Colin Leighfield

They were Chris. I was always uncomfortable flying in front of crowds though!

Due to getting depressed with flying site issues over the last two years, I’d more or less given up on my build projects and only done some tinkering with an F3 Res glider and indoors. However, I’ve now got access to a site that I’m very happy with and have already had a couple of good outings with my ancient HK Grasshopper, Tundra and FMS T28 Trojan V4. My mojo is definitely restored and as part of rehabilitation, I’ve dug out the Nigel Hawes Tucano 45” that I built for the 2013 Greenacres event. The second time that I flew it there, the motor burned out and I put it away in the garage loft. This week I had a look at it, opened it up and changed the motor. It’s ready to fly again this week. I took this photo tonight and after a wipe-over, it doesn’t look too bad after nine years! Phil Winks won the event with his version, do you still have it Phil, do any of the others that had a go, still have theirs? This was a very good flyer and I’m looking forward to getting it back in the air. At the time, the RAF had finished one of their Tucanos in the camouflage and markings of a Battle of Britain Spitfire, as a memorial. I dreamed up that if there had been a carrier version of the Tucano, the Navy might have commemorated the last operational use of the Seafire by finishing a “Seacano” as one of the Seafire 47s that flew from HMS Triumph in the Korean War, in 1950, the last operational use of the type. What a silly idea! However, I still think it looks good. I’ve now got a reason to finish off the well-advanced Hawker Fury build, so I’ll start posting on that again.

I’ve had to leave this since 17 July because of unavoidable other priorities, but back on the case tonight, straight onto the interplane struts. I was very encouraged to find that they fit almost exactly both sides, made to the plan. I can sand them and finish them off tomorrow. I was concerned that with all of the extra work involved in making up the c/f and brass tube sliding wing fittings that some inaccuracies would be built in, but fortunately that’s not the case!

I lost my Keilkraft Nomad in Sutton Park in 1958. Should I tell somebody? It’s been a guilty secret for 63 years.

Where I’m coming from on this one is the thought of having the two wing bays pre-assembled, so that I can just slide them on without having to put the lot together at the field. To do that I was thinking that I’d need to fix the struts to the wings, I’d clear forgotten in the meantime about the slots, which are staring me in the face through the Solartex! The wings slide on and off the carbon-fibre tubes very smoothly. Although I’ve made the upper and lower centre sections as the plan so they can be removed as designed, the intention is to leave them normally in situ and I think that alone will make assembly and disassembly a bit easier. I’ll have it sorted out shortly.

Thanks Graham and Danny, I’m thinking about this, I’ll post again shortly.

I’m now onto the wing struts. I’ve rough cut some 1/16” ply cores to do some sizing up and make sure they’re right before going too far. There’s no clear indication of how the struts are attached to the brass lugs on the wings. I assume with small nuts and bolts, a bit of a fiddle. How have colleagues done this? I recall Danny saying that it took him an hour to assemble his.

Thanks David and Danny, it looked about right to me, but I like to compare notes. Rather than use a Y-lead into the aileron channel, I’ve plugged one servo into that and the other into auxiliary two, mixed into aileron. That way I’ve been able to put both servos the same way around with equal length linkages. Just got to set the differential later. I think I’ll sort out out the wing struts and rigging wires next.

This appears to be the maximum up aileron I can get without some drastic surgery, I will use differential to limit the down, any thoughts from anyone?

I tried to download a video showing the first run-up of the Fury and taxiing on the grass, but the file was too large. Anyway, the closed-loop rudder and pushrod-operated elevator are working fine and the motor is running fine, although that’s not the final prop. The aileron servos are working, connecting them up is the next easy job. As mentioned before, I need to do some work on the aileron leading edges to get more clearance in the shrouds, there’s not enough movement. Not sure what order to do the remaining jobs in. Spinner, rib tapes, struts, rigging, painting and scale detail. I really want to do the paint scheme shown here, it will be my first attempt at air-brushing something like this. Not sure yet where to go for the paints suitable for this.

Thanks Danny. I’m not sure that I’ve got enough, so I probably need to do some careful work on the aileron leading edges to get some more clearance inside the shrouds.

I’m certain that this plane is going to need aileron differential so one servo is plugged into auxiliary two. Can Danny or anyone else that might be looking in give me a steer on control surface movements please?

Coming alive.

Still working on the things that go inside.

Hi Matt. Wings and tail are Solartex, which I then ran out of. Fuselage is Diacover 100 from Sarik, it looks promising so far.

To solve the problem of creating a scale looking Dowty type undercarriage for my Bryant Hawker Fury (modified to represent the Spanish Civil War version), I have made a ply box that the rear cross member at the top of the leg sits inside and filled it with a two-pack synthetic rubber compound. With the front cross member hinged, the rear one in effect “floats” inside the rubber. It looks very promising, giving some resilience while still being robust. Not flown yet, but I’m confident.

Thanks Danny, sorry I’m slow responding. Working now on electrics, linkages etc. Will put photos up when there’s something worth seeing. I’ve been away again the last few days.

Thanks chaps. I’m now working on the tail end, ensuring good alignment on the tail surfaces and starting on the control linkages and connections.

After a result like that, the P1052 would be a natural. I’d imagine that even though very light, the build material must give a robust construction. Could be a keeper!

Covering is going well.

Sorry I’ve missed a few days on this, I was away for a week and then needed to get a glider ready for Buckminster next weekend. Back on the Fury now, sanding the fuselage ready for covering with the Diacov. That’s going to be interesting.

It struck me that if the pilot was scaled correctly, then the fuselage was incorrectly scaled and too narrow! Therefore I'm relieved at the conclusion that the pilot is at fault, it certainly looks too big to my eye. Flying the Auster felt to me like being in a comfortable armchair, smooth and steady. Elbow room certainly wasn't an issue.

I found the AOP6 roomy and comfortable with two up front, no way was it cramped as it is with that pilot. It can't be right.

All of the flying surfaces are covered now, so I can get onto the fuselage. I was over-optimistic about how far my stock of Solartex would go, that’s it I’m afraid. I’ve ordered 2 metres of Diacov 1000 from Sarik and I’m hoping that will be ok.

That's a work of art Simon. Did I read somewhere that the plenum chambers used on the Harrier to enable multiple/variable nozzle ejection actually increased thrust from the Pegasus and if so, what is the trick in achieving that? There's some similarity between the "trousers" here and that. I know they intended to use plenum chamber burning on the P1154 for supersonic flight, but it was not a feature on the Harrier.