I'm building a 1/5 scale SBD Dauntless from the Jerry Bates plan range, using a part laser cut kit from Belair (Norfolk). Here is where I'm upto so far.

The plans from Jerry Bates are probably about the most detailed I've seen, and every inch is full of some details, either scale or construction.




Power is going to be a new Zenoha ZG45 petrol jobby, with JR & Hitec servos, complete with working dive brakes and flaps.

So far I'm moving along with the horizontal stab, and so far so good.




I've sheeted the bottom of the stab (1/16") and now I'm moving on with the elevators




I've deviated a bit from the plans, and added some 3/32" balsa stock to the edges of the elevators and used it to enhance the outline of the elevator trim tabs.




I'm routing my push rods from the elevators into the rear of the stab using some bushes I've removed from some nylon/brass large ball-links, so in effect an extra hinge.




And here are the rods now installed into the elevator halves





As I move on, I'll take some more pictures and post them on here, if people are interested ?

And this should be the finished article, all things being well ?

Grahamd,Yes,it looks like you are really enjoying this build,I'm glad, interested? yes very much so.the pics are super,thank you bro.

Thanks Arthur, this hobby is all about sharing of information, so I hope this brings memories back to those who used to build !!!!

Hope I shall make a start on the fin & rudder today.

Graham

Graham,
A nice looking model. Are there plans by Jerry Bates for other planes? Have you got a web address for them?
Regards,
Steve

Jerrys site is
http://www.scaleaero.com/jerrybates.htm

However he has a UK agent who has plans, cowls etc in stock.

http://website.lineone.net/~jmdesigns/index.htm

I got my laser kit from Leon at Belair

http://www.belairkits.com

Really nice people, and a very nice kit of excellent quality parts.

Graham

Just a little work today, but took hours!. Getting the elevators to fit and operate nice and scale like.

Graham,Thank you, will the the trim tabs work? will the dive brakes work? I am quite excited about it, during the 39/45 war as an ATC cadet I had a ride in a Vultee Vengeance diver,it was quite steep, and for me, not to be repeated,there were too many rattles and whistlings, that was my intro to 'G' force,

Wow you lucky so an so, the dive breaks will work, but not the trim tabs.

Graham

Just a brief update, spent the weekend making the elevators fit, just so. Have now glued the sheets together so I can start sheeting the other side of the stab tomorrow.

Both sides of the stab are now sheeted, just got to sand down the elevators to match.

For the few still following this thread, last night I moved on to the fin. This is built in two halves, first one side is built and sheeted, then its flipped over and the reverse side is built and sheeted. Apart from substituting 1/4" sq balsa with Cyparis, I'm sticking to the plans.

Nice work Graham, and well done for posting a proper build thread, lets hope some get inspired to follow.
Same GrahamD as over on the other forum by any chance ????

Hi Timbo, yes it would be nice to see modelers building again, then maybe they wouldnt see the need to moan about the quality of ARFs, but thats a whole new thread.

Sheeted the other side of the fin, and added the ribs etc.




Now the plans call for a complex arrangement of wire rods, soldered to a brass sheet cut as a horn, with another pushrod pushing the rear wheel, yikes. So I'm putting a servo in the fin where I can have a nice short connection, at the sacrifice of the small extra weight in the tail.




Other this I have added some wooden supports, and sheeted the other side, leaving an access hole so I can service the servo at a latter date. the access cover will be made from 0.8mm G-10 (FGlass sheet)

Fantastic Its nice to see some of us still build in this day of ARTF. Good luck with the rest, cant wait to see it. Keep posting the pics. Al

Thanks Al, I know exactly how you feel. I find it very relaxing siting alone building, ahh the smell of the balsa.

Only had time Saturday to cut and trim a piece of G-10 (Fiberglass sheet 0.8mm thick) for the access hatch on the fin.

And some progress on the rudder




And all finished

I've trimmed the flimsy 1/16" sheeting from the rear of the fin, as I think this is liable to get knocked and damaged in real life, even when epoxied. So I've trimmed the sheeting back a few mills to allow me to fit a strip of much harder G-10 (Fglass).







And the rudder clears it, but looks nice and snug.

Here I am bumbling along with my humble build and this arrives :-




I feel very humble now, and un-worthy of the great mans comments

Feeling very lonely on this site, however onwards with the Fuse build (best part).

I purchased some 6ft long 1/4" x 1/4" Cyparis strip at Cosford, because I did not want to have to add joins to get the length of the main crutch stringers. The plans state "Spruce", but I'm using Cyparis, its lighter and as strong as Spruce. First step is to mark the center line on ALL the fuse formers, so I can ensure they line up straight, as the fuse is built in two halves, top then bottom. The crutch is laid down, then the top half of the fuse formers are added, stringers added, then sheeted, and finally turned over and repeated. However thats a long way off yet.




Having marked the center on the formers, each one has been laid over the plans and used as a guide to make sure the crutch stringers are in the correct place, touching the formers, so that the stringer fits snug in the formers slots. I'm building to the parts not the plan in effect, but as I know the parts are 100% cut to shape, then its simple to make the parts fit together at this stage, rather than lay the crutch down and find the formers dont fit.




Now I can pin down the Cyparis crutch stringers, content in knowing the formers fit almost without gluing.