Cambrian ME109 Funfighter electric build

[martin collins 1]

After threatening to do a build thread on this for several weeks i have finally pulled the lid off the box and got my glue out! Having been flying r/c planes for about 25 years i am ashamed to say that in that time i have only fully completed one build. That was about 20 years ago and it was a Galaxy Models Piccolo, without wishing to blow my own trumpet, i think i made a nice job of it and it flew very well. Over the years several more have been started but not finished and sold on, a Flair Cub and Priory Models Sillhouette built but i.c engine and radio gear not fitted as i had then decided to go electric. As a teenager a number of stick and tissue rubber powered and gliders, mostly KeilKraft were completed and flown but that was way back when! In recent times a couple of printed wood kits were started with an eye to radio conversion but the time involved cutting all the ribs ( 50" biplane) and sanding to shape saw it 70% built then passed onto a friend. Due to other hobbies which take some of my time most of my modeling is done converting scale glow planes to electric which i enjoy but the building something of my own thing keeps gnawing away. So here we are, this satisfies several of my modeling likes, something that looks scale, has plenty of choice for a scale colour scheme, is relatively quick to build and should be a hoot to fly. Added bonus is it will go in the car in one piece, just add the battery and fly.

Here is a link to the kit:-

https://www.cambrianplanes.co.uk/ourshop/prod_2810263-CA07-Funfighter-ME109-Electric-Kit.html

Here is a picture of the box contents, quite impressed with what you get and a lot of it is bagged up with header cards.

Decisions to be made on whether to cover with a shrink film, prymol then paint or to go with tissue and Easy dope then paint?

Last night a gentle start was made, the leading and trailing edges were glued on with my glue of choice (Aliphatic), and the tip trailing edges, inner and outer were cut to shape. The inner one has to have a groove made in it to accept the aileron torque rod, this was easily done with some course sandpaper wrapped round the rod. The tube which the rod fits through gets epoxied into this groove so the rod can rotate freely.

Tonight i will be assembling the laser cut electric motor mount and adding the wingtips, bending the torque rods to the required size and starting on the fuselage sides.............Martin

Edited By martin collins 1 on 14/08/2019 11:16:00

[Andy Blackburn]

Ooh, nice. Will be watching this one.

[martin collins 1]

Forgot to add, this one will be fitted with a 3s setup and kept light to make it easier for me to hand launch myself. George at 4-Max has been very helpful, here is his recommended set up:

MOTOR PO-3547-1100

ESC 60amp

Prop 10x7

Battery 3s 40c 3300

[dan h]

Hi martin

Following with interest.

What do you hope the auw might be.

Dan

[martin collins 1]

Most of them seem to come out at 3-3.5 lbs so hoping for the lower end of that, depends on the mah of the flight pack as well, anything from 2200 to 3300, will see what it needs to balance it...........

[Jimbo565]

Martin

Juast finished the Cambrian Hurricane with SC25 up front and it tips the scales bang on 3lbs

Jim.

[martin collins 1]

Ok, i thought around 3 lbs was what i was looking for.

Tonight`s progress has been glueing the 5x5 strip peices to the fuselage sides having marked the former positions and adding the three front formers to one fuselage side, the front one was put on using 15 min epoxy as it will be taking the motor box. The wings have had the tips and outer trailing edges added and elevator had it`s 5x5 pieces added as well, the rudder pieces were also joined. The aileron torque rods have been cut to size and bent to fit into the ailerons. First Dufas moment occurred here, despite reading the instructions numerous times where it clearly states fit the outer tubes to the torque rods BEFORE bending i forgot on the first one...DOH! Bend it straight, fit the tube and re bend

Tomorrow the two fuselage sides will be glued together, the wing inner trailing edge carrying the torque tubes will be attached and the leading/ trailing edge and tips will be sanded to shape plus i will bend the elevator joiner wire to shape and fit.

 

Edited By martin collins 1 on 14/08/2019 22:06:16

Edited By martin collins 1 on 14/08/2019 22:12:18

Edited By martin collins 1 on 14/08/2019 22:13:21

[Jimbo565]

Dan

[dan h]

Thankyou jim.

Very nice

[martin collins 1]

Got a bit more done, hoping to do some more tomorrow, the shaped aileron torque rods in their tubes were epoxied into the grooved trailing edge pieces and these were epoxied in place making sure none of the glue got on the rods themselves! The first wing has been sanded to shape, i had the idea to use the tissue paper that the kit was wrapped in to make a sanding template off the plan for the wingtip shape. This was cut out and then drawn on the wood, worked well.........

