Got that balsa-bashing itch again

[birlinn]

Next project, after the Tiger Moth and EE Wren is likely to be a 1910 Nieuport.
I have been enlarging a 3-view drawing by the late Bill Hannen, and adding the structure.
500 mm span, and like the others, 3 channel radio plus gyro. I will try and get it a bit lighter than the other two, both of which are around 50 grammes.

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[amish rob]

Can you elaborate on the radio system? Yes, I KNOW I can Google the damned thing, but what’s the point?

Then we can’t talk about your cool planes!

Also, I’m glad I’m not the only inveterate model maker.

[CWSmith]

I am very much looking forward to seeing this.

When I was a kid, I liked building kits of old planes like this and I would cover the frame with a thin fabric and then paint the glue over it. The result was a translucent wing that showed the frame structure. Do you do something like this?

[birlinn]

Radio gear is cannibalised from a Sonik R/C Aviator 400, a 408 mm span electric ready to fly model; cost here around £54. Excellent beginner's model, pretty crash resistant too, although you might get through the odd prop. They do provide spares!
Construction will be traditional 'stick and tissue', using lightweight Jap tissue.

[Jim Bow]

Did you know Balsa is a hardwood?

[birlinn]

Yep!
Fastest growing deciduous tree.

[amish rob]

Radio gear is cannibalised from a Sonik R/C Aviator 400, a 408 mm span electric ready to fly model; cost here around £54. Excellent beginner's model, pretty crash resistant too, although you might get through the odd prop. They do provide spares!
Construction will be traditional 'stick and tissue', using lightweight Jap tissue.

What do you dope the paper with?

[LeeG]

I just got the 5 and 7 yr olds two bags of balsa blocks. The five yr old has used it primarily as a chew toy. Gotta start somewhere.

[birlinn]

Robert: Dope.
50% thinned clear shrinking dope.
I used yellow tissue for the Tiger Moth, followed by a very thin spray of rattle can colour on the top surfaces.
Here it is again: 450 mm span.
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[amish rob]

I didn’t know they still made paper dope?! Super cool.

We have taken to using extra hold type hairspray on our kites, which is quite simple to apply and works fine for smaller tissue kites.

I can’t wait to see more!

[Rich Jones]

I built a number of 'stick and tissue" planes when I was a kid. Gliders mostly but did build a Piper Cub with rubber band prop. Just barely had enough power to take off and glide 50' or so.
I keep telling myself to get back into it since I don't need any more wooden boats.
Also want to build a wooden RC sailboat if I can find a design I like.

[CWSmith]

Sorry. So this is an actual flyer? This just got even more interesting.

[birlinn]

Sorry. So this is an actual flyer? This just got even more interesting.

3 channel R/C with a gyro might just have been a clue... :-)

[Osborne Russell]

Fine work.

There was an article in Popular Mechanics about building a Mosquito, though they called it a rebuild. The first layer of "planking" over the fuselage molds was 1/16" baltic birch plywood.

[Andrew2]

Nice stuff birlinn, I built a few when young, control line, but later, more full size Tigers and Stamps, can still smell the dope! Best was a Rapide.

[Breakaway]

Following!

I, too, built control line planes, powered by Cox 049 cc engines. Never built RC, but will follow your build with interest.

Kevin


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[birlinn]

After several attempts, eyestrain, and a lot of swear words, I have a pair of wheels! It's a start, although they look a bit crude, greatly enlarged in the photo.
Still not 100% happy- might have another go sometime.
Aluminium rims and hubs, 2 lb (0.1 mm) nylon fishing line for the 24 spokes, blue foam tyres.
Rim diameter is 19 mm (3/4"), and the weight of the pair plus axle 1.012 grammes.
My scales weigh to 2 milligrams, by the way. (spell check is fine with UK grammes, but insists on milligrams- go figure)

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[AndyG]

Fine work!

Andy

[C. Ross]

Excellent wheels! I too can still smell the dope!

[George Jung]

Excellent thread, and work. Impressive. Always thought this was cool - but never progressed past that.

I had one or two .049 'plastic' line controls. One flight, each.

