RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Dave - the decal is from Peter Love from Toowoomba way. You'd know him from the SCAF.

Happy moving Peter - hope it doesn't rain!

Patti

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Just a couple of pics to show things are still moving along. Richard just pulled a new cowl tonight from a new mold. Things take a little longer to cure as the weather cools down. We'll get an etch primer onto that cowl tomorrow which will show up the detail so probably more pics tomorrow. The plug is down to 800 grit sanding so it's nearing the molding stage.

Mother's day tomorrow, don't forget! Nice for us as ours have grown up:D

cheers
Patti

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

thanks Patti, we got the move done ok, just finished and we got a shower so were lucky. Got the shed all set up and I'm back into it - thank goodness, as getting withdrawal symptoms!


Little man has his home made cards done and has been busy buying gifts at teh school mother's day stand. Taking her to anice restaurant for lunch so hopefuly I'll be in the good books for a while!! [X(][:-]

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS;">Just a few pics of the progress. The plug has been sanded and filled, sanded and filled .... it's now looking - and feeling, very smooth and respectable. As Richard says, he could spend months just filling and sanding but it's time to move it along. The panel and rivet detail will start to go into the plug shortly.

We've pulled a vacuum formed canopy from 2mm PETG and it's really solid. The front edge is solid and self supporting so there's no need for the things we were thinking of reinforcing it with like carbon fibre. We vacuumed 1mm PETG over the top of the canopy and that worked perfectly. We were worried that the two layers might stick together so it was a sigh of relief when they came apart http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...eeth_smile.gif. The thinner top layer will be the frame work and will fit like a glove. The detail can be put into the frame and it glues down well onto the canopy.

The new cowl still needs the extra moldings stuck in place and smoothed out so I haven't etch primed that yet. Don't know why he hasn't done that yet?! Might have something to do with building me a P-47 and teaching me to fly at the same time http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/js/f...wink_smile.gif

cheers
Patti
</span></span>

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

great work there Patti, really looking good

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS"><span style="font-size: medium">The Boomerang looks like a cool plane. I never heard of it.

Barry
</span></span>

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

stop gap figether thrown together as we could not get anything else at the time, loosly based on a Harvard and the Wirraway. Google it and there will be a fair bit of info. It could actually hold it's own with a zero but never downed one.

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Just found this forum again and I have to congrtaulate all of you on some great work. I love the idea of you making a mould for the boomer and if these fuses etc become available for sale then I would look at it pretty seriously. Since visiting Temora I have become a fan of the CAC Boomerang. I have reason to believe that Australias second Boomer is now flying and was converted to a dual seater.
I found plans on the net for a peanut scale boomer (12" wingspan) and had the plan scaled up 300% to give me a base for a PSS model. I have since built this Boomer but as yet is unflown, just waiting for the right wind speed and direction.
I look forward to some more progress reports.
Andrew

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

It flew here to Bundaberg for the airshow this weekend, shame it did not do a flying display though.......

Cheers

Mick

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Hi again

There have certainly been lots of real life distractions over the last couple of months - and I guess they never stop. But for us, the cooler months that are now with us will hopefully mean that our work will slow (basil hates the cold as much as we do) and we can make some real inroads into getting this Boomerang mould finished and actually flying.

There have been so many projects on the go that progress on each has been slow. So we made the decision to pick one and concentrate on that to completion. Since the demise of the POC Lanc it was tempting to go full steam on that mould but on second thoughts it is just such a massive project and with the Boomerang tantalizingly close we have decided to put all our efforts into that. My P-47 has been temporarily stored in the shipping container, the shed cleaned out and with a little bit of (slowing)down time on the work front things should start to move on the Boomer again.

I've started applying the detail to the plug while Richard is drawing up the internals (bones) on Rhino and the cutting should start on that this week. It's actually very exciting to think we could be laying up a mould of the fuse within a few weeks! Andrew, I know how easy it is to become a fan of the Boomerang when you see it and start a bit of research on it.

The restored Boomer that flew into Bundy this weekend certainly wasn't advertised at all, we didn't know it was even here til Mick mentioned it. If it's still at the hangar in the morning we'll try and get out to have a look.

cheers
Patti

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

I just managed to cath the newly flying Boomerang at Bundy airport this morning, sadly not enough time for Richard & Patti to get there before it left. I did manage to get about 120 detail photos though. Will pass these on to Patti soon.

Spoke to pilot Mathew Denning, apparently this aircraft took to the skies for the first time just over a week ago. Sadly for us Queenslanders it will be heading to South Australia to live in just over a weeks time.

Cheers

Mick

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

here are some pics of the other boomer taken at Wattsbridge a few years back.

