RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Jacs,
I built the fillets the same as Zpat, all out of balsa. There are two 1/32" thick ply sheet bases that get glued to the wing contour forms located inside the fuse. These extend out both sides of the fuse. There are then 3 formers that get glued to the top of the ply sheet, on each side. The location is important and is shown on the plan. The wing should be attached to the fuse with a piece of wax paper between them when making the fillets. When gluing the formers in place, make sure they cause the 1/32" ply base to conform and lay flat against the wing. The plan should also show a 1/32" ply strip that gets glued to each side of the fuse, following the tops of the formers. Starting at the front, there are 3 balsa sheets that get glued against the ply strip at the top of the fillet, follows the contour of the formers down, and then gets glued to the end of the 1/32" ply sheet base. These 3 pieces butt against each other over the center of the formers. You will have to wet the outside of the balsa sheet to keep them from cracking as they follow the contour of the formers. Take your time on this to get a good fit. Some balsa filler and sanding will complete the fillets.
I will be gluing the ABS plastic pieces about 1/4" overlap on top of the front of the fillet. The covering will then butt up against the plastic.
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Stupid me, Thanks gbzflyer.

Don't know how much time I have because it's premier on The Lord of The Ring with in 4 hours. Help I have to sleep first because the movie starts your time 0.00AM but I want to build. Okay nothing to do work is not a priority.

When shall I have time to do this then, I have to have to much to do. I have to work 2hours extra hours every day until week 3 next year except Christmas and new year.

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

You're Welcome Jacs.
I hope what I wrote made sense.
I still haven't mounted my engine under the cowl yet, but I think the muffler should fit without having to cut any relief for it. I'll let you know. Have you thought about putting a pitts muffler on your engine? That may make it fit within the cowl.
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Does anyone have any thoughts on where to mount a remote fuel filler? I was thinking of putting it where the gas cap is shown on the plans, but I'm not sure if it would look good. Any ideas would be appreciated.
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

I have borrowed a Pitts style muffler but the exhaust pipes are in the cowl so I have to extend them with those flexible exhaust tube. But I'll come back when I'm in that area again. Still need to finish the wing with ailerion so that the fuselag fillet can be glued together. Everyone that I have shown the pictures or the real plane says fine but you can't fly it because it's a hard plane to fly, but what I have read from Adrian reply's that they don't know anything about it. Rudder movement shall be 22mm up and down and I think people have more.

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

For a fuel filler I use brass tubing that extends through the scale location. I thread the inside and use a cap screw as a cap. You can fabricate a scale filler cap onto the cap screw.

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Okay, Here it comes again

Carbon pushrod or musicwire pushrod for rudder and elevator ?

I know carbon causes radiointerference sometimes but shall play safe and use the musicwire.

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

I used 4-40 wire and wood dowels.
I don't think the need for extreme control surface throws are necessary.
Orignally this was a racing airplane built for maximum speed. Keep that in mind when building and flying and you should'nt have any problems.

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

I didn't mean that I would change the throws just use carbon instead of musicwire. One think that you don't change is the throws on a Gee Bee that's the common mistake most people do and they can't fly plane and after that miscredit the plane.

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Just wanted to say that this is all great stuff guys - I bought a AP GeeBee Z kit a while back - should have been my winter project - but a move of home has put it on the back burner. Seeing the activity on this thread had got my modelling fingers 'twitching' again. Keep up the good work - by the way I would be very interested in seeing some photo's of building the U/C and making up the fibreglass spats - as to my eye - that looks a little tricky.

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Hey Zippo,
I'm not sure what you mean by building the U/C, but I would be happy to answer any questions you have on building the fiberglass wheelpants. I didn't take any pictures during the building process so I would have to describe what I did. Let me know if I can help.
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

I've been working on my dummy radial engine kit this weekend. What do you think?
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Very nice picture but I don't understand where the air is going thru to cool th engine. But you mayby can explain that for me.

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

There are 2 cutouts on the left side that will line up with the engine. They are a little hard to see in the pictures.
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

gbzflyer,
It's lookin' good
Pat

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Okay so that little hole in the front is enough to cool the engine?

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Jacs,
The idea is to have less area in the front opening for air going into the cowl and more area in the rear of the cowl where the air flows out. I believe the ratio is 1 to 3. This keeps the air flowing through the cowl and around the engine for cooling. I actually have 2 cutouts in the dummy radial, which will line up with the 2 heads of my 4 stroke engine.
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Okay, And yes i know that the intake should be less than the outlet. I'm also building a Pitts S1 and it's cowl is a pain in as to make. The drawing is from early 1970 and no plastic parts availible. Have the same problem there but it's more aerodynamic there not a big flat sheet forcing the air around the cowl instead of in. Just my 0.02kr (same as your 2 cents)

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

I've started covering this week with Solartex and I love it. This is the first time I've used it and it's great. It goes around curves smooth and wrinkle free. Great Stuff! Does anyone have any advise for keeping seams glued together. Do I need to apply CA to keep them permanent? Ive used my trim iron and they appear to be well sealed. I'm just concerned about their permanence over time.
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Happy New Year to you

As always I have problems with my stuff. Now when I have mounted rudder servo the rudder only moves -40 to +35 degrees how can I fix this (And yes I don't have a computer radio)?

Gbzflyer
Seal it with CA just in case but someone maybe has another opinion.

Still missing my plastic parts to my Gee Bee but our mail service maybe wanted to deliver chrismas mail instead of my parts :(

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Jacs,
It seems like your saying your rudder moves farther one way than the other?
Is your set up a pull-pull or a push rod?

gbzflyer,
How far are you along on covering? I've never applied anything to seams to get them to stick better.
Let's see some pictures of how far you've come along.

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Zpat

I'm running pushrod and the rudderhorn is in the same line as the linkage and on what I can look it's a straight line between rudderhorn and servohorn. If I adjust servoarm one click it's moves rudder 15 degrees so that is not an option either. There is a small flutter between rudder and servo that needs to be fixed also (just changing the quicklock things, don't know the english word)

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Jacs,
Do you have expo on your radio? If you do, it might be turned down for less servo travel.
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

Hey Zpat,
The covering has been coming along. I've been working on the tailworks and the fuse. The hardest part was covering the tops of the wing fillets. I like the Solartex alot for working around curves.
Mike

RE: Scale Gee Bee Z question.
 

gbzflyer
This was very good because I was wondering if I should glue stab to fuselage before covering or not. And still I don't know if I shall do that or not. How shall you do with the surface because it's holes and dimps in it? Or are you going to paint it afterwords? The reason I'm asking is that the plastic parts is not colored and that has to be painted and have the right color that you have on Solartex Yellow. I was thinking also using Solartex white and airbrush it yellow and black with an small line red between black and yellow areas. Small problem is that Solartex has holes and dimps and I don't know if I shall spray it with spackel (swedish word don't know the English) and grid it down with an 800 wet grit paper and then repeat the procedure.

Zpat
No, I don't think so because it's an old Hitec Focus 4 and it has A.T.V between 30-110% but some one told me that my 35 birthday is coming this summer and she told me to buy that radio I wanted (Hitec Eclipse 7) and she should pay for it. But I don't know if I want a computer radio I'm happy with my old Focus.