Lindsay Todd Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Well I have been so pleased with the original I guess it was inevitable that another version would come about. I have tried to make this one a little different but also include as many elements from the original as possible in a completely new geometry. work will commence very soon but here is hopefully what she will look like in the end. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plummet Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 It looks as if you will be using the same tail fin and scarf. Plummet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vecchio Austriaco Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Hi, hope you don't get cog problems with that. Everything heavy is located at the wing area and the nose is short. Like it as it looks pretty unusual! looking forward to more information and a build blog! VA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 VA, take your point re the short nose however the plan is to have all the main radio and battery forward of the wing with this design, the main battery being under the pilot. Dimensions are not totally fixed as yet but hopefully not to far away. We are very anti adding ballast however providing the wingloading stays within sensible and appropriate limits for the model then adding ballast is the correct thing to do in my mind, we cringe at a few grams yet a big scale warbird may carry a few pounds of lead up front. The only weight added to the rear in this case is really the engine and prop so hopefully things will work out ok. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kevin Fairgrieve Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Watching with great interest. I really like my Dawn Flyer despite the many mishaps. I could be tempted to do a second electric model. Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Works for me Linsday, some different stuff to have a go at you decided on w/span yet ? John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Looks like the pilot is going to have lead feet! Any chance of a build blog and plan again? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Don't be fooled by what looks like a very short nose, lots of fresh air at the back. Wingspan 48" as per the original, actually its the same wing wiing th a few mods. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Yes looks to me to be a fair bit in front of c.g plus lipo + no rear turtle deck. John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 But with the inclusion of all those bracing wires, dummy tensioners and decorative brass joining plates on the rear fuselage lead boots may be the dress order! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 Balance it with a tin of Brasso Chris John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Barlow Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 John, the polishing is still ongoing! The plane cabinet now permenantly smells of brasso! But a good point! Maybe I should rethink the brass joining plates and go for some other brass like shiney metal like gold? Might have to have 2 pilots with 2 pairs of lead boots? Edited By Chris Barlow 1 on 05/08/2014 17:27:52 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 5, 2014 Author Share Posted August 5, 2014 Chris you could always make the dummy fuel tank at the front top out of Brass, even fill it with lead Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 A model of the Delange at Doncaster museum..(I think ) John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FastFlyer Smyth Posted August 5, 2014 Share Posted August 5, 2014 I'm in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 10, 2014 Author Share Posted August 10, 2014 Weird, think I have built a couple of these bits before, and yes it's identical to Dawn Flyer, the Dawn Flyer 2 starts with the tail plane or horizontal stabiliser, all built from 6mm balsa strips cut to length and shape over the plan, nice and simple traditional building gets the model started. Luckily this model is small enough to not take up to much space so I can enjoy a bit of Blenheim distraction from time to time now. Next will be the fin, rudder and elevators, all as per Dawn Flyer original, then it starts to change a bit. More before too long. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Spent a bit of time yesterday and today so made some solid progress starting with completion of the basic structure of the elevators made up from with strips of 6mm balsa. I will cut the elevators into separate halves later and add a wire joiner and 1mm ply reinforcement top and bottom. With that done I turned my attention to the fin and rudder, all built in exactly the same way as the tail and elevators from 6mm balsa strips. Again I will add 1mm ply to the horn mounting position for added strength later. Now with hose tow elements out of the way I can get into the more interesting part of the build, the fuselage this has been aided many thanks to Slec who did a great job again for me with a set of cnc cut parts from my provisional drawings. The fuselage is actually quite angular so I used 3mm lite ply for most of the construction although we start with the 6mm balsa lower front side frames by gluing a short length of 6mm square balsa to the lower edges that will support the main former and also the u/c bearers later. Whilst that bit was drying I trimmed out and sanded the other parts and started the main body assembly. This is basically the two top side plates that will support the wing and motor which is glued into slots in the main fuselage centre former. A ply base is then glued to the underside of the sides. I made up a doubler and glued this to the rear of the former but subsequently think this has been overkill so will delete this as not necessary but to late for the prototype now. Once dry, this assembly can have the mid ply plate added that forms the top deck of the lower rear fuselage We can then glue this assembly onto the fuselage 6mm balsa sides and check that all is square. I glued both sides at the same time for speed but would be easier one at a time really. Next job is the to glue the bottom rear 6mm balsa to the underside of the fuselage. The slot will carry the rear centre tail longeron. Once this was dry I added the forward triangular side frames, these slot into channels cut into the main former and align at the bottom with the inside edge of the lower fuselage sides. More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Spent a bit of time yesterday and today so made some solid progress starting with completion of the basic structure of the elevators made up from with strips of 6mm balsa. I will cut the elevators into separate halves later and add a wire joiner and 1mm ply reinforcement top and bottom. With that done I turned my attention to the fin and rudder, all built in exactly the same way as the tail and elevators from 6mm balsa strips. Again I will add 1mm ply to the horn mounting position for added strength later. Now with hose tow elements out of the way I can get into the more interesting part of the build, the fuselage this has been aided many thanks to Slec who did a great job again for me with a set of cnc cut parts from my provisional drawings. The fuselage is actually quite angular so I used 3mm lite ply for most of the construction although we start with the 6mm balsa lower front side frames by gluing a short length of 6mm square balsa to the lower edges that will support the main former and also the u/c bearers later. Whilst that bit was drying I trimmed out and sanded the other parts and started the main body assembly. This is basically the two top side plates that will support the wing and motor which is glued into slots in the main fuselage centre former. A