V2PLUS10

Hi Bob,

Yes, I always program in about 30% differential, and I couple the rudder also. If your left thumb is real active leave out the coupling, it can mess up a roll for that short time you are inverted. I always leave it off for takeoff and landing also.

Started on the throttle servo installation. Put in a sort of shelf for the servo to sit on. Doubles as a fuel tank hold-down and the onboard glow driver will likely end up here also. Gooped the servo to a wedge shaped block which will then be screwed to the shelf from underneath. Only access to this area after the fuselage is complete it through the cockpit or from underneath as the belly pan is removable. I'm trying to keep everything as far forward as possible to help with the CG. the batteries will be under the cowl above the engine....

deljon

My Feedback: (4)

Randy,
Your lady is really looking good, I like your building style.
I think when I start mine, I will serously consider putting the rx and batt. pack
in the top wing. (I just don't like unscale wires hanging or taped to struts,
but that's just me).
It worked very well in my D8, I just make turning on that exra
switch part of the preflight check list. (Accutally with all that dihedrial, it would
probably fly pretty decent with rudder only).
The biggest problem that I see is there is only about 7/8ths inch space to work in,
but I think it can be done.
Again great job.........Glad you liked the Dawn Patrol cd.

Del

V2PLUS10

Del,

There is room in the upper wing. I have a little JR 770 PCM rx that fits inside the rib cutouts, and a battery pack is no problem. there are scale hatches in the wing that would serve as a switch and charge jack location. I guess you could run the antenna to the wing tip, inside the wing. If the battery was real close to the root rib I suppose all components could be in one side......decisions decisions.....maybe I'll set up two recievers on the bench and just see how that works.....I know the big 3-d stuff and aerobatic folks use or used to use two receivers, but that may have been to produce a fully redundant system...

Like you the wires between the wing really bug me....every time I looked at the model those wires are the only thing I'd see.....

Randy

V2PLUS10

Got the rudder/elevator pull-pulls installed for now, and finished installing the throttle servo. Pretty much stuck with the instructions on this part. Fooled around with a couple of alternate attachment methods at the servo end but found that Glenn's method was probably the best. I did add the plastic tubing to route the pull-pulls and protect them as far back as just behind the cockpit. Just used some antenna wire tubing and epoxied it to a cross member where it passes under the rear wing attach tube. Also started on the battery box. In order to keep the weight as far forward as possible I like to put the batteries under the cowl, in a ply box. I've used this method quite a lot, and it helps balance the airplane quite a bit. Also the batteries are relatively easy to get to if you need to replace them....

V2PLUS10

Started to prepare for the hood and side fairing installation. These areas are to be natural aluminum so I'm going to try covering them with litho plate. This is a first for me so it should be interesting....

Fit the cowl today.. the spun aluminum cowl comes with a groove on the outside and a corresponding ridge on the inside of the rim. The groove is for a cable that runs around the circumference and is tensioned with a turnbuckle to hold the cowl on, on the full scale at least. I'm not sure how they made that work....must have been a pretty tight cable. Anyway, I grooved the plywood cowl support ring to accept the ridge in the cowl and the fit is very good...I may work on the fairings tomorrow or I might just spend a lot of time staring at it and wondering....

V2PLUS10

Well, there was a lot of staring and wondering going on in the last few days. Had to go to work also, that slowed things down a bit....

I decided to try and make the side fairings with as much scale detail as possible. I'll need lots of rivets, real or otherwise, and I'll need wood for those rivets to go in to, as well as plenty of support for the fairings. So, lots of balsa support strips have gone between the formers and along the longerons. The fairing block that supports the area around the wing root took the most time. Starting with a block of balsa and shaping it to fit sounded simple enough, but there are quite a few curves and angles to deal with, but I think it worked out. I have not quite decided on the order of attaching the fairings, cockpit surround and hood parts. The kit instructions of course explain all this but my subject airplane was assembled by folks with an altogether different idea of how these things go together...after the ply parts are fitted I'll use them for templates to cut the litho plate, then the whole mess can be assembled......

