Venture 60 Construction
 

Well, after much research and soul searching on what my next plane should be, I finally decided to build a Venture 60. In honor of the new interview with Bruce Tharpe posted on RCU, I decided to borrow a friends digital camera and post pictures of the build - I hadn't seen any construction threads on this popular model. I'm planning on building it 'stock' without modification, so those of us looking at a second plane and/or first kit can see the quality of the Venture.

First impression of the kit:
I've built a very nice laser-cut kit before (went together just like a jigsaw puzzle) and I can attest to the fact that the Venture 60 parts can stand up to the quality of any laser cut kit. The wood is of good quality, cuts are even and clean (not die cut, so no crushed corners or edges). Everything is well packaged and easy to identify.

The build... Well to waste no time... After an inventory of parts I started at the beginning of the manual. You can build the components out of order, and Bruce identifies any dependencies, but it's just as easy to start at the beginning. So I started with the wing.

The wing is built over the rolled plans in 2 halves that are joined together after completion. There's a 2 degree dihedral and the kit comes with a heavy cardstock template to set the root rib's angle. I noticed when trimming the TE sheeting to size that one of the balsa sheets was not straight (bowed up in the center). Fortunately Bruce gives you plenty of width to trim it straight - so an easy fix if you notice it. First the lower main and rear spar and trailing edge sheeting are put in place and a couple of ribs used to align them. (Included picture is of the left wing - didn't have the camera in time to get the start of the right wing).


The ribs are then tacked into place with thin CA - make sure you are using the proper ribs. I caught myself about to glue one of the slightly larger outer ribs in the wrong place. After the first couple of ribs are aligned you start putting the pre-cut shear webs between each rib as it is glued in place. The plans are copies, so don't panic when the rib spacing doesn't match the plans exactly - just keep everything lined up. You can see in the picture of the completed wing half that the wing is slightly shorter than the plan.

EDITED 10/31/03 - Updated pics after cleaning them up in photoshop

RE: Venture 60 Build
 

The completed wing half. Took about 3 hours to complete using CA and Wood Glue.

RE: Venture 60 Build
 

I like it!
Keep us up to date!

RE: Venture 60 Build
 

What kind of building board are you using ?

RE: Venture 60 Build
 

I built the workbench out of 2x4s with a hollow-core door as the base of the top surface (with several 2/4 cross supports underneath it). On top of that I added a 1/2" sheet of high density MDF (or something like that) as a replaceable surface. It's very flat and great for cutting on. For building, I took one of the scrap ends and put a layer of cork on it. It then screws down flat onto the bench. The thin layer of cork is more than enough to hold a pin. When I'm done with the wings, I'll remove the piece w/ the cork and have the larger flat surface to work on.

I almost finished the other wing half today. Just have to add a bit more sheeting and the wing tips. Tomorrow I'll get the wing servo opening cut, sand the appropriate spots, and join the wing halves.

RE: Venture 60 Build
 

Well, while my son was down for a nap, I got a couple of free hours in the basement working on the Venture. I completed the left wing and rough sanded the wing tips and sheeting - what a pain! I hate sanding. Anyway, I cut the servo opening and the slot for the dihedral brace. I found that the easiest way to get into the inner W2 rib to cut the slot for the brace was by using a 1/8 in drill bit in my Dremel flexi-wand and use it as a cutter. I've attached pictures before and after cutting. After roughing in the slot, I used a nail file (emery board, according to my wife ;)) to clean it up.

So far, the fit of everything has been perfect. I've had to do no sanding, cutting, etc of parts to get them to fit together properly.

RE: Venture 60 Build
 

The next step was to join the wings. The instructions have you leave one of the bottom sections unsheeted. This gives you access to the area where the dihedral brace goes in, and the support plates for the wing dowels. The brace fit in quite snugly and didn't need sanding, but I felt that there was enough play in it that I decided to add some supports under each wingtip. The 2 deg of dihedral means that there should be a 1 1/4 inch space under each wingtip (at least according to the plans). I created some supports out of 1/4" balsa and ran pins through them. I then stuck these into the last rib on both wings just to make sure the right angle was set when the epoxy cured.

Here's the (mostly) completed wing. Still have to put in the servo rails and the aileron torque rods and blocks.

RE: Venture 60 Build
 

Completed the wing on Sunday (at least up until the part where you have to complete the fuselage), so started putting together the fuselage. The first several steps are just prep work on the firewall, sheeting, etc. These are all things that you should have on a list to do 'while waiting for the glue to dry.' Same goes for building the horiz. and vert. stabilizers. They are 1-off jobs that can be done at any time, but if you wait to do them here, they'll slow you down just when you feel like you're making progress. Once you drilled the firewall for the engine mount, glued the 2 pieces of sheeting together that go over the nose of the fuse, attaching the doublers to the ply sides of the fuselage (I used a thin coat of epoxy), you start putting together the structure - which is completely built out of plywood.

