TF Beechcraft Bonanza F33A Build
 

Welcome, I just recently finished my last build (Sig's 4*60), and am now embarking on probably one of my most ambitious builds to date, the F33A Beechcraft Bonanza! It may disappoint some that it will be built as the conventional straight tail instead of the classic V-tailed V35B version, but I do have my reasons. The Bonanza also could have also been purchased in the A36 version (also straight tailed), which was the largest of Bonanzas that could transport up to six people. The A36 was a full ten inches longer than the F33A or V35B. Both the F33A and V35B were both capable of transporting up to four passengers.

This project will incorporate; electric retracts, fiberglass cowl, canopy and tail cone, navigational lighting, and hopefully be powered by a gasoline and not a glow engine just to name a few. The entire plane once sheeted will be glassed and painted.

I anticipate that it will take me two years to complete this project as the scale details will take extra time. Having a full time job and a house with some acreage to mow detracts from time spent in the workshop. Anyway, I hope that you find this build enjoyable and maybe even learn a few new tricks along the way...


VJ


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This Beechcraft Bonanza was located and purchased in Canada of all places. It was shipped without so much as a scratch or dent in the box!


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This is what it looked like as soon as the top was removed. This was obviously a very well cared for kit.


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Moving the ABS canopy out of the way reveals the large amount of wood that's in this kit. Hard to imagine that this pile of wood will be a Bonanza!


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This kit also came with the Cabin Interior kit which was usually sold separately. I don't think that I will be using most of what's in here as plans are to make them from scratch.


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This journey really starts here at Hangar Ten in New Hampshire's Manchester Airport.


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Inside of this hangar is a vintage F33A Beechcraft Bonanza. The person standing beside the plane is my good friend Bob, we have partnered together in this build. Earlier I said that I had my reasons for building this project as the F33A version. Bob purchased and flew a F33A Beechcraft Bonanza back in 1981! We are going to replicate in 1/5th scale the same plane he once proudly owned. I took 157 photos of this plane that will help in documenting all of the scale details!!! BTW, Bob was also instrumental in the building of this hangar...

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Thank you TF for including ROLLED plans in this kit. It's so much easier to build on compared to folded plans. It's a good thing that I built a big table (4' x 7') because these plans are large! My table is topped with 1/2" sheet rock which protects my table top and will easily accept "T" pins.


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I normally like to start building the wing first, but since my electric retracts haven't arrived I thought I would start the horizontal stabilizer. The ribs are die-cut, but many of the cuts didn't go all the way to the end so I had to use a blade to finish the job...I wrote the rib number on each rib as the stamp marks were too hard to read.


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Happy with the dry fit of the ribs on the spars, it was time to glue them into place. I don't build with CA, I prefer to use Titebond II.


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There are so many sheets of wood in this kit that it was a bugger to locate some of the parts I needed!


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Great to see this build started! I'll be following your and Bob's progress. Would you be willing to post a link on the club's FB page? I think a lot of folks would be interested in seeing this...

Glad that your following along Tim. I'll post a link on our club's FB page, thanks for the suggestion.

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The front of the stabilizer's ribs need to be sanded to precisely meet the balsa leading edge as well as keeping the front of each rib plumb. To accomplish this task, I have sandpaper attached to one side of aluminum angle stock.


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With the sandpaper meeting the edge of each rib, all that's needed is a couple of passes to get each rib exactly where I need them to be.


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Mission accomplished, now it's time to glue the two sections of the leading edge to each rib...


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But first, I have to determine the angle at the front of the stabilizer. Using a protractor, I found the angle to be 13 degrees.


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Each of the LE ends will need to be sanded at 6-1/2 degrees. Here I've adjusted my protractor to 6-1/2 degrees, now I'll set that angle on the disc sander.


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With each LE end now sanded, it's time for the glue-up.


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1/16" slot cut into the center rib (S1S), just behind Leading Edge Brace to accept a 1/16" plywood doubler.


