VincentJ

Great Anthony! I haven't hunted for deer in years... It will be nice to be able to follow another thread.

stevegauth30

I hope good health finds it's way back to you Vince. The flu is a real drag.

Leroy Gardner

Vincent sorry about the flue, it's not a good trip. I have to hand it to you, you still muster enough strength to make it to the shop and you work more like a machinest than a balsa builder, sick or other wise, quite a guy.

Get well soon,

Leroy

VincentJ

Thanks for the well wishes, greatly appreciated... Determined to get something accomplished this evening despite me wanting to go to bed to die, I worked on the tail portion of the fuse. Two 1/8" thick x 1/2" plywood squares needed to be inset into the end of the fuse. Eventually they will have a 1/4" hole drilled into them as part of the removable tail section. Once glued in place the tail section was sanded to close to its final profile.

raptureboy

Bring out your dead, bring out your dead. I'm not dead yet, no really, I'm getting better. See, I can still take pictures GO BACK TO BED! THAT'S AN ORDER!

VincentJ

Well I'm back guy, I'm not 100% yet but I feel much better. I have NEVER been so sick in my life, I thought I was going to buy the farm there for a while...I can see how the Flu can kill elderly people. On top of the Flu, I also had a bad sinus infection that I thought was going to make my head explode. It's funny what you think about when you're that ill, I rationed that I can't die yet because where will my planes go, and I still have a
an un-built kit in my closet...

Well enough of that, I'm heading down to the workshop there's a plane waiting there for me...

Cub Flyer Fresno

Hey, welcome back to the land of the living! Glad to here ya made it though.
(Oh, knowing how accurate you are with your spelling and all, I can tell you not quite 100%. )

Now go down there and build an airplane!

VincentJ

Construction of the horizontal stabilizer has begun. Pretty basic construction, 5/16" thick balsa used with a 1/4" square spruce glued to the trailing edge for additional support. I know you will ask, yes, that's my blood on the plans...

Texastbird

Can't build a good plane without a blood sacrifice.

Jim Branaum

My Feedback: (3)

The T-pins are not supposed to go into YOU!

My cowl (and wheel pants?) arrived yesterday.

Leroy Gardner

Thats a bit surprising, no foil in the tail surfaces, first time I saw that in that scale, Hummm!

Leroy

Jim Branaum

My Feedback: (3)

From my conversation with Doug Lee about this bird, that might be a choice Vince made...there seem to be several different 'scale' tail feathers available that are accurate. I do not know if they have to be airfoiled to be accurate.

VincentJ

Jim you are correct that Doug gives you two tail sizes that the builder can choose to use on this plane, then the builder has the choice to build that version in either a fixed or removable tail format. Both versions can be built in a flat or airfoil style stabilizer. Regardless of what the builder chooses, all versions start off flat as shown in the picture on my last post. If you choose to go the airfoil route (which I am), then you apply 5/32" balsa sheeting to the stab and sand the airfoil shape to it. A different approach to get the airfoil from the usual departure from ribs...

Note: I am building the larger tail surfaces on this plane.

How do you like the cowl that came from FS Jim?

Jim Branaum

My Feedback: (3)

WAH! It has been too cold to go out to the shop and check it out. Part of the problem is that it has been too cold to trouble shoot the Gere Sport that won't draw gas and it is hogging the building table. I really really hate cold weather.

ghoffman

My Feedback: (3)

Nice!

VincentJ

I received my gas tank and CF landing gear today, good timing as I will be needing them both soon! Spent most of the day finishing up my fun-fly plane, I went a little overboard on it...

WacoNut

Hi VJ,
I finally started my 1/3 Spacewalker. Started a thread in the kit build forum. Not much posted yet hopefully I will start making some progress soon.
Later!!
Anthony

VincentJ

Thanks for the heads-up Anthony, I will be sure to follow along! I know you will enjoy building it...

