Major

Thanks for pointers guys!

Hi guys. After long break in building and flying I got the urgent need to build something. I am looking for small, but scale kit. The smaller the better. I am not sure if I will fly it or just build and hang in on the ceiling next to my Corben. Just would like a true kit that would look like exact mini replica. Any ideas? Cheers Tom

I'm not flying from a long time now, but still ride motorbike everyday, in all weathers .

Eddie: yeah, it was very discouraging and has put me off for a long time. I never planned to scrap her, but wasn't so keen to do anything - she just gathered dust and attracted my son to brake her even more . Funny you should say "when they are sanded up to profile". I didn't plan to sand them to any other shape, but this input somehow "forced me" to do so - I spent another two nights and attempted to make them at least simillar, but they came out quite good. Thanks. AWflyer: your Ace looks fantastic! I like covering very much, when I look at my model - it isn't the case. Lots of wrinkles, some bubbles and most joints terribly done. I think I will either re-cover white parts of a plane - entire fuselage, or try to save it by applying some stiching here, screws and rivets there, and of course spray those areas, that got very dirty during storage. Where did you get stickers from? Are they fuel-proof? Do you have any links? Yesterday I received parcel from Blackburn, so progressed a little. Now she starts to look better, but only when I look from a distance . Wheel pants were pain in the back for me to cover them. I thought it will be an easy job, but the more time I spend with her, the more things to do I find. Left UC fairing was covered, but I forgot to shrink 'tex before this photo was taken. Cowl was sprayed with plastikote enamel from wilko, currently awaits coat of fuel-proofer - as same as spats and engine bay. Cheers Tom

Last night I did some more. I fixed damaged cockpit decking and filled some gaps. Now 'pit is ready to be painted in black and fuel proofed.   I also did wheel pants. The "two hours job" took most of the night. I realize that set you can get from DB is much better, but I am happy with the effect. Both pieces are to be sanded once more and fuel proofed inside, then covered with cub-yellow 'tex, which by the way didn't arrive today as I expected. Edited By Major on 04/01/2014 12:38:51

Thanks Dave! It's good to be back here! Some more progress. The fuselage longerons are now fixed. I wanted to do it in possible shortest and not invasive way, so fixed longerons themselves and added one strip of medium balsa to each side. This helped to keep things shaped as per plan, also should add some strenght (I hope..). While I played with tail bits, my son wanted to help a little, so I asked him to wash the cowl for me. I love to share intrests with my children and mostly I am proud of their job, so I will leave the cowl as it is now, without additional washing. Mind you, my son is 3 years old and he did it very good! I shaved some of the nose former due to difficulties caused by exhaust. To put the cowl on, I have to take pipe and needle valve extension off, and this was just to close to fuel proofed wood - didn't want to damage surface and expose model to nitro. Now it will do the trick. Tail is finished now, last bits are drying. I did try to make some gap filler out of aliphatic glue and balsa dust (to make it, I used rotary tool and soft 1/2 inch balsa sheet - it was the first time ever when I found some use for it ). I also made mix with superphatic, but this one seems to be worse than the first. And this was my boy's cute idea - a "pilot" has taken photo of us from the cockpit . Now I just have to fill all gaps, sand everything, cover, glue back in place, fix wing struts and cockpit, make wheel pants, connect electrics and fire up. I hope to do most of it before covering and fuel proofer arrive from Blackburn Models. More progress and pics to follow soon. Thanks Tom

You are right CSB - nothing that can't be repaired, and I also got an excuse to apply some colours onto her and at last fire up engine with new carb. I got quite a bit of medical history, so my PPL is going very slooow. HAd coupple of flights, but trouble started with medical examination - i have to translate a lot of documents, which is quite expensive and even that will not guarantee that I will pass checks. But "press on regardless"!! Edit: Few pics Here is the tail. I only got to fix horizontal stab, recover it and add some fairings. Cracked longeron on starboard. Other side looks worse, but it will be an easy fix. And some more damage. In addition, she is dirty as hell, so will have to bath her too Edited By Major on 02/01/2014 23:37:31