Topic: Harrier

Ok
Any good ideas?
The plug is ready to have the moulds made, less the panel lines. I have a couple of ideas to do the panel lines / panels

1. Use very thin tape to mark the panel lines, prime over the whole fuselage a few times and the remove the tape. Hopefully leaving the lines?

2. Scratch the lines in with a piece of thin hacksaw blade?

3. Panels will be cut out of alloy tape, stuck in place and the fastener marks pressed into the alloy. Finally primed over

Any really good ideas to get them spot on?

1. Use very thin tape to mark the panel lines, prime over the whole fuselage a few times and the remove the tape. Hopefully leaving the lines?

This sounds plausible. When I started doing electronics we used crepe tape in various really fine widths to layout PCB tracks on acetate film (this was just before computers started to take over, God that makes me feel so old!).

That tape would be good for it, it was easy to attach accurately and to cut to make neat joints.

I can't see it for sale anywhere now though  .  The closest I can see is 1mm pinstripe tape from airbrush-shop.co.uk but that's £10 for a 50m roll...

I have still got a load of PCB track tape  I will give it a go and see how it looks.
Easy to rub down the primer if not.

3. Panels will be cut out of alloy tape, stuck in place and the fastener marks pressed into the alloy. Finally primed over

That's probably the best, though perhaps the most time-consuming way.  Some professionally made jet model moulds were done by covering the plug with litho plate cut to the correct panels, rivet circles pressed in, then mould taken.

 

Now that would take a while, I don't intend to go too mad as its only a fairly small jet. Also want to get a prototype in the air as ASAP, spoke to Mick Reeves today about a thrust tube.
The plug has taken a lot longer than anticipated but I want it to look as close to the FRS.1 as possible.

1. Use very thin tape to mark the panel lines, prime over the whole fuselage a few times and the remove the tape. Hopefully leaving the lines?

Phil at Fighteraces has that for you > chartpak < 16m for £2.90

Phil at Fighteraces has that for you > chartpak < 16m for £2.90

Absolutely brilliant!! Thank you Selleri
I spent hours thinking how I could do it to find the method i came up with is already tried and tested! Will order some tommorow

OK

Tried the tape and filler primer, its OK but the lines are very shallow. Going to go with it as the Plug is now ready for moulds to be taken
Watch this space

Intake panel lines marked up.

The main and nose wheel bay doors are finished, few more panels etc and done.

hi russ,looking good .
planeking-robin

Thanks Robin
Taking much longer than expected but will be worth it.

Maybe this will give you a little inspiration.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzBoVuEQW4A" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzBoVuEQW4A</a>

Yes looked very promising for a while, then news just stopped about it.

Landing must have been bad !

Lol I was thinking that too, video cut just in time!

Harrier plug has gone to the composites shop today.
Moulds should be done before Christmas   Now to get the CNC wingcutter going.

Just got the Harrier moulds back today Will post some pictures later but absolutely superb!!

Come on Russ im waiting, looking forward to this, Russ PM me your mobile got a question reference our Typhoons

lozza

A couple of pics, done with Ipad so not brilliant. The mould has been done in sections to allow easier joining.

any more progress russ

Hi Dean
Just have a couple more weeks of work for my ATPL, once complete I will be back onto the Harrier. Full on!
Still plan to have the prototype flying before the summer.

good man
look forward to seeing it

Dear Russ
Any chance the Harrier will fly before the 14h of June 2012?

Regards Phil G.

Laying up a fuselage next week, should be no reason why not for the prototype.

The first Harrier is out of the mould 
Now to get the wings cut 
Pics of the Fuzz to follow.

Here it is 

Looking good Russ! 

Thanks Pat 

That really looks good

What did the weight come in at as it is now?

Richard

I will go and weigh it now, its a fraction of the weight of the chopped matt version.

weight is 800g

That sounds pretty good! What is it, about 1500mm long? It is hard to tell from the photos.

Richard

Its 1660mm Richard, not a bad guess

Watching with renewed interest. This is a fantastic project and I'm enjoying it.

Thanks for sharing

Richard

Watching with renewed interest. This is a fantastic project and I'm enjoying it.

Same here. That unpainted fuse looks like it needs to be flown at night with a light inside it.. but then again once it's kitted out it won't be so pretty!

Thank you for the encouragement Richard    Well needed as its been a long project even to this stage!
Here is a pic with the Wren 70 for size comparison.

Thank you for the encouragement Richard    Well needed as its been a long project even to this stage!
Here is a pic with the Wren 70 for size comparison.

You could get four of them in there!

...and here's the equivalent pic of the full size jobbie:


]

4 now there's a though lol, or maybe 4 electric ducted fan units. 

Update on the Harrier, canopy plug is nearing completion and the wings will be done in the next couple of weeks 

russ
work faster !