An elderly gentleman walked into John's Hobbies on the Danforth and desperately wanted to build a 50" Tiger Moth biplane from plans. After many visits he appeared to be stuck. Roger called me to see if TEMAC could help in any way.
I picked up the plane today... no plans. The wings were sheeted with balsa and the top wing was mounted. The bottom wing was loose. Nothing ahead of the firewall, no power system.
Objective: to get the airplane to fly... even just once.
Background: The gentleman was a TCA (before Air Canada) pilot and flew just about everything. He was captivated by the Tiger Moth because it first hit the air the year he was born.
Approach:
- make the plane strong enough to fly by going over every glue joint and splicing patches in damaged areas (hanger rash)
- supply and install a power system. This appears to be a .20 size 1986 design published in the British magazine RCM&E as a free plan. He has the glass cowl as well.
- supply and install a radio system. TEMAC will donate a 72 meg radio.
- give it back to the owner in stages so he can attempt to cover it. If it works.... great. If it is difficult for him, I will cover it.
- fly it at TEMAC with the gentleman standing beside me!
I will post photos of the plane on day 1. Subsequent photos will show the strengthening, patching, power calculations and all other steps required to make it flyable.
Here is why. About 5 years ago I was given a finished airplane. Powered it and flew it. On the 5th flight the wings folded at about 75' altitude at 3/4 throttle. It turns out the wing dihedral joint was made with balsa. Not a bit of plywood to be found. I vowed never again to fly a scratch built airplane that I did not inspect below the covering.
Frank
That's a beauty... and a humbling project. Nicely done, Frank.
Please keep us posted about maiden day... I'd love to see it in the air.
I will keep you posted on the progress and publish the maiden day.
Here are photos of the model. Quite rough but it will fly.
96- the wings
98- I opened up the bottom skin and confirmed no bracing on the dihedral joint. Everything was butt glued. This wing would have broken halfway down the runway on the maiden take-off.
99- wingtip- in rough shape.
05- fuselage
06- top of the fuse.
Frank
First decision- open up the bottom of a wing to expose all the glue joints.
Findings on the wings:
- only about 30% of the wing sheeting was attached to ribs. Applied wood glue at all ribs to make 100% glue contact on the top sheeting. Done.
- The centre joint was not continuous, not spliced, not reinforced at all. This joint would have failed immediately. Will re-do the joint completely.
- The hinge gaps are quite serious and need to be reduced significantly. I will re-hinge the ailerons.
The centre joint is troubling. I will re-enforce it as much as possible, re-sheet it and fibreglass it to take the place of a proper centre joint.
Frank
The first info about the owner is trickling in.
- he flew for Trans Canada Airways before it became Air Canada in 1965
- he flew everywhere within Canada
- he flew DC-3's, 6's and 8's
Roger will get more details when he returns to the shop.
Frank
Wing dihedral joint- ready to glue in place.
problem:
- none of the spars were continuous to the centre joint
- the wing has both dihedral and sweep
I tried a carbon rod but there is not enough glueing area.
Ended up with a piece of 1/2" x1/2" hard balsa because it was easy to shape, then wrapped it in fibreglass cloth to strengthen it after shaping.
photo 08- shows the centre section cleaned out of everything that was not a rib or a spar.
photo 09- shows the fibreglass-wrapped new spar, the slots cut to slide it into, the small piece to slip between the double spars, the two shear webs (tooth picks are poked into them as pointers) to spread the spar load between the existing upper and lower spars.
Note the balsa added to the leading edge between the ribs for the leading edge dowels. It will be trimmed afterwards.
Ready for gluing.... photo 10...glued! This photo also shows the yellow wood glue to adhere the wing sheeting to the ribs.
Most of the final strength of the centre joint will come from the fibreglass wrap after the sheeting is finished.
Frank
Wings, continued.
Photo 13- Everything glued in place and drying. The piece of balsa with the green pin in it is the back end of the wing dowel brace. The front end has been installed.
