Half Scale Nieuport 11
11-11-2013, 05:08 PM
#1
Half Scale Nieuport 11
Building season is upon us. This year's project - FINALLY ! - is a half scale Nieuport 11. The past 3 flying seasons I have been flying a 1/3 scale N-11 of my own design. I have enlarged my 1/3 scale plans to half scale. There are a few changes I have made to accommodate the large size......some of which are thinner air foil, four more laminations to the tail group outline and several more changes that will be made as that part of the build occurs.
Basically the fuse is a 1/8" lite ply box up front with 3/8" bass wood sticks for the back end. The front of the fuse will have 3/8" balsa filler to absorb some of the engine impulses.
The wings are 1/4" x 3/4" bass wood spars on the top and bottom wings.......top wing has an upper and lower front and rear spar arrangement......the bottom wing has an upper and lower spar.
The overall functional design has not been changed very much - just made bigger.
Wings span is 12 feet 4 inches.....fuse is about 9 feet long and just under 4 feet high.
Power is an Avio MacMinarelli 125 cc gas twin......ignition is magneto.
Expected weight range is 55 to 65 pounds. We will just have to wait (hahaha, get it - wait, weight) to see how close I get to the estimate.
I hope the new format for the forum becomes easier for me as the build progresses because it has been troublesome since the change over........especially posting pictures.
I will try to post some start up pictures this week as time permits..........
Basically the fuse is a 1/8" lite ply box up front with 3/8" bass wood sticks for the back end. The front of the fuse will have 3/8" balsa filler to absorb some of the engine impulses.
The wings are 1/4" x 3/4" bass wood spars on the top and bottom wings.......top wing has an upper and lower front and rear spar arrangement......the bottom wing has an upper and lower spar.
The overall functional design has not been changed very much - just made bigger.
Wings span is 12 feet 4 inches.....fuse is about 9 feet long and just under 4 feet high.
Power is an Avio MacMinarelli 125 cc gas twin......ignition is magneto.
Expected weight range is 55 to 65 pounds. We will just have to wait (hahaha, get it - wait, weight) to see how close I get to the estimate.
I hope the new format for the forum becomes easier for me as the build progresses because it has been troublesome since the change over........especially posting pictures.
I will try to post some start up pictures this week as time permits..........
11-11-2013, 05:48 PM
#2
No doubt as soon as you finish this one, those Dawn Patrol guys will start building 3/4 scale models! 
Note that there are two different ways to post photos: 1) The hard way and 2) The easy way. The hard way involves choosing "go advanced" and then clicking on the "manage attachments" button in the replies dialog box. But you can also just click the icon for "add photo" and then select the photo on your computer....pretty much the same as it used to be.
Note that there are two different ways to post photos: 1) The hard way and 2) The easy way. The hard way involves choosing "go advanced" and then clicking on the "manage attachments" button in the replies dialog box. But you can also just click the icon for "add photo" and then select the photo on your computer....pretty much the same as it used to be.
11-11-2013, 07:30 PM
#6
No doubt as soon as you finish this one, those Dawn Patrol guys will start building 3/4 scale models!
They probably already have.......
Note that there are two different ways to post photos: 1) The hard way and 2) The easy way. The hard way involves choosing "go advanced" and then clicking on the "manage attachments" button in the replies dialog box. But you can also just click the icon for "add photo" and then select the photo on your computer....pretty much the same as it used to be.
They probably already have.......
Note that there are two different ways to post photos: 1) The hard way and 2) The easy way. The hard way involves choosing "go advanced" and then clicking on the "manage attachments" button in the replies dialog box. But you can also just click the icon for "add photo" and then select the photo on your computer....pretty much the same as it used to be.
ok.......I have the ribs (laser cut by Larry Folk).......spars sawed from a big bass wood board......and a very big cowl from GTM (half scale Fokker cowl).......and then there are the laminating forms for the stab, elevator and rudder........
Last edited by R/C Art; 11-11-2013 at 07:40 PM.
11-11-2013, 07:49 PM
#7
Don, it is not working the easy way for me......don't know why........so that leaves the hard way....
Greg, Lance and Jim (Don, too).......welcome to the thread.
Kibitzing is allowed - like I could stop it even if I wanted to - actually kibitzing Is encouraged.
My target "got to be flyable by date" is the Dayton Dawn Patrol Rendezvous, 2014....... that would be late September of next year.....a tall order for me, so we shall see.
Greg, Lance and Jim (Don, too).......welcome to the thread.
Kibitzing is allowed - like I could stop it even if I wanted to - actually kibitzing Is encouraged.
My target "got to be flyable by date" is the Dayton Dawn Patrol Rendezvous, 2014....... that would be late September of next year.....a tall order for me, so we shall see.
