Martian Posted August 31, 2020 Share Posted August 31, 2020 Time to start a thread on my Tigercat build from a Dom Smith 103" plan reduced down to 60" waiting on the printers it,s going to take a while no laser cut parts I guess about 2 years. more soon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew exton Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 will be watching with interest as i have looked at this many times , had the full sizeplan at one time but decided it was to much size & cost wise but this will be interesting andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Walby Posted September 1, 2020 Share Posted September 1, 2020 Great idea for a build there and will be watching with interest. If you are ever short of inspiration, just sit down with a drink and watch **LINK** Anyway do spill the beans on the build Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 1, 2020 Author Share Posted September 1, 2020 Andy the 100" plan is massive and yes 1 it would cost a fortune to build and 2 I have no space big enough to build it, I have paid out a fair bit to have it scanned to pdf and then printed should be ready this week. Chris thanks for the link such a graceful plane. Not short of inspiration been watching videos studying pics for quite some time now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Robson Posted September 2, 2020 Share Posted September 2, 2020 Looking forward to this one Martian, a great looking plane, Seen the full size flying at Duxford in the 1990's don't know if it is still about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 4, 2020 Author Share Posted September 4, 2020 Just picked up my plans all 7 pages of them better make a good job of the plane it was expensive. Will post some pics of the plane . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted September 21, 2020 Author Share Posted September 21, 2020 I have searched and search for build lots for Dom Smith,s Tigercat haven't found much but the general rule is the plan outlines are accurate but lacks detail of guidelines ,the build requires plenty of forward planning and study also no standard retracts will fit the leg moves through 120degrees , so I need to build my own somehow . Anyway fuselage formers are marked out and cut the nacelle formers are traded and marked out it helps to have the pdf plans so I can print out sections as needed and keep the plan clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andrew exton Posted September 22, 2020 Share Posted September 22, 2020 Posted by Eric Robson on 02/09/2020 22:11:17: Looking forward to this one Martian, a great looking plane, Seen the full size flying at Duxford in the 1990's don't know if it is still about. the duxford based TFC tigercat went back tot he states a good few years ago cant remember when but probably more than i care to remember , think Stephen grey sold it due to multi engines / his age on pilots license ( i think ) andy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 5, 2020 Author Share Posted October 5, 2020 Progress has been made ,the problem is every stage has to be processed by careful thought to the following steps there are no guidelines for this plan it is assumed the builder will be able to overcome any difficulties. Anybody want some pictures of progress so far ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McG 6969 Posted October 5, 2020 Share Posted October 5, 2020 ... of course we do want some pics, Martian. And more than just a few, thanks... Cheers and stay safe, young man. Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Walby Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Hi Martian, hope you are keeping well and of course post as many photos as you can of every stage! It would be great to see the trials and tribulations as I fully appreciate (as with the Focke Ta 154 build) that a simple decision in the early days (3 piece wings) can come back to provide a hole bunch of challenges later on. ….please post photos ASAP, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 6, 2020 Author Share Posted October 6, 2020 First up some jpegs of the 7 plan sheets mor later Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McG 6969 Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Hi Martian, Even if the printing/pdf scan were 'rather expensive', at least you have a lot of paper sheets... It looks like your fuse is to be build in two halves keeping the first half pinned to the board. But then, what do I know? ... Cheers Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Cotsford Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 I wonder how much it would cost to get the formers and ribs laser cut? I think I'd be tempted to cheat with the retracts, mounting standard mechanical or preferably electric noseleg units higher up with long legs to get the wheels in the right place when extended. It would mean extending the wheel bays to accommodate the longer legs when retracted but unless you are going full on scale who would notice? Otherwise it's out with the tinsnips Definitely let us know how you get on, I suspect there will be a few areas like the wing mount and wheel wells where you will be finishing the planking then removing unwanted segments. It's just like the Keilkraft Flying Scale rubber powered models, just bigger Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 6, 2020 Author Share Posted October 6, 2020 Yes Chris a clamshell build including the fin Hi Bob I liked the idea of going au naturel with this build so everything hand cut I,m not in a hurry. I am going to do my best to build as near scale retracts as possible with the help of my daughter's engineering skill he has his own business in fabrication and engineering complete with CNC and Lathe I have an engineering drawing of the Tigercat although it won,t be easy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 6, 2020 Author Share Posted October 6, 2020 Well the fuselage complete with fin and rudder are built in 2 halves clamshell-like it is alien to me except for as Bob says the early KielKraft builds which I have done a few. more pics. Having the plans in pdf as well means I can play jigsaws first taping the sheets of paper together then cutting out the formers. now to pritt stick the paper formers to selected sheet balsa in order to keep weight down I have dev iated from the called for balsa size down to 2.6 mm instead of 3.4mm ready for the scroll saw and disc sander first sheet Using graphite carbon paper and tracing tool to mark out the rear top crutch Fittingly a box of formers including nacelle formers in the Italeri Tigercat box lid plan pinned down and she starts to rise of the board (I had to make an extra long building board) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 6, 2020 Author Share Posted October 6, 2020 Slowly gluing the formers in place you should be able to make out the tailplane seat in place I should have mentioned the spines are laid down first they are half sawned to allow bending to shape then smeared with glue also I,m using two types of Gorilla glue PU for ply to balsa and ply to ply and the Gorilla wood glue both of which I have had success with. Wing seat in place all glue with wing mounting plate cutout ready it had to be done now or it would be impossible later .spacers were used to hold it in place the red lines are where to wing mounting hatch is cut out later after sheeting. closer look at the tail end closer look at part of the wing seat and mounting plate cutout former 8 has a strip of bals to provide temporary support this and former 9 are fitter after the wing seat is in place otherwise it cannot be slid in place its the mid cockpit former first five formers are in place 1/8th beech ply Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eric Robson Posted October 6, 2020 Share Posted October 6, 2020 Hi Martian, great progress a lot of formers , they should give good support for the sheeting ,no starved horse there. Good luck with the retracts, That's a lot of travel to get the wheels up there. Cheers Eric. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 Thanks Eric yes a lot of formers 28 per side was slow work cutting them. The retract angle is about 120 degrees so no standard retracts will work ,for the 100inch Tigercat built in the States he commissioned a guy to build him a set i dread to think of the cost , Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 7, 2020 Author Share Posted October 7, 2020 The build moves slowly on lying on the board like a flesh less shark. Spruce spars in place all formers now in place formers 9A and 15A that form the hatch ends with old gift cards as spacer There is no provision on the plan for tailplane support so I have outlined the shape which will bond to the outer skin and be cut open when of the board The same for the main wing shaped flush with formers planking has started using soft 2.5mm soft balsa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 not exactly steaming ahead but one half of the fuselage is planked as far as possible this includes half of the fin. it is now a mutant turtle in a half shell. the half has been fitted with a number of support pegs matched in length with a simple jig and lifted of the board following pics of progress. simple peg jig Edited By Martian on 12/10/2020 16:21:36 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Walby Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 Looking good there Martian, just wish I could build that fast and well. Will be really interesting how you deal with kitting it out and then joining the two halves or will that come post wing build? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 Thanks, Chris. I have to work out the position of rudder and elevator servos before placing mid fus formers am also deviating from two servos for the tailplane in favor of a single servo a the midsection of fus .now for some thinking Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chris Walby Posted October 12, 2020 Share Posted October 12, 2020 Not far off the DH Mosquito production technique, build both fuselage halves, kit out and then assemble. Sounds so easy... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martian Posted October 12, 2020 Author Share Posted October 12, 2020 Yes be part of the people's mosquito we could learn a lot from that rebuild Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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