Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

I've started to build my Royal Zero from a kit that a kind friend gave me. Build threads on the Zero from Marutaka seem rare, so I thought I would start this thread in order to chart my progress.
<p class="MsoNormal">
I should say that I've been following the build thread here, where chistech is charting a build by Gerry Dupont of a Rufe from a Zeke Kit, and its proving very helpful and informative.

Well here is my kit. For those unfamiliar with these, its a real forest of wood!</p><p class="MsoNormal">https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-f...0/P1040081.JPG</p><p class="MsoNormal">I've started by tracing the stabiliser onto grease-proof paper ready for the building board, and then the parts are laid out on the building board. I've simply drawn around each of the parts on a piece of scrap paper. If I ever need parts for a repair, then I have a pattern to follow.</p><p class="MsoNormal">https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-a...0/P1040083.JPG

The first job really is to mark centre lines on the leading edges, the trailing edge, and each of the ribs. The trailing edge is pinned to the board, and the leading edges are chocked up so that their centreline is level with the centreline of the trailing edge.</p><p class="MsoNormal">https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a...0/P1040085.JPG</p><p class="MsoNormal">I decided which side was up on each of the ribs. (Mine don&rsquo;t appear to be symmetrical) And fitted them using the Lego blocks to make little jigs, and wedges cut from scraps of Depron to shim up the ribs so that the centre lines of the ribs match those of the trailing and leading edges.</p><p class="MsoNormal">https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-d...0/P1040087.JPG</p><p class="MsoNormal">I sheeted the stabiliser using individual sheets. I know that some prefer to join their sheets on a flat surface and then cover. My previous build was a Spitfire, and I decided to join the individual sheets on the wing because I had read horror stories of wings warping when you try and affix a large flat sheet of balsa over the very compound curve on the Spitfire wing.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I use contact adhesive for the join between the sheet and the frame, and aliphatic resin for the joins between sheets.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I then glued in scraps of balsa for the Robart style hinges that I will fit later. (I remembered to mark the hinge positions on the trailing edge!</p><p class="MsoNormal">https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9...0/P1040089.JPG</p><p class="MsoNormal">Here is the stabiliser with the tips attached sanded. Next job to finish off the elevators.</p><p class="MsoNormal">https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-i...0/P1040091.JPG</p>

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

I love it when a zero comes together...

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Nce start! Looks very familiar to me...ha ha, even if I framed mine many years ago (don't want to say how many). I look forward to your progress! Please update us on the Royal page as well. You are welcome to post occasional progress there too and remind them to check this thread. Eric

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

I've got a prestine Marutaka kit of the senior Zero which I picked up from the US distributor just before they quit making them. I'll be following your build closely.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Hi Graham,
Looking good! I love the Lego clamps. What a way to improvise with items at hand.:D

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

A few quick pictures of progress on the fuselage. I've gone with building it in two halves as per the Rufe build previously mentioned on the thread.
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7...0/P1040115.JPG

Again I'm working on top of a tracing of the plan

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-b...0/P1040116.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-7...0/P1040117.JPG

Looking nice and straight so far!

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Q...2/P1040119.JPG

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Nice work!
I built the junior size back in 1996 then lost it a year later, I still have the tail and a new kit in the box. One of those days I get it back together!
Looking forward to see more of your work.
Bruno

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Well just a quick picture, to show where I've got to. The top of the fuselage is planked. It's the first time I've done this, and I'd say its OK, but it could be better!.

There are a few very small gaps that I can see when I hold the half up to the light. I had wondered about smearing a little polyeurethane glue on the inside where I can see light so that its foaming action would fill the "cracks" Anyone have any thoughts on this?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-3...0/P1040120.JPG

The next job is to finish shaping the nose blocks, and then I need to make a cradle to hold this half of the fuselage while I complete the other half.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

I wouldn't bother. The filler will be able to handle any minor gaps. You don't want to be sanding glue if it carries thru the crack further than anticipated. I assume you will be glassing this.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Darren, although I may use a Polyurethaneproduct called PolyC which is available in the UK. I used it on my previous build and was very pleased with the result. It will help to hold the planking together as it contains an adhesive.

I've made a bit of progress this evening....

