Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

Has anyone cut a big biplane in half. I am considering building a 1/3 scale Bucker Jungmeister, and chopping it behind the cocpit.
That would leave all the rigging intact making for quicker set up times at the field. Interested in;) serious comment.

Terry

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

A couple of years ago one of the modeling mags (Model Airplane News?) had an article about a model of a Sopwith Camel with its fuse split aft of the cockpit. Seemed like a nifty solution for a model with lots of rigging. But then you have to figure out how to hook up the control linkages to the tail.

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

Aft mountrd servos.
Terry

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

The problem I see with that is the added wieght aft of the CG. Does it require alot of nose weight?

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

It's gonna get a 60-80cc lump upfront, so a little tail weight could be accomodated. The servos just aft of the break, then pull-pull. It would be hard to "loose" the join.
Alignment (thoughts) could be 4 rectangular pegs placed N,S,E,W, in the fuz looking forward from the rear.

Any thoughts welcomed.

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

I would consider mounting the servo tray, with the receiver, on the aft portion of the fuselage, but have the tray extend forward into the forward fuselage section. Leave the throttle servo & battery in the forward end.

Gary

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

i have a 1/5 pica waco that has a split fuse, i did have to add quite a bit of lead to the nose to balance. uses 2 long balsa planks (1x3/4) to add stiffness with 3 bolts to attach. servos mounted under the cockpit on a plate that stays with the rear half.

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

Seems like it could be done the same as wing tubes. With magnetic hatch covers you would see any big screw heads. I'll be watching this thread.
Edwin

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

A very practicle solution.
Lots of full size aircraft (fixed and rotary wings) are made that way.
Read quite a few articles in various mags on this.
Just make sure the break is designed properly.
Usually I saw that the basic fuse, having a girder construction, has the four main longerons terminating at the break with special fittings that take up tension and compression loads, with some local strengthening to allow the concentrated load to be absorbed well by the rest of each longeron.

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

Thanks guys for your thoughts.

Terry

RE: Anyone for BIPE cutting?
 

A friend has a 1/3 Sopwith Triplane & he has actually hinged the right hand longerons so he can swing the tail parrallel with the wings for transport. Yes, the servos are in the rear section with enough slack in the leads for hinging. The split is really hard to see because it follows the split in the top decking and then follows the roundel on the side of the fuselage. The pic is the side with the split. We could not spot it until we were shown how it splits & we were looking at the model on a table! - John.