ply base is then glued to the underside of the sides. I made up a doubler and glued this to the rear of the former but subsequently think this has been overkill so will delete this as not necessary but to late for the prototype now. Once dry, this assembly can have the mid ply plate added that forms the top deck of the lower rear fuselage We can then glue this assembly onto the fuselage 6mm balsa sides and check that all is square. I glued both sides at the same time for speed but would be easier one at a time really. Next job is the to glue the bottom rear 6mm balsa to the underside of the fuselage. The slot will carry the rear centre tail longeron. Once this was dry I added the forward triangular side frames, these slot into channels cut into the main former and align at the bottom with the inside edge of the lower fuselage sides. More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 16, 2014 Author Share Posted August 16, 2014 Next job was to add the top forward plate that will form the base of the dummy fuel tank. This is glued into the top slot in the main former and tops of the triangular sides. I also made up the motor mount from a double laminate and added this into position in the rear section of the top fuselage pod . Final job for the day was to add some 6mm square balsa to the forward outside edge of the triangular side plates, partially for strength and partially cosmetic as it will help tie the front design into the rear hopefully. A good start, hope it continues at the pace today but that's the benefit of cnc parts I guess. More soon. Linds Edited By Lindsay Todd on 16/08/2014 18:41:37 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted August 16, 2014 Share Posted August 16, 2014 Motoring on Lindsay, i'm curious about this bottom longeron, but at the speed you're going I can wait John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 17, 2014 Author Share Posted August 17, 2014 OK don't know what happened with my last post, double entry and double pics, very odd. anyway will try harder this time to update with a bit more progress starting with the 2mm balsa sheeting added to the underside of the forward fuselage just leaving the area between the two formers for the u/c mounts. Next job was to add a spruce strut and the lower tail hard balsa longeron. The longeron was fitted with the aid of a card template to ensure the angle was correct from the plan, marked and glued into the balsa rear slot. To assist with strength some 1mm ply semi circles have been added to the joint, these will feature throughout the open structure build. The fuselage can now be put to one side and I made a start on the top rear structure. The two key components being the main longerons, these being 6mm spruce that are cut to align at the tail but left slightly longer than required at this stage and then pinned down onto the plan. The rear angle is assisted by a 3mm ply plate that will also act as a mounting plate for the tail plane. next job is to add 6mm hard balsa cross braces and more 1mm ply semi circle brace plates and then leave to dry. More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 19, 2014 Author Share Posted August 19, 2014 Managed to get a little more done on DF2 by completing the rear top structure by adding the forward spruce 6mm square brace and the triangular ply braces that support the brace and will act as fixing locations onto the wing for extra rigidity. I have also added the balsa infill at the rear that will support the tail plane. To mount the structure onto the fuselage the upper fuselage sides need a 6mm square slot cut just forward of the motor mount plate so that the forward cross brace slots in and sits flush with the surface and then glued to the back of the motor mount. To ensure everything is kept square I also made up the ply end brace and 6mm balsa rear stern post that can be made up as a single item and then glued to the lower fuselage 6mm longeron and the underside of the top rear structure checking with a square and a rule clamped along the fuselage to ensure all is straight and then glued into position. Just to make sure all this has some initial strength I also added the first vertical 6mm balsa centre post between the first cross brace aft of the motor position and the lower longeron. I will next add the remainder 6mm square balsa braces and triangular struts to complete the rear structure. More soon. Linds Edited By Lindsay Todd on 19/08/2014 22:47:05 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 21, 2014 Author Share Posted August 21, 2014 Just a couple more updates. I have now added most of the tail structure from 6mm square hard balsa leaving the sections just aft of the motor mount area so I have access to position and fix the motor, basically because the mount has not arrived yet and I wanted to crack on. I would have normally pre drilled the motor mount former but no worries there is still space. The two forward diagonal braces from the tail boom locate into slots cut in the balsa base and are angled slightly forward to help tie the whole shape together. Once this is all dry I will trim back the top spruce longerons and add some extra ply disc braces but for now it was worth pining the tail and fin in place to take a look at how she looks so far. More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nev Posted August 21, 2014 Share Posted August 21, 2014 Liking this one Lindsay, very unusual but looks fun. A bit of a different build process too, makes it interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lindsay Todd Posted August 24, 2014 Author Share Posted August 24, 2014 Thanks Nev, I bumped into a few at the Nat's yesterday and got similar feedback so always good to know people like what they see. If it ever stops being fun then that's when I'll stop. Anyway with some time free this afternoon and this evening I have made some good process with the wings. These are very similar to the original Dawn Flyer in section and span but have changes to the trailing edge cut out around the engine area, some added ply fixings to tie into the rear structure and no dihedral so can be built flat on the board making life a bit easier. The reason for no dihedral was based on the deep fuselage and high mounted position already acting on the aerodynamics to offer sufficient natural stability. Did I judge this correctly, well we see when I get round to flying her. The wing starts by pinning down the hard balsa 6mm square lower wing spars, I check the position with a couple of ribs before pining. Align the spars exactly on the centre line of the wing as this will of course be the joint for both panels. Once the spars are in place the ribs can be positioned and glued in place including the ply fixing plates for the rear structure. Also I added the 6mm square from centre line to 2nd rib in and then a scalloped 6mm balsa piece between the 2nd and 3rd rib. This is effectively the change in cut out area and will needed to be sanded to the same height of the ribs so done with a soft to medium grade. Next job was to add the trailing edge stock to the aileron cut out and the leading edge. Both of these are again from 6mm balsa, the height being measured and a strip for each being cut to size and but glued into position. I added a 6mm triangular reinforcement at the end of the aileron trailing edge to improve strength in this area. With both wing panels complete to this level the panels can be butted up together and joined with ply braces at the centreline joint. Both sides of the main spar, the rear face of the leading edge and the front face of the rear spar. Photo below shows the first brace to the rear face of the main spar being glued. More soon. Linds Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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