FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Any UPS, FedEX, or USPS truck showing up on my block are the only source of exercise my two dogs get with the exception of the occasional ecoterrorist ie squirrel that dares to enter their yard.

VincentJ

Does that go for you as well? lol

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Only fi the driver walks up my drive!

VincentJ

I couldn't wait to get home from work today and get into my workshop. Does that happen to you? Sometimes I find it difficult to concentrate.

I decided I would fit the bottom nose block in place. If you remember, this block is supposed to be epoxied into place, I am however making it removable. This will allow me access into that area should I need it. I previously added an additional Basswood crosspiece with 4-40 blind nuts. You can see the four locations in photo #1.

Now comes the task of drilling four holes that will line up with the blind nuts. I suppose one could carefully measure, but there is too much room for error. A simpler way is to take four 4-40 cap head screws, cut their heads off and grind the ends to a point, similar to a center punch (photo #2).

Once these screws are threaded in place, gently take the nose block and place it on top of these screws (photo #3).

Press the block down, and what you're left with are four perfectly placed indentations that you can drill with confidence (photo #4).

Tip- Save those modified screws. You can use them over and over on other future projects!

Have a great evening everyone!

VincentJ

Here's what the nose block looks like roughed out. When the four screws are installed and tightened down, it should make a pretty seamless transition. I would show you how it looks fitted to the cowl, but I just epoxied a third Basswood cowl block against the top of the firewall. Photo #3 shows its location. Oddly enough, a lot of the build photos that I've seen had omitted this block. Not sure why...I included it as I think it will hold the cowl in place a bit more secure that if I had left it out.

TomCrump

Your fuselage is progressing nicely.

I permanently installed that block on my Bravo. I felt that it added rigidity to the front end of the fuselage.

VincentJ

Sometimes mother nature can be very cruel, we are getting hit with another snow storm that's predicted to dump 8-12 inches of wet snow...no April Fools joke here!

While I can't do anything about the weather, I can do something in my workshop. You can see the additional top cowl blocking that was added yesterday. I used the same brass thread insert as I used in the other blocks. Just a reminder: when drilling the top block, the hole is not drilled plum, but rather it's on a slight angle, 5 degrees to be exact (see photo #3 in previous post 530).

I need to get some Balsa at my LHS, must have used the piece that I need now for something else...oh well!

Leroy Gardner

Vincent IP's are not that hard to make, your vintage plane had round instruments and slightly larger then some today,0-rings can be used for the rim. Dials, gauge face sizes would be around 12-15 mm, faces can be found on the web, google vintage instrument panels and copy something you like, size and cut the dials out for your home made panel.

Pulls and primer can be made with 1/8" pop rivets, cut the shaft and put a knob on it and glue it in a 1/8" hole, 18 ga aluminum wire makes a nice switch, you can even find nomenclature and print it on decal paper. Really depends on how far you want to go.

Here's the one I made for my super cub.

Leroy

VincentJ

Very nice job on your instrument panel Leroy. Thanks for the suggestions, I just may use a few. I did already purchase some instrumentation and I intend to have some fun with it. I have never built one before, so it will be something different for me. My cockpit area is very modest to say the least, it just may provide the primer that I need to go "over the top" on the next build. My Ryan still needs an instrument panel installed as well. The wheels are turning...

BTW, I like the removable sliding trays that you built in. Is the lower tray for the tank, and do you have a thread going on your Super Cub?

VincentJ

I have to tell you, the snow that we got was some of the heaviest snow I ever had to move in my life! I think it totaled at about 8 or 9 inches and though it has slowed down, it hasn't stopped yet...

While waiting for some epoxy to dry, I thought I would start on the instrument panel. I had some 1/16" Cherry on hand, so that's what I'm going to use. The panel once cut and sanded fit like a glove, I'm glad I took the time to make a tracing while I was building the top of the fuse.

You can see where I'm placing the instruments on the panel, it took me a bit of time to come up with this configuration that suited me. It's not the stock locations, but as I stated earlier, the interior of this plane is pretty disappointing. Now to cut the holes, but before I do I think I'm going to glue 1/8" Balsa to the back of the Cherry to help prevent it from splitting on me.