The first job tonight was to build a cradle out of some foam and a piece of scrap wood. I hope I've managed to make it so that the fuselage will fit in it with the canopy in place. If so it will be useful all through the build!
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-O...0/P1040121.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-D...0/P1040122.JPG

Formers in place and drying. Everything at the moment looks to be straight which is the main thing!

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-c...2/P1040124.JPG

The next job, as mentioned is reinforcing ply plates and to try and work out how the rest of the fuselage goes together. I may need to build the wings before I finish the fuselage. I'm not sure at the moment! Some head scratching over the plan to come!

My retracts have arrived from HobbyKing this week so if I have to, I can get on with the wing.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Well time for a quick update.

I've reinforced the join in the formers
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-r...0/P1040126.JPG

After a great deal of head scratching and fiddling I'm confident that these pieces are all in the right place. I include a labelled picture to save anyone else building one of these a bit of time. The parts needed a little trimming, but not too much:

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-a...arts%25201.jpg
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-E...arts%25201.jpghttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-E...arts%25201.jpg

THe only bit that looks a bit odd is this one. If anyone has built one of these, does this go here? It's W25 and is shown on the fuselage assembly diagram. I doesn't seem to fit neatly. I may wait untill after I've built the wing, and I should be able to work it out then!
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-w...0/P1040143.JPG

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-y...0/P1040144.JPG

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

<table style="width: 93px; height: 45px;"> <tbody> <tr> <td></td> </tr> <tr> <td style="font-family:arial,sans-serif; font-size:11px; text-align:right"></td> </tr> </tbody></table>Removed post - finally managed to get photo into previous post
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RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Is this thread broken? Kind of a test post here.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

I am trying to get this to flip to the next page...

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Just a little update. I've been working on the tail. I spent a lot of time looking at the plans in order to work out how it all goes together, but I think we are getting there! There are small doublers to be glued inside the fuselage sides, [F27] and these are clamped in place in the photograph. Then the pieces that support the horizontal stabiser [F28] are placed on top.
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-U...0/P1040150.JPG

I picked up a laser level the other day. Here I am using it to fit the horizontal stabiliser. I'm then going to build up to the vertical stabiliser before attempting to fit the retractable tail unit that arrived the other day. Here I've taken over the dining room table for the fit. (I had better not get glue on the table cloth!)

I've pushed a pin into the centre line behind the cocpit. This gives me a point so that I can measure to the ends of the stabiliser and make sure that it is fitted square.

Dont forget to fit the elevator joiner before you fix the 'fishtails' on the rear of the Stabiliser. [I wonder if you can guess how I know about that?]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2...0/P1040151.JPG

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Looking good Graham. Great idea with the lazer level. When I built my Brian Taylor Kingfisher we used every type of mechanical devise and 3 different "eyes" looking at the tail and then finally determined it was correct. Have to say all the time taken was well worth it as it flies beautifully.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Time for a bit of an update. I've not given up, but I do have another project on the go! I'm also building a 46 inch mosquito. Anyway the fuselage has moved on a little and is on hold untill I get a chance to get the right kind of snakes for the tailwheel and rudder at a show later in the summer. Then the vertical stab will be glued into place and it will just be a case of finishing and sanding before glassing the fuselage.

I've had a go at one of the wings. I always trace my plans onto grease-proof paper. I used to work in a drawing office, and this comes very naturally to me and makes building the second wing relatiely easy. I just turn my tracing over.

I decided to glue depth tabs on the ribs to help with alignment. They are tacked in place with the tiniest amount of cyano.

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-j...0/P1040244.JPG

The ribs were then assembled over the spar. The ribs had been cut for retracts, servo leads and split flaps before assembly. I used packing under the outer ribs to add a small amount of washout.  I also measure the height of the trailing edge of the ribs and mark it on my traced plan. When I come to build the other wing I will aim to get the heights of the respective ribs to correspond.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-r...0/P1040242.JPG

I'm using these servo holders which were successful on my Spitfire. I purchased three sets for the Spitfire which enabled me to fit a pair for the ailerons and two RH units for the flaps - which makes setting up the radio easier! That means that there are two LH holders for the flaps on the Zero! You can see the flap spar in place here. Again I'm using the system I came up with to add split flaps to my Spitfire. More details in another place about half way down the page. It's worked well and makes an astonishing difference to the Spitfire's landing speed.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-N...0/P1040255.JPG

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Time for a bit of an update on the Zero. Well it continues slowly! Its [supposed to be] flying season here in the UK, and although the weather isn't great so far, I've been repairing a hack for my teenage son. [Who flies but does not build!] putting a ARTF Yak 54 together and building a balsa mosquito.

