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Tony Nijhuis Harvard - Build Log


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Made a start with the covering today. I am using Bucks Composites Glass Fibre and resin.

The first job is to seal the wood with a thinned coat of the resin. This is to stop the wood absorbing the resin when you apply the glass and prevent 'pin holing'.

img_3738.jpg

I can never seem to achieve the stated target weights with my builds. This time I am going to weigh the air frame before and after covering and after painting, just to see.

I have also weighed everything that will be going into the air frame.

The grand total before covering and painting is 3.6kg.

The weight stated on the plan is 3.7kg so it looks like I will be overweight again.

The differences from Tony's version is that mine is electric, so I have added a ply battery box. I have also included the weight of the battery (a 5S Graphene, which adds 776g to my figure). I am not sure if Tony's 3.7kg included a full tank of fuel. I have also added some 3d printed detailing which adds 165g.

It will be interesting to see how much weight glassing and painting adds.

Tony's model was also covered with Easycoat film which would be lighter - I thought long and hard about this but I just prefer a glassed and painted finish.

More later...

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  • 3 weeks later...

Really impressed wit your 3d printed parts Geoff. I am just getting to grips with 3D CAD (I am using FreCAD) but struggling to visualise how I would draw parts such as the scoops that have curves in 3 dimensions. Any chance of doing a tutorial blog?

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Thanks for your comments gents.

I use Fusion 360 for my 3D design work and I am not an expert - I just tinker.

It is probably different from FreeCad (not used it myself) but if you think it might be useful, I can try and show you how I made the scoops in Fusion 360. Might take me a while though.

Geoff...

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  • 3 weeks later...
  • 3 weeks later...

Quick question Geoff,

loving your build so far.

Just building the same kit at the moment, going IC though, however like you i intend to glass the whole plane.

Did you apply the fibre bandage to the under side wing joins as shown on the plan, or will the light weight fibre glass all over be enough ?

I'm no where near covering yet only have the tail plane, and wing centre section done so far

cheers

Goth

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  • 3 weeks later...
Posted by Geoff Gardiner on 03/12/2018 23:24:37:

I have swapped the retracts for metal trunnion ones - they feel a bit more solid than the others.

More later...

I've got two sets of the metal trunnion HK retracts, the things to watch with them is that the leg set screws are very soft and easily rounded off and the 5mm mounting pins seem to bend at the very least provocation. Your wheel wells are a nice close fit, but you'll get a hang up if the tyres contact the well interior as the overload protection cuts in. Check they're still aligned ok before every flight -easy to miss and will save a scraped underside!. Other than these precautions I've found them to be excellent. Lovely workmanship BTW.

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