Andy Green Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Well with the Super 60 nearly done, I'm going to turn my attention to the Astro Hog build. My first impressions of the kit (Santa bought be) was very good, but on closer inspection the balsa is quite old. Its difficult to explain unless you have experience of old balsa, but it goes brittle-ish. I think I might have to change my engine choice. I have an old OS 60 FS but its a bit bigger than I remember, so I might fit a Saito 62 I have waiting for e new home. I'll post more when the build starts proper and I have something to show. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted January 13, 2012 Share Posted January 13, 2012 Good luck Andy,Looking forward to see your progress.Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntsmith Posted February 8, 2012 Share Posted February 8, 2012 This looks a very ineresting choice. I'm going to follow this with interest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 As usual there will be more photos and descriptions on my website. I have decided to build as a tail dragger, have a servo in each wing, which then gives me the option of using the kit torque rods for flaps - any comments, and a servo tucked under the tailplane for elevator. Rear fuselage mod to take the elevator servo. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ntsmith Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Andy, I was just reading your very nice website blog of the super sixty where you mention a "perma-grit spar slotter". What exactly is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 They are a set width (1/8, 1/4, 3/16) piece of steel bar with abrasive on one side. Permagrit ones here, or you can glue some sanding paper onto some stock wood. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Here's one Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Hi Andy Been looking at the website. Have you moved the front former to allow for the bigger engine? I am not sure what engine is recommended by SIG, perhaps you can let us know. How is the (not-so-old) ticker BTW? Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 9, 2012 Author Share Posted February 9, 2012 Stock build Martyn, except for my changes. SIG suggest a .60 four stroke, the old OS is a big lump for what it is, hence the change to the Saito, its 2/3 the size. Ticker OK thanks, especially with my new radio to aid convalescence. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted February 9, 2012 Share Posted February 9, 2012 Hi Andy Thanks.. that makes sense. I used a lump so had to move the former. I saw your tweet regarding the new aid to recovery. Makes life worth living Take care Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Fuselage in jig, I have also kept it held firm in the jig while the top sheeting is applied. F1 at this stage has the captive nuts for the enging mount. One advantage of the cold weather is even 5 min epoxy has some working time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Hi Andy I do like the jig.. where did that come from? It looks like the top rear decking is going on in two pieces, that is different to mine - I had to plank mine, I had a strange compound curve at the front of the top decking. I don't think that this was intentional though.. Looking good MartynEdited By Martyn K on 10/02/2012 13:12:36 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Thanks Martyn, The jig was build by a guy in Bournemouth, who is no longer with us I'm afraid. Both the front & rear decking are in 2 pieces (4 in total), There is a compound curve just behind the cockpit, but is covered by the front sheeting, it seems to fit because the cockpit cutout gives you just enough movement to make it fit. I have the first stages of the wings done too, I'll post a bit later. Andy Edited By Andy Green on 10/02/2012 13:22:25 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 10, 2012 Author Share Posted February 10, 2012 Wing panels made over plans as per instructions, nothing much to note, except I have some triangle fillets on the U/C to rib joints, just to make sure. More to come if it gets warmer Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted February 10, 2012 Share Posted February 10, 2012 Hi Andy It's coming together very quickly. I'll bet yours is flying before mine.. What engine side/down thrust lines do SIG recommend for their variant with a bigger engine? Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 12, 2012 Author Share Posted February 12, 2012 Its been quite nice today, and was able to get some workshop time. Top & bottom sheeting all done, and the nose blocks in place ready for shaping. Inside the nose area I have glassed the tank area and run some glass cloth to join the fuselage side to F1. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Bandit Posted February 13, 2012 Share Posted February 13, 2012 Hi Andy, I'm glad to hear that your health is improving. The models coming along well, and I do like the building jig. My kit won't be started now until the garage is converted, so I'll be following your build with interest, especially the undercarriage setup.Cheers,Chris. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 The first picture shows just how many clamps are needed to hold the wingtips whilst the glue dries. I used white glue for gluing to the spars, but around the tip I used Gorilla glue, this expands and will fill any gap between the sheeting and the tip structure. This just means if I sand a bit too hard and go through the wood, there will be something there. These pictures show the forward mounted undercarriage block. No mention is made of how to sheet this forward position in the instructions, I just placed the sheeting on and drew around the block. I then added some 1/8 strip around the sheeting to make sure the block / sheeting joint was secure. When I join the wings, the external area will get a strip of glass cloth covering, to just make sure its secure. You dont get that on ARTF's Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 My method for fitting the wing servos is to have 2 1/8 lite ply half ribs, glued each side of a main rib. This worked well on the Super 60. I does mean that the servo is built into the wing which makes maintenance harder, but I can count the times on 1 hand that I've had a servo failure in 30 years of R/C. This picture shows the wing panel with the bottom sheeting, you can just see the servo hole in the rib at the top. I'll make some servo extensions and get the servos fitted while I have full access. I'm going to be using Hi Tec 225MG servos. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted February 16, 2012 Share Posted February 16, 2012 Hi Andy Looking at the website photos, I presume that you are using Strip Ailerons? Is that correct? Hpw wide are they? Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 16, 2012 Author Share Posted February 16, 2012 Yes Martyn, strip ailerons. 1.5" wide & 26" long, I think I'm going to take the first 5" and turn these into flaps. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 17, 2012 Author Share Posted February 17, 2012 Looking at joining the wings now, but the dihedral of 6.5" seems a bit steep. Martyn has used 75mm on his build, so I'll be heading for a dihedral closer to this. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martyn K Posted February 17, 2012 Share Posted February 17, 2012 Hi Andy 3" looks about right although at first I thought that was excessive as well, but in hindsight it seems OK. What does appear small though is the fin and rudder although there is lots of lateral area to compensate for the small fin. If the weather is decent this weekend, I hope to maiden mine, I have about an hours work to complete it (which will probably really mean another full day when I start snagging it..) Next week I can then start repairing it (get it out of the way), I know that it is inevitable. Martyn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted February 20, 2012 Author Share Posted February 20, 2012 I'm going to go with 3" dihedral. I wish I'l thought of this sooner, as I have the wing root ribs angled for 6.5". Not able to reset without a lot of rework, so I'm going to have to fit facing ribs, and re-sand to the new dihedral. Job for another day. Capping strips now, notice the extra wide one for the servo pushrod exit. Tailpalne being built over the plan, What you can't see here is just how cold it it. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy Green Posted March 1, 2012 Author Share Posted March 1, 2012 I've said before that the wood selection in the kit is quite poor, but none so bad as the elevators, these are so hard and heavy as to be almost spruce-like. I have tried to lighten with holes, but still not sure whether to use or not. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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