Photo 11- While the bottom wing was drying, I opened up the top wing. I heard some complaining (cracking) when I stressed the centre joint. Decided to open it. OMG! a spar is pre-broken (knife tip points to it). All this needs to be braced. As well, there are no hard points for the wing center hold- down and the inter-plane "N" struts. Will have to add these.
Fuse:
Photo- 14- shows the back of the fuse (turtle deck) with random seams. Decided to open this.
Photo- 15- shows 3 layers of 1/16 balsa on the turtle deck. Stripped each layer away. The photo was taken after the top layer was cut away and shows layers 2 and 3.
Photo- 16- under the 3 layers, the gaps between the formers are filled with 1/4" balsa.
Will have to cut things back further then decide how to tackle this.
Problem: Converting a gas to an electric plane starts off tail heavy. These extra layers add more tail weight which is a problem.
Will figure it out.
Frank
That's a hell of a project, Frank... but a very cool one. I'm following along.
As you're doing....
Get the structure stable, then with a good sanding and filling, and more sanding, and it'll look good. It looks reasonably straight... right?
It won't be the lighten build when finished, but I'm sure you'll have it looking good and you'll get that smile that'll make it all worth while.
A quick covering lesson may go a long way to help him achieve good results.
Robert
Rob,
Thanks for your support
re:." .. then with a good sanding and filling, and more sanding,...."
This could probably use 50 grit paper (sharp rocks glued onto paper) and an electric belt sander. ;D ;)
Frank
Wow! Tackled the fuselage.
Removed the entire top and bottom. Look at the floor on my shop!
Here is why my decision:
- The weight at the tail! There were 4 layers of turtledeck totalling 3/4" thick. Faster to build new versus re-build the old.
- the sheet balsa fuselage sides were not attached to all the cross members. Had to get my hands inside to attach the sheet sides to the structure.
- there was a hidden split in the top longerons just ahead to the fin. This is right where tail breaks happen on hard landings. Don't ask how I know this. ;) Have to brace them.
- a couple of cross braces were loose or not flat with the surface.
Photos:
17- The fuselage carnage on my shop floor
18- the break/joints just ahead of the fin
19- stripped top and bottom of the fuse.
Frank
WOW!
Will you be bringing it to the next meeting?
I'm also curious to hear how you will decide on motor and esc size
Mark,
re "Will you be bringing it to the next meeting?"
The pile of wood scraps or the plane?
Will bring the plane so you can prove to yourself why I should be certified as "nuts". As for the scraps.... garbage day is Wednesday. :D ;D
Frank
re: As for the scraps.... garbage day is Wednesday.
You're kidding... right? There's a whole plane in there !!!
David,
re: your "There's a whole plane in there !!!"
No, I am not building a 12" span biplane out of the scraps....like your mini Warwing. ;)
Frank
Back to building,
Put in the hard points in the wings for the interplane "N" struts. Googled a photo of a Tiger Moth and measured the half span on the screen with a ruler and the position of the struts. They were 61% of span from the centreline of the wing. So 15" out.
Cut open the bottom of both wings and glued in balsa blocks where the hard points were required. Set them aside for the carpenter's glue to dry overnight (did not use 5 minute epoxy).
Photo 23- the hard point in the bottom of the upper wing.
Photo 24- hard point in the bottom wing.
Frank
Closing up the upper wing.
Photo 25- patching the hard point on the starboard wing panel
Photo 26- Patching the hard point on the port wing panel. Note the small strip glued to the bottom of the wing sheeting. This is so the patch has something to glue to.
Photo 27- Centre section patches in place. The cuts are angled on purpose so they can be glued back tightly by closing the gap created by the cut.
Photo 28- One wing tip has a 3/32 sheet glued to it. This will be sanded flush. Better than using filler to transition from the wing to the tip.
Bottom wing is next.
Frank
Did some fuse stuff while the wing was drying:
Photo 30- removed the formers for the turtle deck and two loose cross braces. Installed longeron doublers just ahead of the stab. These doublers were to re-inforce the joint in the middle of nowhere. (pencil points to the joint)
Photo 31- made new turtle deck formers and used stringers to make the curve. No Andy, there is no hidden message in the arrangement of the coloured pins.... or, spend a couple of hours trying to figure out whether anything is being spelled out. You are retired and looking for stuff to do to fill your time. ;)
Frank
The power calculation is next.
