Skymaster T-33 Build
 

Hi everyone,

I'm building a Skymaster T-33 this winter, and wanted to document my progress and share the process I did with everyone else. The color scheme I've picked out is from the Air Force Communication Squadron based in Wiesbaden, Germany in the 1960s. The bright colors stood out to me and should be easy to see when flying. My plan is to have a Flite Metal finish.

I got the plane in a white gel coat, which makes things a bit easier for me. Since I'm doing Flite Metal, I wanted to do a few test pieces to see how well Skymaster's rivets would show through, and if any additional prep work would be necessary. The rivets did show through ok enough so I can see them to outline later, but imperfections in the rivets (some deeper than others) was really apparent, so it does need some filling. While I was at it, I tried out a few different surface finishes. I've used Fltie Metal before, but was still deciding if I wanted a clean or weathered look. The last picture shows (L-R) a polished finish, a sanded finish, and a freshly applied finish with nothing applied. For now, I think I like the polished look, but that may change as the build progresses,

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191447 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191448 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191449 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191450

I used Bondo spot putty as my filler of choice. Rather than trying to pick out only the bad rivets, I decided to go over the entire plane in case I missed something. You can see from the pics that the deep rivets are immediately apparent. After applying Bondo to everything, I then had to go sand it all off again. The Bondo just remains in the deep rivets, and everything else is still noticeable enough that it should show through the Flite Metal.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191455 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191456 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191457 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191458

I like the color scheme you have chosen. Looking forward to watching the build.

After all the Bondo work, I started fitting some of the servos. The plane was missing the aileron servo covers when I got it, so I just made one out of plywood.

I'm using the Details4Scale light kit for this plane. The picture shows how it comes out of the box. I did spend a little time playing around with them, and am pretty happy so far. I'll post more pictures of them as I actually install them in the plane.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191459 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191461 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191462 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191463 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191464 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191465

Since I happened to have a decent day today (which is rare in Michigan this time of year) I decided to go ahead and paint the inlets, gear doors, and speed brakes.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191467 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191468 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191469 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191470

Thanks Maj Woody. I actually found this color scheme about 3 years ago. Finally this year I was able to get the plane, so I'm really excited to actually get to do it! :D

Keep up the good work-one of my all time favorite jets.
-Mike O.

Tonight I did some work installing the lights. I'll admit it took a bit longer than I had hoped to come up with a plan, so I only got the wing-tip tank nav lights installed. Per a suggestion from Details4Scale, I attached the light PCB boards to a piece of plywood which was then glued to the inside of the tanks. I discovered while thinking about routing the wires that there are formers that get in the way in both the wing and the tanks, so one of them had to get a hole. I opted for a hole in the wing and then dug out a trench for the wire routing into the tanks. Thankfully everything works. The lenses will be added later after Flite Metal.

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191711 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191712 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191714 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191715 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191716 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191717 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191718

I got everything except the landing lights installed tonight. Here's a quick video

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNhXL5VX0cE

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191851 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2191852

Looking good, now I want to add lights to my sports jet T-one :rolleyes:

TB

Looks good Jordan

You have patience and skills to do a project like this. I'll be anxious to see it this spring.
K.O.

Thanks Ken! Hope we can fly them in formation sometime next year :D

I had to take a bit of time off for other obligations, but got back to work this weekend. I spent a little time putting together the board for all the air valves- there's a lot for this plane! The air system will be fully plumbed once I get the fuel tanks installed so I can route everything properly.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2193155

After installing the rudder setup per the instructions, I noticed that it would interfere with the 180 size turbine pipe and force it from the centerline of the plane (pic 1 below). The best fix we came up with was to remove the block with the tiller arm and install it further from the centerline (pic 2 &3- you can see where the old board was if you look closely). The rudder servo was also moved and installed with L brackets to get it out of the way. It looks like everything should fit much better now, however none of it is glued in place yet.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2193156 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2193158 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2193160 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2193161

The tiller arm looks like the same set up as my Skymaster hawk. I must say I prefer the servo mounted in the vert fin similiar as the elevator servo's. But the tiller system will work ok.
Make sure you cover your servo leads with some heat protection. That saved my Viper this year.
Ken

Sorry for the lack of posts- things got a little hectic during the holidays and I didn't get around to posting any pictures. All the air lines, servos, and fuel tanks have been installed in the plane. I don't have pictures right now, as I have since removed some of the larger boards in preparation for finishing the plane. I'll add pictures of the inside when everything is completed.

Today started my favorite part- flite metal. I decided to start somewhere easy with the bottom of the wing. The first pic shows what the rivets look like before and after I went over them with a brass tube. They're just visible enough so I can see them, but they are filled enough to keep the flite metal flat. By the end of the evening tonight, the entire bottom of the first wing was completed :)

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2195904 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2195905

Nice work, love the flight metal finish!

TB

I really need to do one of these in my friends aircraft, which I've flown in....

Flite metal day 2: bottom of other wing
total rivets so far: 7872

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196050

Awesome!


TB

FlyingJ664,

Are you using any tool to mark the rivets on FM? This tool makes many of them at the same time or only one? Because if you are doing multiple rivets at the same time will be hard to match the rivets already on the fuselage.

Please keep posting

Gabriel

Thanks TonyBuilder

gapellegrini- I use a hollow brass tube to make the rivet indentations- I put balsa blocks on the tubes so I have something to hold on to. There are two different sizes to fit the different sized rivets on the plane. They are put on one at a time.
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196138 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196139

That's what I thought. I have to do one at each time. If you had no rivets on fuselage would be easier to make multiple rivets with a tool.

There are tools that can be used to make multiple rivets in a row- for this particular build, the rivets are already in the fiberglass, so I didn't think it would work for me. Those type of tools are best for areas without pre-formed rivets, as you can make your own lines. To match the ones in the fiberglass, I'm doing rivets one at a time.

Flite metal day 3: started top of left wing; I work during the day so weekdays are far less productive
total rivets so far: 9764

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196263

Flite metal day 4: finished top of left wing
total rivets so far: 12,053

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196376

Flite metal day 5, 6, 7: finished top of both wings and most of the back half of the fuselage. Starting to get to some of the harder panels
total rivets so far: 21,366

http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196880 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196881 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196882 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196883 http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/atta...mentid=2196884