Untill you wipe that thing down with black chalk and sand there will still be minute flaws. LOL
Couldn't resist.

Looking superb Vincent!

This may have been discussed already, but...

It looks like the SIG kit ABS head rest is quite a bit larger than scale compared to MOST of the photos I've seen. It may be an optical illusion or perhaps that was another modification like the flap length made on this particular full size aircraft. Pictures look like it extends about 1/3 the length to the vertical stabilizer where kit one is almost 1/2 the distance. The Great Planes and Black Horse kits seem more proportional in size. Just asking.

Owls Head Museum has accepted my 1/6 scale SE5a to go along with their full size display so I spent some time last evening making a few minor repairs and removing some of the RC equipment that I cna use on the Ryan.

Jaybird

Jaybird, I have noticed that as well. It does seem that what is included in the kit is a bit longer, however I did use it in my Ryan. I placed mine a bit farther back as well to allow for the paddedheadrest that I plan on making...

Mine is already attached and would require a lot of repair work to change it. Not really worth it at this point with so many other things left to complete. I thought it was odd that with the high level of scale competition that this plane was aimed at that the headrest would be pretty obvious in any comparison to documention unless the full size for this particular example matched.

Again, just wondering.

Jaybird

Hi VJ. I'm subscribed and I'm really enjoying your thread. I did a google search on the Ryan to compare head rests and found this web site. It has lots of great photos and information on the Ryan. I thought I'd share it with everyone.

https://sites.google.com/site/rangerryans/home

Keep up the great work. I'm really interested in your finishing techniques, especially masking.

Thanks,
Mike

Fantastic resource and reading, thanks.

The "The John Gokchoff Ranger Ryan STA-R-5 N721R From Start to Finish" is fascinating especialy the first picture showing the entire full scale aircraft in the back of a pickup truck!

Jaybird

Ok, this white one is very cool......and the cowl......just makes me drool a bit. Nice aircraft!

Hey Vincent I'm sorry but what motor are you planning for this again? I was looking but couldn't find.......

~Dave

Headrest... OK, the full size drawings I have show the three views of the airframe in general arragement and place the end of the headrest at the first bulkhead behind the cockpit(not counting the bulkhead ending the cockpit). Not much till you consider the bulkheads are defined by the rivet/panel lines on the exterior. Makes sense structurely, the headrest can be supported by the bulkheads on both ends. What I don't have is the distance between bulkheads although I suppose it could be scaled from the drawing.

Mike welcome aboard! Thanks for posting that site, I hadn't seen it before and their are some great photos that I'm sure will be of value to many of us as references.

No photos tonight but I will give you a progress report. My wheel pants brackets arrived this evening. Sometimes the best laid plans just don't pan out. I'm back to the drawing board to come up with some other method of attatchment that will work. Tomorrow is another day and I'll sort it out then. So turning back to the fuse the news here is good. Progress is slow but I think it's coming out pretty well. It just a matter of fill / sand / fill / sand....you get the point. I hope to get the fuse ready for it's second coat of primer this weekend. My thoughts are to get the tail covered in Solartex then start on the panel lines and rivets.

Dave, I tucked a DLE-20 under the cowl. Took a bit of heat for it's selectionin the first few posts of this thread.

Will this be the first gasser ST-A model?

Here' a good a picture of the headrest on Ryan N-48587.

Don't think so Gary, maybe in the Sig kit but I'm guessing and don't know for sure.

<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Guys,</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><font size="3" face="Calibri">The pictures I have of the John Gosney STA "Special" show the aircraft w/ the elongated headrest as shown on the 3-view, post #819 pg. 33.</font></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt"><font size="3" face="Calibri">Jules</font></p>

In the mail today I received the graphic I had ordered for my project. Remember the name that I had chosen? It is just perfect, so I wanted to share the site so you can check it out yourselves. It's one of the coolest sites I have seen for selecting graphics for your project. Prices are reasonable and service was great. Big thank you goes to Gary (ghoffman) for introducing them to me. Here's the link: http://www.bandegraphix.com/

Maybe Gary can post a few pictures of the graphics B&amp;E did on his AJ Slick...?

I will ty to post some photos later tonight of my progress.

They also make plane wrappers:<div>http://www.bandegraphix.com/accessories/airplane-cover/

They will print it to look like the plane it is covering. It is a nice way to keep that pretty paint safe!</div><div></div>

After hours of sanding I'm ready for the second coat of primer tomorrow. If everything goes well after a quick sanding I can start oncreating panel lines . This is what it looks like...

Looking great. Wish I was at that point.

Looking good VJ,
It will really pop once you put the panel lines and rivets down.
Later!!
Anthony

I would not want to do that and go off topic.
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Got up early to get a good start on spraying the second coat of primer. Second coat covered very well and I am pleased with how all the previous sanding and filling has turned out. I am letting the primer dry for three or four hours before taking off all of the masking. I will be sure to post pictures tonight as I had left my camera home while I was at work shooting the primer. Tomorrow I will tape the fuse for the panel lines, can't wait....

Forgive this stupid question, but is the blue-colored filler you used Bondo? I have never used bodo for filler on a model, just wondering.

~Dave

Dave, that's Acryl-Green Spot Putty that's used to fill irregularities such as pinholes and scratchesthat exist after the glassing process. It is made by 3M and it comes in a tube like tooth paste. You spread it with a plastic applicator (just like body filler) and it drys in about 15 minutes at which time it can be easily sanded.

Just brought home my Ryan so you can see some photos now. I adapted the mount on my engine stand to holdthe fuselage during painting. It can easily be rotated which facilitates the painting process. I made it out of some scraps that was just laying around. Worked super, I will probably make a nicer mount now that I know it works so well.

You seem to be in the right profession for being an RC model builder. I don't think spray painting my plane in my cubicle would go over too well.

Well Tim you don't have to have a shop like this to paint your plane, but you do know someone that has a shop that your plane could be painted in....

Before I start to block sand the fuse, I decided to give the wheel pants a final go. This time success ! I soldered a small brass plate to the landing gear wire which has two 6-32 nuts soldered on the back side. With two 6-32 button head screws with washers under them the pants are solid. DONE!