TKFOKKER

Gentlemen
Today's progress. I placed first piece of Plywood onto the bottom center section. Also has a cutout to box for battery, receiver and switches for the ailerons. Also cut next pieces and made up dummy control cable pulleys. These will not be functional to the ailerons, but will have the cables exciting to the control stick. Still need to make up a cable retainer strap, in which I forgot! I plan to have the cables attached to springs so they will stretch back and forth through the pulleys so the stick will be able to move left to right. So that's it for today. Tomorrow not sure if I'll get anything done on the plane, I have to replace all the brake lines on my work truck!!!! FUN, FUN, FUN!!!
Again, Thanks for looking.
Tom P.S. Hope this small progress is not too boring to you guys, I'm a slow builder.

TKFOKKER

Hi, Back at it tonight. I was unhappy with the pulleys so I added another bracket so it's more like the real one. I have finished installing one of the ailerons dummy pulley cable systems. As you can see the cables go into an aluminum tube attached to a soft spring. when I hook them up to the turn buckles off the control stick cable there will be equal tension from both sides so the stick will be able to move left to right. I have used this same system on all my previous Fokker planes. It has always worked well. After I finish the other end I will continue covering with the plywood. I should have the wing all built by the end of the week, with a fitting outside next weekend!!!
Tom

TKFOKKER

The sheeting will be cut out to this hole then a aluminum door hinged will cover it for access as the full scale.
Don't you hate a messy shop?

cocobear

My Feedback: (2)

gosh, this thing is unbelievable. Tom, you are the master!!!!

TKFOKKER

Thanks Dave
But far from it. I just try my best like everyone else. There's a lot of super talented builders out there. And your one yourself!
Tom

AROPLANE

My Feedback: (52)

morning tom
glad to see you gotten back to your master peace with gusto
like the oil can on the "messy work bench" must be from WWI its so old
looking forward to seeing you and your work at rhinebeck this year
now go back to work!!
tom

TKFOKKER

And good morning to you also Tom.
I love Sunday morn. Get up at 6:00 am, hot coffee, everyone else in the house stays in bed till 10:00. No one to be bothered by! Go down in the shop, work on the plane. Then I get to go back jump in bed and wake up the wife!! I love Sunday mornings!

TKFOKKER

Finished up the aileron cables this morn. Back to plywood. Still have to install the servo's, so that will slow me down again. Plus finish the installation of the aileron's them selves. They get mounted permanently.

TKFOKKER

Two more panels are applied. I should be able to get two more on tonight. Look at the comparison of a 1/4 scale wing to the 1/2 scale. What a size difference. That was the wing to one of my Top Gun planes. It went in due to a radio failure in Fla. at west palm beach.
Tom

mogman

We tend to forget that when scaling up, things get bigger in ALL directions! Great work, would love to see it fly in person...we live too far apart for that.

Cheers,
Dave.

TKFOKKER

Couple more panels applied tonight. Next the ailerons must be installed.

TKFOKKER

Hi Guys
I finished mounting the ailerons to the wing.They are strong and move very smoothly. Next is to mount the Hitech 805 MG's to the ailerons. These servo's have 375 oz torque at 6 volts, which should be plenty for this wing. I will use two of these on the elevator that will combine to 750 oz. and a 400 oz. on the rudder. I do not plan on following the new laws of the AMA on Giant scale radio applications. There's no difference between a third scale to a half scale. Put a good system in correctly and safely there should be no problems. I know there are many people who feel differently about this issue. I do not plan on flying this plane at any AMA events. And to be honest a 3 to 4 thousand dollar system is a little out of my reach.

CF-FZG

Hi Tom,

I hadn't looked in for a while, sorry I didn't as you've made some serious progress on the wing since I last looked. Your D.VIII is looking so good now.

I'm making (slow) progress on one of Glenn's 1/3 E.Vs, and was wondering how to have 'semi-active' aileron cables, well you've just showed me the way [8D]

You mentioned the 'new rules' from the AMA on large models, can you tell me what these new rules are? Over here in the UK we have different rules to follow if the model's over 20kg, (about 44 lbs), but was wondering what's new over there.


Mark.