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This is the doubler that will fit into the slot cut.


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Doubler installed and glued into position.


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Welcome Speed to this thread. Fiberglass Specialties still makes the cowl, canopy and tail cone in glass, so I had already ordered them. Thanks for the offer though, may take you up on it for other projects! :)

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The top of the stabilizer was sanded making sure that I didn't change the profile on any of the ribs. I'm ready to glue down the 1/16" sheeting over the top of the stab.


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Sub'd! Looking forward to this build. I learn so much from your skills. I'm especially interested to see the glassing.

Thanks Steve, glad you've joined us! I love to lay down glass, but that will be a bit down the road. If you need a tutorial sooner, I can help you out...

While waiting for the glue to dry on the top sheeting, I thought I would give you a builder's tip and show how I prepare the edges of boards to get nice tight seams on a low budget.


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Three items needed to get perfect edges.
1. Wax paper laid down on your table, this will reduce the friction between the table and angle stock.
2. Length of aluminum angle stock with sandpaper.
3. Spacer board which will elevate the sheet that you want to edge sand.


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Place the sheet on top of the spacer board. Be sure to leave about 1/4" overhang as shown.


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Place a weight on top of the sheet to keep it firmly pressed against the spacer board. Take the aluminum angle stock and while pressing against the table top and sheet stock, slide the angle stock back and forth a few times until you get a nice edge.


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The results should be seamless!

Vince:

I've been an admirer of your work and a silent follower of yours for years, going back to your Spacewalker build. I wanted to share that I am continually impressed by both your craftsmanship and the pragmatic approach to the modifications you make to the kits you build. You take a surgical approach to your builds. I particularly like the mindfulness toward eliminating typical failure points that either went overlooked or under-mitigated by the designer. I've seen a lot of scale models that were impressively finished on the outside, with little consideration for sound craftsmanship and mechanics in their bones.

For many years, I've remarked that one day I'll buy a box of sticks and invest the time to build a model with craftsmanship and attention to detail that would make an ARF look like kindling. I'd always stop short, convincing myself that it'll take way too long and it's just too much of a time investment. After playing a little catch-up and churning through your Bravo and Four Star 60 builds, I have renewed inspiration I'm ready to take the plunge, looking to build a 40 or 60 sized sport or sport-scale model with electric power.

So I ask you and your loyal followers for suggestions for good kits for a first-time builder. I respect the input of those that build with and value the kind of quality that you build to. Please DM me with any suggestions, I certainly don't want to hijack the thread. I will continue to follow this and future builds of yours with great interest. If ever you're planning to partake in any of the area events, let me know. I'd love to come up and see your work in person.

Regards,
Tom

Oh I have to subscribe I love your work! How long have you had this kit VJ? I was looking for one the longest time and finally gave up. I ended up buying a short kit and plans for Bud Caddell 36A Bonanza. The Robart gear for the TF Bonanza should work perfect for the Caddell design so I bought those too. I'm now working on a jig for my Dremel router attachment to make the grooves in the control surfaces.

I see the Bonanza builds a lot like the TF Arrow II and Cessna 182 kits. What adhesive did you use on the skins seems?

Tom, I suggest you pick an airplane you really like. Don't just look at kits check out the myriad of small laser cutting services offering short kits. It is a lower cost alternative to buying a hard to find kit. Since you mentioned electric power Dumas and Brodak have some nice electric kits available. but the will be a lot smaller scale than what VJ is building. Good luck!

I'm in no hurry. My current build, Sig 4 Star 60, (as you know :) ) will be plastic covered. What I will glass is my half built TF P-51D. I started that build in 2000 (I think) but stopped for "life got in the way" reasons. But its bubble wrap protected until I get back to it. I was going to glass it just to get the experience.

I'm just enjoying watching you build so let the learning (me) continue!

(I swear your recent post #12 was done just for me!)

