Topic: 30% Douglas Skyraider - HAS FLOWN

See.......................

Thanks Pete.................I'll take this further with Ali and my inspector next time we talk. I can see the benefits..............

I'm off 'doon sooth' for a few days to borrow the old mans BIG bandsaw to chop up the 1/2"+ ply parts, to have a fly, and catch up with a few southern mates.....................back Sunday  

Phil

Good progress.................the 'kit' of parts for the forward & rear fuz sections are almost complete.



The 2 internal side plates are both 1/4" Birch ply, just under 6ft long. The firewall and 2 wing hold down plates are all 3/4" Birch ply.



The former set is a mixture of 1/4" Birch ply, 1/8" Birch, and 1/4" Lite ply. The 'centres' of most have yet to be removed. All of the notches to take the longerons etc..... will be cut when the formers are in place to make sure all longerons & stringers remain straight. Working from enlarged plans, you can never be too sure how accurate the drawn on positions are, so rather than cut them, then have to move them, it's best to cut them correctly when the stringer is ready to be installed.

I've also now got all the Cyparis required for the build, so the 1st 'assembly' job is the construction of the horizontal crutch that the fuz is build around.

Phil

Great tip on cutting the former notches last, Phil.  One of those simple but effective things that seem to have eluded me over the years:).  Makes perfect sense- I'll give it a shot next time.

Cheers,

Phil

How will you cut them once started to be glued together.  Or will you dry assemble first?  You have been busy cutting that lot out

All that ply in those dimensions    must have cost a small fortune 

BTW what method do you use to get the parts of the plan onto the wood for cutting ?

I can't wait for some pic's of this... thing? materializing on your work bench...

  Johan

How will you cut them once started to be glued together.  Or will you dry assemble first?  You have been busy cutting that lot out

To make the notches, 1st I mark the position of the stringer/longeron, then using my Screwfix pull saw, I make two cuts to the correct depth, one either edge of the stringer/longeron, then using a Permagrit spar slotting tool, I sand out the material from between the 2 cuts.............easy. I have 2 spar slotting tools, an 1/8" and a 1/4", added together I have a 3/8", anything bigger, I make a custom tool from the stringer/longeron Cyparis in question, with 80 grit paper double sided taped to it.

The method used it to notch say F1 and F8, push the Cyparis into place, and let the wood find it's own 'straight', then mark it's position of F2 through 7.

Phil

i told my work mate of this today, F Me he said, thats two of my scooters!!

yep i said

BTW what method do you use to get the parts of the plan onto the wood for cutting ?


  Johan

I have 2 copies of the 80% enlargement............1 to keep for reference, the other to cut up, and 'Spray Mount' to the wood for cutting purposes.

Complete forward fuz inner structure dry assembled....................



The Cyparis horizontal keel will be built next over the plan, then this lot will be jigged around it to ensure everything remains totally straight.

Phil

Phil,
Bl**dy hell! Are those 12V gell cells your using to hold the fus down? They give it a sense of scale... huge!

Yep...............sure are 

You make fast progress.  Are you finishing any models soon??

whens the due date? which shows might it make?

It's no use Phil, your going to have to move again........

Your garage is now just too small 

Steve

You make fast progress.  Are you finishing any models soon??

Just the 190...............the fuz has been clear coated today, wing underside yesterday, so wing top surface tomorrow and fuz underside on Thus.........................that'll have it fully cured by the start of next week to finish the RC & engine fit and get the cockpit installed , silencer built and all final checks done.................the raider is simply filling useful time whilst I can't touch the 190.

whens the due date? which shows might it make?

Can't answer that right now as there 'may' be other developments (that I can't mention right now) that may effect the finish date. If nothing changes, then we're planning on completion by the back end of the 2006 season, if 'stuff' happens, then it'll be ready for the start of the 2007 season. (and yes, Ali knows of the issues, and he won't tell you even if you do ask him  )

Your garage is now just too small 

Steve

The garage is fine mate.................it's just the 'toys' are too dam big  (wouldn't have it any other way  )

and yes, Ali knows of the issues, and he won't tell you even if you do ask him

ummm beer.... 

Hiya Phil,

As always - very impressive

TTFN,
Neil

Sullivan make the Genysis In-Flight Power System . In the U.k. they are available from Irvine I believe. No experience of the system, just recalled seeing it in the catalogue.

  Mike

Front fuz horizontal crutch partially complete to allow the two 1/4" ply inner frames to be joined.....................the 'square' of ply is the 3/4" firewall supporting the 2 sides whilst the 2 hr epoxy cures.



Bottom right you can just see the rear end of the rear fuz horizontal crutch which is also complete and former installation is well underway 

Phil

come on, faster :ww

gotta have it ready for Bury in April

The fuselage maybe  ..............

well at least we can sit in that and drive about

.............making appropriate 'WWWwaaaaaaaaaaaaaa' aeroplane noises I hope ?  :ww

of course..
tho i might get drowned out by the 400 cc up fornt

talking about the  lump on the front   how are you mounting the beast phil?  slec engine mount?  or the boring ply box through several formers routine?

uuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...................the latter !

