Steve T Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Thanks Ady, it will all be so helpful when I build mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve T Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Sorry forgot to ask, why the glass cloth instead of brown paper, apart from Jill being upset....does it give extra strength/protection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hi SteveT, Many thanks for looking in and asking the questions. It all helps those that look to the thread for their builds. I received a PM from Warbird Replicas that says the prototype wood build version was 5.5lbs ready to fly (With a 4s LiPo) in unpainted form so the target of 6 to 6.5lbs appears quite realistic. I have used glass cloth for covering foamies and balsa builds many times and find it goes around compound curves extremely well, and provides a good lightweight base for the paint. It also has the benefit of adding strength to the aircraft surface. This kit stands out for me in the selection of the wood used. Many manufacturers use whatever is shipped to them and some pieces of balsa are quite heavy and unsuitable for purpose whereas here the balsa appears to be carefully graded so is very light and matched as closely as possible to its mirror part or function. This alone can save a lot of weight by the end of the building. Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glynn Posted January 19, 2015 Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hi Adrian Just been to the website and they now have the updated build manual to download with the built up wing and not the foam one. it also say's they are taking pre-orders for the next batch, so will be watching your build with interest. Glynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Hi Glyynn, That is good news. The built up wing looks very well thought out and the parts fit superbly well so I am looking forwards to the building of the wing. Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted January 19, 2015 Author Share Posted January 19, 2015 Next on the agenda is the tail end and pushrod snakes. Both snakes were fed through the fuselage and each eased through the two holes in F11 so around 90mm 3 1/2" protruded through F11. Then I took the two tailplane support blocks and slightly angled the forward ends to sit flat against F11. Next I marked the relative position of the snakes at the front and where they exit. I find that a square or triangular Riffler file is ideal to carefully push through the balsa rotating the file always to cut the hole for the snake. Once done I adjusted the hole to allow the snake inner to move freely within the outer with each of the support blocks in position. When satisfied with the fit I glued the support blocks in place leaving the snakes free in the blocks. (They will be fixed in place when the elevator and rudder are fitted). Next I offered each of the rear upper fuselage sides in position and adjusted them as needed to get a good fit between F9 and F11. When both were ready I wet the outside faces and when they had curled slightly glued them in position so they conformed to the curved formers with ease. They were pinned and held with adhesive tape until dry. Adrian Edited By Ady Hayward on 19/01/2015 22:46:04 Edited By Ady Hayward on 19/01/2015 22:46:24 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted January 20, 2015 Author Share Posted January 20, 2015 A bit slow today. After the top rear fuselage sides were set in place I used some pins pushed along the top of each former from the inside so that the points showed the top of the formers so it was easy then to draw the cut line close to the formers. The side tops were then sanded flush to the formers. The rear spine is from very light 1/2" balsa and just needed the front end sanding to match the angle of F9 and was then glued in place. Some pieces of 1/4" balsa were cut to rest in the place where the tailplane will be fixed To these were glued the two tapered pieces of block balsa that form the fuselage shape each side of the fin. These blocks were also separated by some scrap 1/4" balsa to fill the void for the fin. Everything was checked for good alignment before being glued in place. This will allow the fuselage contours to be sanded to shape before the tailplane and fin are fitted. Next was the tailwheel fixing plate. This is a laser cut piece of 1/8" plywood that is let into the rear fuselage. It needed some of the triangular balsa to be cut away leaving the sides intact so it lays as shown on the plan. If a fixed tailwheel is required then the wire is bent as shown on the plan and fixed to this ply mount. I am having a castoring tailwheel so all that was needed to modify is some hard wood (Ply) glued to the mounting plate that was then drilled for the tailwheel wire. A M3 spiked nut was fixed to the end of the support block and glued to ensure it cannot break free. The tailwheel can now be mounted on some 3mm wire that is threaded at the end to locate in the M3 spike nut enabling it to be free to rotate. After the assembly was made it was then glued in place making sure it was flush with the fuselage sides. The Fuselage underside was then glued in place and left to set. Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted January 21, 2015 Author Share Posted January 21, 2015 This is the last bit of the fuselage build for now. All I have done is fit the wing mounting plate with its spiked nuts. Next will be the wing build. The fuselage weight as is un-sanded/ shaped is 499g/ 15oz so not bad thus far. Adrian Edited By Ady Hayward on 21/01/2015 23:12:26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lightning 759 Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 hi watching with interest as I've been thinking of getting one of these , my first warbirds were warbird replicas spitfire(painted pink , did I get some stick for that ) ,thunderbolt, & p40 in that order & I loved them all flew great .Looked great even though they were sport scale only thing that spoilt them was I had fixed undercarriage , still got a LA7 to build. Andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob lee Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Guys the kits look amazing, I'm a real warbird fan and the