The finished plane will weigh about 3.75-4.0 lbs, conservatively. This means it will need between 325 and 400 watts to fly properly plus some reserve to get out of trouble. That is about 90-100 watts per pound.
Just checked the website. A Power 25 from E-flite is a 32 amp continuous motor. That is 355 watts (amps x volts) on 3 cells or 460 watts on 4 cells. It will probably fly nicely on 3 cells (yeah!).
Now to dive into my motor and ESC drawer. ;D
Found one- A Turnigy 35 48-800kv approx 40 amp continuous. Probably some swap meet item that fell into my pocket.... to replace the money that fell out. ;)
Frank
Motor mount.
The motor had to measure 5 3/8" from the firewall to the prop washer. The cowl pinches so much at the front that a metal mount could not be used.
Made my own out of 3/4" square hard balsa and 1/4" plywood. See the parts in the photo 33. The final motor mount in photo 34- next to the fibreglass cowl.
Cut holes in the wing ribs to feed the servo wires through. See photo 32. Note the buried connector has been wrapped with dental floss so it won't come apart.
Frank
More details:
Photo 35- had to re-inforce the centre section of the elevators. Used 1/32 plywood on both sides with a strip of fibreglass under it. Note the rudder extension pinned in place. All hinges have to be in a straight line otherwise they will not work. The triangle was added at the bottom of the rudder. Once dry it will be sanded to shape. Then I will add fibreglass and plywood.
Photo 36- used dental floss to bind the cabane struts together. Top and bottom, front and back. 8 points with dental floss. Used it to tie it together since I could not see how good the glue joints were.
Photo 37- Close-up of new covering between the two cockpits. Two layers of 1/16" balsa. Put new balsa along the sides as well.
Photo 38- The motor is in. The cowl is in. The prop makes it look even more finished.
Photo 39- new backing of the rear cockpit bulkhead to cover the new stringers for the turtledeck.
There is a finish line somewhere ahead. ;)
Frank
Beautiful... it's lookin' like an airplane.
Quote from: Frank v B on November 05, 2019, 10:42:29 PM
More details:
Photo 35- had to re-inforce the centre section of the elevators. Used 1/32 plywood on both sides with a strip of fibreglass under it. Note the rudder extension pinned in place. All hinges have to be in a straight line otherwise they will not work. The triangle was added at the bottom of the rudder. Once dry it will be sanded to shape. Then I will add fibreglass and plywood.
Photo 36- used dental floss to bind the cabane struts together. Top and bottom, front and back. 8 points with dental floss. Used it to tie it together since I could not see how good the glue joints were.
Photo 37- Close-up of new covering between the two cockpits. Two layers of 1/16" balsa. Put new balsa along the sides as well.
Photo 38- The motor is in. The cowl is in. The prop makes it look even more finished.
Photo 39- new backing of the rear cockpit bulkhead to cover the new stringers for the turtledeck.
There is a finish line somewhere ahead. ;)
Frank
And there is enough left over for a good flossing as well. ;D
When I use floss for reinforcing purposes, I finish up by applying thin cyanoacrylate to the bound area to reinforce it. I don't trust my knots. I am sure Frank does the same thing.
Nice project there Frank. :-*
Great Job Frank! See you tonight.
Time to start thinking about the colour combo. Have opted for the classic yellow with black cowl... and it has been approved by the owner. I somehow don't think he would be picky. 8)
Frank
Keep moving.......
Completed the following:
- placed balsa fillers everywhere there were gaps
- installed the servo rails for the elevator and rudder.
- filled in the gaps around the landing gear.
- installed the aileron servos
- installed the lower wing supports for the retaining screw
- sanded the elevator and rudder
- removed all the hinges (rudder, elevator, ailerons).
Next are the filling and final sanding. Then covering will start.
