Piers Bowlan Posted April 12, 2018 Share Posted April 12, 2018 Re the shed extension Rob, are you lining it with celotex (or similar). I put celotex under the floor and ceiling of mine, amazing difference it made too to the all year round usability. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 14, 2018 Author Share Posted April 14, 2018 Hi Piers, sorry I've not replied earlier I have been trying to finish the extension. Yes I have quite a bit of celotex left over from the house build so will be using that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 14, 2018 Author Share Posted April 14, 2018 I say finish there's still the guttering, electrics, windows, door, insulation etc etc. But it looks like a good flying day today so hopefully I can blow the dust off a plane or two. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Piers Bowlan Posted April 14, 2018 Share Posted April 14, 2018 Having rebuilt my present house over a number of years, I know where you are coming from Rob, you think you will never get to the end of it. That is why my next house is new and nothing to do, apart from just.....! I hope this means more time for aero modelling and other hobbies, we will see. I am glad you have got your priorities right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 15, 2018 Author Share Posted April 15, 2018 True Piers - it's like the Severn Bridge, as soon as you finish painting it you need to start over again. Did manage a flying session on Sat in glorious sunshine - would have been a good say for initial test flights on the GTC. Not ready just yet but not long now though. Finally got around to the undercarriage. Like a lemon I drilled vertically through the 1/4 ply for 2 inches to receive the UC legs instead of making a slot and making life much easier - hey ho I'm still pleased I managed that accuracy. Legs are shaped with aerofoil section over them and ready for painting. Another job off the list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 Shed extension finally finished and some time to work on the GTC - managed some progress. I soldered the push rods for the ailerons and connected them. I need to remove just a little more material from the slots to make them completely bind free, but they are almost there. I then spent a couple of hours working out how to add a flapperon mix on my Futaba 14 SG - I didn't find it that easy to understand especially after realising I had changed to another model - doh....Anyway with that sorted I then connected the elevators and rudder, so all control surfaces now move correctly. I have to admit watching all the surfaces move for the first time was quite pleasing - so motivated further I did some more work. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 I finally got around to making the undercarriage and completing the battery hatches for the nacelles. It took a while to remove the bit that were originally for IC and then enclose the whole thing. I have been dreading that job for a while, but eventually...... The slot is for a canopy latch so that I can remove the hatches to replace the batteries easily at the field. Oh yeah - please ignore my pencil scrawls on the wood - I need to sand that off... I then decided to screw the rear hatch of the nacelle down instead of gluing. Experience has taught me that I'm bound to need access at some stage so I spent a while gluing some small blocks to accept the countersunk screws -just in case I need to get in there in the future. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 That done a little bit of shaping on the front of the nacelles - I'm still not quite happy with the way they blend into the wing so a little more to do here. I need to add a scoop on the top of each to get some air in and over the ESC - I have made an exhaust at the rear of the underside of the nacelle on each side. Alas it was all going so well so I decided to drop a screwdriver onto the wing and put a hole in the upper surface. Thankfully it didn't smash but was repairable with cyano. I guess that will teach me to get too confident. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 29, 2018 Author Share Posted April 29, 2018 However, she stands on her own 2 feet for the first time... so progress has been made. Not long to go now. The jobs list is definitely getting smaller. Interestingly, I liked the shape of the plane when I first saw Peter's plan and article, but I like it more now she has taken shape, I suppose it has grown on me or maybe it just getting over some of the hurdles has made the journey more interesting. Who knows... At 68in span she is a little bigger than the original but a nice size to handle and it is time for some CG checks to determine the exact spots for the flight batteries so I can finish the battery boxes and then determine if I need a counterbalance receiver battery in the nose.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Ballinger Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Something about twins... They give you a real buzz just looking at them. Looking really good. Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Levanter Posted April 29, 2018 Share Posted April 29, 2018 Superb Rob Those nacelles are really sleek since you decided to go electric and I reckon you have a very slippery machine. You are definitely at the exciting stage. Levanter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Thanks Tim. Sorry to hear about your incident. Best of luck putting it back together. But it's nice to know she should fly very well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Levanter, yes I thought she looked sleek too, I guess that will mean the flight times should be longer with the batteries I have. Which reminds me, I have soldering to do.. How's yours coming along? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 That looks menacing already Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 It does Peter... It is another cracker from you and despite being miles behind shedule I'm really looking forward to it getting airborne.Peter, when you covered your original did you finish the nacelles completely in yellow? I'm going for a blue under the wings and tail with yellow on top with the saw tooth effect mirrored on upper and lower le... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted April 30, 2018 Share Posted April 30, 2018 Hi Rob I had to go upstairs and check. On mine the nacelles are all yellow and from the nacelles out the underside of the wings are black to help with telling me which way up it is Inboard they are yellow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted April 30, 2018 Author Share Posted April 30, 2018 Oh gotcha. Thanks for the info Peter. Hmm decisions decisions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted May 15, 2018 Author Share Posted May 15, 2018 Right then, after some sanding, more sanding and a little more sanding she is ready for covering. Not much to report only having completed the horizontal stabiliser but here it is: I think the picture is really for my motivation, but it now feels more like the home stretch and the jobs list is definitely getting smaller.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted August 3, 2018 Author Share Posted August 3, 2018 OK, so, I finally get around to doing some more covering. I found cutting the blue trim around the yellow under the nacelles a little difficult but it looks ok. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 looks immaculate to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted August 3, 2018 Author Share Posted August 3, 2018 I started covering with Easycoat but the yellow was just too transparent and I wanted something a little more opaque. So after completing the tail in Easy coat I switched to Oracover. More expensive but it seems to work quite well and doesn't come apart like Easycoat - such as leaving colour stains on the wood. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted August 3, 2018 Author Share Posted August 3, 2018 Wow - Thanks Peter I'll take the compliment especially from you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Miller Posted August 3, 2018 Share Posted August 3, 2018 Rob, Who says the camera cannot lie. The great majority of my finishes look good in the pictires but don't at the edges in close up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted August 3, 2018 Author Share Posted August 3, 2018 Some more work this afternoon and I seem to have broken the back of the covering Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Ashley Posted August 3, 2018 Author Share Posted August 3, 2018 Peter - perhaps, but your models fly well though don't they. I need to clean it with meths to get rid of the blue smudges left by the iron, but she's getting there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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