finished model looks really good...however I have only put artfs together......do you really feel that someone with limited building skills, like me could build that spitfire? I'll be watching with interest All the best Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Glynn Posted January 22, 2015 Share Posted January 22, 2015 Ady Are you going to use the electric motor from Warbirds, they have one on their website just for that kit. Like Rob I keep looking and thinking "I could do that" when all I've built is a Wot 4 Glynn Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted January 23, 2015 Author Share Posted January 23, 2015 Hi.Rob, Glynn, I'm glad to hear that folks are loving the build blog. I did forget to mention that all of the recommended add-ons are available from Warbirds and will be suitable typical being the 4250 650kv motor supplied with my kit.. Whereas buying from external suppliers does run the risk of items not meeting the required specification. If you can fly a WOT4 or a 4 function intermediate type plane then this will be as easy to fly. As for the building....it does go together so well that following this build blog and the instructions should result in a sound aircraft. Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve T Posted January 23, 2015 Share Posted January 23, 2015 More impressed by the day with both this thread and Warbirds, got a PM from Richard at Warbirds yesterday to make sure that when I order, everything is as I would like it, and when I order he will phone me to confirm it all. He didn't need to do that, really nice of him, the sort of service we wish we could get from everyone. I am on the list for when they are back in store....I can already see others being 'on the list' eventually. I hate waiting for anything! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted January 24, 2015 Author Share Posted January 24, 2015 Hi, Finally got back to the build table to start on the wing. To start I like to number/ name the parts before removal referring to the parts lists for identification. Carefully remove the ribs from the host sheets and gently sand smooth the small attachment points. I also remove the scorched edges just so I don't leave dark smears from where my fingers have picked up from the laser cut edges. The same is done with the spruce spar parts and wing joiners. I spent a bit of time dry assembling a wing half to familiarise myself with how it all goes together. I found that as with the fuselage parts everything fits really nicely with very little free movement anywhere resulting in a stiff, self supporting structure. I found that the aileron leading edge and wing trailing edges benefitted from the inboard edges angles being adjusted with a riffler file so they fit better to the side of Rib 6 (If it is not done no matter as the glue joint should still be strong enough) and opened any tight notches so a working fit was made. Having built wings over several decades in the traditional fashion it was really strange to just hold the wing to the board with weight, ensure everything was square and then glue the joints with Ca adhesive. I added some fine capillary tube to my Ca spout so I could better control the placing and flow of the adhesive. Then Lo and behold everything stayed put and a wing skeleton was done in next to no time, plus it was exactly as it should be thanks to the rib tabs holding everything in position. Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted January 25, 2015 Author Share Posted January 25, 2015 Another bit of progress. After checking that the wing ribs and spars are all glued I then carefully sanded back any protruding bits of spar, rib or whatever that was sticking up where it shouldn't be. Care is needed sanding across the ribs and a long curved sanding surface such as a rolling pin is ideal, or put a chamfer on your sanding block so that it cannot catch a rib and break it during sanding. When all was smooth I offered the taped panels of balsa to the wing to test the fit. The balsa panels are cut such that when joined they form the compound curve to fit over the wing structure.....Very clever I must say! I then glued the panels together to make one single piece to see if this is the easiest method. I did find an odd rib or two that had twisted slightly so to keep them in line I used some of the scrap balsa to temporarily make a spar from an adjacent rib to hold them in position until the sheeting was completed, then, once the adhesive had set they were removed. The ribs and spars were all given a light coating of PVA as said in the instructions and then carefully laid the balsa skin over the ribs using the aileron cut-out as a guide and held in place with a couple of pins. The rest of the skin was held down with weights making sure the wing was on a flat surface and all rib contact points were held in contact with the building board. When set I checked all ribs and spar contact points for a good bond and corrected only one at the wing tip that had not bonded. I found that the weights had not quite held the skin in contact at the Leading Edge and secured each with masking tape pulled over the skin so to pull the sheet around the Leading Edge curvature. When completely set I then built the three jigs supplied and used them to hold the wing ready for the next stage. Adrian Edited By Ady Hayward on 25/01/2015 22:16:07 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony Bennett Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 very clever design and build method. liking it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tony F Posted January 25, 2015 Share Posted January 25, 2015 My Warbirds Spitfire...Electric conversion. