Chris's Bella Ballerina HD

Hello to all,

As a total newbie to RC & obviously 'building', I decided to participate to the MB 2016 for a couple of reasons: trying to acquire some experience with different techniques, hoping for some assistance from the Master Builders and the Depron Gurus and, last but not least, taking part in the celebration of Peter Miller's designing career.

HD has nothing to do with High Definition but simply means Hybrid Depron. Of course, I could have inverted the acronym but that was certainly offensive to the most reputable British aircraft manufacturer.

Probably my 'hybrid' approach isn't supposed to be the easiest for a beginner but by being eager to use different techniques or solutions, I was tempted to give it a try.

As the fuselage seems to be the heaviest part of a model, mine is to be built in 3 & 6 mm Depron around a liteply forward box structure; aft fuselage & tailplanes in CF reinforced Depron and the main wing as a conventional balsa construction, possibly with dual servos (copycatting the Master Builders after the builds get started). Power being electric with most probably a - 3S & 4S compatible - SK3 and 60A ESC.

By the way, 'Bella' doesn't mean that my version will pretentiously be 'pretty' but the simple recognition of the model being very attractive. I think I even may have found a way to implement Peter's top fuselage stringers & covering into the Depron foam...

Thanks for reading & have some splendid New Year's time.

Chris

Brussels, Belgium

ps: ... please forgive my English writing as it only is my third language.

Edited By McG 6969 on 30/12/2015 19:22:07

Thank you, Danny.

A long way to go, a mega-lot to learn but hopefully not too much 'rivets' for me on this one...

A great New Year's Eve & a successful 2016 for you and your family.

Chris

Brussels, Belgium

All reads clearly to to me Chris, nowt wrong with thee English

Look forward to your build.

John

... and, please, no - very simple - brake calipers with insulated piano wired fluid connections neither...

Happy calipering

Chris

Thank you, John.

Have some great New Year's time.

Chris

Brussels, Belgium

There is always room for a few rivets

Quite honestly the command of your third language is far better than may people's command of their first. I'm very impressed but I've had a lot to do with your Benelux compatriots in the Netherlands and they cope with English quite well, too.

I'm quite impressed with the task you've set yourself for a first build as well and I'll be watching with interest as I struggle with my own electric conversion but in all wood.

Geoff

To ensure of perfection (of sorts), I prefer to concentrate on the one language myself, innit!!

@ Danny

If I can find some lithoplate in due time, my intention is to make a small metal frame for the windshield. If not, it will be a dummy acetate one. But in both cases, I hereby officially promise that I will try some riveting on it.

Cheers

Chris

Brussels, Belgium

@ Geoff

You're right, our Dutch neighbors are well known for their language skills. But please, don't ask them to pronounce some French though.

Flemish people seem to possess the same ability, but Walloons (French speaking Belgians) like me originally, seem to 'suffer' a lot more with other - non Latin - languages. So, I decided to learn Dutch first... hum, strange approach here, I must admit...

My first build is really going to be challenging but I think it might steep up the learning curve... at least, I do hope so. The same with 'electrics' - conversion or not - , totally new for me. To give you an idea, I've never been binding an RX so far... .

Happy electrifying

Chris

Brussels, Belgium

@ Andrew

... the only reason for me to escape to other languages was when I finally encountered the obvious fact that my French would never reach perfection... .

Happy escaping

Chris

Brussels, Belgium

Hi Chris.

I'm a total newbie to depron (in fact, not even a newbie...) so my question may sound a bit daft, but what kind of glue will you use for gluing the ply to the depron? I heard or read somewhere that depron is quite "selective" with the types of glue that it would accept.

Cheers!

Hi Chris,

this is going to be an interesting build. I've not used Depron myself but I ahve been very impressed by the results people are getting. So I'll be watching with great interest - and one day I'll have a go with it myself!

Happy New year to you and all MB'ers!

BEB

@ AVC

No daft questions, you know... only sometimes silly answers...

In a very recent past (around Christmas time), I've been testing different possibilities for Depron, split over the different materials to combine with. Of course, non-solvent glues are a must. So, It seems that for:

Depron to Depron > UHU Por is the winner but solvent free spray adhesives (I tested Bison) are fine to laminate large surfaces together. I will be doing my tailplanes that way.

Depron to Ply > some PVA wood glue (thinned about 50%) spread over the ply and scraped away with an old gift or bank card (the type that Mr Bean used to call "My flexible friend"...). In fact, using very little of it. Then some UHU Por over the foam, wait for about 10 - 15 minutes & join them preferably with some pressure. As UHU Por is a contact adhesive, it seems more efficient to 'prepare' the adhesion to the other porous surface. I also tested some old fashion school paper glue (from Tesa) in combination with the UHU. Works very nicely as well & is slightly lighter.

Depron to Balsa > same as above but a little thicker (thinned about 25%).

Depron to Glass Fiber / CF > Epoxy 30 minutes preferably or foam-safe CA if the joint is not to be locally stressed.

Just hope that answered your question

Anyway amendments or additional tips are mostly welcome.

@ BEB

Thank you for visiting.

I'm certainly not projecting that my results will be that 'impressive' but indeed convinced that I'll be learning a lot.

I think there must be some kind of 'inversion' here... Experienced modelers asking a 'total newbie' like me for some tips about Depron. Quite funny... .

Happy New Year to all of you.

Chris

Brussels, Belgium

Hi to all,

I read quite a lot about ‘aliphatic’ and ‘super-phatic’ glues.

But could someone point me out the differences between them & how to use them, please?

I believe I’ve been reading that Super-phatic is a Deluxe Materials product. Again, bad luck (the same as for finding some Depron Aero) as they are currently still looking for some distributor in Belgium, The Netherlands & Luxemburg! I found an online shop in Germany but they are out of stock… Then some distributor in France but only selling to model shops… ppfff.

Should I really consider emigrating to the Channel - or the Orkney Islands?

Happy aliphatic-ing

Chris

Brussels, Belgium

Edited By McG 6969 on 02/01/2016 17:08:43

Chris

I can ask my sister. She lives in Orkney!

I live in Mallorca so have a similar problem. If the local models shops don't have it in stock pretty much tough.

When I visit UK which is not often enough I skip the duty free and set off with a very strange (so some) shopping list.

Super-phatic is the superglue equivalent of aliphatic. ie it capillaries into gaps like soaking into a gap. I am sure it has some special ingredients over ordinary aliphatic but when stuck I dilute the ordinary with good results. I tend to "feed" a joint until it won't soak any more. To work effectively though, the joints have to be fairly good as it won't gap fill.

Thank you Levanter3,

To be honest, I guess I would definitely prefer the Mediterranean climate.

So, if I understand correctly, Super-phatic is a thin CA equivalent that you can use by capillarity while bits are already pinned to the building board?

While aliphatic should more compare to Polyurethane glue (PVA) then? Could you please give me some brand names for aliphatic?

Quite still confused here, I'm afraid...

Happy Mallorcing

Chris

Brussels, Belgium

Again Deluxe Materials brand on aliphatic

Lots of English model shops stock DeLuxe glues so consider ordering some by mail with any other goods. SLEC supply Deluxe and of course all their own accessories and kits.

Edited By kc on 02/01/2016 18:24:13

Thanks kc,

I'll have a look at SLEC for sure, but the 'overseas postage' is almost killing down the average continental newcomer...

Does the 'normal' aliphatic compares to a fast PVA glue?

Happy postaging

Chris

Brussels, Belgium