conversation and was our Monokote "Zen Master".

The front page of this thread has photos of the primary tools I have collected over the years to build toy airplanes. They have been sourced at home centers, hobby shops, industrial supply stores.

Wood Crafters is a chain of retail stores dedicated to the wood working enthusiast. Last year I picked up a Jet Dust Collector for about $300 and it has been one of the single best additions to the work shop. The ceiling mounted box (about 12" x 30" x 36") sucks dust and debris from sanding and power tool use.

I have visitors from time to time and their favorite thing in my shop, that they ALWAYS comment...a wall mounted vaccuum. I found a good one at Home Depot for about $100. The unit has a (15) foot hose and I have it mounted in the center of the shop on a metal support pole.

Photos show tools for soldering, drilling/tapping holes, really cool height gauge and honking wire bender for 5/32 " wire.

Happy Holloween!

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic tutorial...building techniques...some new some old!

Plasitic boxes-

I hate clutter and am a neat freak (some would say just a freak). I have little plastic boxes for soldering stuff, bits of wire and metal, glass cloth, fuel tubing and accesories, indoor electric, radio electronics, thread cutting and drills and a box for EACH project I have in process and on deck. The boxes fit in the cabinets (2) which hold the work bench.

Clear nail polish- in the attached photo is applied after soldering and heat shrinking a plug. For example, you add a female plug to a multi-cell lipo pack, shrink the heat shrink and then I apply the clear nail polish as an extra insulator over the plug/heat shrink joint. Probably a little over kill or crazy...just hate to burn the car, garage, house down due to a short circuit!

Additional photos of adhesives and fillers I have discussed.

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...a very big "Stick Plane"

Stick Planes are used to "fly" a manuever or sequence to figure out control inputs, orientation, clarify shape with your caller and ?

The photos show (2) examples of stick planes, both silly, although for different reasons.

"Official 2007USA F3A Team Stick Plane" was created by world class modeler and artist Raiko Potter. Raiko down-loaded the drawings from the 2007 USA F3A Team website (www.f3a.usa). Raiko used plywood and balsa for construction, covered the tiny model with MONOKOTE, addded a few details with marker and then cleared it with auto urethane!! Yes, it is also very light.

The really big stick plane was built by me for the 2007 Toledo show as a prop for the crazy nuts at (F)lying (G)iants. I took the 2007 F3A sequence and the "Official Stick Plane" drawing to Kinko's for some major enlarging. Foam core was used for the entire construction, exterior applied with 3M spray adhesive, a 1/2" dowel and wooden stair trim from Home Depot for the stick, clear tape over all of the edges, trim Monokote canopy and spinner and a coat of craft foam safe clear spray paint to make shine.

The little plane was raffled off at the 2007 AMA NATS with the proceeds going to the F3A Team and the "big stick" was never seen after the Toledo show.

Build one and improve your flying!

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...Wega/Sunshine Blue Angel!

Wega/Sunshine Blue Angel by builder to the stars, Dave Guerin.

I am pleased to share a series of progress photos of my projects executed by professional builder Dave Guerin including the Wega/Sunshine Blue Angel, Fliteglass Trion, Wega/Sunshine Curare, Super Lucky Fly Supreme, Summit... (my wife basically ignores the models coming in and out of the house...she KNOWS that Dave does not do this because I am that fun to be around...I may need a food tester?)

The Wega/Sunshine Blue Angel kit (about $300 plus the shipping from Deutschland) features a very nice epoxy glass fuselage, pre-sheeted foam wings and stabs, balsa and plywood stuff, landing gear wire, goofy plans and worthless written directions. I supplied Dave with the magazine article courtesy of the Classic Pattern List (have you made your donation?) a YS short stroke .60 and a new set of Dave Brown tri-gear retracts.

Challenges- The pre-sheeted wings have "barn door" ailerons rather than the strip ailerons in the original. The wings also were set-up for fixed gear.

Aileron solution- Using the 3-view drawings in the Model Airplane News article Dave created the exact aileron size, filled in the silly aileron mess with soft balsa and added the aileron servo boxes. The ailerons were carefully drawn on the wing and the foam was cut-out using a straight edge and #11 blade...cutting one side at a time, cutting top first then bottom. Assuming you drew the lines perfectly, this works. Dave is a building "God" and can free hand straight lines better than most of us can using a straight edge.

Keys to success

1. Accurate lines.
2. Cut half way through using #11 blade, finish sand with long sanding block.
3. Leading edge balsa is cut straight and glued on a flat surface. 3/16 square added to trailing edge of aileron and 1/16 caps on ends. Very strong finished product which is straight and tens to stay straight.
4. A dowel will be added for aileron horn epoxied in "circle" drawn on aileron. tapped for 6-32 bolt.

Retract solution- The wings have a 1"x1 1/2" x 6 1/2" heavy wooden block in the wing...a major pain to remove! Dave tells me he cut around the block, then drilled about 30 holes with a 1/4 drill bit...picked and pulled (3-hours later)...block is removed. A 1/4 light plywood plate is added with dowels and a balsa former or two perpendicular to the gear plate, the wheel well is finished with scrap 3/32 sheet. In order to know the main gear strut length, the nose gear was determined after he determined the prop clearance for a 12" prop.

The wings started out weighing 13 ounces per panel without tip blocks/leading edge and now weigh 11 ounces with the gear plates, servo boxes, ailerons and unsanded tip blocks.

The stabilizer was finished based on the 3-view drawing.