Hey Tom,
Well you asked so here's my 0.02. I haven't built anything for many years and even then I had limited experience. I picked the Sig 4 Star kit (60 size in my case) because well, its a SIG kit which means high quality design and parts, plus the current kits have laser cut parts which makes working with them a breeze. Very little clean up and part fit is unbelievably good. They almost fall out from their panel, and some actually do fall out. The ribs have cut-outs already made for the webbing which makes them very easy to line up when building up the wing. If you wanted to just follow the plan and instructions the kit seems to just fall together and will be a very good flier as I understand it. I have people at the club who swear by the easy build and great flier once done.

I started my kit before seeing Vincent's build thread here at RCU. I actually went looking for someone who previously built the kit so I can get tips. Well I hit pay dirt when I found his very recent build, the one before this build. Go check out Vincent's Sig Four-Star 60 Build. I am not doing all of the custom things he did but some I am. Now you are looking for electric and that would require a conversion of sorts to this plane but I am sure someone has done it and chronicled what they did.

-Steve

Steve is right SIG Mfg kits are a easy build and the documentations is really great. best of all they are still in business churning out kits!

Thanks fellas for the compliments, I really do appreciate them. It motivates me to try to raise the bar. This build means a lot to me and Bob, I am committed to its completion and I will try my best to have a damn fine Bonanza in the end.

Tom, I'm glad that you posted and have found some inspiration to do some building of your own! Each stick that you cut and glue will give you the confidence and experience that will yield you a completed plane that you can take pride in. I see that you've already have some great suggestions for you to consider. Good luck in your selection and if you get stuck (and you will) we are all only one keyboard away to help...

Welcome back Flyer! I started this build on 6.22 so you haven't missed much. Bob and I have also been looking for this it for quite some time and then in the blink of an eye two kits came up for sale on e-bay!

I've been using Titebond II glue on all of my skins as well as most other construction of this build. I do use a fair share of 30 minute epoxy when the situation warrants. I almost never use CA, in fact the small bottle that I open usually goes bad and I end up throwing away 3/4 of the bottle.

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Top sheeting of the stabilizer has been completed. At this point the elevator is attached to the stab and will be sawn off once the bottom is done.


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Here's a good shot of how each rib's cradle keeps the stabilizer level to the work table during construction. These tabs will be removed once I flip the stab over.


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I'm pleased with the full contact that I got between each rib and the top sheet.


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The stab and elevators are looking real good. I see a lot of similarities with the stab and elevators on my TF 182.

I have pretty much switched over to Titebond II myself. My current project is a copy of fun scale Ken Willard Sunday Fighters for the grandkids. Progress has been slow thanks to the osteoarthritis in my thumbs and fuzzy vision due to the slow progression of cataracts. The cataracts are to be fixed on 7/18 (left eye) and 7/25 (right eye) and I will be getting new glasses after that. I should be more comfortable with my far vision so I can start flying again. My wife had to have her cataracts fixed back in 2011 so I lasted a bit longer than she did. Osteo bi-flex seems to be helping the thumbs so hopefully I can get back to building to. It SUCKS get older!

Sorry to hear about your cataracts. A couple years ago at 52 I had a retinal detach. Got it fixed but with the fix you typically get cataracts in that eye which I did. The cataract surgery was cake and I love the new lens. My left eye is developing cats too but I can't wait to get that eye done too (as weird as that sounds). The colors are so vibrant again! In my case the surgery was 15 minutes. I waited in pre-op longer than the surgery lasted! Best of luck!

I am using my wood glue more myself. I have historically used CA exclusively but have had issues with bond time. A lot of problems sheeting wings with CA even medium CA.

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With the stab flipped over I made quick work removing all of the tabs.


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You can see looking at the stabilizer's Leading Edge that it has tapered ribs. All excess material will need to be removed without changing the profile of each rib. :eek:


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I used a small block plane to go as far as I dare, time now for the sanding bar. Sanding has to be done very carefully so as not to snap off any ribs!