TKFOKKER

Hi Mark
Yes I've been working vigorously on the wing, trying to get it, the wing finished for the meet at Rhinebeck aerodrome in September.
The AMA rules, although I don't know exactly, but from what I've heard,anything over 65 lbs. requires a full redundant system. They want double receivers, switches, batteries, and servo's have to be a specific oz for the calibrated load. Basically, it will cost thousands to do this. I plan on putting in a good 2.4 radio with high torque servo's, 6 volt batteries and the best switches, with high end wire. I believe this will be fine as I do not plan on doing snap rolls with this model! Flat and slow is the way she will go!
Tom

TKFOKKER

Her's some more pic's of progress. I have finished one servo installation, now just have the other to do. The first one always goes a little slow, have to figure it all out. I have not glued the servo in yet, that is the mount blocks for I want to pickup a metal control arm for it. This way I can still install it easier. Also have to get some more turnbuckles for the cables. I did get the panel cut and epoxied down. Wing tip next and that end is pretty close to being done. I was hoping to have had the wing done by today, but as you can see that did not happen.
Tom

abufletcher

It does seem though that with such a special model, you might want to consider at least "partial redundancy" on some parts of the radio system. It can't be that much more, for example, to include redundant switches and batteries (which would seem like the most likely cause of radio failure). And of course it's not so that you can do aerobatics, it's so that you don't end up loosing your amazing model on a "flat and slow" pass because a battery cell (or two) decides to go bad.

I realize this is a bit like "telling grandma how to suck eggs" since you have such extensive experience. So feel free to ignore the advice of a newbie.

TKFOKKER

Abu
Very Good point. I will look into that setup. Thanks for the input!
Tom

TKFOKKER

The last flat large ply panel has been applied. Also the other aileron set up is finished. As soon as I get the rest of the hardware for the servo's , I can then run the cables. I beefed up the leading edge in the center area. This is so that when the model is being held back when run up or when the wing is being held when handling it there will be less stress to the plywood in that area. As you can see I have applied the first piece of plywood to the leading edge. The ruler in the picture is to show you how thick the wing is, 5 inches! Tomorrow night I will continue that procedure of applying the leading edge plywood..Also, I'm looking for a good linen source for covering, if anyone knows. Need to start thinking about covering. So that's the progress report for today.

1bruno

Tom your wing is amazing, I cant wait to see it in person. Keep the pics coming.

TKFOKKER

Two more leading edge plywoods attached. These are not easy to do. Because the wing is so big it's hard to flip it up and down to apply the plywood. Just to add two of these takes like three hours. Make pattern, cut and then check proper fit of the wood. Sand, fit and glue, and pray it comes out perfect. Then remove any excess glue that squeezes out. Then sand again. Can't mess up, only one shot!

TKFOKKER

Del.
What did you mix the stain packets with? Alcohol, or water or mineral spirits? I will be staining the wing soon. I plan on doing a two coat staining to get it soaked in good. Then 4 coats of boat varnish.
Call me if you still have my no.
Thanks, Tom

TKFOKKER

Some more progress tonight. That's 4 sections made and three applied. Good productive night. Getting into the area that needs to be pre-shaped. I use ammonia. Enough for today.
tom

TKFOKKER

Almost finished covering the wing. Have on the last two leading edge panels being formed ready to glue. I just need to finish up the wing tips, the access doors for radio equipment, and the trailing edge needs to be sanded. Then onto staining the wing. Painting crosses and varnish. I will be mounting the wing soon. Can't wait to see it on the Fuselage!
I weighed up all the parts to the airplane and totaled it up. She's at a fat 73 lbs. Still needs batteries, covering, dope, paint, varnish, guns, dummy engine, Oh boy I can see it now, 100 lbs. Does that seem heavy to you guys?
Tom

abufletcher

I don't have a clue about the weight, but it just seems to me that since you've built the entire "model" virtually as a 1/2 size "flying replica" that as long as you're under 1/2 the weight of the full-size with comparable engine power, you're bound to be ok.

Or is that 1/4 the weight since we're talking 3-dimensional size? What is the weight of comparable 1/2 scale models?

Nieuport nut

My Feedback: (10)

I think that will be 1/8 - 1/2 the span X 1/2 the length X 1/2 the height = 1/8

Martin