Photo
68- balsa filler pieces on the starboard side pinned and glued in place.
69- filler on the port side.
70- servo rails in place
71- aileron servos glued in place. Wing bottom will be sheeted.
73- balsa fillers for the wing hold down screws. Note the disjointed joints. Nothing was braced. This wing will be braced will fibreglass over the center sheeting. Note the large new dihedral brace glued in place.
Frank
Went to Home Depot this morning and bought the filler. It is in the paint section. There are about 5 of them. Pick them up. If it feels empty....that's the one. "Dap Fast 'n Final Lightweight Spackling" with a bright red lid.
Probably should have bought the 5 gallon bucket with the built-in wheels. :D ;D
Frank
That's the one I got, 'cause you guys told me to get it. Amazing stuff. Works well with EPO foam, you can sand it. Fixed up the cowl of my Timber and with a bit of dollar store paint it looks excellent.
Covering the bottom of the bottom wing now that the servos, wiring and strut braces are in place.
Photos of the balsa pin cushion!! ;D
Frank
The second half of the wing pincushion. ;)
Frank
Next step: Attaching the bottom wing.
Note- since the fuse, fin and stab came already glued in place, I am using these as starting points.
Object: make the wing true to the stab... even if it is crooked on the fuselage.
Step 1- find the centre of the wing. Not so easy since the wing sheeting was not in the centre and the wing has a sweep-back and dihedral. Found the centre of the trailing edge by holding a tape measure across the back end of the wing tips. Marked the centre with a magic marker. Found the centre of the leading edge by placing the wing over our ceramic laundry room floor. The wing tip leading edge was 3" behind one grout line and the wing tips overlapped another grout line by equal amounts. Stood above it and when the trailing edge magic marker dot was in line with a grout line, I make the front on the same grout line. Close enough.
See photo 78.
Step 2- Make a leading edge dowel. Cut it to length and sharpen the point a little with a pencil sharpener so it becomes self centring. See photo 80. Note: once the first one was drilled and centred, I drilled the second one. I always use two leading edge dowels and two trailing edge bolts on my wings. safety.
Step 3 Drill one leading edge dowel hole in the leading edge and fuse. Oops- drilled into the Landing gear wire. Will leave it and re-inforce it later. Mark and install the trailing edge screw hold-down plate. I used 3/4" square hard balsa. Once the glue dries, I will drill and tap it into the balsa for two nylon bolts. Photo 81. Notice how butchered the holes for the dowels were in the fuselage. You can see the landing gear metal in the holes.
Frank
A ceramic floor and a pencil sharpener. You really do use all the tools around the house. ;)
This is looking really good.
Gotta keep going!
Photo 88- tapped the holes for the lower wing bolts
Photo 91- put the nylon wing bolts through the pencil sharpener so they automatically centre in the hole. The left bolt is untouched, the right one has been sharpened with the shavings next to it.
Photo 89- next challenge. The cabane struts, as built, are very crooked. The tail wheel and prop nut are centered on the grout line in the photo. Appears to be off by about 3 degrees. Will have to compensate for it.
Photo 92- everything looks crooked. That is why we have trim tabs on transmitters. ;D
Photo 94- Top view of the plane with the bottom wing in place.
To get away from the crookedness of the cabanes, my approach will be to rest the top wing properly aligned on the interplane wing struts and then fasten the top wing onto the cabane struts in the centre....... It will be crookedly straight. ;) :D
Frank
Excellent perseverance Frank! Keep at it!
Hey! Can the cabane struts be cracked and re-glued somehow to straighten them up?
Robert
Rob,
Thanks for the comment. It appears to be a compliment. ;) ;D
I am walking a fine line between making sure this plane can fly its one flight while maintaining as much of the owner's original construction so he can see his plane, not mine, fly. All my adjustments are strength and alignment related so it can fly. A little crooked stuff here and there won't hurt it. All the planes I have ever built proves this is true. 8)
We won't be competing with it at the National Championships.... and my name is not Piker! (Mr. Accurate! and Precise) ;)
One thing is for sure. Starting new with a kit would have been a lot faster... but this is neither the assignment nor the objective.
