Sopwith Baby Project - Page 12

j ferguson · 7 February 2008, 06:22 AM

I'm with Michael. It would be much more fun making them yourself. Once you get setup for something like this, you get so much result for the work you put in and the product is so nice - a little like the drawer factory I set up a few years ago on Arcadian's back deck. I got on a roll, built 10 drawers and Jan had to drag me away from it because there was no way we could use any more on our 36 foot trawler.

I think you need to look at each part and ask yourself, can you make this as perfectly as necessary and if you have to make a jig or fixture, is the fixture construction time excessive to the need, such that for that particular part you might be better sending it out to a shop that has the tooling needed.

clearly you're going to build the fixture for building the floats.

best, john

Joe Perkel · 7 February 2008, 08:24 AM

Great responses with a nugget of gold in each,...thank you. In considering the suggestions, my line of thinking is this…

- Laser cut: Convinced not the best option for this application

- CNC Router: Best option for precision cut wood. Will keep that link in Marathon, thanks John!

- Master Template / Router Table: Leaning this way,… particularly if I have the master blank CNC cut for me, (highly likely then). This option fits my situation best. As we speak, the contractor is laying rebar for the foundation of what will end up housing my workshop. An excellent compromise solution, Thank you Nick & Michael!

- Spar Cut-Out Framing: An excellent tip for the reason specified and a certainty to be included,.. Thanks Vet!

Thanks again to all!

ulpilot · 7 February 2008, 09:32 AM

I have done the Pattern/ Router table method for ribs. I should have suggested that. It is not that difficult or time consuming after the pattern is made. I did all the ribs for a ultralight biplane in about a hour, that doesn't include the half day it took to make the pattern.

Nick · 7 February 2008, 10:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ulpilot

Two suggestions on your ribs.

Suggest you add vertical strips on the front and rear of the spar openings that are the same width as the cap strips. This will give much more gluing area and strength when assembled on to the spars. Also add one at the front where the leading edge attaches. These will not add much weight, but greatly improves the strength of your glue joints.

Joe

I think this is what Ulpilot is referring to. This was done originally but I think were probably added when setting up the wing and glued and tacked in place then rather than when making the rib initially.

Original pic (Snipe wing)

Plus one of Cole Palen's Dolphin wing

Cheers, Nick

Joe Perkel · 8 February 2008, 03:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick

Joe

I think this is what Ulpilot is referring to. This was done originally but I think were probably added when setting up the wing and glued and tacked in place then rather than when making the rib initially.

Cheers, Nick

....An excellent tip and it will be implemented. Interesting to see also, the gussets at the nose strip.

Discovered tonight that the rear spars for the lower planes on the Baby are "channeled" (lightened) and the upper ones are not. Orientation in the drawings seems to differ according to detail being shown?! Sends me hunting for those clues as to intent elsewhere! Details, details!

Thanks Nick!

Joe Perkel · 8 February 2008, 07:17 AM

Making this a two seater is my wife's requirement. But as it turns out, the original Tabloid did have a side by side capability and two little wicker bucket seats squeezed in there. (quite tight no doubt).

It also turns out, that the Norwegian Navy turned two of these, (Baby's) into two seat trainers (F.102 and F.104) for training purposes. F.102 is pictured on my home page with two pilots squeezed in there.

I have recently read that both of those Norwegian aircraft utilized a "bench" seat arrangement. I'm looking for examples of this but can not find one. It sure would be nice to see the control arrangement on those Norwegian examples.

Has anyone seen or can point me to such an arrangement on a period aircraft? Or any other for that matter.

I like the idea of a bench seat as opposed to two buckets as this should allow soloing from the center?? Any suggestions?

Thanks

ulpilot · 8 February 2008, 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joe Perkel

Making this a two seater is my wife's requirement. But as it turns out, the original Tabloid did have a side by side capability and two little wicker bucket seats squeezed in there. (quite tight no doubt).

It also turns out, that the Norwegian Navy turned two of these, (Baby's) into two seat trainers (F.102 and F.104) for training purposes. F.102 is pictured on my home page with two pilots squeezed in there.

I have recently read that both of those Norwegian aircraft utilized a "bench" seat arrangement. I'm looking for examples of this but can not find one. It sure would be nice to see the control arrangement on those Norwegian examples.

Has anyone seen or can point me to such an arrangement on a period aircraft? Or any other for that matter.

I like the idea of a bench seat as opposed to two buckets as this should allow soloing from the center?? Any suggestions?

Thanks

There is a plane in one of the Flying and Glider Manual reprints from EAA that has such a setup. I think it is the Ramsey Bathtub. Bench seat for 2 people, control stick in the center, and 4 rudder pedals. When flying solo the pilot sat in the center and used the outer rudder pedals. With a passenger on board each sat off center and had their own pair of pedals.

Joe Perkel · 8 February 2008, 02:21 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ulpilot

There is a plane in one of the Flying and Glider Manual reprints from EAA that has such a setup. I think it is the Ramsey Bathtub. Bench seat for 2 people, control stick in the center, and 4 rudder pedals. When flying solo the pilot sat in the center and used the outer rudder pedals. With a passenger on board each sat off center and had their own pair of pedals.

I will look for that!,..it's just the setup I have in mind with the exception of using the original Wheel & Column config vs the stick.

Thanks Vet!

drrivah · 8 February 2008, 05:16 PM

Nick and Joe:
Any preferences for capstrip and 3-ply suppliers (A/C Spruce, Wicks, other?)?

-pete

Joe Perkel · 8 February 2008, 07:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by drrivah

Nick and Joe:
Any preferences for capstrip and 3-ply suppliers (A/C Spruce, Wicks, other?)?

-pete

Hi Pete,

Nick is down under, and I've yet to buy anything from the suppliers you mention but very likely to use both. I see they are both set up for convenience buyers and that suits me just fine even though I could likely scrounge locally.

The float panels will be a marine-ply but which Meranti?, Okoume?, etc,...escapes me for the moment. A bit more research is in order although I used Meranti in the texture map of the float CAD model.