Matador build by Big Bandit

[Big Bandit]

As I've had a few weeks of extra curricular activities, such as building model aircraft with others or helping others with the basics of model building and flying, the rest of my time has been devoted to clearing some building space, by cleaning up the garage and shed.

So having brought a PAW RC 149 with silencer for my next project, and spent some time indulging in some aromatheraphy running the thing in. I sanded and varnished the building board ready to pin out the plans for the Keil Kraft Bandit.

All of my efforts were thwarted when on opening the box....No Plans, the box has been robbed. I brought this kit about 4 years ago and hadn't opened it, instead I built the KK Pirate which I fly Free Flight with a DC Merlin for power, and it's a brilliant little performer.

So It has to be the Matty !, The PAW will be OK for power as I intend to use lightweight radio gear, and covering (litespan).

So, as so many excellent build blogs of the model have already been built for the mass build, I don't intend to labour any already covered technique, as others far more competent than me have already done that.

So here goes ! Firstly I cleared as many existing models away as I could, some went in the bin, as I have become bored with them.

The next job was to layout the plan and cover with lightweight builders dust sheet, cheap as chips and a roll seems to last for ever, at £3 a pop.

Ensure all of the tools you need are to hand, this is a ritual I always go through before I cut any wood.

So it's off with the wings, and the first job is to pin out the bottom main spars, with 1/4" balsa and above I pin through the balsa, anything less I use map pins from ASDA to iether side so the wood doesn't split. Followed by the trailing edge mouldings.

Finished pinning out.

Trim up the 3 centre ribs to accept the 1/16" centre section sheeting

And the penultimate ribs or R4.

Glue all of the ribs in, ensuring that they are vertical, SLEC do some handy plastic things just for the job.

Do the same for the tailplane

Just the wing leading edge and top spars, plus a few gussets for tomorrow. While they dry I'll get the transfers on the Super 60.

Cheers,

Chris.

Edited By Big Bandit on 31/03/2012 21:18:25

Edited By Big Bandit on 31/03/2012 21:19:20

Edited By Big Bandit on 31/03/2012 21:20:45

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

I always enjoy your builds Chris so I'm just adding a post so I can follow along......!!!

[Big Bandit]

Hi Steve,

I did want to build the Bandit as a lot of Matty's have been done already, and I cant do the Hog until the garage is converted. In Chris Bott's Matty blog he said see how much I can get done before the replacement plan for the Bandit arrives, so I'm on a mission .

Cheers,

Chris.

[Big Bandit]

Well,

A bit more done today so apart from sanding and adding wing tips the wing and tailplane are done. we had visitors this afternoon so that slowed me down a bit, but I'm happy with progress so far in all amounts to 4 1/2 hours.

The first thing is to cut some gussets. The little variable angle square is brilliant for this job, set to 135 degrees and chop away .

Before you know it you'll have loads of em.

Stick em in, I've done the LE / Rib joints by sanding the LE of the gusset to 45 Degrees just to finish things off. At the same time I've glued the hinge blocks into place at the tailplane TE.

So this is where I am now, LE and top spars to the wings, all gussets, ready to lift off the plan when it's all dried, and sand where necessary. Then it's onto the fuselage.

The motor I'm using is this little jewel from PAW.

I'm off indoor flying tomorrow after work with my new Night Vapor, up to now I've only flown it in a small church hall in Sheffield, tomorrow it's a large sports hall about 1/2 hour away from home .

Theres also a swap meet on Tuesday evening after the monthly club meeting, so Wednesday I'll turn the plan over and start the Fuselage.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Chis,

Great engine the PAW 149. I remember in the late 1950's a friend of mine bought a new PAW 149 and it proved so much better than other diesels we had such as the ED Hornet and DC Sabre. It really brought some of our control line planes to life that were quite underpowered with the other two engines.

Round about 1961/2 a  friend and I visited the ED factory in East Molesley and I took the Hornet along to ask them whether any thing was wrong with it. They showed us around the factory and it was obvious they were particularly proud of their Radio Control equipment which at that time we had little interest in as we could not afford it. However once we entered the engine test room it was like a modellers paradise. There was stacks of their complete engine range piled up on a bench,and one chap with a set of ear muffs who had the job of testing them all. His skill at starting the engines was amazing, but having started my Hornet he could find nothing wrong with it-so no new piston and and cylinder were offered!.

I have used my ED Racer on and off for 50 years and it still runs without needing a compression screw lock. At one time I fitted it into a Peacemaker control line model which it powered OK but any hard knock on the spinner meant you had to remove the back plate to tap out the crankshaft. The other day I remembered that I have a PAW 19D BR combat engine bought by a friend in 1976. I wonder if it can be fitted with an RC carb---if so I could try it in my Super 60?