I'm currently taking a longer term view on the Zero, which I will hope to finish over the winter. However I have done a few bits...

Here is the current state of the fuselage....
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-V...0/P1040271.JPG

Elevator push rod and actuating arm are in place.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-F...0/P1040272.JPG

Retractable tail wheel shoehorned into place and working nicely. I'm very pleased with that! It wont be steering, I have it on a sprung castor.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-s...0/P1040273.JPG

All the balsa for the wing fillet is in place. I will build the wing and then sand all this to shape. This should help if I have to 'fudge' the fit a bit.

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-e...0/P1040274.JPG

Actuator for the tailwheel in place. The base of the vertical stab is hollowed out to allow controll rods to pass through here. My current plan for operating the rudder is a piece of control rod bent to shape and epoxied into the bottom of the rudder complete with a ball link to make a control horn inside the base of the vertical stab. I think it will work! It will be nice to keep everything hidden!

As the current plan is to sand and shape the wing fillet to suit the wing when that is built. I have made a start on both wings, which are framed, ahd have received their top skin. I've then been fiddling around putting in a trailing edge spar for the split flaps that I am adding. I've put in rails for my retract units and servo holders for aileron servos and flaps, and... the extension leads are in. A few jobs to be done before skinning the bottom, mainly fitting the aileron leading edge and traling edge. I also have to come up with an alternative way of fixing a wing dowl or dowls as the ones on the plan pass right through the wheel bays.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-Q...0/P1040256.JPG

Hopefully I'll be back with more news before too long.<br type="_moz"/>

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

absolutely awesome looking zero you have graham I to have a wingless zero altho it did start off with a wing when I bought it. tried fitting retracts as it was fixed undercarriage but didn't go to well so I'm now on the hunt for new plans to build a wing.
could I be cheeky and ask what's the span of you're plane?
many thanks
Scott.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Is anyone else having problems viewing this thread? I get update notifications, but I cant see anything past the 27th of last April.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

<span style="font-size: small">Nice build Graham. It's a great flying model. Ibuilt one back in '78. The only change I made was adding 2 degrees of washout to the wings. I still have the plans, an extra canopy and cowling. Someday I may do a nostalgia build.</span>

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Hi Scott, this zero is about 62 inches span., and I've tried to get a bit of washout in the wings. I've just finished another project, so I'm planning to pick this up again in the next few weeks. I've been building a few electrics to fly during the winter, but the bench is now clear, and I'm planning to crack on with the wings. I'll keep you all posted.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Cool thread GrahamPC. I'll be following as well, just opened up the box of the short kit zero, and layed out the ribs on the spar, and I'm pre-constructing it. I'll be doing this one electric, no sound, it will be a whisper in the sky.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

Nice build Graham. I have the same kit which I started a few years ago but had to put aside. Lately, as I get back into building, I'm thinking of getting back to this one. It's on my short list of builds. Subcribed.

RE: Marutaka/ Royal Zero 62
 

I've had a week off work, and the weather has not been good, so I thought it was time to go back to this build!

The first job was to do everything inside the wings that I won't be able to do when they are sheeted. I spent a whole day just fiddling around, sorting out the aileron frames, fitting the retracts and joining the wings together.

There is a video update on that here:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zFyX7T-gitg&feature=plcp[/youtube]

Having got that far, I realised that it was still not time to sheet the bottom of the wing! I decided that I needed to get the wing to sit nicely on the fuselage so that I can drill the wing locating pins with the wing in position.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-C...25281%2529.JPG

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-G...25283%2529.JPG

...So I've spent an hour or so sanding the bottom of the wing fairings so that the wing sits nicely on the supporting framework. I used the pice of wood that glues on to the front of the wing as a template in order to indicate how much material needed to be sanded away.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-8...25284%2529.JPG



These kits are real Balsa basher's kits aren't they?!

I think I am nearly at the point where I can drill the locating pins and then sheet the bottom of the wing.