Phil W's Sabre Build Blog

A bit more progress for me...

The fuselage is now sanded and primed.

. Im still waiting for Vortex to supply me the canopy so I cant really move further forward anymore on the fuse because there is still some balsa work to do the fit the canopy. So I've started to finish the stabilisers and wings. Here are the finished stabilisers.

Covered in film and sprayed yellow/black stripe.

I made 4 servo hatch covers using ply sheet with a plastic tube cut and glued over a slot for the linkage, and reinforced with glass/epoxy then sprayed silver to match. Couple of mini screws used to secure it down and it looks ok and should protect the linkage quite well.

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And the wings now finished, with ailerons and flap hinges glued in final place and linkages adjusted to suit.

The wing is covered in grey film with yellow/black stripes sprayed over. The USAF star has been home printed on sticky back vinyl with my ink jet printer, given a thin coat of clear lacquer (I used Halfords automotive clear lacquer) and then stuck in place. I next plan to add panel join lines with a permanent marker pen and the give the wing a thin coat of clear varnish over the lot to waterproof them.

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I have also made a simple cockpit arrangement seat and pilot. sprayed and ready to fit when I get my canopy.

On the delayed Vortex canopy problem, I have had no response from Vortex to my many emails, so I wrote a letter to them last week and received a reply by email from Steve. He tells me they are having problems sourcing the thin plastic material used for the canopy as the supplies have been gobbled up by the NHS for use in making the visors for covid NHS staff. Hence the delays. He hopes to get a supply soon and will make the canopy for me as soon as he can. So as far as I'm concerned the plastic is being put to a more important use than my canopy and I am happy to wait until he can manufacture it.

Cheers,

Phil

Great job, Phil.

I wish I was that far with my progress...

I've been reading that Steve/Vortex had now just received a new stock of PETG.

I guess you will have your canopy soon now.

Cheers & keep safe

Chris