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No More Mystery - it's a BipaBlast 2


andy watson
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Slightly breaking a strict rule, I am starting my next build whilst finishing off the Vulcan. I am clearing out a few kits that seem to have been cluttering up the workshop, and this is one that I bought at our club auction at a price I just couldn't resist. It is not my normal scale build- it's a non scale model. The kit seems to date from somewhere in the 80s, and it's not available anymore.

And that's all I'm telling.

So the challenge is who will be first to identify the plane. No prizes, just for fun. Oh, and Alan 4 is banned as the auctioneer in question.smiley...although he might struggle to remember 1 lot in the hundreds that he sells on the night.

Starting on the fuselage- and it is nice not to have to cut out the bits myself for a change. Pretty simple so far- fuselage sides, doublers and some formers.

Edited By andy watson on 23/02/2012 23:54:45

Edited By Steve Hargreaves - Moderator on 24/02/2012 09:56:22

Edited By Chris Bott - Moderator on 24/02/2012 10:23:07

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  • 2 weeks later...

Well I sort of promised myself I would make sure I got regular updates posted. Seems like I lied to myself! One reason is there isn't much to say- I am glueing assorted formers and bracings into the fuselage.

Progress is steady- I don't think this will be another year long build!

I'm not sure about the software change about adding pictures. It always seem to bolt them side by side- unless there is some random text between them.

The guesses so far have been good- but no one has got it right yet. A little more info. I think there were 2 sizes produced- this one at over 70" is the larger of the 2.

Bracing and Formers.....oh, and struts for the upper wing- well done to the people that spotted it was a biplane so early.

I did wonder if I could get away with trying to sell the idea of a double undercarriage!

I am really just blurbing here to put text between the photos. I have got a little further than shown on the photos- the foam turtle decking on the rear is glued in place.

So there is another clue there- foam decking and wings.

Which leads me to a problem- how to cover it? I can't use sanding sealer without melting the foam- so my usual poly C is out. I could use a film, but one thing I wanted to try was some more airbrushing- maybe trying a few effects beyond the basic block colours I have used on the Stuka and DVII. Maybe I should use it as a practise piece for glassing? Does foam safe epoxy exist?

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The polystyrene turtle decking is on.

It's official- I hate working with foam. I'm sure the wings will be fine- but the fuselage was a bloody pain in the bottom. Getting the top decking to match up with the lower built up fuselage is almost impossible- at least to get it within a mm or so. I did the rear first- which was tapered. I took ages clamping and bending the walls of the fus to exactly match the foam sides. All minor adjustments, but I didn't want a big ridge down the side. I learned from this for the front and glued some rails for the hollow polystyrene front decking. This was much faster, but still didn't feel as neat as a nicely built up set of formers and proper sheeting.

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  • 3 weeks later...

A quick update- although progress is pretty rapid.

Both wings are done. Probably can't be seen on the photos, but braces are buried into the foam and capped.

Bottom wing.

and top wing:

I have added some trailing edge and a bit of ply facing to the bottom wing.

Just out of interest I have a servo issue. How do you mount them into a foam wing? I guess the servo itself just goes into a box cut into the wing, but whats the best way to deal with the wiring running the length of the wing to the middle? Do I cut a thin slot and force the wires into the thin slot. A thicker, deeper slot which is capped?

Finally no one has guessed yet- even though there is a hint.........

I will be at a (sort of) assembly stage maybe tomorrow- so maybe that will tweak a few memory cells.

I am keen to get it finished though- I picked up a set of Dennis Bryant Me 163 Komet plans at the weekend which are making my mouth water!!

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