Building a Depron Vulcan (smallish)

[Foxfan]

Hi all,

My dear wife has bought me a brass name plaque to be affixed to the underside of XH558's wing as a valentine's present and that has galvanised my thoughts about building a flying one, but I'd like it to be an EDF version, rather than a pusher and something around 3'-6" to 4' span. The Depron ones seem to be very successful.

What I need to know is are there any plans available for such a model, preferably with a scale like fuselage section rather than a square one. I do like a reasonably accurate look to the model.

Thanks,

Martin

[Ray Wood 4]

Hi Martin,

Tony Nijhuis has a smaller edf Vulcan in his range of designs, granted not depron but the thinner depron sheets have become hard to get !

Regards Ray

[fly boy3]

Foxfan, Dave Reap on "the other forum" has an exellent Depron Vulcan, which looks and flies like a scale job. Suss out his videos for a suprise. Cheers. Ps it's made from 6 MM Depron, but as Ray mentioned it's getting hard to source. Try Slec, or Steve Webb amongst others.

[Denis Watkins]

Leeds Model Shop ship Depron, quote

Depron Sheet 6mm 1000x700mm White

This sheet will supplied be cut in 2 for shipping but is available full-size in store.

[Thomas Nilsen]

Clickety on RCGroups also has Vulcan depron build with plans. Follow the Vulcan link in the blog post at

https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/member.php?userid=435614

[Foxfan]

Thanks, gents, but the first one is a bit unclear as to construction and the second is too big.

I'm thinking I could use the free plan that was in one of the mags recently for the wing construction and just improve the section of the fuselage to something more accurate.

OR...I suppose I should be able to design my own using known "good-uns" as inspiration.

More research needed I think.

As to Depron, I got mine from SLEC, who are a pleasant toodle away, with an excellent burger bar on the corner.

Failing that Amazon do a pack of 10 foamboards for about £15, which I have used to make the FT Spitfire. I have plenty left.

Martin

[fly boy3]

Hi Foxfan, how does foam board compare with Depron ? Thanks

[Foxfan]

Hi Flyboy,

Foamboard has thin paper either side of the foam, whereas Depron has a slight grainy surface to the foam with no paper. I have made a Flite test Pietenpol from one of their kits and a Flite Test Spitfire from their free plans and built them as they describe in the build videos which involves folding the Foamboard over to form the leading edges, which it does happily with care, but when I tried to roll just 2mm Depron over the Spitfire fuselage formers it wrinkled and creased, requiring filler. Perhaps if I'd taped it first it would have helped. I need to do some experimentation especially if I make a Vulcan with that all important wing.

Martin

[fly boy3]

Thanks Foxfan, did you leave the paper on the foam board or did you remove it ?Cheers

[Mark Kettle 1]

[Simon Chaddock]

Foxfan

I don't think you will get any more 2mm Depron from SLEC. Guess who bought the last of their stock.

At 4 ft span the Vulcan fuselage will be quite small so it may require considerable sanding of a crude 'block' Depron (or foam board) fuselage to achieve the required shape.

Also at 4 ft span scale exhaust ducts will be pretty small so its either one big central EDF and a single non scale exhaust or 4 really tiny EDFs in the wings - good luck with that.

A single rear prop has its attractions. Although obviously not scale in function the motor can be completely hidden within a scale Vulcan rear end.

[Mark Kettle 1]

Hi Foxfan, I'm in the process of drawing a light Vulcan, built with traditional methods in mind.

Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 07/02/2020 20:15:49

[Foxfan]

Flyboy, I removed the paper where they said to do so, otherwise it stayed on.

Simon, it was while back that I had my Depron from SLEC so it's taken a while to sell what little they had.

I think a tail mounted pusher is the way to go.

Mark, I could be interested in your Vulcan ideas.

Martin

[fly boy3]

Thanks for your help Foxfan. Cheers

[Foxfan]

You're welcome, Flyboy. I've settled on Rustoleum spray enamel, which other foam fans on youtube have used with success. It can be had from Boyes and B&Q or online.

Cheers,

Martin

[EvilC57]

I've been flying Graham Dorschell's Depron E-Vulcan for around 3.5 years now. It's square-section with a pusher prop, but once it's aloft looks quite realistic. It's only 42 inch span, and easy to hand launch, but because of the classic delta shape with a large wing area, looks bigger than it really is.

The plans were in one of the last RCMW magazines before they went out of business, and are available from Sarik Hobbies.

[Mark Kettle 1]

Hi Foxfan, I'm at the drawing stage and working out strength of design via test pieces, your welcome to view the development so far via my album pictures here's a Link . Descriptions of whats going on are with each picture labels.

The size will be based on these two sized of models, myself with two 44" span epp versions. 

