Colin Leighfield Posted April 7, 2021 Author Share Posted April 7, 2021 I realised that I hadn’t soldered the lugs for the flying/landing wires onto the undercarriage legs before finishing the leg fairings, so some work was necessary, but that’s sorted now. Next step in finishing the u/c was fitting the wheels, but it become apparent that the conical form on the hub was nothing like the flattish disc on the Dowty sprung hub. After some deliberation I decided that vandalism was necessary, so attacked one of the lovely DuBro wheels with my trusty Black and Decker Powerfile. Fingers crossed, watch this space! 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted April 8, 2021 Author Share Posted April 8, 2021 The object of vandalising the wheels was to bring the outside face to flush with the tyre edge. I was surprised to find that the wheels were hollow, I’d thought that they were solid plastic. To restore strength undoubtedly removed by doing this I filled the centres back in with 1/2” balsa using epoxy resin and some Micro-balloons filler. It doesn’t look glamorous but job done. I’ve fixed the wheels on and secured them by soldering on flat washers on both sides, positioning them on the ends of the axles to replicate the full-size. Now I will be able to tidy the wheels up by fitting shallow domed hub discs, which I will make from balsa tomorrow. The flat washers will be completely concealed inside the hub discs. I’ve also given the undercarriage legs a coat of sanding sealer, then doped on tissue. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted April 9, 2021 Author Share Posted April 9, 2021 I only had a couple of hours this evening but the method of reproducing the wheel appears to be ok. I just need to finish carefully sanding the hub disc on the left wheel and it won’t take long to do the other one. When this is finished I will be on the home run with sorting out radio installation and control linkages and preparing the airframe for covering with Solartex. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 Getting there, I think my interpretation of a Dowty Sprung Wheel will pass. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwain Dibley. Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 Nice one Colin. D.D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted April 10, 2021 Author Share Posted April 10, 2021 Thanks DD, we’re getting there mate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwain Dibley. Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 To be fair, ain't that what it's all about ? The journey ? The "Getting there" ? ? D.D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted April 10, 2021 Share Posted April 10, 2021 2 hours ago, Dwain Dibley. said: To be fair, ain't that what it's all about ? The journey ? The "Getting there" ? ? D.D. Quite right DD, its not a race ? looking great Colin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted April 11, 2021 Author Share Posted April 11, 2021 Thank you Dwain and you Danny. What’s changed is that I’m getting a couple of hours in on this on most days now, whereas before sometimes I couldn’t touch it for weeks. Today I’ve been working on the second wheel, using a Permagrit to get the hub disc shape right and finishing off with fine sandpaper and sanding sealer. I think it’s as far as I can go with this type of undercarriage, although when finishing off I will pay some attention to fairing the length of axle inside the wheels back to the legs. I’m onto the completion stages now. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted April 12, 2021 Author Share Posted April 12, 2021 The next steps are around finishing off the fuselage and at this point I need to sort out the fitting of the tailplane and fin. Although everything looks accurate to the plan, on a trial fit the fin isn’t sitting right. The reasons aren’t immediately obvious, I’ll take a look in the morning after a night’s sleep! If thinking about it doesn’t keep me awake, that is! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted April 12, 2021 Share Posted April 12, 2021 Great progress Colin. Are you attaching the tail-plane and fin before covering? Will make covering very tricky...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted April 18, 2021 Author Share Posted April 18, 2021 Hi Danny, sorry I’ve only just seen your post, I had to leave this for a few days because of other things going on. (Decorating!). No I’ll cover them before fitting, but before I do that I want to assemble the airframe and check all of the alignments. Hopefully back on it tomorrow. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 I’m now at the sorting/sanding stage before covering, time to put it together and check alignments etc. Here the differences between the Spanish/Yugoslavian variants become obvious. They’re for me the most interesting of the Hawker Furies. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
David Ovenden Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 It's looking very nice Colin. Great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dwain Dibley. Posted April 21, 2021 Share Posted April 21, 2021 She's a corker Colin. D.D. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted April 21, 2021 Author Share Posted April 21, 2021 Thank you David and Dwain! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted May 4, 2021 Author Share Posted May 4, 2021 The last few days I’ve been working on the tailplane and elevators. I’m using Dubro heavy duty hinges. Before covering I need to reinforce around the hinge positions. The glass-fibre dummy elevator horns and the aluminium tubes for the false elevator cables are in place. The working elevator horn was made from an offcut of the 0.9mm brass components sheet that Ernie made for us, folded over to make 1.8mm and soldered.,that has worked out ok. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted May 7, 2021 Author Share Posted May 7, 2021 Tailplane and elevator covered with Solartex and joined. Another job done! 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted May 8, 2021 Author Share Posted May 8, 2021 I’m covering the wings before finishing off the fuselage. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Looks great well done. Should that lifting wire attachment point not be on the centre section? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted May 8, 2021 Author Share Posted May 8, 2021 As far as I could tell it was right? Also I’m looking to have the wing bays pre-rigged and assembled if I can, to slide onto the carbon-fibre rods and minimise the messing-about time at the airfield. I’ve seen it done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Hi Colin, if you are using the riging wires to hold the wings on, then the anchors need to be on the fus/centre section. If you are retaining the wings differently then fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted May 8, 2021 Author Share Posted May 8, 2021 I’m thinking of a couple of screws into the carbon-fibre tubes. I’ve used that before, I don’t think the span-wise loading is very high. I don’t want to use the rigging wires to do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Danny Fenton Posted May 8, 2021 Share Posted May 8, 2021 Okay no probs, on mine the rigging wires hold the wings on as well as transfer the flying/landing loads. Just checking ? Cheers Danny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Leighfield Posted May 9, 2021 Author Share Posted May 9, 2021 I’ve thought about it, I noted you saying that rigging yours took a long time at the field and I want to work my way around that. Still thinking about the detail, i’ll finish up sorting it out as I go along! One more wing panel covered today. 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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