Lst pic is a woman's PC hehe

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

http://www.boomerang-flight.com/indexf.htm Go to WALKAROUND.
Just in case you didn't know about this site. Plenty of Boomer photos of Matt Dennings plane, (now owned by Temora Avaiation Museum). Thanks for the photo of the new Boomer.
Andrew

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

hey hey, dont complain that means that it will be within 20 minutes drive of my home!
the new boomerang is to be kept at aldinga aerodrome so i am hoping to get up close to it to get any shots that have been missed so far
one door opens another shuts hopefully :)

i am about part way through putting internal structcture on the drawings to cut formers soon too. mine will be built up only because i like building and dont have richard and patti's talents for moulding :(

i am jealous of your cooler weather. it is too cold to spend evenings up in the shed at the moment.

cheers all

C

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

great site that!

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Craig, what size are you intending to build? 1/5th scale? If so we'll have a cowl (or 2!) for you. A few practices along the way. It's not talent with the moulding, just lots of trial and error til we work it out. (And persistence and stupidity lol)

We're actually going to redo the cowl to incorporate a hatch in the top for switches and battery access. It'll be hinged with a peel ply hinge like the doors on the Lanc. Great way to hinge things but just trying to work out how to keep it shutting smoothly with no gaping. Also going to do the flaps with the same hinge method.

Also, with the drawings, we've have to add 20mm to the bottom of opening where the flaps go and 8mm to the trailing edge of the cowl to form the covering strip over the leading edge of the flaps (hope that makes sense, if it doesn't let us know and we can send you some photos to better explain that). It wasn't until we started marking out the panels and details that we realised that it was coming up short. That's the sort of detail that would have been great to have looked at in the real size but you don't know these things til you're up to that stage.

Onwards tho and closer tho

cheers
PAtti

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Hi All,
Just letting you all know about our scale weekend coming up soon here in the beautiful Coffs Harbour NSW. Weekend of August 15-16. We have a great field and clubhouse facilities located about 14km north of town at the Gun Club. Contact club president Marty Cochrane 02 66582365 for more details.
I would to see some of your great models there.Its only 5 hours drive from Brissy.
Andrew

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Andrew,
did you send out an invite to the SCAF mob? We normally go to those sort of events.
cheers
Peter

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Hi Everybody

Some very exciting progress. We've done our first large mould after much experimenting and trial and error. We now have a female mould of a 1/5 Boomerang fuse. It's not exactly at the flying stage yet but it's sort of within ..... well, closer than it was!

The MDF plug we were working on basically out lived it's usefulness because it was so heavy it needed 2 of us to lift it and it was almost impossible to turn over and detail the bottom. The new mould will be used to make a new fibreglass plug. The detailing will continue on this along with a wing centre section being integral with the fuse. Also a tail plane fairing will somehow be developed. Lots of options there but not sorted yet.

We've been doing LOTS of experiments with different composites ..... different weight cloths, core materials, resins and basic lay up methods trying to find the strongest, lightest method with what is available to us in Australia (without having to buy a container load!!). All the great products available in Europe which sound fantastic that we read about on forums but just aren't available to us here[&o]

We think we've come up with a workable composite structure to turn out a complete airframe somewhere around the 3-4kg??

It's happening slowly but surely but very exciting to see something tangible. Detailing continues.

There's one pic of the first internal structure made a couple of weeks ago but this will be changed somewhat as trials show that the airframe will be so strong it wont need this sort of internal support.

cheers
PAtti

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Very exciting stuff Patti.

Brad

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

roger that!

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

It really does make a difference when you concentrate on one project - we're actually making quite good progress now! Well, 2 projects actually, Richard is designing and drawing the big Canberra for Mike so that's going along well too.

But the first lay up inside the mould went well. The joint was perfect so we're pretty happy. This Boomerang has so many CURVES!!! In hindsight probably not the best thing to start with but at least everything else will be easier after this.

The wing section is in place and tidying up the joints and paneling and detailing can really go ahead. This is so much easier to work on, we can actually turn it over for the first time! Here are a few pics of the joined pieces out of the mould which is now our new plug. It's starting to look like a Boomerang isn't it? [sm=regular_smile.gif]

Hope everyone's surviving the winter, only another month til spring and the sheds should start to thaw, then there'll be no excuse not to build :). We have a gas patio heater in ours and it's nicer out in the shed than inside!

cheers
Patti

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

any probs with the radiant heat in the shed? Was thinking of getting one too

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

Hi Pete - no, no probs. I was a bit concerned at first about having the gas inside but the shed has enough leaks to ventilate it and we've used it for a couple of years now and it's brilliant. We don't get as cold as down south so even in a tin shed it keeps it toasty :D

Patti

RE: CAC Boomerang Project
 

ok thanks Patti, might have to rn out to bunnings and grab one, my shed is too bloody cold once it gets past about 6.30