Gary Binnie Posted August 22, 2021 Share Posted August 22, 2021 My A-10 build is almost finished, just needs painting. I've been itching to get started on this build and today I did! The Phase One is a 73" span slope soarer, to me it looks like a Slingsby Capstan with a T-tail. The fuselage is very wide (5" at the wing leading edge) to accommodate reed radio gear that was originally used when it was designed in 1969. It has a balsa box fuselage and a built-up one-piece wing with sheeted 'D' box and ailerons. The tailplane is all moving. I've had the plan for at least 10 years, I bought a canopy for it at the same time. Chris described this model to me as 'over engineered' and that some things were designed how they are because he could! It is certainly going to be a challenging build that will push my skill limits. My target is to have it finished for next spring (six or seven months) so there shouldn't be any self-induced pressure to rush. I had started collecting a large box full of balsa and ply for it a while ago, will need to order more. I estimate total materials cost in the region of £100 at today's prices. Will post some photos later this evening. Cheers Gary Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Binnie Posted August 22, 2021 Author Share Posted August 22, 2021 Right then...! There is a line drawing of this model (and others) at Chris's plan page. There are also two A4 pages of build notes (have to ask for them). My first little job (which will take about three days!) is to produce a set of 12 fuselage formers. Easy peasy? No! Several formers are laminated ply and balsa (of different thicknesses) and the other formers can be either ply or balsa (of different thicknesses!). Best to proceed slowly! I have scanned the formers from the plan (tricky in an A4 scanner) and produced a set of paper templates to stick to the wood for cutting out. I've done this many times before and have used 3M Spraymount and, more recently, Pritt Stick to apply the templates but both methods can leave a mess behind on removing the paper. The solution is stupidly simple, apply masking tape to the wood first!! I have a set of 12 formers ready to cut out, will wait for a nice day so that I can do it in the garden as the method I use produces a lot of dust. Some piccies: 1. Studying the plan (again!) and getting some wood together. The design doesn't feature airbrakes or spoilers but I am considering adding them. 2. Printed out a set of former templates and sourced wood for them, I'm using some pieces from my scrap box wherever possible. The pennies are to stop the paper blowing away, 3. Laminating balsa and ply, paying attention to the grain direction. 4. Applying masking tape before... 5. ...sticking down the template. Quite a few of the former drawings show multiple outlines so have to be a bit careful. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Binnie Posted August 24, 2021 Author Share Posted August 24, 2021 Update from yesterday, photos wouldn't sync to my computer for some reason. Weather was nice so I set up on the garden bench. First job was to scroll saw the parts closer to size and cut out any holes. 1 and 2. If you haven't done any scroll or fret sawing you drill a hole and disconnect the blade to pass it though. I use a piece of scrap wood under the work to minimise any ripping. 3. The formers very roughly cut. 4 and 5. Next stage is to sand down to the line using a disc sander, the disc is 240 grit. It was originally a disc and belt sander but I removed the belt part as it was noisy, unsafe and way too coarse for modelling work. 6. For internal curves I use various size drum sanders in a pillar drill. 7. All the formers sanded, left slightly oversize for final hand sanding and some of them will need their edges chamfering. Apologies for the odd colour, the sun went in and I've had to push the exposure. Holes drilled in F1 and F2 for the canopy locating dowels (clamped together). 8. Another part to be made is a 1/4" ply shaped strip. It is part of a clever hidden wing rubber band retaining system. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Binnie Posted August 24, 2021 Author Share Posted August 24, 2021 Lunchtime update. I have cut a pair of fuselage sides and appear to have made no mistakes! Need to order some wood (triangle stock and spruce strip) before going any further with the fuselage. 1. To find the straight edges I extended the lines on the plan and used a long ruler. I traced and made two templates for the curved areas (wing seat and lower nose). 2. This 1/8" balsa is very old and smells but is in good condition! I picked it up as part of a house clearance, I'm guessing it dates to the late 1970s/early 1980. Not seen this brand before (OLYMPIC INMAN or INMAN OLYMPIC), a friend suggested that it was German. 3. Measure three times, cut once! Ready to start cutting, the sides are taped together and I added more tape as lines were cut, sometimes I spot glue them with CA. Despite doing this when it comes to building the sides don't appear to be identical, always baffled me!! 4. A tip from a 1950s aeromodelling book by Ron Warring is to arrange any straight cuts with the grain direction pulling the blade towards the straight edge, it really does work. Because of strong shadow from the ruler I've used two glass headed pins to line it up, have also taped the ruler down to discourage it from moving. The cross grain cuts were made with a razor saw and finished on the disc sander. 5. This is the canopy area. 6. Same idea with the long rear upper fuselage line but I had to have the ruler on the right side of the blade which is slightly awkward for me, several light cuts with a brand new blade did a nice job. After each cut I checked it against the plan (sometimes possible to fix a mistake before making the next cut). I concentrated hard on keeping the blade upright, I don't always manage it! 7. There is a little notch in the lower forward fuselage side, it allows 1/16" cross grain sheet to be covered with 1/4" sheet without a step (it will make sense later!). There are some very subtle design features on the plan, I'm sure that I haven't found them all yet. 8. Two sides, ready to be turned in to left and right parts (not two lefts or two rights!!!!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Binnie Posted August 25, 2021 Author Share Posted August 25, 2021 Some gentle pottering today. I am competing in the Silent Flight Nationals F5J this weekend, practising tomorrow so charging lots of batteries. 1. The rear upper fuselage is 1/2" sheet but it sits on tapered strips, not the easiest things to make! 2. Cutting a pair of rib templates out of 1/16" ply. Unusually, there is no trailing edge strip. 3. Cut a slot in the left fuselage side for the rudder control rod, also unusual that it doesn't use pull-pull. Made a few other ply pieces, the tailskid, the elevator bellcrank mount and 'key' for the centre section fairing which is only shown in a sketch. 4. Marked the former positions on the inside of both fuselage sides. 5. Went through my scrap box to find blanks for the wing rib sandwich packs, there are two 1/8" ribs and 13 1/16" ribs for each panel. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted August 25, 2021 Share Posted August 25, 2021 Good luck at the Nats Gary, have a good un. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Binnie Posted August 26, 2021 Author Share Posted August 26, 2021 Cheers, I need it!! Too windy to practise with competition models today but I had fun bungee launching my old F3J Xplorer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan M Posted August 26, 2021 Share Posted August 26, 2021 Proper woodwork! ? Watching with interest Gary... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Binnie Posted September 1, 2021 Author Share Posted September 1, 2021 The Nationals was hard work, did poorly on Saturday but much better on Sunday, placing ninth. Sadly, I think I am going to have to put this build on the back burner until I can either get to a model shop or a show with traders, the cost of online ordering makes it impractical. I have a few kits in the loft to choose from, in theory almost everything I need should be in the boxes. A few of my photos from the Nationals, a NAN Explorer (Bulgarian), Prestige 2PK (Czech) and a Claymore (UK produced). 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
john stones 1 - Moderator Posted September 1, 2021 Share Posted September 1, 2021 Oooh very nice, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary Binnie Posted November 23, 2022 Author Share Posted November 23, 2022 One, two...miss a few...99, 100! I have been making steady progress, posting build photos in the Chris Foss Facebook group. I'm probably going to pause the build now until next spring as sanding in the house upsets the management! I have plenty of photos, if anyone has any interest in this build I can post here. Cheers Gary 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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