V2PLUS10

Gave the litho plate a go today. I found that a really good way to anneal the stuff is to heat the oven to 550 F and slip the aluminum in for a few minutes! Takes the guess work out...

I laminated the aluminum with the 1/32 ply side fairing using contact cement. Tried several methods of weathering the aluminum to attempt to make it look like a 30 year old neglected Airstream but haven't quite got it. 1000 grit wet sanding seems to be the best method so far, other than leaving the parts in the back yard all winter...any suggestions are welcome....tomorrow maybe I'll make another practice fairing and see how it goes...

wascamp

My Feedback: (1)

Randy,
I would not worry too much about weathering the tin plate too much. Remember that you are building a replica of a war plane that had a useful life of only a few weeks at best. Build it "as new" and let normal wear and tear age it. Remember that these airplanes did not often last long enough to weather. Many were destroyed on their first missions. Even the ones flown by the aces were often scrapped after a relatively short operational life. Burnish it with 0000 steel wool and let it oxidize a little.

V2PLUS10

Roger,

I tried some steel wool but I think it was too coarse. I'll try the 0000 and I think there is some brass wool available also. I'll scuff it up and let nature do the rest.

The airplane that I'm using as a subject is a WWI survivor and though it's been "restored" the aluminum is very oxidized. Guess when my model is 87 years old it will have just the right look!!

Randy

wascamp

My Feedback: (1)

Randy,

I dont' know if they had 2024 Al in the teens, I suspect not. They most likley used almost pure alumimum sheet which would explain the corrosion. Do you want to recreate the plane as it was campained, or as it looks now? Like you say, the example you have is 87 years old which is a mere shadow of its' former self. I'd bet that the restoration hid a lot of the day to day dents and scrapes that a front line aircraft was bound to incur. I once helped an A&P with an Annual inspection on a "Restored" J-3. The main spar on the left wing was cracked almost thrugh. And this was an airworthy flyer. Who knows what lurks under the linen of a Museum piece? My point? None. Build for you, and it will be OK by me.

V2PLUS10

Roger,

The full scale Hanriot in the museum is pretty ratty. It does have lots of dents and the tail skid looks as though the bungee broke once and the skid bent a crossmember from the inside out...now it's held up with chain! It'll look fine either way...didn't think about the aluminum alloy thing....I'll bet you are right. It may be an alloy but certianly not like a modern one. Look under the "real aircrafts" button on this web site and look at the restored example in Belgium!! I'm not copying this one but it shows how a display airplane is restored!

http://users.skynet.be/fa233213/En/R...ort/Nie23.html

Randy

laryboy

My Feedback: (2)

i have been reading this build along since the beginning but i don't think you have mentioned the kinds of glue that you are using.

V2PLUS10

Mostly I've used Titebond III, it is beige in color and when dry it is nearly invisible. Also I've used 5 minute and 12 minute epoxy, on the firewall and landing gear supports. I use very little CA, as I dislike the stuff but can't seem to get along with out it entirely! I used some contact cement on the ply/aluminum lamination, and some stuff called "Super Phatic" from Hobby Lobby, that is sort of a penetrating wood glue. Seems like pretty good stuff for some applications. I think that is about it. The titebond works real well and sets pretty rapidly. I use a glue syringe from the local hobby shop to apply it. You can also go to Titebond's web site and get some neat suggestions on usage and how to make a good glue joint.....

