DR-1 (Sands): Builders Group - Page 131

Dogtail2 · 29 April 2006, 04:59 AM

Thanks everyone.
Ed, thanks so much for bringing this mistake to my attention. I'll leave those bottom tubes till a later stage and concentrate on the basic fuselage.

Fritz Kempf · 29 April 2006, 05:30 AM

Dogtail2
Make sure you put the four sleeves on now that will hold the wing later, Oh and don’t forget the two attachment sleeves that hold on the horizontal stabilizer. There are other sleeves that are used for the foot stirrup, floor support, bottom of the seat bracket, and the control cable guide tube. I plan to use AN clamps for the bottom seat brackets and the guide tube, as for the rest, I will probably just weld it straight to the fuselage as Ron did on the last fuselage he built.

Good Luck
Ed

Dogtail2 · 30 April 2006, 02:12 AM

Ed,

If we alter the location of the undercarriage mounting point to its correct location, then I assume all the landing gear strut lengths and geometry will change also

Also, in the earlier discussion about the center cut out ribs you mentioned the cap strip will become Z shaped. Could you clarify as Im having trouble getting my head round it. I had planned to just remake the cutout ribs with a tapered trailing edge (not built up) and straight capstrip.

Thanks

Pete

Fritz Kempf · 30 April 2006, 03:37 AM

Dogtail2
I’ll have to get back to you on the wing cut out, but on the landing gear page you will see that Ron also has the gear going to this place. Nothing should change with the gear, just the placement of the bottom tube.

Ed

Jim Bruton · 30 April 2006, 11:53 AM

Dogtail2, If you can standby for a couple of weeks, Ed & I will be fitting our middle and lower spars to the fuselage and attaching those brackets. At that time, we will also build, in place, the inner lower and center wing ribs. I promise that we will take photos for everyone. In Leahman's DR1 book, you can see a drawing that shows this- can't remember the page right off hand, but the photos will clear it up.

Jim

joepilot · 30 April 2006, 08:48 PM

Gents,

Began putting my crate together. After much frustration with my tools and purchasing the wrong size metal cutting disk for my table saw, I was able to get the lower 7/8 inch tubing cross members tack welded.

C'ya
Joepilot

Fuselage Cross Members

Dogtail2 · 1 May 2006, 01:00 AM

Nice work Joepilot!

Are the sides finished welded before the crossmembers are added, or just tack welded?

Did you decide to drill small holes at each tube intersection for oiling the inside of the structure. Whats the general thinking on this Fuselage guys?

Jim and Ed, good luck with the spar fitting.

Jim Bruton · 1 May 2006, 03:00 AM

thanks Dogtail2, and JoePilot, looks like you are making speedy progress!

Fritz Kempf · 1 May 2006, 03:30 AM

JoePilot
You need to bend the back half of that fuselage before you can weld the two sides together or it will look terrible. Maybe you did, but the picture doesn’t look like it.

Good luck
Ed

joepilot · 1 May 2006, 05:43 AM

Fritz Kempf

You confirmed what I was about to do.

I will bend the vetical sides to sit up in the jig freely, just like I did when they were horizontal. Then I will weld. The stress on the longerons from simply welding them together would be too much. Thank you for reading my mind. I have not gotten to the aft section of the fuselage yet. I have completed the cross members on the forward lower part of the fuselage and hopefully by Wednesday I will have the upper part of the forward fuselage cross members welded. My schedule is to have all of the square 7/8 inch tube first and then work on the aft 3/4 inch section. Begin with a square and then work from a known point to the bended section.

Dogtail2 - according to the TM Industries video and other resources, I have choosen to follow their technique of tack weld everything and then when it is completed return to the front and complete weld one bay at a time working aft. Months ago this question set off a firestorm and so I emphasis that I am using their technique. You know what they say about all of us having an opinion!!!

Seriously, for me this seems to work. I did complete weld the inside of the fuselage as I am attaching cross members and would not have otherwise been able to completely weld the vertical tube with the cross members in the way. So in reality I guess I am employing a combination of techniques.

After I have completely welded my crate, I will drill the holes as directed by Ron Sands plans. Anyone have a technique?

I have to say that without this forum, building these crates would be next to impossible for a novice. Thank you to all who know from those of us who do not know. Thanks guys for the ideas, corrections, suggestions, and tricks of the trade. Thank you to those who have helped me with parts - I truly could not do this without your "part making" capability.

So much for holding hands and singing Cum-Bye-Ya.

joepilot
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