The pieces assemble like a jigsaw puzzle and couldn't be simpler. First make sure you have the 2 sized lined up and then tape the tail section together so the 2 sides stay aligned. Then just put the formers in place using the tabs and slots to align everything. I found that I had to very slightly sand the former tabs to get them to fit (VERY lightly). Everything fit together tightly. Don't worry too much about getting everything exactly aligned. I recommend using rubber bands to hold everything together at this point. It will give you the ability to adjust the shape of the fuse later. Tape is too rigid at this stage - save it for later. Get the formers in their slots and definitely use the fuel tank floor to make sure the nose is square - it does help.

Picture of fuselage with formers in place - again, don't worry about everything being aligned perfectly at this point.

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Next slip in the ply pieces that form the cockpit floor and the bottom. These pieces lock into place with tabs and should square everything out. Just slip them in under the rubber bands.

Now, put the fuselage over the plans and make sure that everything overlays the plan diagram. You can move the tail by pulling one or the other of the fuselage 'cheeks' forward - kinda link a fish swimming. I found that by pulling the side of the rubber bands backwards to add lateral stress the frame would hold everything in place (see pic).

I am using a sullivan tailwheel rather than messing with the soldering required for the provided tailwheel (BTE's supplied tailwheel looks much more solid than most tailwheel setups I've seen, but I prefer the simplicity of the sullivan stearable tailwheel setup).

Once everything is aligned properly use tape to lock it in place and apply glue liberally. (I tacked everything with thin CA and then went over joints with Wood Glue and/or thick CA. In some placed I added triangle stock to help support the joint.

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Next step was to fit the wing. I expoxied in the hold down blocks with 5 min epoxy and added the 1/2" triangle stock behind to reinforce them. To make sure the wing was centered, I marked the center of the fuselage on the bottom, and aligned the wing center joint with those marks. I then measured the distance from the fuselage to the wing tip (rib) to make sure it was centered. I made sure everything was square by measuring the distance from the tip rib (at the main spar) to the tail. I had to do a little bit of sanding on the trailing edge of the torque rod blocks to get it to fit properly.

The instructions have you tape the wing into position and then drill holes in the leading edge for the dowels using a long 1/4" bit. I didn't have one long enough, so I just marked them and removed the wing to drill them. BIG mistake. I can't drill a perpendicular hole to save my life. I mangled the job pretty badly, but much can be fixed with liberal amounts of epoxy. Also, I'd been moving so quickly, I messed up and put the back support plate in the wrong spot. No biggie... Since I had left the bottom of the wing open (as per instructions, I just added another ply support in the right place for the dowels. Sigh.... At least the extra weight there should help balance the wing laterally.

After getting all of that fixed, called it a night - but before heading upstairs I glued on the top sheeting for the fuselage and the last pieces of sheeting on the wing bottom so they could dry overnight. Here's a pic with the wing mounted (It's starting to look like an airplane!!!!!!!!!! :D )

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Yesterday, I finished up the work on the wing. I used epoxy resin and the supplied fiberglass tape to reinforce the wing joint, as per instructions. Bruce suggests using thin CA to put the tape down, but I figured epoxy would work just as well. Also, I tried adding some fiberglass to the inside of the fuselage where the fuel tank goes - just to help reinforce the sheeting at the top. The instructions have you brush epoxy onto the sheeting, but I thought some light fiberglass wouldn't hurt. I'm kinda rough on planes (which is also why I plan on reinforcing the tail feathers too!). The rest of my time was just a little bit of cleanup work and light sanding.

Pics of the wing and fuselage:

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Not a whole lot of progress today - I'm getting into the tedious detail parts. The main pieces are done, now I'm just down to the details. I decided to use fiberglass pushrods, just because they're not as bulky as the supplied balsa sticks. For the throttle I decided to use some of my leftover gold-n-rods instead of the throttle cable provided with the kit - It doesn't require soldering....

So really at this point all that's left is prep-ing the tail (I glued the major pieces together earlier in the build) and control surfaces, which looks like will require some significant sanding. I'm not looking forward to shaping the blocks that go on the tail. I don't have a razor plane, and I'm always afraid of taking too much off with the razor blade or dremel. So, I'll put it off...

Here some pics of the completed parts and the bits that are left.... I did order the wheel pant kit which I put together first - just 'cause. I found that the supplied axle bolts were not long enough and had to get longer ones. I also bought self locking bolts (you know, the ones with the nylon in them) to use rather than the ones supplied with the kit.