[birlinn]

A bit of progress- it's a bit fiddly, and my fingers are not getting younger!
Just started the wings- the spars are 1.5 mm ( 1/16") diameter carbon fibre tubes.
The bell crank for the elevator cables pivots on a 1 mm diameter carbon tube.
It will look better with the spinner removed, and a dummy engine hiding the electric motor.

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[sonofswen]

Built from a plan..years ago. Geared Electric. tip stalling if too slow. Completely rebuilt from nose to cockpit..did I say tip stalling?

Was going to slope fly it but stuck it up here. Percival Mew Gull20220118_071804.jpg

[George Jung]

Sorry, boys. That's way too much time/work, for only one flight!

[sonofswen]

Sorry, boys. That's way too much time/work, for only one flight!

And Slope Soaring....I did have a number of 5 second flights...after spending weeks making a "lead sled" for the big winds that felt like standing on the hood of your car at Highway speeds. Finally got into scale with the last one being a 4 M DG600. A nice day with light winds...that was the way to go.

A "foam free zone"

[George Jung]

I've no doubt that *some* (likely including you and a few others here) are sufficiently skilled.

I am not worthy.

'A man's gotta know his limitations'...

[the_gr8t_waldo]

have you looked into the printed c.b.'s that contain two Linner servos as well as
a receiver?- (also in some cases, two plug in's for additional controls. I've not seen any that have gryos incorporated. but they must be available. I have a umx radian that has an even smaller control set up, and it has gyro compensating.(tail surfaces)

[amish rob]

I've no doubt that *some* (likely including you and a few others here) are sufficiently skilled.

I am not worthy.

'A man's gotta know his limitations'...

I can barely fly kites. I crash them all the time, in fact.

If I put all that work into one of those gorgeous planes and crashed it immediately, I’m sure I would cry. I’m sure I would say a whole whopping bunch of cuss words.

Loudly.

[birlinn]

have you looked into the printed c.b.'s that contain two Linner servos as well as
a receiver?- (also in some cases, two plug in's for additional control surfaces?) very lightweight. The only draw back is that I've not see any that have gryos incorporated. but they must be available. I have a umx radian that has an even smaller control set up, and it has gyro compensating.(tail surfaces)

The receiver has rudder and elevator servos, plus gyro with 3 settings, speed control for motor, and the possibility of adding ailerons. All up weight of the gear, with motor, prop, and battery 20 grammes.
Comes out of a 400 mm span ready to fly 'Trainstar' model- cost here about £55.

[birlinn]

About ready for the tissue and dope.
The wing spars are 1,5 mm diameter carbon fibre tube.

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[AndyG]

Proper job!

(Back in my slope soaring days - there are some great sites in the Pennines near Manchester - we'd take copious amounts of superglue for use 'inbetween flights'. My mate, Carl, hit on the brilliant idea of taking two gliders for any eventualities.

And then he promptly crashed the first one into the second one, sat on the ground. Both were right-offs.)

Andy

[lupussonic]

I made a glider from balsa tissue and dope, aged 12 with my Dad. 5 foot wingspan, half of the wings were upswept, tow line hook underneath.. let out string...up she goes. The final flight was at sunset on Mount Sounion, over the cliffs and far away, with a burning rag tied to it's tail. A story I told at the old mans eulogy.

[sonofswen]

A bit of progress- it's a bit fiddly, and my fingers are not getting younger!
Just started the wings- the spars are 1.5 mm ( 1/16") diameter carbon fibre tubes.
The bell crank for the elevator cables pivots on a 1 mm diameter carbon tube.
It will look better with the spinner removed, and a dummy engine hiding the electric motor.

004.jpg007.jpg

Love it! How close to flying it? Oops, just say the fuse and wings above...looks pretty close to the maiden...

[birlinn]

Just the dummy engine to make- I need another 3 or 4 grammes up front to get the CG right anyway.
Weight so far 45 grammes.

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[birlinn]

I usually fly over a field with longish grass.
The models are small and light, with little kinetic energy, and withstand vertical arrivals.
Might not over concrete though.

[amish rob]

What are those stays? Are they stays on a plane? The support wires.

They look cool. How’d you make them, and how do they attach?

The model is lovely. Love. Ly.