MJE

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 01/04/2012 23:45:58

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 01/04/2012 23:48:10

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 01/04/2012 23:51:44

[Big Bandit]

Hi Mike,

I must admit that the PAW range of engines are very good, the way I came to get this one was a mate of mine brought the business from John D Haytree When he retired and being a long time expert in model engines he has set up a business in renovating older model engines. I already had a 1.49 stunt but I really wanted an RC motor with a silencer, so a word with John and for the old Stunt motor and £25 I had the fully refurbished motor in the picture. It can be a pain to start as with the silencer fitted it can't be primed through the exhaust port so I'll have to find a way of overcoming that and I don't like using electric starters on diesels.

John also provided some replacement spares for the Merco 35 that's going in the Super 60.

I have a fair collect of motors and the ED motors are one of the most user friendly of the diesels I have, The Mills are definitely the easiest to start with the ED's a close second.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Martyn K]

Hi Chris

I hope that isn't a photo of your bin above, coz if it is then there appears to be a brand new Super 60 in there!

As usual, looking forward to see how this develops..

Good luck

Martyn

[Big Bandit]

Hi Martyn, No thats what's left, although some of them are going in the loft with the other 30 until I feel like flying them again . I did give a couple of models that I had become bored with away to a mate.

Cheers,

Chris.

Edited By Big Bandit on 04/04/2012 13:33:01

[Martyn K]

he he - I guessed that may be the case..

30 + in the loft, makes my total collection of 6 look pretty feeble (and that include the 2 that are WIP).

Martyn

[Big Bandit]

Hi Martyn,

Some of them are my Free Flight collection which I'll get down soon for the May Fly at Old Warden, and some are ARTF's that need putting together when I feel like it. The other week I fancied a bit of Slope Soaring and was going to get the old Zaggy down, but then I brought a Speedo which I'll put some gear in soon just to get out in the hills.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Martyn K]

Ah OK, my F/F collection is also in the loft - only about 5 or 6 flyable models though.

Never been to old warden, I have always promised myself a trip, but I think May will be out again.

Martyn

[Big Bandit]

Hi Martyn,

If you ever go to Old Warden it's best for the May Fly or the Vintage Sams meeting, I personally enjoy the May Fly the most and always take a few neezers for the mass launch and the competition is great. Last year I took a Webbittneezer with a Merlin for power, along with a sportzaneezer that fly's like a contest model with a high rate of climb with a cox 020 and mothneezer fitted with a DC Dart. The old KK Pirate just floats around with a super Merlin. The 1937 Wigdor Wasp always fly's well on the ED Bee and can be trimmed to do lazy left hand circles under power and right hand circles on the glide.

Last year I also brought a couple of Derrick Knights flight profilers for a dabble in electric free flight with a lipo and brushless motor.

The old Wasp.

Mothneezer

With the Hunterneezer and KK Pirate for the 2010 meeting.

If you get to go give us a shout, and I'll meet you there.

Cheers,

Chris

[Steve Hargreaves - Moderator]

A What-aneezer??

[Big Bandit]

Hi Steve,

It's a Sportzaneezer based on the rubber powered KK Eezybuild Sportster with an 020 up front.

It was first flown in 2008 along with this little lot in the mass launch, some bloke with a Spitzaneezer won that year.

Thats my Mothneezer and Hunterneezer near the end of the collection.

Cheers,

Chris.

Edited By Big Bandit on 04/04/2012 16:01:37

[Big Bandit]

Hi All,

The best layed plans and all of that. Woke up Monday morning feeling terrible but had important meetings all day, Tuesday the same so came home early and spent the rest of the week wrapped in a duvet sweating like mad and waiting for my face to burst. So this morning decided to get some done in the shed now I didn't feel light headed.

First of all I sorted the 3/16 x 3/16 strip so I had matched pairs for the longerons, they need to be fairly stiff medium hard balsa.

I then mark up the ends so I don't cut them for other uses.

It was then that I got the box out for some ready cut bits and found the rain we had in the week had come through the shed roof and some of the balsa was wet.

Any road up the bit's I wanted first are reasonably dry, so I've left the other bits to dry out and see how we go.

Pin out the longerons and glue in uprights and other sundry bit's, including the front sheet parts and (for my builds anyway) the obligatory gussets.

Thats one fus side done, so if I'm not feeling grotty again this evening I'll do the other side so it has all night to dry properly.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Big Bandit]

Hi All,

Done a bit more and still feeling grotty so I'm keeping my head down, apart from a trip to Ashby for some supplies from Steve's. Now I can get the cabin area of the S60 done, but for now it's the Matty. The other side is now done and dry with the infil panels at the tail end, it's left to this stage so they can be fitted flush with the outside. Remember to fit them so that you have a left and right side . Give both side a light sand ready to join.