The fuselage sides have been joined using some set squares to make sure everything was lined up, the front firewall is sticking out at the bottom very slightly at the bottom on one side. If i had pulled the side down to line it up i found it would twist the fuselage along it`s length, everything is square as it is now. I figured it was better to adjust that small part at the front rather than deal with a twisted fuselage. The fuselage is now on my SLEC fuselage jig, i will use this to make sure the rear gets pulled in evenly.

Firewall can be seen slightly low on this side in the above picture.

Edited By martin collins 1 on 17/08/2019 18:11:44

Edited By martin collins 1 on 17/08/2019 18:13:49

Edited By martin collins 1 on 17/08/2019 18:15:34

[martin collins 1]

Fuselage all glued and in the jig, motor mount box also assembled and epoxied on.

[leccyflyer]

Great to see this build thread. the Cambrian Bf109 is an excellent model and very enjoyable quick build - watching with interest.

[martin collins 1]

Really enjoying putting it together, still undecided on which covering to go with, i have a couple of colour schemes in mind. Even playing with the idea of modifying the nose to do a Battle of Britain movie messerschmidt / Buchon HA112, one of my favourite films

 

Some good 109 schemes here:- **LINK**

And Battle of Britain film Buchon`s here:- http://wp.scn.ru/en/ww3/f/406/24_o/0#2

Edited By martin collins 1 on 18/08/2019 10:25:26

[dan h]

I'm enjoying seeing this build As well.

The battle britain scheme sounds good!

[leccyflyer]

On the topic of colour schemes, just like the only proper Spitfire being a late summer 1940 Mk1a, the only proper Bf109 is a late summer 1940 "Yellow Nosed B$%£$% Coming Down!" Emil. All IMHO of course .

[Stuart Z]

Hi,

Following with interest, mine is still in the box and will be IC powered, just half way through the Hurricane in the same series!

Will be a “very stand off” finish on both but will be looking for a colour scheme used on BoB.

S

[leccyflyer]

Here's my Emil - originally Enya 25SS powered, then AXI 28/20-10, now PSS - first flew in 1996.

[martin collins 1]

Nicely finished, may be tempted to build another with a different scheme from the first, next projects though will be a Funfighter KI 61, again loads of great schemes to paint in and a Cambrian Cassutt racer, both electric, picking both kits up from the manufacturers at the NATS next weekend..........

Will do build threads on both.

 

Edited By martin collins 1 on 18/08/2019 14:25:31

[martin collins 1]

Tonights update, rear `spine` added, the rest of the front formers, servo mounts and battery hatch top added, front nose blocks glued to form the cowl which will be sanded to shape once on the fuselage. The wing halves have been joined using 15 min epoxy and the ailerons have been cut to length and been drilled and grooved to take the torque rods, they are not glued at this point. Tomorrow hopefully i can glue on the fibreglass wing joint bandage again using 15 min epoxy, i may also start the fuselage side sheeting and ad the rear control snakes.

It is going together very easily and the illustrated instruction booklet is good, i can recommend one of these kits if anyone is thinking about building one. Will be visiting the Cambrian stand at the NATS and hopefully pick up another kit.

Edited By martin collins 1 on 22/08/2019 21:55:32

[Richard Wood]

Going together really well.
Thoroughly enjoyed building & flying a Cambrian 109 back in the 80s.
The quality of this latest version of the kit looks very good.

[martin collins 1]

Was going to use 15 min epoxy on the centre wing bandage but the instructions mention using PVA, i can see this would sand better and maybe soak into the bandage better, anyone used PVA or are you all Epoxy users for this job?

[Stuart Z]

Hi

I use Epoxy. I suspect PVA but I like the solidity of Epoxy, and a slower setting one at that.

S

[dan h]

Hi martin.

Hows the build going any updates.

Cheers

Dan

[Robert Parker]

Hi Martin,

Probably a bit late but I use PVA for wing bandages and have done so for many years without fail.

I built one of these back in the 90"s, covered in tissue and dope and sprayed with car paints and fuel proofed.

[Nigel R]

"Was going to use 15 min epoxy on the centre wing bandage but the instructions mention using PVA, i can see this would sand better and maybe soak into the bandage better, anyone used PVA "

I use vanilla PVA for wing bandages. Never a problem. Much cleaner & cheaper than epoxy. I don't use thick bandages actually, I use glass surface tissue / cloth, the really lightweight stuff, and do 3 layers - one wide, one medium, and one narrow. Credit card or similar is the weapon of choice to spread PVA over the bandage. Several coats after the cloth is on will fill the weave quite well. If you use multiple layers of thin cloth it does not need blending or sanding at the edge.

Only thing to remember with PVA is the water content, so do it somewhere warm where it will dry relatively quickly.

Edited By Nigel R on 29/08/2019 13:31:47