Aerodrome RC 1/10 Alb D Va

[Jecull]

After about 5 hours the pieces were holding a bit of a curve.


After taping in the first three panels. I'm going to have to do some more trimming than I thought at first (not to mention splice in a few snapped stringers) as the ply is thinner than the box I'd used for the mock-ups.


Looking like a blue mummy... One problem, which I'll correct when I get to the top, is that the sides are too high on the cradle. I had a heck of a time getting my hands in there.


That'll be it for the night & next day as the ply dries out. That'll give me some time to get the aileron servos & rods in....

-Jim

[Jecull]

Right! Forgot that a convention I was going to was last weekend so I forgot to get these next two up before I went. This is where the ply was at after pulling off the tape.


There was some relaxing that happened afterward but it got enough in the ballpark that it was fairly easy to glue them down.


The end result was this (with dry fitted stab)....


I had to pull the third panel as, after gluing it, I found that the the keel curves up in the middle of the lower wings. I'll have to make two pieces to cover as it would either pop up at one end or the other or oil can in the middle.


Overall I'm pretty happy with how it's gone so far. Lots of hand fitting is still in my future as is buying a couple more pieces of ply.

-Jim

[Jecull]

Mummification pt. II. The top went very much like the bottom, so far. I've got more room to play this time as these pieces were a bit larger comparatively. From the port side, right side up.


Port side. It takes quite a bit of tape to hold these things on. I snapped a couple of stringers again.


Post demummification without...


& with the fin dry fitted.


Maybe I'll get to gluing these down this weekend. I've also installed the rudder & elevator servos. I'll get images of those when I get my better camera over.

-Jim

[Jecull]

Well, more shots from the infamous cell phone camera. Mounted up the elevator & rudder servos...


& got all but the cockpit sheeting in place.


I also sheeted the tail skid support/fairing as the balsa was already getting too banged up.

[Jecull]

Well, more shots from the infamous cell phone camera. Mounted up the elevator & rudder servos...


& got all but the cockpit sheeting in place.


I also sheeted the tail skid support/fairing as the balsa was already getting too banged up. Getting the upper tail cone fitted was quite the experience of trimming & filing.


Thanks to my birthday gift from my father, the radio &, thanks to my fiancés gift, the parts for the flying wires are on order. I also decided to go with a bigger motor, a 370, due to worries about total weight.

-Jim

[Jecull]

So, the radio is on it's way as are the brass fittings, turnbuckles, & kevlar cable for the flying wires. I've dry fitted the stab, elevator, & rudder to route the control rods then cut them to fit.
I'll have to see what I can get done after this point as Monday I'm going in for my phsyical for a return to Active Duty, this time with the Army. Should be about another month or so before I'm on the road to White Sands...

[Jecull]

No images yet but I found I'll have to rework the cowling a bit to fit in the shorter prop shaft & slightly larger gear box for the 370. The radio is a trip as I'm still used to receivers 2-3 times the size of this new one. The fittings from Proctor are things of beauty! It's going to be quite an adventure to string this thing up!
Next on the ordering block will be batteries & Arizona Models Lozenge fabric...

[Jecull]

Well, I decided to go in for a slight diversion before real work. Using,
strangely enough, Testor's Enamel in the old square bottles...


I do like the way the grain comes through the paint though.


I then got my hands on a tin of Golden Pecan. It was more yellow on the
pine chip at the store though. The Birch took it differently but it should be
fine overall. If anything, it looks better than the raw birch


I'd had a very good talk with the gentleman @ Modesto Hobby. He provided much
cluing in of how EP works and lead me to a new speed control that's better
matched to the 370 I'm installing. He'd also ordered a few batteries, 11.1 volt
1300 mAh 3S, that I'll have to pick up later. Based on my decription of this project,
he thinks there should be sufficent power to get in in the air.

More Testor's paint. I'll need another coat to even it out but it gives the
idea.


Then it was back to work. I'd popped the Elevator servo loose to get the
Control Rod Keepers on. I then remounted it to line up the Rods & Guides. I
had to split then cut down the center of the support to ensure proper alignment.


The end result, at least, was worth the effort.


Next up will be sheeting from the tail cone forward. I'll have to align the Rod
Guides then glue them in place prior to laying in those first pieces....


-Jim

[Jecull]

Managed to get to what I was intending today...


and...


It's starting to look like a real airplane now. Reading how John Fitz is doing his
cabane struts on his Avaitik gives me a thought for mine. It seems that the
cabane attachment needs to be a bit more robust... Any one have thoughts
on this?

-Jim

[jumpinjan]

Jim,
I agree, the cabanes attachments (and undercarrage) are not strong and I gave an example of my D5 on how to do the cabanes better. Its simple and effective.
Jan