summerwind

first of all i want to say thx to Cratecruncher for posting this build thread last year,
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/m_66..._1/key_/tm.htm

as after coming back to RC flying after a 15 year layoff, i became board after throwing a couple ARF's together and just needed a project(or 2....3...4) to really get back into the groove of building.
when i saw the thread i had assumed that with all the rush of prebuilt models in the world, that somehow Proctor was not around.....how glad i was to see that Proctor was alive and well, and i also want to give a warm thanks to "Joe Topper" who owns and kits all the Proctor line.
http://www.proctor-enterprises.com/p...nieuport28.htm

not only does he do this practically by himself, he does an excellent job of reproducing kit after kit and having built and sold my first N28 some 16 years ago, i can honestly say nothing has changed. every part goes together as if you spent time fitting each piece, except that there is very little to do other than check precut parts to make sure you have them in the right place
the N11 was the first kit i bought, and was so glad to get another N28 to build at a later date. that date has come as of a few weeks ago so i do have a enough of a head start to post pictures and keep progress up to date right on thru the finish of this bird which i am hoping to get the maiden by mid summer.

one thing about the N28 i like is the eliptical lines which graces this airplane and for those ever wanting to build and easy to build and fly Proctor model, this is an excellent kit to start with.
a lot of guys will first say, "ah but you have to build all those ribs" and that's so true, but once a simple to make jig is made, the rib building becomes a pleasure and speeds up the whole process.
so for the first few pics in this thread i'll show you my jig, which BTW is not my idea, but comes from other members from here and on RCScale builder.com of which i'll post a link to another N28 build by "2 piece" who adds many more tricks and techniques to building this gorgeous model.

my jig (like others) allows you to clamp up a rib assembly and CA both sides..............Lou Proctors original technique had us gluing the assembly one side at a time with Duco cement which is an excellent and sandable glue, but also took a long time to perform the rib assemblies.

summerwind

some pics of the wing assemblies as i am a build the feathers first guy.

summerwind

of course what would a good scale plane be without a good powerplant.
the Laser 200V is an excellent match to the N28, and Proctor is the US distributor for Laser, so it makes it nice to have a US dealer to go to when needing parts and accessories.

any questions one should have about the Lasers are answered within a day by the designer (Neil Tidey) himself via email. Neil takes the time to answer all inquiries.
Joe Topper answers every single question asked in regards to the engines and whatever other questions you may have. as a matter of fact, Joe picks up the phone any time you call provided he's in the shop, and will spend all the time in the world with you to help you thru any details.

abufletcher

Thanks for posting photos of the rib-making jig as I'll be needing something like this for my DrI ribs.

summerwind

hey Abu,

the concept is from others who have built these kits, but it's fun to make and glad to show it.
certainly makes the process a lot easier.

summerwind

the model will look like this, and there is a lot of option to make the 28 the way you want it. one variation is the one like Joe Toppers.......

summerwind

wing construction is straight forward and presents very little challenge.
top wings are finished with tip bows in place ready for the 1/64 ply leading edge sheeting.

rcmiket

I've got one framed but its so pretty I don't have the heart to cover it. I'm just going to hang it up. Nice work on the ribs wish I would have had that when I did mine. Mike

summerwind

thx Mike.

that's pretty much what happened to my first 28. i hung it in our hobby shop as people were wanting to see it. then the offer came in for it and i caved.....regretted it ever since.
this one is going airborn.
one of my best flying buddies gave me a lot of flack for coming back into RC and building ARF's. wanted me to show some of the group we fly with that builders still exist.

summerwind

i've got the lower wings done, and the ailerons are hinged using the hinges that are supplied in the kit.
i usually do a little kit bashing when building any kit, but not so with this model. the veneers and hardwoods are excellent. Joe does all the cutting of the hardwoods, and as a millman by trade, i must say that Joe is one fine craftsman.

the only item i replaced was the 1/32" diameter aluminum rod that is supplied in the kit to simulate the drag wires.
what i used instead was .040" Carbon fiber rod...............adds a ton of strength, but wieghs virtually nothing by comparison.
in the tail end of the plane i will be able to shave 3 ounces of wieght by using the CF rod.

rcmiket

A Protor kit is definitely a "labor of love". They guy I got mine off off took one look at it and gave up before he started. I'm glad to see your enjoying the build as much as I did. Keep it coming . Mike

summerwind

some more show and tell on this fabulous kit is the hardware..........pictured is just some of the many parts that are fabbed and bagged with numbering to help you through the process which Joe does right in his shop.

summerwind

an easy way to organize and keep the parts in place once opened is these inexpensive divided containers like the ones sold at Big 5 or other sporting goods stores.
makes it easy to check the fit at various stages of construction so that they don't get lost. these are the parts that make up the wing, landing gear and tail attachments.........there are many more parts such as the screws, nuts, aileron hinges etc that are already in use and are in some other containers.

Joe actually makes all the turnbuckles as well.

Reg Hinnant

My Feedback: (9)

These kits are what others strive for but few manage to meet..........

summerwind

so true. thing is, Proctor kits have much of the parts preshaped and jig cut so you have minimal fitting. there is actually very little sanding involved when components are built. even more amazing is that there are over 1,000 parts (don't remember how many Joe said) in this kit and not one single piece is missing.
also i hope to show throughout this thread just how easy these kits are to assemble by anyone who has put together a trainer and maybe a sport plane.

next item on my list is Aluminum powder to mix into the dope................not sure where to get it.

TFF

Nice job. Proctor stuff is the best.
I would have bumped the open tray and mixed all the parts by now.
If you are after real Al. for the dope, go to Aircraft Spruce or you could just get some silver dope. What is the paint job going to be like?

summerwind

the tail feathers are super easy, and the reed outlines work perfect.
again i substituted the 3/32" bamboo spars with .080 Carbon fiber rod for the stab, and .060" CF rod for the rudder....adds a lot of strength with less overall wieght.

summerwind

still deciding on the finish.
i like Joe's version and since his departed us, it would be a cool to do that one.

i'm kinda tossed between the 94th and the 95th at the moment...........

summerwind

the only time consuming area in constructing the stab and the rudder is to punch holes in the ribs to slide the rods thru....nothing looks worse than a bunch of misaligned spars eh?
what i came up with was this simple jig in which i slide the rib in place and drill holes through it with predrilled holes in the jig.............i'd like to see other ideas as well so i hope anyone who has one of these under construction jumps in.

summerwind

TFF,

this is what i found on A-Spruce site..........is this mixable with our dopes?

http://www.aircraftspruce.com/catalo.../alumpaste.php

summerwind

when gluing the balsa/spruce elevator spar together, i use a piece of angle aluminum which keeps things straight. and again, the angles cut into the 3 pieces are exact fit right out of the kit! well i guess they are one in the same.....

TFF

yes that is the stuff. You might call to see if it is nitrate or butrate; probably butrate done after the initial nitrate.

summerwind

yeah saw that in the notes afdter i posted back at ya.

i think you and i finish the same way......koverall applied with nitrate and then the color and finish coats with butyrate.

Michaelj2k

It is used with butyrate. Loosen it up with butyrate thinner then mix into the dope. It's actually finely ground aluminum powder that reflects ultra voilet light. Without UV protection, fabric will deteriorate.

TFF

Is the Proctor tail covered with ply or is it left open? The Smithsonian 28 has the tail covered with ply and I am wondering if they made different versions of the tail.