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted January 26, 2015 Author Share Posted January 26, 2015 Hi Tony F. A very nice looking model there. Did yours have the built up wings or foam veneer type? Either way if you have any build tips for it then please post here so others can benefit. Hi Tony B. The build is very easy and the parts fit beautifully. I am taken with the wing skins though, as they almost mould themselves to the 3D form. Cheers Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted February 1, 2015 Author Share Posted February 1, 2015 Sorry for the delay updating this blog. SWMBO has caught the flu so my building schedule etc. has been put in disarray somewhat. Prior to sheeting the wing several little (But very important) jobs needed sorting. The first was to join the wing underside sheeting parts and when set I made sure that any adhesive tape was removed from the side to be stuck down. The small 3mm balsa tip support riblet was then stuck adjacent to the aileron tip rib so to support the balsa skin. The root end of the aileron needed to have the control horn fixing plate glued in place. I added a small 3mm balsa riblet under the side of the plate to help spread the loads that will be placed on it in flight. The front edge of the ply plate needed to be sanded to the same angle as the aileron leading edge. Further inboard at the wing root trailing edge is where the wing bolt reinforcement plate was needed. The plate was a piece of trailing edge stock glued in between the first two ribs making sure that the surface did not protrude above the level of the ribs. The final addition was the aileron servo hatch.. A square hatch outer portion from 2mm liteply is stuck in place over the servo cover plate fitted earlier in the build. It was then sanded flush to the surrounding ribs and mainspar. I then glued the undercarriage mounting plate in position making sure the PVA glue went between each joining surface. Finally I carefully removed each of the alignment tabs from the rear of each wing rib and then sanded the whole wing to ensure that the wing profile is as good as possible ready for the lower wing skin. The three wing jigs were carefully positioned under the wing so that it sat with each of the jigs in full contact with the wing. I offered the whole wing skin to the wing to make sure of where it has to go. Then I put a thin bead of PVA on all ribs, spars and plates where the skin makes contact, and laid the skin in place. I used the servo hatch as a reference point first then the wing root, aileron line and wing tip. Weights were then placed all over the wing to ensure that the skin was firmly glued to the structure. Any small twist in the wing would then be removed and the best alignment made. Adrian Edited By Ady Hayward on 01/02/2015 01:12:22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob lee Posted February 1, 2015 Share Posted February 1, 2015 I'm really impressed Adrian, the wing skin alignment looks particularly tricky but a lot of the servo instalment and other fueelage fixes look easier than I thought they would. All the best rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted February 2, 2015 Author Share Posted February 2, 2015 Rob, The placing of the wing skin is critical but if the servo opening is used as a reference then it is just a matter of fine adjustment to have the skin placed correctly. The fact that the wing structure is so finely controlled in the cutting of the parts they will always go together exactly the same. I have spoken with Richard at Warbird Replicas about the close fitting of the skins and it will be considered whether a few extra mm of balsa will be added at root and tip. It is really good to see the manufacturer taking such a close interest in their products. Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cliff Bastow Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 That is looking really nice Adrian, Seems to be a very nice kit. Look forward to seeing it at the club. see you soon. Cliff Edited By Cliff Bastow on 02/02/2015 15:36:04 Edited By Cliff Bastow on 02/02/2015 15:36:22 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob lee Posted February 2, 2015 Share Posted February 2, 2015 Thanks Adrian that's a good tip about using servo opening as a guide. It does make a pleasant change for the manufacturer to do that. What's the world coming to? All the best Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve T Posted February 4, 2015 Share Posted February 4, 2015 I'm getting withdrawal symptoms, need a new post and pictures! Come on Ady having a life is no excuse for keeping us all in waiting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ady Hayward Posted February 5, 2015 Author Share Posted February 5, 2015 Yay! Progress!! Having created a fully sheeted wing panel you can see just how well the structure replicates the elliptical profile in all three dimensions. Anyways, sheeting of the remaining panel was carried out in exactly the same manner as before. I made sure that the panel to be sheeted was set in the jigs and the opposite panel was well supported and in good alignment. The last panel was then sheeted and left overnight to set completely. Fortunately the jig system did its work and both panels were in good alignment. If there was a slight difference between the trailing edges then the skins could be carefully cut away on one side from the ribs and the wing adjusted until everything aligns, then secure the skin again with adhesive and let cure. The photos show both top and underside views. Each of the tip undersides was sheeted using the pre-cut 3mm balsa. The top sheeting is 1.5mm/ 1/16"balsa which has to be joined first then glued in place. It may prove useful to glue some supports fore and aft of the spar to better support the tip sheeting. The leading edge strips were next and the wing leading edge sheeting was sanded carefully down to the leading edge strip. I decided at this point to mark the position of the wing locating dowel hole on the wing sheeting then cut out the leading edge and centre ribs so that it will not cause the drill to wander when drilling through the leading edge later. The first (Widest) of the leading edge strips was glued to the wing ensuring that it was glued completely to the leading edge spar, top and lower skins.The opposite panels strip was then glued in place to match. I used the extra length of strip to make a tapered joint to give the leading edge centre a little bit more strength. When stuck firmly I then added the second leading edge strips making sure that they will conform to the needed leading edge profile and making the taper joint align in the opposite direction so not to make a stress path. Adrian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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