Gray Beard

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After a lot of little mods the Mark Sirannie {MAN Plans} is getting close to being finished to the point of having glue tossed at it. This 80 inch wonder is the second one I have built. Last one was was done with an open bay wing and covered with Ultrakote. This new one is fully sheeted and getting glassed and painted. Designed for up to a 1.20 glow engine {the plane is designed as a light weight} this one is again getting a Brison 2.4 gasser. The mods are needed because of the engine being used. The photo shows the planes controls just tacked on at the moment. Those hinge gaps would create a lot of flutter.
A very fun build and a good one for anyone wanting to upgrade there sheeting skills. Sheeting the fuse is a lot of fun and sheeting a round fuse makes this plane a great learning tool.

All Day Dan

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Grey Beard, that's a nice project and a good sheeting job. I have had to use planking on my planes since sheeting just does not work for me. I use strips of 3/16 X 3/8 balsa to get the curves right. Are there any secrets to sheeting? I would like to know. Thanks, Dan.

limeybob

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[quote]ORIGINAL: DAN REISS

Grey Beard, that's a nice project and a good sheeting job. I have had to use planking on my planes since sheeting just does not work for me. I use strips of 3/16 X 3/8 balsa to get the curves right. Are there any secrets to sheeting? I would like to know. Thanks, Dan.
[/quot
Dan, read this article.
http://www.pldaniels.com/flying/bals...bending-balsa/
Bob

All Day Dan

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Thank you Bob. Dan.

limeybob

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Dan, no problem, been there, done that.
I sheeted my latest project, a water spray is all I used, 3/32 "C" grain balsa.
Bob

Gray Beard

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No secrets about it at all. The article Bob posted says it all very well. I do try to only use 1/2 of a spar to anchor the sheeting to so I can use the other half to anchor the next piece onto. Once it's anchored I just hit the sheeting with the blended water and watch it warp toward the formers and stringers. I use a lot of thick CA for the added set up time and I can feel the wood when it is starting to stick. I just keep hand forming. Others will use wood glue. CA just doesn't sand well at all so you have to watch where and how you apply it. I'm still at the sand and shape part of the build but for anyone wanting to build a nice plane and advance there skills this is a pretty good choice. In the air it's such a nice plane it's the first one I have ever built twice from plans.

Poffit

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I see your Extra in the background Grey Beard. That is going to be this winters project for me, with a DLE 20.

I assume you are going to glass with your Deft laquer instead of resin. I am really interested in this, since I have a cabinet shop I have gallons of this stuff laying around. If you have any scales handy can you weigh a part before glassing then after glassing and even after painting.

I built a large scale plane a couple years ago that was glassed with 3/4oz. and zap finishing resin, then painted with acrylic enamel automotive paint. I was really disappointed with how much weight that added. Your system might be a lighter way of getting a painted surface.

Don't forget to post more pictures as you go along.

Pat

All Day Dan

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Pat, I sent you a PM. Dan.

Gray Beard

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The Deft gasses off about 80% of it's weight and almost no sanding needed. I use 1/2 ounce glass and the weight is about the same as using any TEX covering. The paint can add a bunch of weight if you don't watch it. This one is getting latex, the other ones I have glassed used Klass Kote. The Deft keeps the weight down a lot.
The Extra is an old [1988] Goldberg kit with a 68 inch wing. I have built several of them. The kit is out of production thanks to GP.

357ross

Looks real good, Gene! What did you modify, other than full sheeting, to accomodate such a large engine? I look forward to building mine, maybe this fall/winter.

Gray Beard

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The plans call for balsa stringers and not many of those. I draw in more stringers to about aft of the cockpit/canopy and have to reshape a lot of the formers and ribs. I have built this plane once before and knew the plans were crap, nothing fits correctly. Formers are now made up from aircraft ply and extra formers are added. Reinforced in a few places.
more hardwood stringers were used. Last time I had the cowl open from the top so i could get the engine in and out. This time that trick didn't work?? I had to open the cowl/nose ring on the bottom. I had to design in a part of the belly pan so the LG could be installed and removed. Just a lot of little stuff. Most the plans I have bought from MAN have several mistakes drawn in and things not drawn to shape but these are some of the worst I have seen. The plane is good enough for me to fight with it though. Last one was a perfect flying machine. I hope this one is even better. Today was spent getting things mounted, adding in servo rails and getting the hinges installed for a very tight control gap fit. I may just be putting off the sanding though, I really hate to sand and it shows on the finished product. I should be doing the finish sanding real quick then get down the two coats of the Deft Sanding Lacquer then more sanding.

smithcreek

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Looks great. I'm just finishing a Goldberg Sukhoi, but I'd really like to do a more scale, fully sheeted one some day. I may have to check out these plans. Keep us posted on your progress.