Frank
Wing incidence for a biplane.
Did a bit of research on the incidence of the wings.
It seems like you want the bottom wing, especially the more forward wing to stall first.
Details on the following web question on RCGroups.https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/showthread.php?2576270-Biplane-Wing-Incidence-Recommendation
Decision... unless the TEMAC experts indicate this is stupid... I will put about 2 degrees of decalage (difference in the angle of attack between the upper and lower wing) on the wing with the lower wing at 0 degrees to the stab.
Frank
This sounds correct to me. :D
To put at it another way, I feel the decalage should be set at just enough. ;)
Very hard to believe you're actually using numbers. I knew there'd come a day!
Sounds good to me.
I recall my SE5a requiring between 1 and 2 degrees positive relative to the bottom wing.
David,
re: your "Very hard to believe you're actually using numbers. I knew there'd come a day!"
All I can say is "19, 15, 18, 18, 25".
If you want me to be more accurate about the incidence, then call it "just enough plus .1". ;D
Frank
I have so much to learn.
I thought decalage referred to the methodology used to "apply decals" ;D
Really coming along nicely Frank
a few details done last night-
Photo 98- filled in the lower wing leading edge
Photo 99- glued thin plywood protection (1/64") on the bottom of the wing so the wing bolts do not bite into the balsa sheeting.
Photo 600- added 1/16 ply on the bottom of the nose between the landing gear. The balsa underneath was about 10 pieces glued together. The plywood adds a smooth surface without adding thickness so the cowl still fits.
Frank
Fibreglassing the bottom of the bottom wing.
- Applied 5 minute epoxy to the balsa airframe
- laid fibreglass cloth over the glue
- covered it with two pieces of waxed paper so it can handle the dihedral joint
- spread the glue by rubbing the waxed paper and forcing the glue through the cloth.
- let cure overnight (as opposed to just "harden").
Will do the top of the wing tomorrow and then bring it to the Build Class.
Frank
Great project Frank.
Thanks for the very interesting talk and show n' tell at this evening's Pilot Meeting. The Tiger Moth was such a worthy aeroplane, purposely designed to bring flying to the masses. I'm certain the model will stand a chance to look proud and to fly, under your expert eye. It is such a worthy cause.
I'd be interested to learn whether the 80 yr old TCA pilot you called Ray, is in fact Captain Ray Lank?
Frank,
Here's a bio on Ray Lank, retired TCA pilot who flew the 'Sentimental Journey' across Canada.
http://www.oursussexroots.com/julia2a/39.htm
Found a nice photo of a Tiger Moth in Canadian Livery. Canadian Warplane Heritage. This one is stationed in Gatineau.
Unless Roger That comes up with a better specific Tiger Moth I will work towards this one.
Frank
ps: Roger. I hope you can come up with a photo of a Canadian historic Tiger Moth. I needed this one in order to find the location and angle of the wing struts and the correct stagger of the wing.
The interplane struts:
- Used the photo from the previous post to determine how far back from the leading edge of the upper wing the forward strut is fastened. Marked two spots on the bottom of the upper wing.
- Screwed in the bottom wing.
- Set the upper wing on the crooked cabane struts and used a clamp to hold it in place. Sighted the wings from above and made the trailing edges of the upper and lower wings parallel.
- Measured the distances between the upper and lower wings at the wing strut locations. The two measurements were different (crooked) at 7.25" and 7.75". Cut two sticks out of 1/4" share balsa 7.5" long and placed them between the upper and lower wing. Looked good.
Made two struts the length of the sticks. Used brass airfoil tubing because it is much stronger than the aluminum one*. Glued a pin hinge into the top and an adjustable clevis and threaded rod into the bottom. The threaded rod has a 90 degree bend in it inside the tubing so it cannot pull out. See photo. After covering, the pin hinge will be glued into the upper wing (permanently attached). The pin hinge is there so the strut can be folded flat to the wing for transport and storage.
