RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Is anyone else not getting e-mail notifications when there are new post?
Later!!
Anthony

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

The rivets look great Vincent, as well as the rest of the project. I've really enjoyed this and I'll be sorry when you finish her! I know there was some mention about attaching the rivets but I can't quite remember the process, so please refresh my aging mind. As a side note, I find it kind of funny that the Ryan bug has also bitten a few of the Waco Brotherhood:D

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

yel914, thanks for the kind words. This is my first attempt at making rivets. I am very pleased with how they look, however they are a lot of work to make. My plan is to attatch these rivetsby first touching each rivet with a hot soldering iron to the surface of the primer. The real holding power will be when the paint is applied locking everything together.

I have enjoyed building this plane, but I am also excited to see it to completion.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

The 2-56 would be my vote also. Ijust did a calculation and a 1/4" rivet head in 1/5 scale would be 0.05 dia. Very small indeed. Have you thoughht about trying some of the template products out there? Here is one I have heard about and want to try on my P-47 http://www.wowplanes.com/product_inf...roducts_id=165This has been very enjoyable to watch a craftsman work and really can't thank you enough for sharing your skills with us and for everyone else chipping in. This is how a build thread should be, and Ihope to see her in person sometime on one of my trips up to the north country.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

 ",but I am also excited to see it to completion."
I am that way before I even get started. This Ryan is going to be a masterpiece.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Thanks! Means a lot to me...

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Thought I would share another method of doing rivets.
I buy strait pins from a craft/linen store, J0-Ann's fabric for me. They have numerous sizes and length's. I commence to cutting the shaft's down to a short but manageable size, about an 1/8th", see pic. I use a short piece of ply or hardwood1/16 x 4-6" and drill small holes the distance of the rivets. I use this as a template to make the holes for the pins. I then place the pins into the holes with a very small, fine tip tweezers.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Very clever indeed...

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Waco, Pitts, Ryan.....! Which one is next???!!! AHHHH!!!! http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...spinnyeyes.gif

That does look good, still pretty cheap and mayby easier. It sure does look good Robert. Thanks for sharing.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

If memory serves me correct I weighed 200 pin heads and they were (I think) around 40 grams. So no concernable weight gain.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

And with the beer cans needed to fabricate the rivets significant weight gain... on me not the plane! LOL http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...bout_smile.gif

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Anthony I have been getting emails about new post's. Ken

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Nice to see the Ryan comming along so nicely. I haven't worked on mine for years, its a pitty. Your build is a great motivation. Here a picture Iscanned from a hard copy picture taken in 2003.

Regards Aldo

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Welcome from afar Aldo! It certainly is a shame that you haven't finished your project seeing as it looks to be ready for covering. I hope that this build gets you motivated to complete your Ryan soon...

In case you're wondering how I'm doing with the rivets I took a photo of how many I have. I have tried many different types of backing for the aluminum to be punched into and I have found what worked the best for me was a sheet of heavy gasket paper (purchased at an auto parts store) with a rubber sheet behind that. Punching the aluminum into the rubber alone deformed them, but by having a softer materialfor the rivets to imbed themselves intothey came out inmuchbettershape.

Spent some time this evening cleaning the workshop in preparation for covering. I would like to go over the tools/supplies thatyou willbe seeing meusing covering this project.

1. Solartex (natural)
2. Aluminum straight edge (two are recommended)
3. Iron
4. Sharp scissors
5. Ample supply of single edgerazor blades
6. X-acto knife
7. Sharpie marker (fine tip)
8. Non contact infra-red thermometer

Also needed is a flat surface to roll out the covering, one that you can cut on. I have some sheetrock atop my building table for this purpose.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

A man with a plan! I likey. Can't wait to see some color on that thing.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Hallo Vincent, thanks for the welcome from overseas.
My building came to a stop about 10 years ago. But recently I picked it up again. For a starter I work on two ARF's (P47 and Saab Draken). It's not the same fun as doing your own build, but I will have some flying models in a shorter time. I have the plan to reactivate the work on my Ryan. There are two more leftovers from my earlier builds. A Gee Bee model D and a small edf-P80 which waits to be finished.

