aerowoof

I will post this here as it is not a scratch build as I am building from plans but have the kit canopy and cowl,this is the predecessor of the great planes Cherokee 40.I will be using a K&B .40 for power and will try the new polyurethane glassing method and paint instead of plastic covering.Used polyester resin,cloth and epoxy paint for 32 years and will compare the two now.As my time is limited this will be a slow moving build.Today the stabilizer has been started by cutting out the ribs and including a tab to insure a warp free build on a flat building board with out using the shim shown on the plans.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

I love my VK Cherokee.(I got it as an ARF)


Good luck on your build! Do you have any pics?


Here's some pics of mine.

50%

aerowoof

Built one of them back in 1971 used a hp 61 blue fin and a Kraft series 72 6 channel radio.sold it after 15 years of service.Will be builing another after this build with retracts and the same make engine.What engine powers yours?They sure do fly great don't they!

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

I've used an Evolution TPS and an O.S. .46FX on mine. It's hard to get off of a grass runway, but once it's up, it flys like it's on rails.(hard to get down too. lol )


50%

aerowoof

sounds like you have the nose ponted down a bit at rest.I fly off of grass since I learned to fly,never a paved surface.If I remember correctly the nose was redesigned to use a standard type nylon nose gear setup.?Does yours have and aluminum casting for the nose gear?If not you may want to lengthen the nose strut till the wing is sitting with a bit of positive incidence.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Yes, mine has what looks like an aluminum block that the gear comes up into. The gear is to short to extend any longer. I'm not currently flying mine right now, but when I do some minor repairs on it,(still has the origional MONOKOTE) I'll fix the nosegear.


50%

aerowoof

I used sullivan gear struts back then to lengthen all the gear,they were spring loaded yokes that were set screwed to plain music wire sort of a pre historic robart strut.they made a big difference on grass kept the bouncing to a minnimum,will have to use robart struts on the new one with retracts this time around.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Thanks for the tip! Maybe one of these days....

aerowoof

Here are some pics of the stabilizer build.The ribs were stacked glued with duro all purpose spray on adhesive instead of using pins as I have had the pins give when sanding the stack so the stack is not perpendicular to the sanding disk.the template was also glued on and the stack of 8 blanks were rough cut in a craftsman 10" table top band saw,then final sanded to shape with a small 4" table disk sander.Then the ribs were separated.The leading and trailing edges were cut to length and taped together and the rib positions were marked on both using a carpenters square.A framing square was used to make sure that the L.E and T.E are even at the ends.then the ribs were trial fit in place and then the T.E was pinned in place.Then the ribs were glued in place using part of the carpenters square as seen in the picture to make sure they are square to the L.E.Then the top sheeting was added to the leading edge and after drying the remaining sheeting was added.so as not to waste balsa the rear sheeting was glued to length from scraps from the forward sheeting then cut to width and glued in place.

aerowoof

back when this kit was produced they furnishid a 1/8 thick piece of aluminum that was mounted directly to the back plate of the engine then bolted to the firewall.also the tank is only 6 oz and round and the squiare battery is mounted in the wing.the solution will be to move the firewall back about 1/2 inch to allow for a nylon type mount.I will make f2 out of birch ply and cut opening for a rst 10 oz tank and a flat battery pack under the tank floor.overall the fuselage sides will stay the same length so the cowl can still be mounted.

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Hey, my plane is built way different. I'll look for the plans, but mine has the motor mounted on a piece of ply that's screwed into the fuse. I'm running a 10-12 ounce flex tank. Also, all the radio equipment is mounted in the fuse and not the wing.


50%

aerowoof

you are correct the big vk cherokee used what is called a break away mount.the ply wood plate is supposed to break in a crash and not the engine.it also incorperated a hatch to access the tank.this is the smaller of the two vk cherokees,the Babe.

pt19 flyer

My Feedback: (1)

hi

did not know VK made a a cherokee arf. they have been out of business for many years. have built and flown full size VK Cherokee 60" span<late "60's and early '70's> I believe and currently flying the VK cherokee Babe. both are great flyers. where did you find an ARF by VK company?

many thanks and happy flying
pt19 flyer

aerowoof

Well it has been a few weeks but here is the process for cutting ribs for one half of the wing took about 10 minutes to do one stack of 9 ribs.will use a 3/16 scrap bass with sandpaper attached to complete spar notches.

tailskid

My Feedback: (34)

My VK 'Babe' was really the first plane I really learned how to fly! NOT a trainer by any means

Thermal Air

What became of this project?


Joe


Balsa Breaks Better
Woodys Forever