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Do you use a long sanding bar to cover the entire width at once or use another method?

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I try to span the entire width if I can. These are my sanding bars.

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Before calling it a night, I decided to epoxy these elevator torque rod blocks (4 per side) in place.

Now that is what I call a sanding bar collection! I have only one of each except the contour sander which I have two..

Hi Vincent,
I will be following this build as well. It's like being in a shop class.

Hope the spinner for the 4Star comes in Monday. Am looking forward to some photos of it at the field.
Lupe in SA

Vincent, your building skills are amazing and I look forward to watching your build on here! It is real shame to go out to the field and there is very few builders left as they all have these big monster foamy things! It amazing to see something that you built with your own hands fly straight under power with out adding major trim! Thank you
Michael Johnston

Thanks Mike, this should be a good project with just enough head scratching involved to make it interesting if you know what I mean...

Today Bob and I spent a fun day going to our not so near hobby shop with plans in hand to see if we could find an engine that would fit. From the start of this project I didn't want to use a glow engine, I wanted to use a gasoline engine. I have researched other Bonanza builds and none that I am aware of have used a gas engine, so we may be breaking new ground here!


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Plans show three hinges per elevator, but I will be installing four per elevator. 1/8" Robart steel point hinges will be substituted for the flat nylon hinges supplied in the kit. You can see their locations on the plans as I have highlighted the areas.


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Using steel point hinges require structure to anchor into, so balsa hinge blocks were added in the appropriate locations. You may wonder why the hinge blocks are running the full span between rib bays when a one inch block would suffice. One word, insurance. If I make a mistake drilling for a hing point, I can easily abandon the hole and move the hinge location over without any trouble...


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The hinge blocks were carefully fitted between each bay.


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Our fiberglass parts came in today! I've used Fiberglass Specialties on a number of planes that I have built, but I have to say these are the nicest parts that I have received from them to date!

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They look nice and clean. I just purchased these from Fiberglass Specialties same great quality.

Mike

Didn't know that Fiberglass Specialties also made clear cabin tops too Mike.

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With all of the internal structure now completed, I'm ready to sheet the bottom half.


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One detail that I would like to point out. If you look closely at the trailing edge on the elevator, you will notice how the bottom of the top sheeting has been beveled slightly. This will allow the top of the bottom sheet to mate correctly.


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It was hard to get it to show on camera, maybe you can see it here a bit better...


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Beveling the top sheet can create a gluing problem if your not careful. A bead of water based glue (Titebond II) applied along the thin trailing edge, would more than likely warp the edge of the sheeting. To solve this problem, a thin layer of epoxy is applied along the edge preventing any warpage. The epoxy will also stiffen the thin edge of the elevator. For the rest of the glue-up, Titebond II was used.

This set is a two piece affair to fit the Walt Musciano Ryan Navion. I believe they make others but I'm not sure which ones. I purchased their cowl and tail cone for my TF 182. I didn't get the wheel pants because the CA airplane I am modeling doesn't have them.

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Sheeting has been completed!


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Now is the time to liberate the elevators from the stabilizer. My preferred tool to use is an old blade from one of my Zona saws.


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No turning back now!


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Success!


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The elevator's trailing edges came out perfectly straight, and the epoxy has stiffened them up considerably.


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Before I forgot, I labeled the positions of the elevators in relation to the stab for future reference..

Welcome GRANT ED. Yes, these kits are quite hard to find, but don't give up looking. Bob and I looked for quite some time before we were tipped off by a friend that there were two for sale on E-Bay. We immediately purchased one. They are pricey, but look at all the fun and enjoyment that you will get out of building it!

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Trailing edge of the stab is sanded flush and readied for a final 1/8" thick cap strip.


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Cap strip is glued and sanded .


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The elevators halves went through the same procedure as did the stab. I thought I would show how I clamped the cap strips in place while the glue dries.


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You can never have too many clamps!