The aluminum angle piece in the photo will be drilled to become the clevis anchor point on the bottom wing.
Frank
* I used the aluminum one on my Skywriter biplane project and it bent badly on a rocky but solid landing.
The Tiger Moth is looking great Frank, such a thorough job that you are doing.
I looked through my Tiger Moth pics and the only aeroplane I have in Canadian livery is the one at Canadian Warplane Heritage. I have several images of it from different angles if that helps with structure as well as colour? I've included a DropBox link below to a folder with the photos inside.
Hope these help?
Roger
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/0znfs9sv8mnbji7/AACagDkyR0peEJPBHMZskesaa?dl=0
Roger,
Thanks for the picture. i will use this one since it is more local. The one I showed was from Quebec.
Thanks for your help.
Frank
Quote from: Frank v B on November 24, 2019, 09:32:27 AM
Roger,
Thanks for the picture. i will use this one since it is more local. The one I showed was from Quebec.
Thanks for your help.
Frank
Frank, check the DropBox link, there are nearly 20 photos there all at different angles showing structure details👍
Roger,
Thanks. Interesting clip on the pre-flight walk-around. Those guy wires on the wings have a lot of tension on them. Surprising. Reminds me of the large racing sailboats (48'-54') when we put 3,000 pounds of tension on them (via hydraulics) and could just about play a tune. ;D
Frank
Gotta keep going.....
Photo 38- fibreglassed the top and bottom of the center sections of both wings. Had to do this because the spars were butt-joined with little or no plywood doublers. The glass holds the center section together.
In the photo, the top wing (top of photo) still has the waxed paper on it. The waxed paper allows me to spread the epoxy with my fingers and it automatically makes the finish glass smooth after it has cured.
Next Step is final sanding and then start the covering.
Frank
Frank, which hobby shop was it that the TCA captain 'Ray' left his Aeroplane at? Any idea yet as to his surname?
It was John's Hobbies on Danforth just east of Woodbine in the city. I am trying to drop by there today unless some customer emergency gets in the way.
He was going to try and find out his last name.
Frank
Start covering! Yeah.
Started with the tail feathers since they came glued in place. Found two rolls of Solarfilm yellow so will use it.
Will cover the fuse first because it is the most difficult. Will also leave the back bottom of the fuse open so I can feed the pushrod to the elevator and rudder.
Approach:
Fuse covering
- top to bottom (turtle deck first, sides second, bottom 3rd).
- yellow first, black last (always cover with lightest colour first, especially with Solarfilm because it is lower in opacity (lighter weight) compared to MonoKote (heavier).
- if there are any vertical joints in the fuse covering, start at the back so overlaps are down-wind.
Wings:
- first step: corners of the ailerons on the wing.
- bottom of the wing next
- top of the wing last
Wings are covered in left and right halves, joined at the center. This is to accommodate the dihedral and sweep.
Note: none of the covering in the photos has been heat-shrunk yet. Once I finish the covering I then heat-gun the covering and do my last quality inspections.
Frank
Great Frank! Starting to look like a Tiger Moth! Can't wait to see the finished thing.
It will be a great day when you invite Capt. Ray '?' to the field to stand beside you for the maiden flight. We'll have to make sure we record the event.
Taking shape!! :P
note; the covering has not been shrunk yet, just applied and sealed at the edges.
Frank
So pretty!
Wings next:
Note: cover the bottoms of the wing(s) first so that the covering on the top will curl over the leading and trailing edge and the seam will not be visible.
step 1- cover the inside corners of the wing tip where the ailerons end. Photo 42
step 2- cover the wing at the edges. See photo 44
step 3- do a 45-ish degree cut and fold and seal the covering to the trailing edge. The covering of the inside corners in step 1 will now be covering the raw balsa. See photo 45
Two bloody wings. Arghh!
Frank
Very nice Frank!
Glad to see you are making the best of this bad weather. ;)
Guy - Yes, very nice.
What bad weather?
Wiggly bits covered.
