I have read all I can find about the Spacewalkers still have a question. I may have got in a hurry and bough a DLE 30 for mine. As I look at it I'm not sure how to put the motor in it. Any advise I can get would help. The back side of the firewall is enclosed so how do I put the stanoff in it?

Ordinarily, the fuselage in a plane of this size is large enough that you can simply reach into the nose and run bolts through the fire wall. If that isn't possible, you can use bolts and blind nuts. Drill your holes for the blind nuts into the firewall. Then run a piece of music wire through the holes sliding the blind nut on from the back side of the firewall. Then pull the nuts up to it as tightly as you can. Use bolts to tighten the nuts down so they dig into the back of the firewall.

By the way, I would love to see some pictures of your Spacewalker II. I have one that I haven't gotten around to building yet.

Brian

I have the 1/4 scale and the 1/3 scale kits and have not yet started to build. I have a Zenoah G-26EI engine for the Spacewalker II and am in the process of getting a RCIgnitions G-62 for the 1/3 Scale. Tom Crump did a build of the 1/4 scale and the 1/3 scale, and is a wealth of information for your building on this web site and at the OTHER web site. There are several forum threads to gleen information from.
Joe



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Unfortunately, if you've done what I think you've done, you did get ahead of yourself.

I'll bet that you sheeted the nose, before installing the engine's blind nuts. If so, you can still get to the lower blind nut locations easily, so you won't have a problem, there.

The top location is a different story. You'll need to remove enough sheeting, to give yourself enough room to install the blind nuts.

It's more embarrassing, than hard. Hopefully, the location will not be on the same level as the top ply plate. If it is, you'll need to open up more sheeting, to give yourself room to work, hogging out the ply area where the nuts need to be. When I mounted my Mag 1.60 twin, this was the case. I had the holes drilled, and blind nuts mounted, before I mounted the firewall. This made the problem easy to see, and much easier to correct.

This thread may be of interest , and provide you with a few ideas. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=956429

This one may interest you, too. http://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1356049


Like I said, this really isn't hard to correct.

Tom I sure like the way you frinished your. I have not got the firewall covered yet. I am trying to figure out how to get the standoffs bolted to the firewall. I'm going to see if I can find some 5mmx3inch screws. More advise if you have it.

Tom, is that painted Koverall? If so, what did you paint it with?

PT19

My standoffs are really just spacers. I had them made to my required length, and drilled to accept #10 bolts. The bolts simply pass throught the standoffs, go through the firewall, and screw into blind nuts mounted to the back of the firewall.

I purchased my 10/32 screws and blind nuts at Ace Harware.

JollyPopper

Both of my Spacewalkers are covered in Solartex. The SW II was painted in Nelson Hobby Specialties paints, using no dope or primer underneath. ( glass parts were primed)

The 1/3 SW will be painted, using Rustoleum. Again, only the glass parts will get primed.

The pics of the engine mounting, (in the previous post) are of my 1/3 SW, but the principles are the same for the quarter scale.

On the 1/4, I used nylon (?) spacers, also from Ace Hardware. The bolts slip through them, and into the firewall mounted blind nuts.

PT19
Does the engine you are using have a rear mounted carb? If so, will you have to cut an opening in the firewall for it? You could use that opening to install your blind nuts. But, if you don't need to cut the firewall to clear for the carburetor it wouldn't help. How are you going to run your throttle hookup? I think you may have to open up the sheeting.

Joe

Subscribed.

Please keep us updated on the build with pics!

I'm planning out my next winter project, and the 1/3 spacewalker might me the choice. I would love to see how these planes go together!

Jason

Tom I couldn't see the forest for the trees. After your help I just drilled the stanoff out and went with the 10/32 screws. I don't have to cut out for the carb the stanoff are long enough. I haven;t got to the linkage are the plug wireing yet.Once again any advice will be helpful. I'm studying on the finish Solartex and paint.

Glad I could help, PT19.

On my 1/3 scale, there is no room, in the engine compartment, for the ignition or battery. I haven't installed them yet, but I imagine that they will be mounted on the interior side of the firewall.

There's plenty of info about Solartex, on RCU. For scale models, it is my covering of choice. I find it to be easy to apply, and it does not require all the work of, say Koverall. You can paint it with almost anything. I don't even use a primer. My 1/3 SW will be painted, using Rustolem, in quart cans.

I want to use Roberts hinge point on mine, Tom can you give me some advice about putting them on the ailarons? Advise from anyone would be welcomed.


?

PT. You'll have to re-design the ailerons, to use Robart hinges. They will work well on the rudder and elevators, though.

I used the provided hinges on the wing control surfaces.

Thank You Tom. Sure is nice to get some good advice. Love this new age.

Just out of curiosity, why do you say that you would have to redesign the ailerons to use Robart hinges? Hinge points can still be used on single bevels. I used them quite successfully on my Sign cub. All you have to do is drill your hole at an angle. The trick is keeping them alligned so that you drill straight. I found it easier to tape the aileron to the wing and then drill. It seems easier to keep your angles consistent that way. Obviously, that will position the elbow in the edge of the bevel. I will try to post pics tomorrow.

Brian

I found it to be more work, than I thought it was worth. I'm glad that you found a way to make it happen.

It is a good amount of work, Tom. I would like to see some detail of your hinges if you wouldn't mind. They are pinned hinges, correct?

Brian

They are the pinned hinges, provided by Sig, in the kit.

Sorry, I don't have any other pics of the hinge installation.

It's a typical installation, for a pinned hinge. Balsa blocks are placed in the wing trailing edge, and the aileron leading edge. The surfaces are slotted, and the hinges are inserted.

Tom, I assume you slotted the surfaces with the opening at the top of the bevel and angled them down. Is that correct?

Brian

Yes. That's exactly what I have done.

<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">is this what you have done with the ailerons? i can't tell well by the picture, but this is how the ailerons on my sig SMP are designed and built. should i redesign them to be 'normal', or are they going to be okay aerodynamically with that big open area under the bottom? i'm assuming it would be fine since it was designed that way, but would 'normal' be more efficient?</span>

That is exactly what I did with the ailerons on my Cub using hinge points. The biggest difference between the hinge point and flat hinge installation will be the amount of shaping you have to do to the opening for the hinge and the difficulty thereof. There has to be room for the elbow of the hinge point in addition to the hole for the post. That makes it a little trickier to install than the flat pinned hinge. I will probably give the pinned hinge a try on my own spacewalker.

Brian

<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS">don't the robarts only deflect to about 90*? that seems like a pretty shallow angle going into the surface and trailing edge. i'm probably going to use pinned hinges on my SMP. seems easier than getting the holes and space perfect to not look bad. how are the plans for the SWkit as far as templates or patterns for cutting your own formers if you wanted to build another one later down the road minus the kit of the whole thing? i would like one that was around the .32-.40 range.</span>

Hi I'm ready to put the wing tips on, Sig said CA but I'm not sure. Tom do you have any more advice?