 

 

 

Edited By Mark Kettle 1 on 08/02/2020 09:56:22

[Foxfan]

Mark, that looks very promising and all hand drawn, so refreshing! Yes, I'd be very interested when you can send copies of drawings. I'm having so much trouble finding paint that won't eat my foam FT Spitfire, I might have to return to balsa, much as I hate the stuff. (When you've made model boats from rare and beautiful hardwoods that you work with metalworking tools, balsa is almost unconcionable!)

EvilC57, I really couldn't do that Vulcan with the fuselage looking like an Antonov of some sort, but the wing might be doable with a seriously modified fuselage. So far, I'm tending towards the balsa one!

Martin

[EvilC57]

Posted by Foxfan on 08/02/2020 11:19:08:

EvilC57, I really couldn't do that Vulcan with the fuselage looking like an Antonov of some sort, but the wing might be doable with a seriously modified fuselage. So far, I'm tending towards the balsa one!

Martin

Ha! Well I've had several complementary remarks about it in our club - but perhaps they're just being kind!

I have the plans for Tony Nijhuis' 42 inch Vulcan too, and considered building the twin pusher version of that. But decided that Graham Dorschell's would be considerably cheaper, simper & quicker to build. Now I can just chuck it in the back of the car, and have a fun-scale vulcan in the air with the minimum of fuss.

[Foxfan]

Oh, absolutely. I quite get your point and I'm sure I could re-section that fuselage to make it more realistic. I have those plans already, so maybe I should have another look at them.

Still trying to get some silver paint that doesn't eat foam and have just come back from B&Q with some ruinously expensive metallic emulsion! Had to buy the pot as they don't do tasters. If this don't work, I will give up on foam and let my granddaughter have the paint for her bedroom!

Martin

[EvilC57]

I’ve painted Depron and EPP quite successfully using artists acrylic paint which comes in a wide range of colours (although I’m not sure about silver).

[Foxfan]

Well, I just tried the metallic emulsion and it would NOT cover, even with a sable brush. Then I tried thinning it with water, obviously and it sprayed well enough, but then the elevator broke through my carelessness and flopped over onto the rudder to which it stuck and pulled all the paint off the surface of the Foamboard as a thin plastic skin. 15 quid wasted. And now if and when it ever dries I have to install hinges, because it's softened and destroyed the paper "hinges".

My son has picked up a can of Rustoleum from Boyes for £6 a can, whereas B&Q want a usurious £11 for the same can. Even though it says "contains acetone", for 6 quid I'll try it as the Youtube man uses Rustoleum on his foam models saying don't spray it too wet.

The only other suggestion is to use something called Minwax Polycrylic as a sealer, but it's frighteningly expensive and only comes in large cans. I have some polyurethane varnish which I believe some use as a fuel proofer. I would try that and maybe the foam problems would be over, albeit at a weight penalty, but I imagine the model is specced to have plenty of power. My FT Pietenpol will go straight up with no complaint!

Martin

[Foxfan]

Evilc, I need some semblance of aluminium for the Spitfire, so artist's acrylic won;'t do and many find it flakes off after a while.

I can quite see why people stay with balsa, sealed with cellulose sanding sealer or dope and then painted with whatever the hell you like.

Martin

[Engine Doctor]

I have recently re painted an epp edf model . I thought I had some artists acrylic in the red I wanted but it had gone hard in the bottle . I had an aerosol of bright red polyester base coat left over from painting my sons Fireblade years ago. After testing on some epp scraps it looked good so painted model. It gave a fantastic red satin finish. On that basis you can get it in good proper metalic as its used on cars and bikes etc. I have clear coated it with some ronseal to give better protection . The polyester paints/basecoats can be bought from car poaint factors in aerosol if required . Not cheap but cover well and go a long way.

[Foxfan]

Interesting. I'm not sure what a polyester finish is as it sounds like it would go through foam in a moment, like polyester based GRP. I've had that happen before, quicker than epoxy.

I have now given in and hit the Humbrol for the silver bits. I wanted to do it all in silver so that the yellow zinc chromate would show a little metallic edge like anodizing, but without a good supply of the paint (which a Humbrol tinlet isn't!) I have had to just do the silver parts. I've now done the port side of the fuzz. with yellow and marked on panel lines and am now touching in separate panels with different shades of greenish yellow with a slight metallic haze on the lighter one, using Vallejo silver which is seriously dull! I'll have to go and beg some vinyl in the right colours from the local car skinz guy for home made roundels. Letters and numbers I'll hand paint.

We get there in the end, but I have wasted a lot of money on stuff that just hasn't worked. I can use some of them on slot cars and I'm sure my granddaughter would love a silver wall in her bedroom!

Martin