Keeping your building speed your Ryan will fly in the upcomming season. Great !!! Mine has started in 1983.

Regards, Aldo

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Nice collection of planes Aldo!

This morning I decided to try my hand at covering the fin. I decided to cover it in on piece by wraping the Solartex around the fin. Before I did though, I put in small individual piecesfor each hinge pocket. The temperature of the iron was set using the non contact thermometer, for the initial attatchment of the Solartex, I like to have the iron set to around 240 degrees, the temperature is raised after the covering is in place. Pictures are worth a thousand words so I think you can see how I did it by looking at the attatched photos.

Note: I should have prefixed this by stating what may not be so obvious. Before attempting attatching any covering to your framework, it is imperativethateverythingbe clean in order to get good adhesion. Vacuuming your framework just isn't good enough, it's a place to start but then take your framework and blow it off with some compressed air and watch how much more dust comes off. I then wipe off everything with a dark colored cloth to verify that there is nothing else left on the surface. Having done this you will now give the glue every chance of holding.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Hey buddy, how is the Solartex weave compared to Koveral. The biggest thing I don't like about Koveral is how open the weave is.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Not having ever used Koveral I can't really make an accurate comparison for you. The Solartex weave is pretty tight and dosen't need to be filled like Koveral does. I don't even use any primer over the top, I just go right to color. The weave is visable but in most cases it is more scale looking. I will take a close up of the weave later for you as I am on my way out.</p>

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

VJ,
She is looking real good.

Robert,
I have used Koveral, Solartex and Poly-Fiber Lite and the weave is more open on the Koveral. The Koveral takes more coats of dope/Polycrylic to fill the weave than Poly-Fiber Lite. Poly-Fiber Lite is harder to work around tight corners/curves but I think it actually comes out a little lighter than Koverall due to the less coats required to fill the weave even though the fabric is heavier to start with. Solartex shows the weave very well but I have bad experiences with my Cub. I am always having to re-shrink the covering due to temp changes. The Solartex is the easiest to apply and finish. I do not have this issue with a fabric finish. On full scale planes you have to really get close and will struggle to see any traces of the weave of the fabric, at least the planes I have looked at. Also you will not see much of the pinked edges from the tapes. A nice doped finish on a full scale plane really fills everything in and blends well.
Later!!
Anthony

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

I hope that Vincent doesn't mind. Here is a pic of my Solartex covered, Rustoleum painted, wing. If you look closely, the weave is visable in the open bay areas.

Unlike Anthony, I haven't had to re-shrink my Solartex. I'm not sure why there would be a difference.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Not at all Tom, feel free to post what you like. I know that wing anywhere, your Skywalker !

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Thanks !

I really like Solartex. I feel that it is the most user friendly "fabric" on the market.

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

Thank's for chiming in Anthony. I have used Solartex and had the same issues with wrinkles and reheating. This past week, a Cub I built for a friend, was wrinkled a little but as the day progressed the wrinkles went away. It was really cool when assembled and set on the ground, and it warmed up quickly that day, which is what I assume dewrinkled the covering. Either way I don't particularly like Solartex. So I will go with Poly-Lite from Aircraft spruce, a bit wider than Stits but the same fabric.

Tom that is a beautiful Skywalker. 

RE: Sig Ryan STA
 

For me Solartex is magic. Goes on with ease and stays nice and tight.

I have seen all types of cloth covering have issue with wrinkles. Most of these issues are not due to the covering but due to a change of environment for the plane. We have lots of Snowbirds coming to Arizona from all over the country. A friend of mine comes from Massachusetts and about a week after his arrival in Arizona he needs to tighten up his Stits covering and tighten up the pull-pull cables, due to the airframe shrinking as it dries out. It was amazing how loose the pull-pull cables get. Seemed the length of the fuselage changed anywhere from 1/8" to 1/4". They were really loose. He said they were taught when he left Massachusetts.

My planes stay right here in Arizona so they, for the most part, are not subjected to such a drastic change.

SunDevilPilot