Gary's Ballerina Build

[Peter Miller]

You should have no trouble with the fuselage.

I tend to be lazy and make things easy to build.

[Peter Miller]

Double post

Edited By Peter Miller on 22/04/2020 18:46:44

[Mark Elen]

Hi Gary,

Yes, you should enjoy the fuselage build. I’m a wing man. Never have enjoyed building fuselages until I built the Ballerina.
Those wings look spot on👍
Cheers

Mark

Edited By Mark Elen on 22/04/2020 18:52:44

[dan h]

hi gary.

im still following, got to agree with the above that wing looks really good seems to be going together quickly.

this is on my list to build one day!

dan

[Gary Clark 1]

Thanks guys.

Yes Dan, it is going quickly which I think is a mix of being able to get an hour at lunch as well as some time in the evening. Also, credit to Peter because the plan is clear and I've not once had to spend time trying to work out what's going on.

I got the 1/32" doublers cut for the fuselage tonight and pinned to the 3/32" sides. They are drying overnight so that I can continue with the fuselage tomorrow. I had a double check of the wing plan and realised I hat missed a couple of bits here and there so got that finished off as well.

I might have to Find another lockdown project with the speed I'm getting through this!! I fancy an Elmira glider since I have the plan out for that.....

Gary

[Peter Miller]

What glue did you use to stick the doublers to the sides?

[Gary Clark 1]

I used Gorrila wood glue peter. I find it thin enough to soak into the balsa and had excellent results with it over the years.

Gary

[Peter Miller]

That is interesting. Never tried that.

[Gary Clark 1]

Evening all,

Progress was hampered today by the discovery of the very mean trick played on me by my printer....

I spend the morning cutting out the fuselage sides out from the 3/32 sheet. I had scanned then printed the doublers (as I have done with all the cut parts) then glued and cut the 1/32 ply which is a fairly standard way of doing things. I then cut a 4" wide sheet of 3/32 balsa to the correct fuselage length and attached the front doublers to the front (obviously) the same at the back using the edge of the sheet as the guide. Once dry, cut around the ply and join with a ruler to cut the rest of the sheet to size and you have a complete fuselage side with doublers attached. The same was repeated and both compared to ensure I had a left and right and also that they were identically. Easy peasy. I sat the right side on the plan to start marking the position of the formers (at this rate I was going to have a fuselage by dinner time) and the fuselage side didnt match.......I've obviously missed a setting somewhere and the sides were cut at 97%

I was just going to make new ones but didnt have enough 1/32 ply so surgery it was. Luckily most of the former still fitted but just needed widened around the edges and a bit of reshaping of the wing seat but that took up most of my afternoon. I didn't get any photos because a. I was a bit annoyed at myself and b. It's not as pretty as I'd like.

I did get a chance tonight to get the formers in and made a start on the spruce stringers however I'm having a tough time getting the stringers to glue properly. What do you guys use when glueing spruce? Wood glue and ca are my usual weapons but the spruce seems too smooth for them to grip. I may have to roughen up with sandpaper first but I prefer a lazy approach.

Anyway, a fairly frustrating session but I still have the main body of a fuselage done. Hopefully that description may be handy for someone thinking about a scratch build rather than buying a cut kit.

Gary

[Peter Miller]

I just used my normal aliphatic resin for the stringers.

Sorry you had a printer problem.

always mark straight from the plan. For the sides I use about 3 or 4 sheets of handwrinting carbon paper under the plan (Carbon side down!!!Guess how many times I have got THAT wrong!)

I push a couple of pins through the plan and carbon paper inton the building board along the top edge of the side and slide the sheet up against it. pin to hold in place and run round with a pencil.

[Gary Clark 1]

Yes Peter, the way you do it removes any error install and gets solid results each time. I like scanning and printing because it means i have a digital copy of the parts so i can print again quickly without having to lift the plan.

I managed to get the stringers n place yesterday. It was a slow process as i used wood glue and pinned them in place whilst it set. I could only have a couple in place at a time because the pins were generally in the way of the next stringer so took the majority of the day to let the glue set before placing the next stringers.

Frustratingly, the centre top stringer is perfectly in the centre somehow so i must have nudged it before it set. it shouldn't make much difference but it will probably annoy me forever with this plane!!

I will leave off the front sheeting until the fuel tank and engine are mounted. Just a bit easier to sort everything out when you can get in from both sids.

On to the tailplane next but shouldn't take long, this lets me get control rod exits sorted and i can close up the rear of the fuselage.

Gary

[Peter Miller]

I thought that I had let the stringers into notches at the front and rear of the stringered section leaving them to find their own position on the intermediate fozrmers.

