scalenut07

Looks like your motors will work great. I missed the last auction for the plans so I have to wait for them to come around again. Who is cutting your kit? I want to install a complete interior, lights, the whole 10 yards. The nacel drawing looks great! Looking forward to more pics. Have you decided on retracts yet?

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

That's a bummer you missed the auction. It will come around again though. I am using a company in Texas called Lazerworks (www.lazer-works.com) to cut my kit. I used them because they will give me whatever pieces I want. I am only getting fuselage formers and wing/tail group ribs. This is the first time he has cut this kit though, so it takes a while to get the plans traced into the computer. He said that he will be able to cut the whole kit now though, so you may give him a try. I am also going to put lighting on mine, however I don't plan to really go crazy with the interior. I really want to use Robart retracts. I just like the way they look. The large drag link on the 150 model Robart gear looks a lot like the real thing. I may use the 100 degree 150's instead of the 93 degree Shrike Commander set they have. I want the wheels to completely retract into the bays. Keep me posted on your progress. Do you plan to start building soon?

scalenut07

I will start building as soon as I get the plans and a materials list to get some wood coming. I am wanting to go as scale as possible and hoefully go to Top Gun in 2010. Long ways off but I am going to give it a shot.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

That sounds like a great plan! Like I said before, feel free to post all you want here. The plans look like it will be a great airplane to build.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

For anybody still interested, I am still working on the Turbo Commander. I finally got word from my kit cutter that the parts were finished, and should be here on Tuesday! In the mean time I have been doing some little things like working on the lighting circuitry, finding wheels, reworking the nacelles a little, ect. I will post some pics when I get the parts in, and hopefully get started on it soon after that and post some build pics. This is going to be a great project!

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

Well after a long wait, I finally got my parts!! I got started framing up the left side of the forward fuselage section. I posted a couple of pics to illustrate. My workspace is quite small, so the pics aren't that great, but you can see what is going on. The parts look good, and seem to fit so far. This is going to be a pretty big airplane. I guess you never realize how big they are in plan form, but when they start rising up out of them, they look a lot bigger. I will probably work on it some more tonight and tomorrow. I will continue to post pics here for anybody interested.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

I have gotten some more built on the Commander. I have finished framing up the left side of the forward fuse section, and removed it from the table. I will now start on the right side. I want to get all four fuse sections roughly framed up, and then join them together to make sure the alignment is completely perfect before I get so much structure built that I can't manipulate it anymore. Not quite what the instructions say, but this is how I am doing it. I think it is looking really good so far though. I will post some more pics possibly tomorrow.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

I have some updated pictures of the commander. I have taken the front left section of the fuselage off of the building board. I have gotten the baggage door framed out, the nose gear retract rail installed, and the left air bottle support installed. I will be putting all my switches and airline connectors behind the baggage door. Next, I will be building the aft section of the left side. Some of the stringer notches didn't line up very well, but it shouldn't matter after I get the fuselage sheeted. I have also included a picture of the airplane I am modeling this one after.

Leo

I am following your build with great interest. My calculation says the fuselage length will be 8,6 ft. so I guess you plan to make the aft fuselage removeable for transport?
I was doubtful about the fuselage joint construction with brass tubing shown on the plans, but it has actually proved to work fine on my Palmer Shrike

The lower "corners" of fuselage formers 18-22 did not line up very well. I solved this by adding fillets of scrap balsa, using former 17 and 23 as a guide.
(see enclosed picture) Dan Palmer was informed about this and hopefully your plans are corrected.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

I believe I have the fuse at 8' 4", and yes it will definitely have a removeable tail section. No, my formers didn't line up perfectly either. I have just glued the stringers sticking out of the slots a little to make them line up, and will be adding scrap balsa like you. This is definitely an intricuit design. Many small pieces and lots of structure. It is actually built along the same lines as the full size Commander. Have you had yours out lately?

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

I got the left side of the rear fuselage built today. Nothing really out of the ordinary there, but more stringer notches didn't line up well. Again however, it shouldn't matter in the long run. I held them together with a clothes pin and snapped a pic. Fuselage length should end up about 99" with nose cone installed and tail block installed. I am missing a couple of formers for the right side, so it may be a few days before I get much done on the right side pieces. I will definitely have to jig the fuselage pieces somehow when I glue them together. There is not a lot of lateral strength when they are apart, so I definitely do not want to glue them crooked. I will figure out something though. That is a 48" ruler in front.