The YS .60 "short stroke" features a fuel pump allowing the fuel tank to be placed at the center of gravity. Mr. Yoshioka used an Enya engine with a newly developed (1973) YS pump and carb...I think the YS .60 is an excellent substitution. The fuselage is in (2) pieces consisting of cowl and main fuselage which makes the engine/retract installation much easier. I will be using a Hatori tuned pipe and header to complete the power package.

The other pictures show Dave's painting/Monokote skills on one of my new toys.

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba
Team YS Parts and Service

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...Professional builder Dave Guerin builds Blue Angel!

Blue Angel by Wega/Sunshine of Germany build by Dave Guerin

Dave forwarded photos of the ready to mount wing and stab. We are building a series of 4-5 models which have similar layouts...low wing, tri-gear retracts, retrofitting retracts into fixed gear wings with fiber glass fuselages, requiring the engineering to be resolved in model number one and applied to the others.

Landing gear servo mount- The photo shows the landing gear servo with light ply sides, balsa ends and holes for the aileron servos. The nose gear pushrod will be added once wing is mounted.

Wheel detail- Photo shows wheel well.

Bottom of wing- Center section and aileron detail.

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...Professional builder Dave Guerin builds Blue Angel!

Blue Angel by Wega/Sunshine of Germany build by Dave Guerin

Firewall, engine, cowl and nose gear retract...

The Challenge- The Wega/Sunshine kit has a nose cowl which is a seperate molded piece to be attached to the front of the fuselage. The front of the fuselage has about 1.5 degrees of LEFT thrust. The typical .60 size pattern ship should have about 1 degree of RIGHT thrust.

The Solution- The firewall is mounted to the front of the fuselage (it is shown on the rear in the supplied drawing) which also allows an additional 1/4" for the nose gear to be retracted without adding a cut-out to the leading edge of the wing.

The engine mount (Kraft/Hayes 70) has a plywood shim attached to the rear which is carefully sanded to the 1 degree of right thrust.

Future Concern- Nose gear steering. Dave and I have discussed the fact the rise/distance between the rudder servo which is mounted very high in the fuselage allowing for the rudder cables to exit above the stab and the nose gear retract is almost 2". This may create a challenge with the steering cable. This is similar to the Deception installation.

Solution- I used a clear antennae tube (Dubro part?) that I heated with a heat gun with a Sullivan braided cable inside, while holding the tube in a "S" shape. After it cooled, much of the shape retained. The braided cable moves freely.

Photo 1- Fuselage, YS .60 short stroke, cowl

Photo 2- Fuselage with engine/cowl installed.

Photo 3- Fuselage with engine/cowl top view.

Photo 4- Fuselage with nose retract cut-out for Dave Brown

Photo 5- Fuselage with bottom view showing clearance for pipe header.

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Classic Fundamentals...Professional builder Dave Guerin builds Blue Angel!

Blue Angel by Wega/Sunshine of Germany build by Dave Guerin

Wing attachment and belly pan details.

Overview- The fuselage/wing saddle required a combination of sanding, grinding and more sanding for the proper fit. The design calls for about 1/2 degree of positive incidence for the wing and the stab at zero. The firewall has been mounted with a little down thrust and 1 degree of right thrust...always verify by measuring. Measuring is accomplished by setting up the wing at + 1/2 degree on the bench, verify the stab filet is close (it was) and measure the thrust using a ruler attached to the motor and measure the right/left tips to the tail post...do the math and you have the actual thrust.

Photo 1- The wing center section glassed, front bulkhead, rear bulkhead and plywood hold-down bolt plate.

Photo 2- Wing attached to fuselage with 2-dowels in wing into holes in bulkhead and glass. Wing bolts are 1/4-20 into plywood plate.

Photo 3- Belly pan vacuum formed of a black plastic.

Photo 4- Rear plywood plate sanded to fit under glass lip. Note as much of the lip has been removed to save precious weight and get one's hands in the tiny fuselages these models had.

Photo 5- Front plywood bulkhead sanded for a good fit and a hole added for weight reduction and nose gear pushrod solution yet to be completel;y resolved. One idea is to use one servo to operate all three gears or use two servos.

Dave's work is very clean simple. He focuses on good fitting joints, modest amounts of adhesive for long lasting models that last many hundreds of flights.

See this model fly at the 2010 Chicago Classic Pattern Event in May/June at the Fox Valley Aero Club field in St. Charles, Illinois.

Rusty Dose
Team Futaba

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Several people have asked how to get tight joints in joints such as cap strips, stick built sides etc. this is my tool.

In the pics I'm putting cap stips on a built up wing. (This works for putting cap strips on foam wings as well.) The sheeting is 3/32 so the wood used to make this tool was 3/32 (Use thickness of wood to match what you're using. I stack two (2) 1 X 5 inch strips and glue them , then cut in half. Then take another piece of wood and glue the two cut pcs with about a 1/2 gap. (The width of this gap depends on how wide the widest joint you'll be spanning.) After all are glued and set, I surface one side to be as flat as I can get it.

To use the tool place the gap over the cap strip and up against the sheeting, then using a sharp pencil you get the correct angle. Then cut and do it on the other end and you have a perfect fit nearly every time. If the tool doesn't fit in a certain space, you made it modify it so that it works.

I'll try to put up some pics, they tell the story better than I can. Please excuse the chubby fingers.

Hope someone finds this helpful.

Mark

RE: Classic Fundamentals...a tutorial...post your building techniques HERE!
 

Congratulations this is a great thread, after all this years you can still keep learning from guys with building talents like yours.