Mark up the nose end formers ready to fret out for the engine bearers.

All fretted out and give the bearers a dry fit, then glue the formers in place using 15 minute epoxy. It's always a good idea to have some engineers squares to hand to ensure every thing is, well square.

For mixing my epoxy in small quantities, the reusable lids for cans work well as they can be used many times. Just let the epoxy set and bend em a bit the set epoxy just comes away clean.

Add the rear spacers again using epoxy and a square to keep em true and square.

Then add the other side, a few clamps and a square to check for true, the jobs a goodun.

A bulldog clip at the tail helps to keep the back end true

When the epoxy has gone off enough I clamp a square to the front while the glue fully cures.

With epoxy again the rear wing seat and bottom spacer can be fitted with a couple of clamps to keep things together.

Now it's taking shape.

I might get more done tonight, but it will only be a bit.

Cheers,

Chris.

Edited By Big Bandit on 08/04/2012 21:58:30

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Very impressive Chris!

Somehow I have managed to carry out all the operations without the various clamps you show, but if I build any more planes I think I will buy some of the tools you have illustrated.

There is a guy who lives opposite me who is a very keen carpenter. When he retired a few years ago he decided to build a Super 60. When I went to inspect it last year I noticed the fuselage was out of true but in my opinion it could be remedied. I will have to let him know about this forum as he has made no progress on the plane lately and I think he could use some of your techniques to straighten out the fuselage.

One plane I have mentioned before that was produced donkeys years ago was the Southern Junior Models 'Southern Dragon'. To ensure that the fuselage was built without any distortion you had to build a 'horizontal plane' crutch first and then add the bulkheads and stringers. Similarly with the polyhedral wings you built the balsa wing spar first. As I mention before mine disappeared on its first flight in 1962,but I still have the cowling top and the original pressed steel wheels supplied in the kit. An unusual  feature of the kit was that tissue paste was supplied in a glass tube with a cork stopper!

Ben Buckle do the plan for the SD but my nephew may still have my original plan somewhere which may come in useful if I build another. It carefully states on the plan to add your name and address to the plane but apart from my initials I failed to add anything---still gutted!

Mike

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 09/04/2012 00:26:43

[Big Bandit]

Hi Mike,

I must admit to being a bit of a kit junky when it comes to modelling, and I still have a full rolling tool chest that was for the bike as I preferred to do all of the spannering myself. The squares I use were a bit pricey but normally they don't cost a lot from places like Screwfix or Machinemart, but in some cases it pays to spend just that bit more for quality. One square however came from B&Q for a quid it's a bit on the light side and probably won't last as long as the others but it was cheap and does the job fine.

Clamps are very useful and I always wish I had more, I think those came from Maplins. My favourite places of all time are small disorganised hardware shops, and as I tend to like to get out of the office at work and do plenty of hands on as it were, I have most of the ones in Leicester in memory.

One in particular that closed in the mid 80's I went in one day in 1984 and said to the owner that I was trying to find balsa cement but they don't seem to do the good stuff any more. He went down to the basement store room and came back with some Kiel Kraft stuff at 10p a tube, he said he also had a few oddments in the way of kits left over, again he disappeared to the basement and came back with a slicker and slicker mite £1 for the slicker and 75p for the slicker mite. needless to say I had both kits and 6 tubes of cement, you don't get days like that often.

In the early 90's I was in Abberystwith (probably spelt that wrong) and went into another little hardware shop and came away with some Veron true scale rubber powered kits and a KK Avro 707 for Jetex.

There are three I use fairly regularly now, one in particular does some great bargains like the little adjustable square for 1.99 and little packs of high power magnets along with lots of small hand tools that are good for modelling use.

It's worth spending time in these sorts of places and searching out the good buy's.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Big Bandit]

A bit more done today, first of all warm the epoxy to make it nice and runny. When the temperature is as low as it is at the moment, it's pretty useless at room temperature.

I've done the cabin floor, with the cross member at the front of the cabin and stuck the motor bearers in. when dry drill out the bearers for the four 8BA mounting bolts and fit the motor temporarily. Note the anti vibration washers under the nuts and plain washers under the bolt heads.

I always cut the cross pieces in pairs then the fuselage is more liable to stay true.

Glue the top cross members into place and hold until dry with clamps, these elastic tensioned ones from Slec are OK for jobs like this.

As for the fuel tank, I can't find a suitable sized one so it'll have to be fabricated from .013" tin plate if that's not available some empty food cans can some times be used, but check with a magnet first to make sure it's tin and not aluminium. Mark it out with a pencil first then scribe the fold lines. It'll become clearer when I start to solder it together.

