Weston Capiche 50cc Build

[iqon]

I would wait until silicone fitted so you know its lined up properly.

[cymaz]

Careful methodology as usual...if it were me leave the canister until the last job. It might shift around with the silicon, as has been said. You also might need to shuffle a few things around that aren’t apparent as yet. Keep up the good work..

[Gary Manuel]

Yep - you are right. There's no rush to finish the silencer fitting right now. I just like to get engine / silencer fitting done first because it usually involves tugging the airframe around to get good access. Not so easy once the tail and flappy bits are fitted.

I've ordered some silicone tubing, so I'll wait till that arrives before I decide exactly how much bending is needed. I'm pretty sure it will need some bending though if incorrect alignment and associated stresses on the engine are to be avoided.

I've done for today anyway - shed was getting pretty cold

[Adrian Smith 1]

Good that you are fitting the engine first as I find it is usually the most exacting part of the build. Everything else that comes after is pretty straightforward so good move . The advice about leaving the can alignment until later is well considered.

One thing though you mention ordering silicone tube, but I assume you are using a Teflon joiner for the manifold union which is a must given the higher temperatures involved with petrol engine.

Thanks for the info, Gary about the U/C. It is another plus point in making my mind up on whether to take the plunge with this model.

[Gary Manuel]

Yes Adrian. Teflon joiner and clips comes with the exhaust. The silicone tubing is just to cut into short lengths which act as suspension for the canister.

[Peter Jenkins]

Gary, on my Capiche 140, I fitted a DLE 35 RA and added a trumpet intake to carb. This put the intake inside the motor box and helped to reduce the intake noise from the carb. I also used Mr Winch's trick of cutting a piece of scotchbrite washing up pad to the size of the trumpet intake and used some of my wife's old tights to secure the circular pad. This acts as both an air cleaner and a further bit of intake silencing. Every little helps!

[Gary Manuel]

Sounds like a good idea Peter.

[Gary Manuel]

These are the hinges that came with the kit. Before using them, I gave them a good rub with fine sand paper to remove any grease and wax from the moulding process.

Before even thinking of applying glue, I test fitted one end of a hinge into each of the seven holes in each wing and aileron to make sure that it could be inserted so that the hinge pin was flush with the surface. I also dry assembled everything to make sure each wing / aileron went together with no gap.

The manual suggests using Rhino Glue for the hinges. I'd never heard of this but apparently it's pretty good stuff. I've elected to use Gorilla glue instead a) because I have some and b) because I fancy a change from epoxy.

Anyone unfamiliar with Gorilla glue needs to know that it is activated by moisture. The recommended way of using it is to dampen both surfaces before applying the glue - not easy to do when one surface is a hole drilled in a balsa wing.

The way I use it is the apply a small amount of glue onto a piece of cardboard - then spray the glue with water and mix the two together. If done correctly, the normally brown glue starts to lighten and foam. From this point, you have around 5 minutes to apply the glue and assemble the parts.

Oh and before anyone asks, yes I have got the right photograph and yes it is gorilla glue!

I used a cocktail stick to spread a small amount of activated Gorilla glue into each hole and smeared a small amount onto each hinge before pushing the hinges into the wing - twisting the hinge as it went in to maximise contact with the glue. Each hinge looked like this and was left for about an hour for the glue to cure.

Gorilla glue expands quite considerably (like expanding foam) as it cures, and it is quite normal for glue to be squeezed out of joints as it does so. This is why it needs to be used sparingly, but is also why it is so good at gap-filling. A couple of the hinges looked like this after curing.

This is the same hinge after cutting the excess glue away with a sharp scalpel. The hinge was initially a bit stiff, but after removing the surplus glue was easily cracked and instantly became free.

Once all seven hinges in each wing were working smoothly, a fresh batch of gorilla glue was activated and applied to the aileron as before.

This is the top of one completed wing

Here's the bottom.

and here's a close up of a completed hinge-line.

[john stones 1 - Moderator]

Nice colour scheme Gary, big flappy bits.

[cymaz]

Will you be using Blenderm tape to seal the hinge line..?

[Gary Manuel]

Posted by cymaz on 12/02/2018 20:05:23:

Will you be using Blenderm tape to seal the hinge line..?

I'll be using HK white covering film - top and bottom.

P.S. Just been out to the shed to clean excess glue from finished wings. Both ailerons are now flopping under their own weight.

[Ron Gray]

Regarding the Robert type pin hinge glueing with GG, a small paint brush can be used to wet the inside of the hole that they go into. I do tend to dampen the surfaces of a joint before applying GG but I've also experimented using it without dampening. I could also see no difference in joint strength when I tried to pull stuck pieces apart. The reason I wanted to test this was because I had a joint to make that I couldn't wet.

