ZNLine factory: Enigma Building
03-05-2003, 06:44 PM
#151
It has been too long!
But we are back. Please excuse the delay. My girlfriend lives in Germany, and forgiving though she is, she likes to see me in person now and again. So, I took a few days off.
Anyway, today I returned and started on hinging rudders. Today I will post the steps taken to match the rudders to the fuselages, and then I shall post a little hint of our covering process which I sincerely hope you enjoy.
Rudder hinging.
Since the rudders where faced and roughed out with the stabs, all that remained was to hinge and taper into the fuselage. Please refer to the stab hinging segment for a detailed explantion or the hinging process. Nothing changes.
This first photo shows the rudders aligned with the fin for establishing the hinge locations.
Anyway, today I returned and started on hinging rudders. Today I will post the steps taken to match the rudders to the fuselages, and then I shall post a little hint of our covering process which I sincerely hope you enjoy.
Rudder hinging.
Since the rudders where faced and roughed out with the stabs, all that remained was to hinge and taper into the fuselage. Please refer to the stab hinging segment for a detailed explantion or the hinging process. Nothing changes.
This first photo shows the rudders aligned with the fin for establishing the hinge locations.
03-05-2003, 07:32 PM
#153
Now we do the tips.
The top and bottom of the rudder must blend in with the fuselage, so it is done inplace. I start with 80 grit and go to 240 at this stage. Of course, our final sanding of the wood parts will be with 1000 grit, but that comes a little later.
Here is the blended top.
Here is the blended top.
03-05-2003, 07:45 PM
#156
ZNLine factory: Enigma Building
The big picture. Still to be done here to inlay the horn hardpoint pieces and beveling of both the fin and the rudder. After that I can final sand the rudder and it can wait until the fuselage is painted and then it gets covered.
Speaking of covering, the big chief was cutting the covering for his Enigma, so the next couple of posts I will show you a special tool we use to get "the worlds best covering job".
First, the rudder.
Speaking of covering, the big chief was cutting the covering for his Enigma, so the next couple of posts I will show you a special tool we use to get "the worlds best covering job".
First, the rudder.
03-05-2003, 08:05 PM
#157
It starts with a design.
Here is a photo of the first Zardini built Enigma. We have a very special friend that creates the designs for our airplanes. Here is his design. The painting is done in Brussels (the painter stands next to me right now).
The covering is done in Liege. I shall have photos of all of this going on in about four weeks.
We will use this design on JPs and my airplanes. I still do not know what the others shall have.
The covering is done in Liege. I shall have photos of all of this going on in about four weeks.
We will use this design on JPs and my airplanes. I still do not know what the others shall have.
03-05-2003, 08:16 PM
#160
How does one cut that?
While completely possible to cut this by hand by print templates, it comes out with better consistency, accuracy, and much faster when cut by plotter cutter.
This machine is worth it's weight in gold, or in this case, in Oracover.
This machine is worth it's weight in gold, or in this case, in Oracover.
03-05-2003, 08:23 PM
#161
It takes about ten minutes to cut the entire airplane.
The operator should assist the machine by guiding the roll end. Oracover is not as easy for the machine to feed as the Vinyl rolls, but the end result is just as good as the Vinyl graphics.
Here is JP making sure that the machine feeds properly. Close inspection of the photo will show the lines on a couple of pieces cut for the Enigma.
Here is JP making sure that the machine feeds properly. Close inspection of the photo will show the lines on a couple of pieces cut for the Enigma.
03-05-2003, 08:39 PM
#163
This is what all this is work is leading to.
Hopefully, in no more than 6 weeks now we will be taking pictures of several of these, one of which will have my name inscribed on the side in vinyl instead of the little piece of masking tape that I use to identify mine.
I know that these pictures are a little premature, but I hope that you will keep viewing the ZNLine Factory postings.
Ailerons are coming up soon. For those STILL waiting on the motor, that is actually the last of the construction, so a little while longer.
Pictured here is our current standard design package. This is the basic scheme that a customer receives when buying an ARF unless they provide their own design. All the graphics, of course, are customer preference. You can have this without graphics, or with any sponsoring graphics or the wife's name, however. Oh, of course colors are the customers preference also.
On the covering, it is cut for a 2mm overlap at all points. Some of the smaller pieces go directly over covering, but most is 2mm overlap.
Jim, I never believed it could be like this. It was not so many years ago I was knocking out a SuperSportster on my cork covered door. Oh, I still use that door and I still build regular old plan and pin airplanes. I guess some things will never change.
Thanks,
Mark
I know that these pictures are a little premature, but I hope that you will keep viewing the ZNLine Factory postings.
Ailerons are coming up soon. For those STILL waiting on the motor, that is actually the last of the construction, so a little while longer.