Having lost the new pair of tin snips I brought a few weeks ago, I resorted to scissors, it works on things this thin but not much thicker.

A bit of bashing with a hard wood block and hammer should flatten it enough, then I'll fabricate some folders from left over engine bearers.

Cheers for now,

Chris.

Edited By Big Bandit on 09/04/2012 13:33:08

[Big Bandit]

Back again after the lunch break, and thought I'd get down to a bit of soldering for a change. I did have a 100 watt iron that lasted no more than a couple of uses, I don't know about others but I'm having no luck with soldering irons, and as they are not used that much (by me anyway) when I do come to use them and they are US, and the warranties ran out . Anyroad up I found a pencil torch that the missus brought me ages ago, so I thought I'd give it a go. First off though I needed a bender for the tin sheet, so I knocked one up. It works a treat for folding tin plate..

I do like this bit of kit. Still not found the new tin snips though.

The next thing is a g Clamp, the only problem here is it soaks the heat from the job, so you have to be quick.

Work your way around the tank and form a solder fillet at all of the seams.

The kit that's needed for this type of work, 100 watt soldering iron or pencil torch, lead based solder (if you can get it), an acid based flux (again if you can get it), mini pipe cutter, a few G Clamps, sharp nosed pliers and wire wool (don't try to use emery or sand paper). The idea is a clean surface for the solder, so clean with wire wool, flux the cleaned surfaces to stop oxidation, and heat the job so that the solder melts on it (do not melt the solder onto the job and expect it to run smoothly, and don't get the job too hot. Heat the job and find the melting point of the solder and keep working with a positive flow along the joint.

For a heat proof material I use Master board offcuts, Superlux is OK, but don't be tempted to use any asbestos based products, AIB is seriously dangerous and cement bonded sheet will explode. I know it sounds obvious but I've learned not to be surprised at anything. An old fire brick works as well.

Add the plumbing and the jobs a goodun, I test my tanks submersed in a bowl of water by bridging the filler and vent with silicone tube then using a length of tube to the to the outlet try to blow it up till your ears pop, no bubbles and your on a winner.

The finished article in place, and should outlast a few models. In all the job took less that 45 minutes working at a leisurely pace. Just a fixing strap to secure for flight, but that's for tomorrow

If any ones interested I'll do a mini blog on building your own fuel tanks. In saying that Peter Miller did an excellent article in a magazine not long ago, that's worth a good read. Looks the biz, and I'm a happy bunny.

The commercial tanks, some current and some vintage but none fitted the bill, for this one.

Last for this session, the bottom spacers fitted and clamped to dry over night, then it's my favourite , more gussets.

A bit of sanding, infil panels, should see the fus about ready to cover and fit the radio gear.

Back for a bit more later,

Cheers,

Chris.

Edited By Big Bandit on 09/04/2012 18:08:35

[Chris Bott - Moderator]

Excellent job on the tank Chris. I'm sure the last time I did that, the last bit of soldering made the rest pop apart again . Was a long time ago though.

[Big Bandit]

Hi Chris,

Thanks for the compliment, It's a long time since I did one, but I keep my hand in with a bit of plumbing and electronics so it's not that bad to do this kind of thing. I can see no point in trying to make a commercial tank work, when a custom made one is so easy to produce, and it's only practice.

Looking forward to see yours coming along. The Bandit plan arrived on Saturday, so that's definately next, it's just a bigger version of the Pirate.

Cheers,

Chris.

Edited By Big Bandit on 09/04/2012 19:00:45

[Mike Etheridge 1]

Chris,

Amazing progress! ----it usually takes me months to make a plane.

In the early1960's I seem to remember most of my time was spent building and then with a bit of luck I had about a couple of trips by train to Epsom Downs to fly the planes each year. Often the planes would come back in pieces.

I seem to remember making tanks out of old fuel cans in the past such as 'Mercury 8' and Keil Kraft cans. I think my nephew made them a few years ago out of balloons for his combat models?

Mike

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 09/04/2012 20:43:53

[Big Bandit]

Thanks Mike,

All I remember about the sixties is rushing too much, and I'm sure some of my models met a premature end due to poor building methods. There were some notable successes in the control line areas such as the Talon and the Spectra and free flight models were the Deacon and the Matty, but these were the exception rather than the rule. I think the big problem was that when a model flew well, most of us were not experienced enough to know exactly why.

From then on it was bikes, drums and learning how to have a good time with our new found freedom, until the mid seventies.

Cheers,

Chris.

[Mike Etheridge 1]

 

September 1962---own design crashes at Epsom Downs. I lost the Southern Dragon the same day but 3 months later bought the Junior 60 kit. No other fatalities since with radio planes.

Mike

Edited By Mike Etheridge 1 on 10/04/2012 00:15:57