Topic: 30% Douglas Skyraider - HAS FLOWN

Phil how about refrence shot to realy make it sink in 

Forward fuz off the board and all cleaned up. The engine box 'top' is also now on. Rear fuz has all it's 'lower corner' sections on and will be sheeted tomorrow....................

The top 1/2 formers are just clamped on at present.......................I'll get a few 'for scale' shots done tomorrow.

Phil

 Phil..
        ....looking good!.....the very rear / last former shows the vertical taper of the Skyraider already., if you get my drift!

     Cliff 

Is that Alis FW190 to the left of the pic?  If it is its v big

Yes.

The 190's cowl will quite easily fir 'inside' the forward engine box on the Skyraider. The 'firewall' is almost 10" square.

Phil

Latest progress..................

Wing hold down plates....3/4" ply. Note how they are interlocked with the inner frames, as well as the outer wing seat's




F 1,2,3 plus engine box top plate.




Underside nose sheeting..............1/8 balsa.




St/st rear fuz joining plates. (each plate is 3/4" wide, 6" long, and 1/16" thick, retaining bolt is an M5 cap head into an M5 nut, silver soldered to the back of the inner plate) There are 4 sets of plates, 1 either side, plus 1 top and 1 bottom.




Rear lower fuz sheeted in 2mm lite ply (the horizontal crutch was then removed as once sheeted, the structure was totally rigid, so the crutch served no specific purpose other than adding unnecessary weight in the tail)




Underside complete, awaiting top 1/2 formers to be added.




The fuz was at Haige Hall on sunday, and was looked at by keith Mitchell & Mike Jackson................apart from comments linking it to an 'canoe' rather than an aeroplane................all is well, so I'll be getting it sheeted up this week before moving onto the tail sirfaces.

Back soon.

Phil

Top half formers then added, followed by the top keel and the 1/4 sq Cyparis stringers.




The stringers were positioned 4" apart to suit the width of the 1/8" balsa sheeting, meaning minimal trimming of sheets etc.




With 1 side complete, the 2nd 2mm lite ply lower skin was added, clamped & weighed down over night to dry.




The upper forward fuz required to careful sheeting.............here, the cockpit coaming.




.............and the cut outs for the engine exhaust pipes............




Starting to look a bit more Skyraider like though 

The monster is comming on nicely Phil 
One question, the sheeting on the top formers, how does it feel with that wide spacing of the stringers ? No need for one in between ?

  Johan

hey phil ur garage long enough, looking good fella 

lozza

Johan.

Yes..............with 4" spacing between stringers, and around 10/12" between formers, the use of medium 1/8 balsa works fine (I trialled it with a piece of 3/32" 1st, and it was too thin)..................add 0.6oz glass onto this, and it'll be perfect. Anyway, a model of this size isn't really going to be held inverted in a trestle for any length of time to put the wings on, it'll be much easier to assemble stood on it's nose etc............so a little 'give' in some areas of sheeting isn't an issue.

Lozza...............UUhhhhh, not really !...............I can get the two 1/2's together easily, but once the fin, and a 72" stab are attached, things could get a little busy in there !! 

Internal structure for the top rear fuz section complete...................inclusing top st/st joiner plates and stab seat. All 1/4 cyparis stringers are again spaced 4" apart. The last 'full' former has 2 lines drawn across it, these have been partially cut already to allow this section to be removed after sheeting to allow the stab to slide through. The stab will have a 1/4 ply joiner and a large lug hanging down that is glued and bolted to this firmer.



...............and for those asking for 'scale' photos..............

Good scale photo!! You have to bear in mind that Phil is only 3'6" tall though  

What a beast ! 
You sure work fast Phil , Very impressive 

What a beast ! 

The Skyraider is pretty awesome too

Sorry Phil, couldn't resist :ww Another amazing model!

You sure work fast Phil ,

I do when I'm on a roll..................it's good to get back to some traditional 'wood bashing' after a few months of composite stuff  . Plus, at ths size, it's not 'fiddly'...............there is so much space to work with, everything is very straight forward as long as it's pre planned..............

72 " stab !
Blimey  whats that put the span at  around 15ft ?
You need a bigger garage mate 

Yep..............spot on, 180" / 15ft dead on.

Splendid job as always, I'll keep the kettle ready if you feel like taking that monster for a spin 

I do when I'm on a roll..................it's good to get back to some traditional 'wood bashing' after a few months of composite stuff  . Plus, at ths size, it's not 'fiddly'...............there is so much space to work with, everything is very straight forward as long as it's pre planned..............