[Gary Manuel]

Ron

I've read somewhere that there is enough moisture in the (UK winter) air to activate Gorilla Glue without any extra water being added. It's probably only a problem in summer or in very arid countries, but it certainly doesn't harm to add water to be sure.

Regarding joints that you can't wet directly, adding water to the glue before applying definitely works.

[Ron Gray]

I think that could be the answer Gary, I haven't tried it in the summer, must give it a go to see what happens! I will also try your method of adding water to it before applying, sounds like a good idea especially when sticking metal bits.

[Peter Jenkins]

Couple of things I do when I use Robart hinges, First, I always apply a little Vaseline with a modelling pin to the hinge joint just to ensure that no glue gums up the pin joint. Second, once I have inserted the hinge into the first surface, I bend the other end of the hinge downwards to check that it is at 90 degs - it is very easy to be out by a smidge if you leave the unglued part sticking straight out. You clearly didn't have this problem Gary but I mention it as it might help others.

By the way, I have used Rhino glue and Gorilla glue for hinges and the glues look and smell remarkably similar. Could they be the same but sold under different trade names?

[Gary Manuel]

Posted by Peter Jenkins on 12/02/2018 22:46:57:

Couple of things I do when I use Robart hinges, First, I always apply a little Vaseline with a modelling pin to the hinge joint just to ensure that no glue gums up the pin joint. Second, once I have inserted the hinge into the first surface, I bend the other end of the hinge downwards to check that it is at 90 degs - it is very easy to be out by a smidge if you leave the unglued part sticking straight out. You clearly didn't have this problem Gary but I mention it as it might help others.

By the way, I have used Rhino glue and Gorilla glue for hinges and the glues look and smell remarkably similar. Could they be the same but sold under different trade names?

I should maybe have mentioned it, but I did bent the hinges 90 degrees to make sure they were aligned properly.

You may be right about Rhino and Gorilla glue being the same product, but I did find THIS review which suggest not. Maybe vested interests at play? Either way, Gorilla Glue has done the trick.

[Rich too]

Great progress Gary

I have used GG a lot (it’s my favourite glue) and I have never used water. There is enough moisture in the air to activate it, summer and winter.

[Gary Manuel]

I've just glued the hinges into the fixed tail surfaces. While I'm waiting for the glue to cure and before I glue the rudder and elevator halves on, I'll clarify something that Peter Jenkins touched on.

When gluing the hinge into the first surface, it's important that it is aligned correctly. It's easy to check the alignment by bending the hinge upwards (or downwards) and checking that the angle is 90 degrees. Much easier to understand in pictures than in words:

This is deliberately exaggerated and is obviously at the wrong angle.

This is getting better, but still not quite right.

This is what it should look like, with the pin being parallel to the hinge line and the hinge being perpendicular to it.

Edited By Gary Manuel on 13/02/2018 12:36:40

[Ron Gray]

@Gary, last one still doesn't look quite right!!!!!!

[Gary Manuel]

Posted by Ron Gray on 13/02/2018 13:35:24:

@Gary, last one still doesn't look quite right!!!!!!

Yes, I know. My camera has got better eyes than me

Don't worry though. That one was dry assembled. The glued ones should be better.

Edited By Gary Manuel on 13/02/2018 13:43:33

[Rich too]

I attach the surface so that I do not have to worry about the hinge moving. Just put the surface at full deflection.

[Gary Manuel]

All surfaces hinged and the hinge line sealed using Hobbyking white covering film.

Here's a wing.

Close up of a wing showing how I've cut the covering film around the hinges. It's not totally sealed now, but looks much better with the covering film cut like this than it did with the film wrapping over the hinge elbow. The hinges should also move with less resistance like this.

Here's the top of the two tailplane (I prefer tailplane to US named horizontal stabiliser) halves.

Here's the bottom.

Here's the fin / rudder.

All surfaces have plenty of movement.

[Gary Manuel]

I've got a few missing pieces from the accessory bags. I've spoken the Weston UK who were very nice about it and are going to send me replacement items. It is going to slow me down a bit though, as I have to wait until the replacement parts arrive before I can add the control horns.

Something to watch for if anyone reading this is thinking of buying one - check the contents of each bag against the list of parts shown in the instructions book. Each bag was sealed and undamaged but there were still a few items missing.

[Adrian Smith 1]

Good point, Gary. I notice this issue seems to happen with a few ARTF kits that have passed through my work shop.

[Gary Manuel]

Normally I would just dip into my spares box and find something to replace any generic missing parts or ones I didn't like. I really like the supplied control horn cones though (picture will appear here eventually) and I do not have anything suitable. There's 2 of them missing along with two lengths of threaded rod that act as pull-pull control horns and some length of carbon fibre tubing and a few other bits. I may as well get the proper parts for them all - even if it delays the build a bit.