DR-1 (Sands): Builders Group - Page 54

Dogtail2 · 4 May 2005, 12:39 PM

Hi all,

Just thought I'd share with you my capstrip grooving setup using an underslung router with mini grooving cutter.
Capstrip is fed between the slotted wood plates which serve the dual purpose of holding wood against cutter and keeping fingers out of the way!

Perfect 1/16 grooves to correct depth every time
Sorry the pictures are so small. Cant seem to get larger ones to upload.

Jim Bruton · 4 May 2005, 12:44 PM

That's definitely the trick- first, to center the cut and then to ensure a constant and equal depth of the cut. If the depth of cut isn't uniform, then you are going to wind up having to individually adjust every rib web to fit into your jig. Good going Dogtail2!

Jim Bruton · 6 May 2005, 06:41 PM

Anyone interested in an Oberursel? Here are some cylinders...

Jim Bruton · 6 May 2005, 06:43 PM

Here is the crankcase....

Jim Bruton · 9 May 2005, 05:37 AM

in the Sands plans, there is option to go with slightly thicker-walled streamlined tubing on the landing gear. What are the other builders doing, in this regard? I would imagine that if you were to go with the 400lb/220hp Russian M-14, it might be a good idea to go with the thicker walled tubing, but i am not sure the answer is so obvious as that.

thoughts?

more photos from the Oberursel Skunkworks tonight!

emcknight · 9 May 2005, 08:44 AM

Jim,

The landing gear legs aren't the problem. The spoked wheels are the limiting factor to weight, and especially the engine. A hard landing can cause the spokes to break. I machined the landing gear hubs according to Mr. Ron's plans. When I took them to a freind of mine in the off road cycle business to have rims and spokes added he refused to use my hub due to the angle of the cut for the spokes to pass through. He talked me into buying a set of front hubs designed for a moto cross bike. He said he had dropped from 65' on to the front wheel and had not broke the hub, spokes or blown out the tire. I wish I had known this before I had the hubs machined. By the way the moto cross hubs are half the weight of the machined hubs and look a lot better.

Jim Bruton · 9 May 2005, 08:47 AM

EMcknight,

WOW! (and welcome to the forum!). that's an interesting revelation about the Sand's hub. Roger Freeman in TX can make some beautiful period wheels, and he has a source for smooth tires too- I'll be going that route i expect. Another member here, Rex, went with some Harley Sportster rims.

How far along are you in your DR-1 project? Send photos! Everyone loves them. Again, Welcome!

worldcrusier · 9 May 2005, 10:10 AM

EMCknight,
I'll second the welcome. I'm almost to the buying tubing stage and welcome your input on the wheels since everything seems to affect everything else. I've been considering Aluminum harley wheels since they are covered when finished. would you please post make and model of the wheels you used??

Jim Bruton · 9 May 2005, 10:27 AM

.... i visited Brian Coughlin's hangar late last year and he showed me some tires that he had purchased for use on a DVIII he is building. He had researched which motorcycle tire (of suitable size) had the thickest rubber but with the minimum tread. The he bandsawed off the tread, or knobbies, to make the tire smooth, but with good tire thickness. interestingly, where he cut the knobs off looked a little lighter than the rest of the tire, but in a way that could have looked like natural wear on a rolling tire. So if you are wanting smoothies instead of knobbies (sorry to sound corny), then that's an idea you could investigate.

Also, there is someone i know who can machine a hub for you and build the brakedrum into the hub itself, on the inside. i'll send photos if you want.

emcknight · 9 May 2005, 01:01 PM

If you go to Mr. Ron's web site, that is my plane that is included in the builders photos. That was in 2000. In 2002 on Thanksgiving a F4 tornado came through and demolished my shop that I was building in. Right now I have my spars, fuselage, rudder, stabilizer, elevator and engine in my garage. Its been in there since 2002, and my wife is giving me hell about it. If I can get my nerve up to look at the before and after photos again, I'll post some on this site. I was in the process of covering the plane when the tornado hit. I read one thread about how strong the wings are. The tornado couldn't ripe them off.

PS The thing that takes the longest to build is the landing gear.