Phil, other than the sheer quantity of construction and materials would you say that big birds are an easier build than more normal 60" - 70" span planes?.

Certainly one of my problems is having hands like a bunch of bananas which makes the fiddly stuff very...well fiddly.

It's looking good by the way

Cheers
Brian

Yes...............MUCH easier.

I've had my dad up here for a few days this week, and he's been doin a bit as well. We both started RC modelling together back in 1986, but dad has remained on 'sensible' sized model, currently doing a BT 70" Hurricane, and a MR 74" Spit Mk.9........................not small model, but even he has commented this week how much easier, and more straight forward 'BIG' models go together..................

Phil

I noticed another thing that I find nice,  they more or less force you to do all the small detailing as it's so obvious on a big model....... But that's just me.

  Johan

Obviously no glass work is commercially available for a raider of this scale, so the only choice is to work from scratch...................

The cowl is a slightly tapering cylinder or around 17" at the rear edge.............three 1/8 ply ring formers were made up, and stringered with 1/4 cyparis................carefully jigged & aligned to maintain accuracy, it'll be skinned with 1/32" ply, with a nose ring of glassed pink foam.



The bulk of the rear fuz has also been sheeted..............enough has been left off to allow fitting of the horizontal stab later this week. Full 4" sheets were used again, and I was pleasantly surprised not to have to use any water/steam/ammonia to get the sheets to conform to the major compound curves on the top rear section.

Cowl skinned in 1/32" ply................this was done in 6 panels, 3 being applied with the cowl still tacked to the fuz to retain it's accuracy. Once 3 sections were on, the cowl was rigid enough to remove and complete off the model.





Plenty of exit area via the open cowl gills. these are double skinned to give them rigidity and stop the flapping in the breeze. A 1/4" balsa wedge is added at the base, meaning the gills have a thickness at the base, tapering to nothing at the tips.



The lower forward fuz has 2 large air exit scoops..............these are made up from 2mm lite ply, and 1/32" ply.



................and set into the fuz skin like so.................another section of 1/64" ply is used to produce a hard edge to the scoop, this is feathered down to nothing to blend into the fuz skin.



The large intake on the underside of the cowl is then blocked in with balsa, lined with ply on the inside, and carved/sanded to shape, a little body filler being required here and there. The lip detaches with the cowl rather than being part of the fuz.

We're back to sculpture again.......  

Up to your usual standard........then Phil........excellence...  

Even with all those qualifications...........    

Andy

     Hi phil,
             Very impressive!!...what on earth would the neighbours think looking out their window!!...the cowl  is a work of art,

 Cliff 

I've run the turbine in the front garden, had the B26 assembled out of the road, and run in glo engines on the drive...................so I'm sure they're getting used to my 'odd ways' by now ! 

I've run the turbine in the front garden, had the B26 assembled out of the road, and run in glo engines on the drive...................so I'm sure they're getting used to my 'odd ways' by now ! 

Well the people over the road have obviously become fed up and decided to move out...



PDR

Well the people over the road have obviously become fed up and decided to move out...



PDR

That mean Phil has found some new premises for his business?

That mean Phil has found some new premises for his business?

Now theres a thought  .................chap accross the road has a HUGE double garage with no dividing wall, make a crackin new workshop !

A little more 'sculpture'....................top air scoop this time.

A light balsa structure over lite ply formers back & front...............the 'lip' is made from the lighter of the 2 grades of 'Chemiwood' I have (yes, heavier than balsa, but it gives a VERY tough edge to the lip which is bound to get the odd knock), with the dividing vanes from proskin................




Tail plane

This is a 3 part affair with a span of a little over 73". The small centre section is built into the rear fuz (the reason I left it unsheeted), with 2 plug in outer panels. The joining method is a 1" ali tube in a phenolic outer tube, with 3/8 dowel incidence pegs back and front. The 1/4 ply lug in the centre (the tail plane is built inverted) if for gluing and screwing to the adjacent former in the rear fuz.



The structure is basically as you'd build a wing for a 73" sports model. I have 1/4 sq cyparis spars, webbed with 1/16 balsa. Ribs are 1/8 birch ply at the root, then 3 of 1/8 lite ply, the the last 3 of 1/8 balsa. False trailing edge is a laminate of 1/4 balsa and 1/4 lite ply to give the hinges a little extra rigidity (hinge blocks will be added once the underside is skinned and it's flipped over), and the false leading edge is 1/8 lite ply. The whole lot will be skinned in 3/32" balsa, with a 1/4 balsa leading edge and soft balsa tip blocks.