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Love this thread! I'm just about to build a Venture 60 also so this information is absolutely invaluable. Keep up the good work!

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Same here, he is working on the things that I am about to do, so it is a good heads up as to what to expect

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Worked on the tail last night. Fitted the horizontal and vertical stab. and sanded the edges round. Also sanded the trailing edge of the control so the t.e. has the same width along the entire length. I then set up the blocks at the tail. I decided that gluing the blocks to the edge of the ply fuse sides wasn't secure enough so I added some pieces of 1/4 balsa left over from construction. This gives me more surface area to join to. I then covered the vert. stabilizer with waxed paper and glued the blocks on with 5 min epoxy. I let it start to set up then pulled the fin and let it sit for 10-15 min. Once I was sure everything was solid, I trimed the profile using a razor saw. Then, using my dremel w/ a sanding drum rounded out the profile until it 'looked right.'

I finished the job with a long sanding bar. After getting everything right, I added some thin CA to the back to reinforce the small ends...

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

More pics... I put tape around the stringers and over the last former to make sure that I didn't get them with the sanding bar. Seemed to protect everything pretty well.

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Everything is looking great so far. This thread gave me the final push to purchase the Venture 60. Keep up the great work!

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

If you are thinking of getting a Venture, make sure you get hold of Bruce early. He may not have any on hand, which was the case when I bought mine. But he keeps a running list of people.. so get your name on the list.

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Well, I finally finished construction. Now I just have to get the durned thing covered. I started last night, but didn't get a chance to post any pics. I'll post one of the finished product (sans monkeykote) on Monday. It was a blast to build and went much faster than I thought. Hopefully it'll fly as well as it built. Stay tuned for pics and flight review!

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Mgirard, can I get a zip file of all of your pics?

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

I'm more than happy to share them. I PM'd you regarding pics.

I tallied the time that I spent building - basic construction (not including covering, control rods, attaching the control surfaces, and the wheel pants) came to 29 hrs. Granted, I moved pretty quickly (and made 1 minor mistake due to it), but if you plan your work you don't have to spend a lot of time waiting for glue to dry. Make sure that you read the instructions thoroughly before starting. This is the third kit I've built, but it would definitely make a great first kit. Construction techniques are straightforward and well documented in the instructions provided by Mr. Tharpe. By planning things out, I was able to use thin CA to tack parts together, and less expensive wood glue for the final glue joint. It then had overnight to dry.

I've still got many hours ahead covering and setting up the control surfaces and rods.

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

I built this kit a few months ago. It probably took me about as long as it did you. It was about 2 weeks from box-of-sticks to covered plane.

You can see my review of this kit at:

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/The_...1162596/tm.htm


Kerry

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

OK, finally remembered to bring home the disc with the pictures. Here's the bird in the 'buff,' so to speak. I'm about 60% covered now. Planning on getting it together for Saturday if the weather holds.

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

Alright. Final pics... I got her ready to go for this last Saturday. After final assembly and a slightly tail heavy construction (I used extra reinforcement and epoxy in the back since I'm seem to be hard on the stabilizers), the plane balanced out right on the balance point. I did have to shift the RX battery further forward than I thought I would, but the interior is cavernous. I did end up using fiberglass control rods rather than the supplied balsa sticks. Setup was pretty easy.

Maiden flight was pretty uneventful, except that towards the end one of the screws for the muffler on the OS 61 FX (new muffler) came loose. I thought the engine sounded funny (lots of burbling) and the general consensus was that I'd lost the muffler. Rather than risk having to land dead stick for the first flight, I turned the plane over to a much more experienced pilot. No problems.... Turned out that the threads hadn't been fully tapped through and I hadn't gotten the muffler tight to begin with.

Flight characteristics: Takeoff run was short and too the point. I had a little left roll that was easy enough to correct for - and the reason I didn't do the first takeoff. Performance was as expected - the OS 61 was plenty of power, even up here in Denver. The Venture really wants to come in slow for landing. It will float forever. Make sure you've got a reliable, slow idle!

It definitely flew differently from my trainer! I'm looking forward with spending a lot of time learning with this airplane. It's stable and predictable with the recommended throws and will do just about anything you want it to - it's not a 3D plane but you can definitely do any basic maneuvers. With the OS 61 on it, it had enough power to prop-hang up here at a mile high. Saturday was just a simple "get acquainted day," Nothing exciting.

For scale on the pictures, my wife was kind enough to hold the airplane for me (she's much cuter than I am ;) - she's about 5'3". Colors are Monokote Pearl White (looks silver-ish to me), Metallic Charcoal, and Metallic Red.

RE: Venture 60 Construction
 

What did you use to hold the canopy down? Vruce suggests something I have never heard of nor can find.