John H. Rood Posted May 18, 2016 Share Posted May 18, 2016 Another Los Alamitos A4D-1 Skyhawk; I believe this is BuNo 142234, possibly circa 1960 or thereabouts. I'm sorry I can't give proper credit to the source for the above two photos... I can't recall where I found them online. Edited By John_Rood on 18/05/2016 20:14:47 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 ABOVE: A-4F Blue Angels -- I post this image tonight as we mourn the loss of Captain Jeff Kuss, USMC who died yesterday in his F/A-18 preparing for an airshow performance that was to happen this weekend in Smyrna, Tennessee. And the image below is not a Blue Angel Skyhawk, but for me it captures the mood here. Edited By John_Rood on 03/06/2016 22:39:50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Kettle 1 Posted June 3, 2016 Share Posted June 3, 2016 A sad lost John, we got the news this morning as we woke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Mackey Posted June 4, 2016 Share Posted June 4, 2016 Lovely job John - and great text to accompany the picsl. I do enjoy a witty blog and yours tickles my spot mate 😊 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted June 9, 2016 Share Posted June 9, 2016 DRAWING IN THE NOSE CENTERLINE: As I mentioned earlier, the early Skyhawk "A4D" (A-4A, B, and C) variants each have a nose centerline that is higher than what's shown on Phil and Matt's build plans, which cover the slightly later E, F, M, L (et al) models. In an earlier installment here I sketched my take on what that early A4D centerline might look like, and now I have transferred it to the core balsa nose structure. In this first photo the pencil points to my line penciled-in on the plans, and next I penciled it in on the balsa and highlighted here in blue. It will add to my other reference lines to later shape the nose curves. I feel it is important to "know" that centerline and place it correctly on the core structure, so as to get the basic "look" right from the get-go. In this next photo, the lower edge of the ruler runs along that line. And I've now marked it on the balsa structure: So now I feel more confident that the basic look and feel of the early Skyhawk nose config will be there! Edited By John_Rood on 09/06/2016 23:32:11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Nose curves: A4D-1 and A4D-2 (later redesignated A-4A and A-4B) This was a test and evaluation aircraft at China Lake; note how the orange-yellow day-glo band is wearing badly -- a common thing with the hi-viz paint back then. The A4D-1 lacked a refuelling probe, which was introduced with the A4D-2. The A4D-2N introduced a lengthened nose to accomodate upgraded avionics, and this variant was redesignated the A-4C. The A-4E and F introduced a still-longer nose with a lower centerline angle. Edited By John_Rood on 10/06/2016 15:56:23 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted June 10, 2016 Share Posted June 10, 2016 Wing Rib Positions: Extending the lines with a pencil. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Fuselage Cross-Sections: Finding and then pencilling-in their centerlines so these section drawings can be transferred unto stiffer material and serve as templates for shaping the fuselage. Edited By John_Rood on 11/06/2016 18:55:26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted June 11, 2016 Share Posted June 11, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted June 12, 2016 Share Posted June 12, 2016 Templates are now done; paper on cardboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 1, 2016 Share Posted July 1, 2016 Where but the kitchen to properly open the Ancient Scroll... Hark! The build plans, kinda yeah the rough-hewn TORAH for our A-4 Skyhawk misadventurings here... And to lay down a heavy thick piece of glass to both FLATTEN the plans (Traplet really SHOULD provide them ROLLED) but moreso, provide a nearly dead-flat surface for building the 3/8" thick sheet balsa tail feathers. I have completed assembling the tail parts and prepared the 1/16th balsa sheet wing skins; all looks good. However frustrated as I am unable to upload the pics -- the old software this website uses software is too cumbersome for me to use my via iPhone. I shall try again later when I can get to my Mac. Edited By John_Rood on 01/07/2016 01:11:00 Edited By John_Rood on 01/07/2016 01:18:00 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 2, 2016 Share Posted July 2, 2016 Guys, unfortunately I can't seem to use this web forum's software efficiently; mainly it is just far too frustrating for me to post photos here. A better way to see my progress is via Facebook https://www.facebook.com/john.rood.902 and/or Instagram https://www.instagram.com/johnny_rood/ I am no tech expert, but is it just me, or is ModelFlying's web forum system using an antiquated software? Their image "album" system, at least for me, is far too time-consuming! Seems it flips photos in ways we don't want, it does not reliably "remember" names and titles we give to our images, so we can't file them in a logical (e.g., alpha-numeric) system so we can see and access our image files quickly for posting