Pictured here is our current standard design package. This is the basic scheme that a customer receives when buying an ARF unless they provide their own design. All the graphics, of course, are customer preference. You can have this without graphics, or with any sponsoring graphics or the wife's name, however. Oh, of course colors are the customers preference also.
On the covering, it is cut for a 2mm overlap at all points. Some of the smaller pieces go directly over covering, but most is 2mm overlap.
Jim, I never believed it could be like this. It was not so many years ago I was knocking out a SuperSportster on my cork covered door. Oh, I still use that door and I still build regular old plan and pin airplanes. I guess some things will never change.
Thanks,
Mark
03-06-2003, 08:44 AM
#164
Re: To answer your questions
Originally posted by MarkNovack
We use epoxy resins and hardners from R&G Gmbh. We can order this in small quantities for sale. We order int in 5kg jugs for resin and 1L bottles of hardner. It is a very thin epoxy.
We use there 24 hour hardner (40:100 mix measures on a gram scale), but they have other times of hardner available.
We use epoxy resins and hardners from R&G Gmbh. We can order this in small quantities for sale. We order int in 5kg jugs for resin and 1L bottles of hardner. It is a very thin epoxy.
We use there 24 hour hardner (40:100 mix measures on a gram scale), but they have other times of hardner available.
03-06-2003, 01:59 PM
#165
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ZNLine factory: Enigma Building
Mark,
Would you care to divulge in the cost of that cutter plotter? I had an idea of using a computer to design color schemes, but that is really neat.
Would you care to divulge in the cost of that cutter plotter? I had an idea of using a computer to design color schemes, but that is really neat.
03-06-2003, 02:52 PM
#166
Epoxy and plotters
Mike,
The epoxy we use is resin and hardner series L. Searching through R&Gs great handbook, though, will provide many different solutions for glueing. Nice company I think. Lots of fantastic products. On a side note, the Europeans have been using composites for modeling and hobby products when the technology was reserved for the high-tech aircraft industry in the USA, so the availability of products in Europe is fantastic.
On the hinge question that I missed, the hinges are bulk purchased, but the equivilant would be the standard Robart nylon blade pinned hinge. For this application I would not use hinge points as the facing is to thin to for the points to get a good grip. The nylon hinges provide an absolute sure grip when glued in with the L epoxy mixed with a moderate amount of microballoon.
Ryan,
Honestly, I have no idea what the plotter runs and all the chief tells me is "beaucoups", or lots. I'm sure well past the $2000.00 range. It is very fast and the accuracy is perfect.
JP is currently beveling tail surfaces with the belt sander. Today's postings will detail the beveling, finish facing, TE and hardpoint installation. Exacting work, JP does all the machining personally for an outstanding finished tail. I'll be working on the posts in a few hours after I get the last of the gluing finished.
Mark
The epoxy we use is resin and hardner series L. Searching through R&Gs great handbook, though, will provide many different solutions for glueing. Nice company I think. Lots of fantastic products. On a side note, the Europeans have been using composites for modeling and hobby products when the technology was reserved for the high-tech aircraft industry in the USA, so the availability of products in Europe is fantastic.
On the hinge question that I missed, the hinges are bulk purchased, but the equivilant would be the standard Robart nylon blade pinned hinge. For this application I would not use hinge points as the facing is to thin to for the points to get a good grip. The nylon hinges provide an absolute sure grip when glued in with the L epoxy mixed with a moderate amount of microballoon.
Ryan,
Honestly, I have no idea what the plotter runs and all the chief tells me is "beaucoups", or lots. I'm sure well past the $2000.00 range. It is very fast and the accuracy is perfect.
JP is currently beveling tail surfaces with the belt sander. Today's postings will detail the beveling, finish facing, TE and hardpoint installation. Exacting work, JP does all the machining personally for an outstanding finished tail. I'll be working on the posts in a few hours after I get the last of the gluing finished.
Mark
03-06-2003, 05:20 PM
#167
Things are looking good here.
What a day. Beveling and milling and routing and cutting and gluing and doing it three times over.
The day started out by beveling the rudder. JP prefers to use the belt sander. I would like to clarify that this takes extremely experienced hands to machine sand to a perfectly centered bevel and be consistent again and again. It also turns out with perfectly straight lines.
Most of us mortals, myself included, are better off using a long sanding block. It is very easy to turn a few weeks of work into a pile of toothpicks on the belt.
Here is JP sanding out the first rudder of the day.
The day started out by beveling the rudder. JP prefers to use the belt sander. I would like to clarify that this takes extremely experienced hands to machine sand to a perfectly centered bevel and be consistent again and again. It also turns out with perfectly straight lines.
Most of us mortals, myself included, are better off using a long sanding block. It is very easy to turn a few weeks of work into a pile of toothpicks on the belt.
Here is JP sanding out the first rudder of the day.