Gray Beard

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Just starting the glassing part today. I can't just Glass a small part then weigh it but I can do a before and after for you. Bone dry, not even a fuel tank, just the plane came in at 6 pounds even!! Not too bad for an 80 inch plane. As built to the plans the finished plane comes in at about 10 pounds with a four stroke. If I can come in finished, ready to fly at 14 pounds I will be happy, if I can hit 12 pounds I will be jumping for joy!! The Brison 2.4 isn't a real light weight and I have landing gear that looks like a leaf spring from a Ford truck. I think I will make up some trick looking wheel pants for it too. I just gave it the first coat of the Deft Sanding lacquer, did it in my shop too, too windy outside. My head has had enough aroma for one day.[8D]

RICKSTUBBZ

Gene,

Looking good.....

357ross

Looks great! I can't wait to see the finished project!

Gray Beard

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I can't wait to see it either. The last one I built was great. This is the first time I have ever built myself the same plane twice. It flew that good!! If I could only get Smithcreek to paint it for me. I can't paint for beans. I think Smith has his posted in the kit building forum, it's worth going over to look. It's that nice, well worth the trip over to kits to look.
Gene

slickporsche

smithcreek

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Being fully sheeted and much more scale than the Goldberg kit, your plane would be worth the time to add panel lines and rivets. There aren't too many on a Sukhoi, not like a warbird, and it would add so much. I thought about doing it on mine, but I already spent more time painting than I wanted to, and it just didn't seem worth it on such a "sport" scale model.

Gray Beard

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Rivets I can do, Straight line painting I can do. Once I get past that I'm lost. I'm that no talent for art guy you sat next to in school. A flame is way beyond me. Worse then that, I know no one here local that is any better at it then I am. I'm not the worst person with an air brush I know though. I do have some little saving grace.
I use the fat end of a pin and elmers wood glue to put on rivets then just use a bit of paint on them, comes out OK or I can paint right over them. Sense you showed me the full scale I'm giving them some thought. I'm using Latex paint. This is the first time I will use it for a complete plane.
My kingdom for someone with talent living close by!!!
Yesterday I gave my plane two coats of sanding sealer. Just for grins I used a block and 320 grit sand paper to smooth it out. Really smooth!! This week I will finish the sanding and start the glassing.
I wouldn't call this plane true scale but I think if someone wanted they could use the plans to build it scale?? I really don't know. Other then a couple of warbirds I have never tried to do anything then a Stand Way Off Scale.

Gray Beard

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Glassing is all complete. Final sanding will start tomorrow. I have so much of the 50/50 mix of baby powder and Deft on the plane right now there are globs of it, it's really thick. Almost all of it will sand off but just for grins, plus I have never bothered to do this, I hung the plane back up on the scale to see how much weight I will loose after sanding.
The plane started out at 6 pounds, it is now at 7 pounds 3 ounces. I expect to loose a bunch of that, the 50/50 mix sands off very easy and quick but it is a total mess. baby powder all over the place so I will have to get up early and sand outside of the shop. A monsoon is blowing in now so it's a bit hot and muggy to be doing it today. 1.3 isn't even bad on a plane this size but I think it's going to be back into the mid 6 pounds when I'm finished.

Gray Beard

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Finished weight was dead on 7 pounds. The plane is 55 inches long with an 80 inch wing span, wing area is 1036. All ready for painting. Glass was 1/2 ounce and 3/4 ounce. Not bad at all.

Gray Beard

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Just detailing to do and it's finished. Glassing added one pound then painting added one pound for a total weight of 8 pounds for a 1/4 scale plane. I spent this week installing the gear and doing the set up work. I need a spinner and a pair of bigger wheels/tires to complete.