11-21-2013, 10:12 AM
#13
Just when I am able to start living with the fact that you guys have so many cool 1/3 scales ... HALF scale is becoming the NORM ! How am I ever gonna sleep at night ! hahahaha If it turns out as nice as your 1/3 N11 it will be sweet indeed .....
11-21-2013, 01:22 PM
#14
Hey Dave, thanks........good hearing from you. You know, if things work out right, it just might fit into my Dodge Caravan......that's the plan anyway.
I am designing it with removable rudder and stab/elevators........I know the wheels will also have to come off.......and either the rest of the landing gear or the cabanes will have to be come off, too because of the height restrictions in the van.
I have been wanting to do a half scale project since the mid eighties, but it just wasn't practical for me then. I think I'm gonna enjoy this project!
Lance - don't worry too much about what everyone else might be doing - just listen to your heart and go with it.
Cheers,
Art
I am designing it with removable rudder and stab/elevators........I know the wheels will also have to come off.......and either the rest of the landing gear or the cabanes will have to be come off, too because of the height restrictions in the van.
I have been wanting to do a half scale project since the mid eighties, but it just wasn't practical for me then. I think I'm gonna enjoy this project!
Lance - don't worry too much about what everyone else might be doing - just listen to your heart and go with it.
Cheers,
Art
11-21-2013, 08:26 PM
#15
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Ah Ha! Sir Arthur. I've been wondering what you might be up to. And what new secret weapon
you might deploy next flying season. This is going to be great.
FYI...1/2 scale and practical cannot be used in the same sentence
I can see a certain spouse
shaking her head already. Question is... Where are you gonna ride?. on the bumper..
So let the Kibitzing begin
I'll be following closely.
"don't worry too much about what everyone else might be doing - just listen to your heart and go with it."
Great advice Art. I should do it more often.
Mike
you might deploy next flying season. This is going to be great.
FYI...1/2 scale and practical cannot be used in the same sentence
I can see a certain spouseshaking her head already. Question is... Where are you gonna ride?. on the bumper..
So let the Kibitzing begin
I'll be following closely.
"don't worry too much about what everyone else might be doing - just listen to your heart and go with it."
Great advice Art. I should do it more often.
Mike
11-21-2013, 10:27 PM
#17
I can see it already, a new class to compete in, Who can bring the biggest plane in a Dodge Caravan ! hahahahah
There used to be a guy in Omaha that had a FLYING Boxcar ? I am unsure of the airplanes correct name possibly.... Anyhow this was a big fuselage with booms and a fairly large wing. He would pull up in a 4 door car, and start taking sub sections from the trunk, back seat, and passenger seat.. an hour later he had this monster of a twin engine plane on the field..
P.S. I haven't heard anything of Billy and the Half scale Camel in a LONG time? is everything going ok with that campaign?
There used to be a guy in Omaha that had a FLYING Boxcar ? I am unsure of the airplanes correct name possibly.... Anyhow this was a big fuselage with booms and a fairly large wing. He would pull up in a 4 door car, and start taking sub sections from the trunk, back seat, and passenger seat.. an hour later he had this monster of a twin engine plane on the field..
P.S. I haven't heard anything of Billy and the Half scale Camel in a LONG time? is everything going ok with that campaign?
Last edited by foodstick; 11-23-2013 at 01:43 PM.
12-18-2013, 08:23 PM
#24
Ok I'm starting to actually cut some wood. I have stripped enough 1/32" aircraft plywood for all the tail surface laminations.....still need to strip a bunch to 1/16" balsa. The strips are 5/8" by 4' long.......that will make the tail 5/8" thick, and with all the laminations it should be very stiff and strong (and relatively light, too).
There will be (from the inside out) 2 laminations of 1/16" balsa followed by a 1/32" ply, 1/16"balsa, 1/32" ply, 1/16" balsa, 1/32" ply, 1/16" balsa, 1/32" ply and then 4 layers of 1/16" balsa (enough to be sanded to a nice round profile). This should yield a 5/8" thick by 11/16" wide outline for all the tail surfaces.
I cut the plywood with the band saw and used a Master Airscrew balsa stripper for the balsa strips. When I get enough balsa stripped, I will pin the laminating forms to the table and then wet the strips where they need to bend around corners and pin them to the form until dry. Then slap on some wood glue and pin them around the form and leave until dry.
This process will probably take a couple of weeks.
Last edited by R/C Art; 12-18-2013 at 08:31 PM.
12-19-2013, 12:45 PM
#25
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Charles , What type of Large scale graphics would you be interested in doing ? Perhaps a Sopwith Camel ? I am looking for someone to do labels for my camel ! Billy Thompson
