Boeing B52 PSS Glider

My main winter project is this Boeing beauty - The B52 - affectionately known as the BUFF, a PSSA / Aerotow glider from the Simon Cocker plan - which he kindly presented to me over dinner at one of our recent PSSA meetings.  Thanks Si

 

Here's Simon with his original, aging - but still terrific version. 

 

Pretty much all foam with a few ply sections for added strength, the model spans 8.5 feet, with a fuselage of around 7.5 feet, and AUW of between 10 - 14 lbs depending on how much glue is left in the bottles

Heres the main parts

This ply section is the "spine" for the front section of the fuselage - approx 4' long.

 

 

Nose cone and rear tapered section make up the total fus length. I modded the nose spine slightly to interlock with the main spine and transfer some of the towing loads when aerotowed - the towline attachment can be seen here epoxied to the spine, which will then be built up with 12mm balsa block and shaped. I have run the operating rod through to what will be the wing mounting bay, so servo can be retrofitted / maintained.

Mock up of tow release.

Fuselage is EPS hollowed section and balsa veneer, with a couple of main formers in the wing mounting section.The tail feathers are also veneered foam.

 

Main work this past few days has been the engine nacelle mounting pylons - - four in all, which feature a simple but natty "break away" release system. Each pylon is in two pieces, a smaller fixed  section on the wing underside, and a larger mating section carrying the engines. made of 12mm balsa, and laminated with ply at the mating facings, these are connected together by two, friction fit, stepped locating pins ( I used carbon fibre rod and tubes ). Upon landing, should one or more engine hit an obstruction, they are "knocked off" with no damage to the main structure.

I made up ply templates first, and used small wedges to get the geometry of the pins and sockets correct. 

Here's the finished pylons, showing one in detached view - they will be sanded to final profile and covered in lightweight glass cloth and Poly-C later today.

 

I've cheated on the main wings, having elected to get them done professionally by Barry @ foamwings of Scotland, but all the rest is home spun, with a little help from my friends on the foam cutting - which I hope to get done later this week .

Found this rather interesting "tale" - groan - the other day whilst I was googling around for pictures of the tail end.

This could save me a whole lot of work and some foam