Randy

V2PLUS10

The pictures may not look like much but I feel as though I've jumped a really big hurdle. Finally got all the various balsa strips in place that will hold the fairings, cockpit surround and front hood in place, and also the strips on the bottom of the fuse that hold the bottom plate in place, elevated so it clears where the landing gear legs fasten to the fuselage crosspieces. I need to make the openings for the forward legs of the cabane and then, maybe laminate with the litho plate and fasten everything into place.....maybe by mid December!! I had to make new side fairings and so need to cut the access doors. The kit parts came pre-cut of course but the airplane that I'm using as a subject was built in Italy by Nieuport-Macchi and thus the doors are a little different from the French built airplanes. All these airplanes were hand built of course and I'm sure changes were made to suit the various builders. As I said the pictures aren't much but they represent all the bits and pieces and fiddling of the last two weeks finally falling into place.....

allanflowers

Where did you get your litho plate?
Allan

V2PLUS10

Believe it or not I looked in the phone book under "printers" and found a place called Valley Litho and they were nice enough to give me a couple of sheets 22" by 24"....I guess it is still used in offset printing.

Randy

V2PLUS10

The turkey is in the oven and I'll need to get cleaned up....but first here are a few shots of the fairing/hood installation with the cabanes installed. I am very pleased with the way it all went together, it was starting to look like June would get here before I would get this part done...turns out the order of assembly is going to be pretty important-the front hood won't go on with the cabanes in place, but the cabanes have to be in for the hood to fit....I just sort of loosely hang everything together and then slowly fit things into place.....

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Randy, I'm still watching your progress. Ya just gotta love these planes Make part A to fit into part B. Make Part B to fit into part A, Assemble when done!

V2PLUS10

Bob,

Don't ya love it when one line of instructions takes you a week or more to complete? Just made a third cockpit surround, and a second hood part....these fit a little better, but now where will I run my servo wires?

Randy

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Randy, you dont hafta tell me lol. For instance I painted on the #3 on my top wing (white) only to think afterwards.... Hmm it doesnt look like its in the exact right location! I think its about 1/2 inch or so too low towards the TE!..arghhhhhhh.. I studied it from several different views and I still couldn't convince myself it was correct..sooooooooo.. I took it off with thinner this morning. I had to repaint the wing (i had to mix up a small batch of PC10 mind you!). Now I'm letting it dry and I'll repaint the #3 tomrrow or Sunday.

Oh how we suffer for our art huh?
And I know you'll get your servo leads worked out just fine.. I have faith in you!..

V2PLUS10

Bob,

You know that nobody but the builder would notice most of those things...we are our own worst critics!!

Can you still get Perfect Paints? I thought they were long gone...


Randy

BobH

My Feedback: (2)

Randy, you are exactly right. We are our own worst critics! I know I am for sure.

I still have some perfect paints and I managed to order some online a couple of months ago. They have gone out of business for a while. I guess the dealer has some inventory left.

V2PLUS10

You folks are my inspiration.....

Had thought about this earlier but balked at drilling through the cabanes....after getting this far though I realized that strength was not a problem and Glenn agrees. The simple solutions are the best, when it comes to airplanes simplicity means longevity...the servo wire problem is solved!

V2PLUS10

Finally made up my mind about the location and size of the side access door. Looked at a lot of pictures and concluded that almost all the airplanes were different, at least by the time they were photographed. Made a male/female form that I then used to shape the annealed aluminum. A small hammer and a few words of encouragement and the door was ready to be trimmed and fitted. The side fairing will eventually be laminated with the same aluminum litho plate. I'm not sure whether I'll hinge the doors or just make them removable, time will tell. I may use small magnets to hold them shut rather than a latch, as the rx and onboard glow driver switch will be under the right hand door and it will be opened a lot. I might put the fueler under the left door.....it may be the only option

deljon

My Feedback: (4)

Randy,
That looks great the way you ran the servo wire, I beleave I'll do mine that way also.
I couldn't do it that on the D8, because you J-B Weld the bent wire that attaches
the strut to the fuse. into the end of the strut. It goes up into it about 1 1/2", so it would
still have left wires exposed.
Love the way you did the access panel door, very nice.
Hope to get started on mine about the first of the year, as soon as I finish the BUSA Dr.1
Later

Del