[Gary Clark 1]

What I've done is what's shown on the plan Peter. There are little bits of 1/8 sheet filler inbetween the stringers at the front and possibly the rear as well

Gary

[Mark Elen]

Hi Gary,

Very carefully, with a sharp scalpel, break the joints and move it where it needs to be.

I had to do the same on mine, as when they had dried, they didn’t look right.

Cheers

Mark

[Gary Clark 1]

I think I will Mark. It's amazing how a little thing like that will bug you if left like that!

Gary

[Peter Miller]

My apologies.

I thought that I had drawn the slots in to the former but I had not.

It must be senility galloping in

[Gary Clark 1]

No problem Peter, I would be very impressed if you remembered the exact details of your designs!!

I've not got too much done today, just sorted the stringers (thanks for the nudge Mark) and got the engine mount in.

I'm starting to doubt putting a 46 engine in. Having seen the design up close now I'm thinking a 40 size or even a 36 would be better. I don't have one available and I know you dont have to use all the power but I'm having doubts.

Decisions decisions

Gary

[Mark Elen]

Hi Gary,

I put a Saito 40 4 Stroke in mine. It flies a treat. Just the right amount of power and it sounds beautiful. It was my first 4 stroke, I’m that impressed, I have bought another to go in the Peggy Sue 2 that I’m building.

Cheers

Mark

[Peter Miller]

I have to agree that a .46 would be just too much. As I said earlier n the thread, I had a model that size but a little heavier that would do knife edge loops on a.46. I still remember the shock when I tried to do knife edge and it looped from knife edge

That was Dancing Girl, no, not the controlline biplane

A good .32 would be fine and a .40 FS Surpass is ideal but going up to . .52 would be OK.

[Peter Miller]

Gary I have sent you a PM

[Gary Clark 1]

Thanks again for the advice Peter. My initial thought to use a 46 was based on mainly having scale fighters and needing a bit more power due to the larger fuselage and more wing area but it's clear now that I have most of the ballerina done that a 46 is, as you say, just too much.

Having the designer to chat to whilst building a model is first class! I first built a Brian Taylor model several years ago and my life would have been significantly easier if I had him to help like Peter does on here. It is much appreciated Peter.

Gary

[Gary Clark 1]

Finally got back into the garage after a couple of evenings of Family Quizzes on FaceTime, all very good fun (we won btw!)

I got the tail parts all cut and shaped and ready to be positioned on the fuselage. This will let me get the control rods in and then close up the underside of the fuselage.

The plan doesn't call for it but i am going to taper the elevators and rudder a little to give a more streamline finish.

I'm now very excited about the arrival of an OS 40FS that i have coming for this aircraft. I am very chuffed and think it will be a perfect combination.

I started filling the gaps at the end of the stringers with1/8 balsa strips. They finish of this area very well but i can't say it is particularly quick since its cutting and chamfering individual strips to fit each gap. It will be worth it when its done.

Gary

[Peter Miller]

One builder already mentioned missread the plan...again, and filled in the full length between each stringer.

[Gary Clark 1]

Hi All,

I am now at the stage where things are starting to come together so little bits that had to be finished on the wing needed done and start the process of mounting the wing onto the fuselage.

I have decided that the easiest way of attaching the aileron pushrods to the bell cranks is to cover the underside first, then attach the pushrod to the bell crank then attach that to the wing ribs. This means i won't have the pushrod in the way for covering and makes it easier to attach to the bell crank.

I will cut the pushrod exit hole before covering but you can see the pushrod and where the bell crank will attach.

I also sheeted the centre section ready for joining to the fuselage, I used a collet to attach the the two pushrods together and the arm that will connect to the servo also goes through there. Its a very tight fit so no worry of it slipping in use.

First fit on the fuselage was pretty pleasing. The wing seat looks pretty good already but there is a little bit towards the front that needs some filling to remove the gap

The OS 40 arrived today so i got it into the mount and onto the firewall. This will allow me to sort the throttle pushrod and get the cowl started.

Anyone eagle eyed will notice the "lightning hole" just in front of the mount and there is another one beneath the mount. This is what happens when you don't pay attention when mounting an engine....it ends up in the wrong place.

Gary

[Paul C.]

Looks great Gary good move going for the 4 stroke , perfect for Ballerina. When I built mine I used one of the nylon engine mounts but it was so big there was next to no room to fit the cowl 😨 had to do a bit of surgery on it to make sufficient room. Probably my own fault though as I went for an inverted engine, your lightening hole could be used for a remote glow connector I placed mine just in front of the pilot 😂.

Paul.