Here you can see the phenolic outer and the attachment lug. The long plate towards the rear is used to hold all 3 sections together once slid onto the tube. You can also see the cyparis blocks used to secure the incidence pegs front & rear.



Where the phenolic outer passes through ribs, rings of 1/16 ply were added for local reinforcement. A second cyparis stringer will be added on the top surface once it's flipped over, and the elev servos (4  x  JR 8511 digis, giving a total of 30kg/cm torque per elevator) will be built into boxes between it and the false trailing edge.

Back soon.....................

Phil

How sweet is that???
 There is just something about watching a skilled craftsman at work.  Who else thinks we should start a series on TV? Instead of American Chopper we could have "British Fighter".  I can just see Phil with that walrus moustache.  Come on you photoshop guys. That pic of him holding the fuselage is just begging for it 
 Seriously Phil. your work is stunning.... Hold on a minute..... wasn't I just doing all this butt kisssing on another round warbird build thread

tally ho

Words are not enough...........

Just look at the curves on that scoop.........

WOW.............  

Words are not enough...........

WOW.............  

I'll second that!

Andy

Nice Phil

Ben

  Phil,
                   That is some stabilizer!....it"s the same span as my Airsail Chipmunk!  ..the building of it reads like a main wing build 
          I"ll be sending for some more Cyprias myself shortly, can"t beat the stuff for stength and lightness.....the build is looking very good, scoop below the cowl is class work.

  Cliff

Nothing of great excitement today.................just sheeting, and more sheeting.................followed by some more 

Here's the centre section complete top & bottom, and the 2 outer panels sheeted on the bottom, ready for the top skins to be added...........



.................this gives you an idea of the 'scale' of the thing...............

The stab was completed yesterday with the 1/4" balsa LE, and the soft balsa tip blocks had a core of 1/32" ply to give a harder edge and more 'ding' resistance.

The original plan had been to have the 'lug' on the underside, glued and bolted to the adjacent 1/4" former................slight problem, I couldn't get it into the fuz that way up  , so being fully symmetrical, it could easily be flipped over, and fitted the other way up (luckily, I hadn't made the servo hatch cut outs yet  ), attaching it to the 1/2" balsa seats, as well as the top section of the ply former. This also makes it easier to get at the two M4 securing bolts for each half................less fiddly than going underneath the model to do it every time.

The fuz datum line (the visible top edge of the 2mm lite ply side) was checked against the incidence meter and was sitting at 5 1/2 degrees sitting flat on the bench......................being the stab sits at '0' degrees in relation to this, it was a simple matter of setting the stab to 5 1/2 degrees as well....................a little fettling of the balsa seats was required to get a perfect sit.



I also assembled the complete fuz, and with a 'pin' stuck into the top CL of the nose, I checked the distance between it, and the tip of each side of the stab using a length of nylon chord..............I was accurate to within about 1/8" over a distance of almost 10ft  ...........I also went out in the rain and viewed the model from a distance to check the stab was sitting level in relation to the bench etc.....which it was. Once happy, it was epoxied in place with 2hr resin and left alone over night.

Once cured, all of the 1/8 sheeting was added around the stab centre section. You can just see the M6 bolt passing through the lug and the 1/4 ply former.



Being that the fin is an integral part of the fuz (there is no distinct 'join' as per something like a P-47), it has to be built on the model.................deviating slightly from the original plan, a top keel of 1/4 lite ply was added, sliding into the notches I cut into the 3 rear formers, and sitting down onto the main top load bearing Cyparis longeron. This forms the smooth curve to the top of the fuz, and runs all the way up to the start of the 'straight' LE section on the upper fin. The lower rib of the fin was then added (dry, no glue yet) before the whole assembly was lined up to an accurate vertical datum.................once happy, thin CA was wicked into all joints to lock the assembly rigid.

looking good. Looking more like a plane day by day
Am I right in thinking that the cent section is glues and bolted to the rear section of the fuse? Just curious as thats a lot of force on that tail section, especially at the bottom of a shallow dive with the draft of a 40  inch prop blowing over it.
 I suppose you could look at it as wing off a normal size sport model and they take a lot of abuse with lesser attachment than that.  Sorry just fretting for no reason.
 Any news on the under crackers??

looks bullet proof to me, and because of the way its built it the halfs will match perfect when plugged on. REAL NICE WORK