3/4" ply firewall, 1/4 ply box sides, 1/8 ply top and bottom. 1" hardwood triangle in all internal corners, firewall bonded using 'Extramite' (new came for 'Cascamite') and screwed for added security. As you can see, the 1/4 ply box sided are full length from firewall to fuz joint, so the loads are transfered right through the forward fuz over a distance of about 6ft.........................don't think we'll have a 'strength' issue 

Phil

uuhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh...................the latter !

3/4" ply firewall, 1/4 ply box sides, 1/8 ply top and bottom. 1" hardwood triangle in all internal corners, firewall bonded using 'Extramite' (new came for 'Cascamite') and screwed for added security. As you can see, the 1/4 ply box sided are full length from firewall to fuz joint, so the loads are transfered right through the forward fuz over a distance of about 6ft.........................don't think we'll have a 'strength' issue

Phil

It's more like building a wardrobe than a model aeroplane...........  

nice one phil,  although i think the SLEC one would have been more than ok

   looking good, my man, looking GOOD!    me thinks the biggest job will be making all that ordanance, and detachable, as well,    cant have a sandy in anything else than us marine coulors, can we?   and fully loaded     at least, i HOPE we cant
will you have it at haighe hall, on the stand??   yes,  i know about the stand

    Phil..
          .....this is going to be a truly unique build to follow......what types of glue do you intend to use?.
     ...bit off a "naff" question, maybe, but interested to see if you intend to include any "special" types of pva/ cyno etc....for the main  construction?.....apart from the obvious epoxy joints!

   Cliff

nice one phil,  although i think the SLEC one would have been more than ok

   looking good, my man, looking GOOD!    me thinks the biggest job will be making all that ordanance, and detachable, as well,    cant have a sandy in anything else than us marine coulors, can we?   and fully loaded     at least, i HOPE we cant
will you have it at haighe hall, on the stand??   yes,  i know about the stand

Yep..................she'll be FULLY laden, HUGE centre line tank, 2 x 1000lb bombs, and 12 rockets...................thankfully Ali has a man who does a lot of 'foam' work, so he'll be doin these bits, I just have to add all the racks and release mech's....................

Scheme................yea, pretty sure it'll be a 3 tone camo.

Haige Hall...............yes, it'll be there in whatever state it's currently at, hopefully 2 1/2's bolted together, bottom half sheeted, top 1/2 still open so he can see inside......... (Keith want's a looksee before I cover it all up)...................

    Phil..
          .....this is going to be a truly unique build to follow......what types of glue do you intend to use?.
     ...bit off a "naff" question, maybe, but interested to see if you intend to include any "special" types of pva/ cyno etc....for the main  construction?.....apart from the obvious epoxy joints!

   Cliff

Pretty standard stuff...................Pink & Green ZAP (everything else is C**P), slow cure (2 hr +) Epoxy, Hysol for any wood/metal joints (st/st wing & fuz plates) and for anything REALLY special (Firewall, gear plates etc etc...), 'Extramite'.................it's the new name for 'Cascamite' which is a powder & water mixed adhesive used in fullsize 'homebuild' aircraft, high quality furniture etc etc.................it's pretty goos stuff and stick like you know what to a blanket.

Phil

phi,l  is there any chance you can bring it down, with the lump up front?--or will that cause politics?
have you let dave know just how much room you need?, and dont forget to bring your seconhand anything

phi,l  is there any chance you can bring it down, with the lump up front?--or will that cause politics?
have you let dave know just how much room you need?, and dont forget to bring your seconhand anything

No politics from me   

Steve

I don't get involved in 'politics' really  .........................but if I can get the motor mounted in time (should be here in about 2 weeks) it'll all be there  .

I've mailed Dave to let me know what we'll have at Haige Hall, and it's quite a lot, so I'll leave it in his hands to organise the space side of things.

Phil

Initial frame up going well.............

Basic front & rear fuz complete, wing hold down plates in, firewall in, 3 out of the 4 sided engine box in............



Yes, the firewall (3/4" ply) is screwed in via the 1/4 ply side frames. This isn't really 'structural' more of an aid to 'clamp' the joint when bonding (Xtramite) There is some 1" triangular hard wood on the inside of the joint to further increase gluing area.



The 'corners' are of 1/8 lite ply, with a 1" triangle balsa edge to allow a large radius to be added once the fuz is sheeted. Note also the 'wide' cyparis longerons where the st/st plates will soon be attached. (you're only looking at the bottom 1/2 of the fuz from C/L down)



Basic rear fuz structure, minus it's corners. The 'solid' former will eventually be the tail gear mount............this won't be 'cut' until I have the gear.



Full length shot.............just under 120" end to end. F1 and F2 still to be fitted.

I know the size of that work bench.... This is way beyond all normal single engine model proportions      loose a pound or two and you can fly it yourself Phil, no RC needed...  :ww

This thing is so big that you can detail it 'till the end of time without getting it too heavy  I think it'll need it too, otherwise it'll look like flying bus.

Like they say: "it's all in the details..."

  Johan

You can get an idea of size by looking at the twinstar fuselage in the background