Leo

I haven´t flown my Commander for a while. The LiPo battery packs are in poor condition and I have not yet decided whether I should buy a new set or go back to IC power
Right now, my efforts are concentrated on getting an electric powered 1/4-scale Sopwith 2F.1 Camel completed

You could get a perfectly warp free fuselage by completing the fuselage sides before joining them. It worked really well for me.
Sorry for the poor quality of the picture.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

I thought about that, but I want to be able to access the inside after I join them. I want to be able to install all my servo mounts, etc. in one piece across the formers. Also, my wing center section is going to be quite a bit different. The diehedrial doesn't start on the 1000 until about 1' outside of the fuse. For this reason, I am going to have to redesign the center section a bit, and it will help alot to have a fuselage there to work with. I will be able to jig it straight. It is just a matter of doing it. What happened to your lipo's?

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

Just a quick update. I framed most of the right side of the forward fuselage section tonight. I still have some things to add, but could probably have it finished up in a day. However, I am waiting for a former that was missing when I recieved my parts. I don't want to take it off of the board until I have that former. I will post some more pics when I get it completed. Until then, how about just an inspirational pic...

Leo

My 10C E-tec LiPo cells was manufacured in 2005 and the performance was modest by todays standard
Now the voltage depression is substantial and the packs can no longer deliver enough power for safe flying

I´m sure your building method will work fine. IMO, Palmer´s wing center section attachement to the fuselage is not very well thought out anyway
The pictures of your build are very good. Keep them coming!

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

Honestly, I thought the same thing about the center section. I really didn't like the use of the diheidral blocks. It seems weak. I think I will be able to epoxy a one piece spar straight to the bulkhead with the straight center section I have planned. We'll see what I have to work with when the time comes, but I think it will work. Lots and lots of measuring, fitting, checking angles, etc... and a little glueing! That is one area I really don't want to get wrong.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

I finished the right nose landing light on the commander last night. It turned out pretty good I think. It is pretty bright, thats for sure. I also got some wheels. They are a little more balooney than I thought they were, but they should look fine when the rest of the plane is finished.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

I got to a stopping point on the fuselage, so I took it off of the board and started on the left outer wing panel. I have done very little modification to this piece, so it is going to be built pretty much to the plan. The only thing I am really changing is the tip with the addition of winglets and lights. The spars are a real pain to make. All four of them are double tapered, so I had to make them one by one with a sanding block. The wing seems really straight and strong so far.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

The build is still progressing slowly. I have gotten some more finished on the left outer wing panel. I got the outboard flap bell crank made and installed. Also, I finished the plans for the winglet and nav light. I got them started also. I got started on some of the interior pieces. I am not going to do a full interior. Only a simple cockpit. The back windows are going to be tinted, so you won't be able to see much through them anyway. I got one of my seats roughly shaped, and the other built. I am just going to paste a printout of an instrument panel to the panel. I think it will look good enough, and be much lighter than a full interior. All in all, I am pleased with the way the build is coming along.

dale691

Hi Jetfixr would love to get this thread going again, have you finished the shrike? please update us on your progress!

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

No, I definitely have not finished yet. I did get the left outer wing panel off of the board. I am probably going to do some more work on the fuselage now. I will probably cut my windows, install interior and windows, then glue the two forward halves together. I also still have to fabricate my left nose landing light, but I plan to do that after I join the halves, so I can see both sides and ensure proper alignment. Unfortunately I have been cleaning/reorganizing my garage today.[&o] Maybe I will get back on it tomorrow some. Let me know if you get one. I would like to see your progress also. Have you seen the pics of Leo's yet done in the NOAA scheme? Beautiful!

dale691

Sorry I miss read the date of the post and thought the thread was old. I have seen Leo's one, it looks great. I think my next project will be the Top flite T-34. All I have built before is a Goldberg ultimate which is almost finished just needs covering now, so I think I need a little more experience before attempting the shrike, I'm guessing it's not a beginners kit. Where are you going to get the windows from? I can find the cowls and nose cone but not the windows!

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

I plan to just make the windows. All of the rear window openings are flat, the side front windows are just a single curve, and the windscreen I believe is also just a single curve. I should just be able to glue the plastic to the inside of the openings. I actually just came in from working on it a little. I got my right side instrument panel glareshield installed and painted. It looks pretty good. I am not spending a lot of time on the interior. Now I can start on the side panels and floor boards, then instrument panel, yokes, and finally seats. That is all I am doing on the interior. I will post some pics later.

jetfixr

My Feedback: (13)

Still slowly working on the Commander. I have been concentrating lately on the interior. Once I get it done, I can put the two halves together. I have my instrument panel done, the floor installed, the dash installed, the center console/throttle quadrant done, and am working on the seats. I hope to have the two halves together pretty soon. Here are a couple of pics of the console and instrument panel before installation. Not perfect, but should look fine through the windows.

dale691

How does the wing on the commander attach, is it one piece or joined with a tube or some description?