Only the top wing to go!!!.... then final assembly. :P :P
Frank
Got a note from Roger of John's Hobbies that the owner dropped by last week. He knows that TEMAC will take care of this whole project.
From his e-mail:
Ray was in just before the weekend to hand me $200... I told him to use the money for the holidays "We've got this". He isn't a believer just yet..
Frank
Update: The Reveal!
We will let Ray have a look at his project next Saturday, Dec. 14 at 3 pm at John's Hobbies 2188 Danforth Ave, just east of Woodbine (north side). The plane will not be completely ready but I aim to have the covering finished, radio, battery and electronics in place and wings in their proper position.
Any TEMAC members (Gerald?) who happen to be in the area are welcome to join the official presentation. Hope to post photos after the event and get all the details about the pilot from the man himself to answer "Roger That's" questions.
Back to work on it tonight.
Frank
Upholstery-
The covering is now finished but not shrunk yet.
Made balsa inserts to lock the covering in place in the cockpits. Made balsa inserts to size for the seat backs, instrument panels and forward cockpit floor (2 pieces) and covered them in black MonoKote.
Photo 16- upholstery pieces
Photo 17- plane without the upholstery
Photo 18- pieces in place.
Lookin' better and better.
Thanks David.
Gotta keep going....
Photo 719 - masked off the fuselage to spray paint the cabane struts.
Photo 720 - spray painted the raw wood of the wing supports.
Photo 721 - glued in all the cockpit upholstery and floors (black).
Frank
Trying to get it ready for the reveal this Saturday:
- shrunk all the covering- WOW! much nicer than I thought it would look. Of note: the Solarfilm I used had a price sticker on it of $7.95 and was bought at Toronto Hobbies. That puts the age at about the mid eighties. At least 35 years old. It did not behave when shrinking. In two spots it melted a hole in the covering so I had to patch them.
- hinged the ailerons. All hinges are now slotted and fit. They still have to be glued in place. The old hinges were glued in with too great a gap and were not in line so I had to cut them out.
- installed the servos.
- selected the ESC. Found a 30 amp ESC that can take 2-4S. Once I power it up I hope to fly it on 3 cells but if it weighs too much, I will switch to 4S to get the right watts/pound. Will go through the power calculations in a later post.
Remember the motto: Always overpower an airplane. You can always throttle back.... if you have to. ;D
Next up:
- pushrods
- battery tray
- install ESC and receiver.
- install the upper wing. That will be a challenge to get it aligned and strong and all the struts in place.
Sorry, no photos. Left my camera at work. Doh!
Frank
Done today:
- attached the elevator and rudder horns
- installed the elevator and rudder pushrods and connected them to the servos. Tested movement with the handy dandy servo tester. See photo 29. It shows how the pushrods cross so there is a more natural bend from the rudder/elevator to the servo.
- covered the hole in the back of the fuselage bottom once the pushrods were glued in place at the proper angles.
Note in photo 30: the clamp with the two pieces of balsa was to keep the elevator centred while connecting the pushrods. For you eagle-eyed observers... the hinges have not been glued in place yet that's why the gap between the elevator and stab is not constant.
Photo 31 of the fuselage was after the covering was shrunk.
Starting to look like a plane that could fly. ;)
Frank
ps: Bruce- note the CO detector in the background of photo 30 and 31. Just for you!
Done tonight:
- installed and tested the ESC- Works! The motor even spins the correct way.
- installed an Orange receiver. It works and the elevator and rudder move properly.
- glued the hinges in place- rudder, elevator, two ailerons.
- installed the aileron control horns.
- covered up the hole in the bottom of the tail used to feed the pushrods. No longer needed.
- lightly sanded (cleaned) the fibreglass cowl. It still had mould release on it which appeared as white spots.
Frank
Tricky glueing in the left aileron. The leading edge had a slight curve to it so it had to be squeezed in while the glue dried. Locked in the aileron with two pieces of balsa wood and a clamp, then used a rubber band to close the gap by squeezing the aileron into the trailing edge of the wing.
See photo.