Leroy Gardner

I did recall you never did the IP for your Ryan STA, that will be a fun project when you get to it, they are fun to make. Yes the lower tray has twin 8 oz, tanks on it, you would never believe what I did to this plane of mine unless you actually seen it, even I can hardly believe what I accomplished with this one.

I have a build on RCG in Giant Scale Airplanes, my user name is Leroy G, you can find it here: www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2278119, love to see you there.

Here's an example:

Leroy

VincentJ

Thanks for the link Leroy, I'l be visiting for sure...

VincentJ

Today was one of those days where I did quite a bit but don't have anything really to show! The IP has been fitted and ready for a Lacquer finish. The second photo shows that my IP does resemble the simulated wood of the original, but not much else.

I decided to drill the wing blocks, so careful measurements were taken before I committed to drilling any holes. This wing has quite a bit of dihedral, so it was a bit more difficult to get the holes at the angle that I wanted. In the end it turned out fine...just took longer than expected. I always prefer to have plywood bases under the (1/4"-20) wing bolts. Two 3/32" 1 inch plywood plates were cut for that purpose. 1/4" holes were drilled in the center of each plate. One could just epoxy these plates right on top of the wing, but I don't like the look of that and it does make covering a bit more difficult. A much more elegant solution is to inset the plates so they are flush in the wing.

The wing bolts were slipped through the plates, then tightened down. I now have the exact location of where I need to remove the sheeting beneath. I traced around the plywood plates and fit them in. Sorry didn't take any photos of them set in place, I'll do that tomorrow.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I like you technique on the wing bolts. Panel should look great when you are done.

VincentJ

Thanks Flyer!

IP is ready for some instrumentation after giving it several coats (10 to be exact) of a lacquer finish. If you've never used lacquer before, it dries very quickly, is easy to apply, but it does have a strong odor!

Wing bolt plates are recessed as shown in last photo. I can't remember if I had mentioned that the wing, tail and parts of the fuselage will all be covered in fiberglass cloth and resin. Other areas of the fuselage will have Solartex applied. I am looking forward to it! If there is interest, I can document how I apply the glass. So what say ye?

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Let's see the glassing please!

VincentJ

I roughed out a small Balsa transition block that gets epoxied to the landing gear. With some fine tuning it will fit a bit better. (The block is not yet epoxied)

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Looks good Vince!

VincentJ

Thanks! I feel pretty good knowing that most of the major building of this project is behind me. I still have tons to do, and I'm enjoying every bit of it. Tom eluded to it a while back, the journey is the reward... and for me that pretty well sums it up.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

Same here!

VincentJ

I tried something a bit new (for me). I didn't want the sides of the holes to get dented over time, so here's where my OCD kicked in. I took some thin walled aluminum tubing and cut off small sections and embedded them in each hole making somewhat of an aluminum lined well. These liners were epoxied in place. As you can see I left them proud of their holes and later sanded them down. I will do the same for the three holes that you see on the landing gear transition piece. Once covered, they will all but disappear...

Note: At the bottom of each hole lays a metal washer (also epoxied), that prevents the 4-40 screws from crushing the Balsa beneath.

Leroy Gardner

Vince it's easy to see all the fine voinery and fit up,your time away never changed a thing about your building, still all high quality craftsmanship.

I wasn't going to say anything about this but what are friends for. You made some nice mounts for your ignition module, nothing wrong with that but you might consider another way of holding it on your mount besides zip-ties.

If you elongate the upper and lower set of holes it will provide for velcro straps that will hold a lot better. A good quality 1/4" foam bed between the mounts and using stickie back 1' square velcro pads on the bed "and" module it isn't going anywhere. Just a passing thought.

Leroy

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

I used brass tubing for my wing bolt holes on my TF Cessna 182 it worked great!

VincentJ

Thanks for the comments and suggestions Leroy, I just may make the change to the mounts to accommodate Velcro straps...easy fix.
(I did plan to use a foam bed under the module.) I always like to hear about alternatives that would improve the way I do things .

Mike, I also considered brass tubing as well, but when I held the brass tubing in my left hand and the aluminum tubing in my right it was easy to feel the difference in weight. That's why I chose the aluminum.

FlyerInOKC

My Feedback: (6)

In my case the diameter of tubing I needed and the availability affected my choice in tubing material. The brass was easy to find I couldn't find aluminum tubing in the same size locally.