VincentJ

Spent the better part of this cold day at the field maidening my new fun-fly plane. It flew great and was a pleasure and relaxing to fly as I don't have the time invested into it as I do on my other planes.

When I got home I spent some time finishing up the horizontal stabilizer. The hard part is yet to come as I now have to sand an airfoil shape to it... I don't know why Doug built it this way instead of traditional ribs, but I will say it's twist/flex free. You can see how it aligns itself to the fuse, and how it will be bolted through the plate that I had made earlier...

Jim Branaum

My Feedback: (3)

I spent a lot of time with an aeronautical engineer who was responsible for the T-38/F-5 series of aircraft and he taught me a lot of things about structures as we analyzed some experimental aircraft I was considering building (Polywagon and the Midget Mustang II). I think that one of the things fits right in with how these tail feathers are built with flat sheeting and then sanded to airfoil shape rather than ribs and sheeting.

The 'skins' are the spar caps. Sanding the LE and TE to shape leaves the thickest part in the area where the load is probably going to be when in use. If you had ribs, the skin would be thinner to bend around the ribs which means weaker. In addition to that there is the simple additive areas of sizes by cutting (even with a laser) and gluing ribs to some form which brings the last place up in the conversation where the 'sand away what is not the airplane' approach somewhat more elegant. If you had (airfoiled) ribs, they would need to be held in exactly the correct position as you built up the rest of the part.

Is that clear enough or have I confused the issue?

VincentJ

Makes sense Jim. This is a different approach to what I'm used to, and I do like to try different venues!

In preparation to the significant amount of sanding that's ahead of me I decided to give my trusty sanding bars a change of clothes...so it dawned on me that should document how I change the paper.

Removing the paper is always the worst part of this task, I find that if I get a single edged razor blade under one corner and work it slowly it comes off pretty well. Dealing with the adhesive residue is next, and for that I use the product that you see sprayed on the bar and wiped off with a paper towel. It's important to get all the residue off to ensure that the new paper will have a flat surface in which to rest upon. Once wiped clean you can easily roll on the length of paper you need and trim it to fit.

With new paper on my sanding bars, I decided to get to the task at hand, getting the airfoil shape on the stab. The blue painters tape is the 25% cord reference line for me to gage the profile.

Jim Branaum

My Feedback: (3)

Well I will be dam**. My oldest used that stuff to get stickers off the retired police cruiser we got for him. I still have some left and will have to check it out as most of my sanding bars are up for new paper now. Getting the old adhesive off is always 'fun'. I have used acetone to wipe the bars clean in the past, but I will try this stuff.


Let it warm up, let it warm up (sung to the tune of "Let it snow")

What are you using for sandpaper and attachment?

I use normal sandpaper cut in proper sized strips and attach it with double sided carpet tape. The long bars take 2 pieces and the only task there is to butt the second piece properly to the first so you have a reasonably flat joint.

raptureboy

A heat gun helps to remove the old paper and then acetone or paint thinner, but goof off works well. If chemicals get to you then try "Goo Be Gone", it's a citrus base cleaner and safe to use on any surface. I also have used reg paper which I spray with 3M low tack contact cement. Brrrr too cold for flying here got snow then freezing rain yesterday and today. They had nearly 100 car pile up between 2 accidents on the turnpike and I-78 last night. UGH! Hey Robert do you have a room for rent for the winter? LOL Glad to see your back in the land of the living Vince. I wonder about how easy it would be to sand a low spot or create a mis-shapened airfoil using a flat sanding bar trying to sand a curved surface. This will be interesting to watch.

stevegauth30

I'm sure Vince won't have too much trouble with it. He thinks things through to completion before ever starting. That's one thing I've taken away from these threads. Along with many other tips and tricks. Good to have ya back in the shop again VJ.

WacoNut

VJ,
The plane is looking really good. I do not envy you of that task of sanding the shape on the stab and elevator's. That is a lot of work and "I HATE SANDING" .
Have Fun!!!!
Anthony