them. Or maybe somehow I'm just not getting it? I'd love to even just simply copy and paste an image URL from my Flickr account or Facebook or Instagram, and then post it here, but thus far I am wholly unable to make that simple task happen here. Edited By John_Rood on 02/07/2016 22:09:26 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 4, 2016 Share Posted July 4, 2016 Well, I got over my little crying jag and am back on the beat... here on the 4th of July the port wing panel is in the werks and the wife has brought me some mango sorbet with blueberries... recommended for any intrepid sky-voyager trying to build a model of the A-4 Skyhawk. Edited By John_Rood on 04/07/2016 18:43:57 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 That was last night; and this morning, per Steve Houghton's idea, I made up some fill-in strengthening pieces at the center-section TE. I sandwiched aileron stock with some 1/16th sheet to bring bring it up flush with the rib curve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted July 5, 2016 Author Share Posted July 5, 2016 moody lighting! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 5, 2016 Share Posted July 5, 2016 All the fireworks were going off as we out here in the Colonies were in the thick of our Independence Day bash, or as you people call it, TREASON DAY. Cheers, all! Edited By John_Rood on 05/07/2016 13:39:37 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 1/2"x3/4" balsa sheet hinge blocks added. For them I just doctored some TE stock so that each block is flush with the tops of the ribs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 12, 2016 Share Posted July 12, 2016 The center-section gussets are now complete and the 1/16th ply center-section joiner/dihedral brace is now dry-fit in place. I'll need to make a replacement for that ply piece as per Phil Cooke's mention; it needs to run all the way through the section, top to bottom, including through the balsa skins, and Traplet apparently made it less than the proper width. All good... and man it sure is great to see the many and sundry Skyhawks in this mass build taking shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 14, 2016 Share Posted July 14, 2016 Wing servo bearers fitted, notched, installed. 1/8"x3/8" hardwood, and the servos are HS-65MG. Thanks Phil Cooke for all the good guidance here! Edited By John_Rood on 14/07/2016 21:52:44 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 15, 2016 Share Posted July 15, 2016 Planed and sanded the sub-LE and TE so they now align with the ribs; prepared upper skins, and cut out a servo bay. I've prepared the incidence shim for the wingtip wash-out; tomorrow morning I'll attach the skins and the LE pieces. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 16, 2016 Share Posted July 16, 2016 ABOVE: That starboard panel sheeting attached "OK" yesterday, all secure and the washout looks good; all is "OK" yes but really not to my "OCD-overperfect-insane-oddball-weirdo" mil-standard; yesterday I glued all the structure at the same time, but I wasn't diligent enough about having materials in place AHEAD of time to lock down all the sheeting more thoroughly. So today I'm gluing the port panel a bit more piecemeal, as follows: Gluing it down at one corner, letting things set in strong there, and then I'll walk the process outward. Edited By John_Rood on 16/07/2016 16:43:31 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted July 18, 2016 Share Posted July 18, 2016 Next, gluing on the 1/4" x 1/2" leading edges. I went with some fairly hard balsa there... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
John H. Rood Posted August 9, 2016 Share Posted August 9, 2016 Q: What is accurate? A: I don't know! Q: Does it really matter here? NO. Recently I was made aware of a far more detailed depiction of the A4D-1 (A-4A) profile than I've seen thus far. I don't know if it is correct or not, but I have enlarged it for comparison with Phil and Matt's build plan for the A-4E/F, and also to compare it with the mods that I've previously drawn up. As you can see in the above photo, there is variance with the build plan --- a more shallow underbelly and a shorter tail TE. BELOW: With my A4D-1 nose sketch/template, the fit is better than I expected; the centerline matches what I'd drawn up and the length and shape are close. Edited By John_Rood on 09/08/2016 22:53:39 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Cooke Posted August 9, 2016 Author Share Posted August 9, 2016 It was a conscious compromise on the underbelly profile - as the wing chord has been increased a little from scale the fuselage profile had to be altered so it met the revised T/E position of the wing. This does make our models look just a little more 'porkly' around the waist than the full size. The fin position and shape should be true scale - perhaps you have a slight scaling error with the blown up overlay - in the view above it doesn't quite meet the fuselage lower skin datum - Is that a clue its slightly under size? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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