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[Tyler P]

5. Comparison of one coat to two coats.  The left sheet has two coats.  Notice the shine on it.  That's what it is supposed to look like when dry.  The right one is clearly very dull.  Both the sheets are dry at this point.




6. Apply sheeting to cores and set with sealing iron.  Stabs sheeted!




That's pretty much the long and short of it!  So easy and no need for crazy weight or the shucks!  I have a feeling the wings will be a bit trickier to roll onto the sheeting just due to their size, but this process really is very easy to do!

You roll on the adhesive, let dry for at least half an hour before a second coat and once the second coat is dry on the wood (another half an hour) you can roll your cores onto the sheeting and it's done!

I'll finish up the caps and such before moving onto the wings.  Hopefully I'll have the stabs completed and ready for control surface cutting tomorrow.

Tyler

[Tyler P]

Some pictures to go along with some work I did this afternoon/evening:

First, a pick of the vertical stab and rudder that I got ready awhile back:


Next, the LE, TE, tip stock and phenolics glued:


Shaped horizontal tail surface:


Measuring and lining up the control surface cut-out lines.  For this I placed the stab in the bottom shuck, lined it up on the plans, and then lined up my squares at each line of the cut-outs (which I elongated to be able to see around the shuck), and then used my long straight-edge to line up across the squares.  It worked pretty well, but I managed to make a small mistake resulting in adding about 1/8th of balsa back at one end of the stab.


...

[Tyler P]

...

Next, the control surfaces get cut out and sanded true and square for the installation of the caps and hinge-point stock:


Close up of one of the stabs.  Notice the little tunnel for the servo lead.  I used a small piece of carbon tube to bore it through the foam.  Worked extremely well.  I did the same in the face so that it's ready for the Durant install.


Next step is doing the caps and hinge stock and hardpoints, which I'm hoping to have done tomorrow.  Then it'll be onto sheeting the wings.

Tyler

[NickNitro]

I love this thread, even if I know i'll never build a plane 

awesome work!

[Tyler P]

Thanks!  This build was a bit of an experiment to see if I could handle doing big builds and possibly build for others in the future.

Now things are moving a bit more slowly on the build, as the flying weather has returned and I would prefer to be outside flying rather than in the basement building!   I still hope to have this done in the next month, though.  I need to get it ready for the Ottawa IMAC contest in June, so I need to finish it and then start getting it sorted out for competition flying.

[Vincent]

+1

Excellent build thread Tyler!

[B4 power]

Any updates?

[Tyler P]

I've got a little bit going on with the special servo box install.  Usually these planes use a pushrod linkage similar to a what you would find on an RC car, that actuates the control surfaces like the elevators, ailerons and rudder.  I'm using a system called Durant Direct Drive, which places the servo in a box right at the trailing edge of the wing or stabilizer and the surface is moved by a giant servo arm that is inserted into the control surface, hence being driven directly off the servo as opposed to being moved by the a pushrod.

I'll post some pictures in a little bit.  I'm a bit stuck on it because I need a 4-40 tap (which I forgot to pick up at CT) to tap the aluminum servo arms that are used with the larger wooden ones from Durant.  Once I get on that, things are going to pick up in pace!  I need to get this done!  I'm not 100% happy with my current plane, and I want to fly this one ASAP!

[Tyler P]

Wow, it's been almost a month and nothing to show!  I've really lost motivation due to enjoying our awesome early spring flying weather, but I found some Friday, yesterday, and today and have got to work on a few things.

The rudder is nearly completed.  Basically just some touch-ups and installing the hinge pins.  I'll be installing the vertical stab fairly soon. 

First thing I got to was coring out the holes for the Durant boxes and gluing the leading and trailing edge hinge stock on my stabs and elevators.  Got it glued on on Friday evening and got to shaping on Saturday.  After that I glued the root caps on the elevators and the end caps on the stabs.  I was a bit in the zone, so I didn't take any pictures of the process.  By the end of Saturday evening I had the hinges temporarily in their slots and all lined up.

I went to the field on Sunday morning for some quick flights for some IMAC and 3D practice and then went home and lounged on the couch, watching the 'Jays lose again.  The Angels swept their 3-game series.    After I finished sulking, I headed back down to the shop to permanently epoxy the hinges in place. 

Durant Horn installed in rudder.


Durant box clearance opening sheeted and taped.


Right stab and elevator hinged.

[Tyler P]

Stabs and elevators hinged and on stab tube.




Stabs and control surfaces mocked up on fuse.




Now I have to install the hardpoints on the stabs and glue the durant boxes in place.  Then I'll cut out the clearance holes on the elevators and install the horns for the durant system.  After that, the tail section will be virtually complete and I'll move onto the wings!

I'm getting back into the swing of building, so hopefully I can make a good push on it to get it done sometime this season, lol.

[B4 power]

Wow, looks sweet. Let's hope it will be ready soon. Looks like you still have a little work to do.

What wind speed can this plane handle?

[Tyler P]

100cc planes can easily be flown in 35km+ winds.  I flew my 50cc in 40km/hr gust last Saturday for a bit.  Flying isn't the hard part.  It's landing in gusty conditions that can get a bit interesting.

[Tyler P]

Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted my pictures of the Durant install on my stabs, but at least I have the finished product!  They just need some touch up filler and final sand and they're ready for covering!





Glad to be back in build mode!  Things should roll along more smoothly now that I can't go flying!  Oh yeah, for those who didn't know, I had a bad downwind dead-stick landing with my Sukhoi and did some somewhat bad damage to it.   Basically, I punched the firewall and may need to rebuild the motor box (haven't really decided yet on that part), ripped out the LG plate, damaged the pipe tunnel and wrecked my canister.  The damage isn't actually as bad as it sounds, but I don't have money for a new canister for it and would rather focus on the Yak right now anyway.  It's going to be torture not being able to go flying in this beautiful weather, but at least the plane will get finished.

[B4 power]

100cc planes can easily be flown in 35km+ winds.  I flew my 50cc in 40km/hr gust last Saturday for a bit.  Flying isn't the hard part.  It's landing in gusty conditions that can get a bit interesting.

I approve. I have a sky fly wich is a very fun plane. In the air it's a fight but landing takes all my gutts. Usually i fly in 10 km/h winds big max.

[Tyler P]

Little bit more done yesterday and today.  Got the horizontal stabs mounted on the tube and installed the fin on the fuse.  I haven't set the incidence on the horizontal stabs yet.  I'll wait until I get my wings done and do it all at once.





Next up, clean off the build table and start on sheeting the wings!  I'll need to make sure I have the time to do this all at once, as I'll be sheeting using the 3M 30NF.  You're supposed to install the components to each other within a specified period of time, so I'll have to put the coats of adhesive on the cores and sheeting and then do it all in the same day.  I'll take some pics along the way and I'll try to take more pics of my Durant Direct Drive install on the foam cored wings.