Frank
Note: the coloured pin is a temporary hinge pin I use during construction. Later I will show how I attach them properly.
Two pieces of balsa wood, a clamp, a rubber band... and a partridge in a pear tree.
It's going to look great in the air.
Tadah!!
This is the way it is going to the reveal on Saturday afternoon at 3 pm. The bottom wing is securely in place and aligned. The top wing is on temporarily installed but not aligned properly yet. Total weight is 4 lbs 15 oz ready to fly. Will aim for about 400-450 watts. (85-90 watts per pound).
The photos are poor for two reasons: 1) I am a model builder and not a photographer and 2) to drive Mr. Hoffer nuts. ;D
It looks like a plane. Yeah!
Frank
Now THAT'S an airplane. Nicely done.
The plane looks great!
(Hoffer would suggest that in order to really improve your photography indoors, try turning on the lights.)
That's awesome Frank. Congrats.
Great work!
Amazing! The Moth looks great.
We know it was a ton of work, but the owner will be VERY happy, I'm sure.
Robert
Thanks Guy and Piker.
A normal balsa plane (kit or scratch) takes me about 40 hours to build from first cut to first flight. This plane has about 50 hours into it. That's why renovations are more expensive than knocking down a house and starting over. Piker is living proof. A good thing you started fresh with your house. ;) :D
Frank
Hey Frank. I saw that plane a month ago and I cannot believe it is the same one. Good job!
Thanks Rob, just don't look too closely. It is definitely a 50/50 scale model.*
Frank
* if you cannot see it at 50' and 50 km/hr it doesn't matter.
Made the final adjustments before tomorrow's visit to John's Hobbies at 3 pm:
- made and installed two pushrods for the ailerons.
- installed a radio switch in the cockpit. Connected it to a charged 4 cell NiCad pack so the owner can wiggle the sticks without the danger of the motor starting.
- connected the elevator and rudder servos and pushrods.
- installed the blind nuts to hold the upper wing.
- tested everything.
Ready for tomorrow.
Frank
Dropped the fuselage off at the store this afternoon. Ray, the owner, could not make it because of the wet snow. Both Mr. John and Roger of John's Hobby Shop were there to inspect the fuselage. They have the plane and the radio so when Ray does come in he can at least wiggle the sticks. Once Ray has seen it, I will pick the plane up and finish it. Then we can start the count-down to Spring. The plan is to have Roger pick Ray up and drive him to Rogo field for the maiden flight.
The radio was a donation from the estate of Mr. Hitchcock, the father of a supplier of ours who passed away before he could solo. It is a 6 channel Futaba 72 meg radio with dual rates and mechanical travel adjust and servo reversing.
I hooked the radio up with a 4.8 volt flight pack so the sticks can be wiggled without the danger of the motor spinning.
In the photo are Mr. John (left) and Roger (runs the RC dept).
Frank
Awesome!
Hey! Those two look the same as they did over 20 years ago when I lived in the area and would shop there! Amazing!
Robert
This a great story Frank and truly nice thing you've done!
Should be an article in MAAC Magazine
We have just confirmed that the presentation of the TEMAC TigerMoth will take place next Saturday, March 7 at 1 pm at John's Hobbies (Danforth east of Woodbine). The Pilot has had some health and weather issues to deal with but the time has been confirmed.
It would be great if a couple of the local TEMAC members could show up for the presentation (Simon H., Simon C., Gerald?).
Frank
Ray dropped by the store today at exactly 1 pm and was shown his airplane. Gerald Danen and I were there on behalf of TEMAC. To say Ray was overjoyed is an understatement. We are aiming to have its maiden flight at Rogo Field Sunday about 3 weeks from now, depending on the weather and Ray's health. Ray was a Trans Canada Airlines (became Air Canada) pilot and flew DC-3's and DC-7's everywhere. He was a prop man, never a jet jockey.
Ray asked Roger of John's Hobbies "how much do I owe you?". Roger gave the correct answer that "TEMAC is looking after it".
Two photos taken by Gerald.
Frank
Great Frank,
You did a wonderful job in finishing off the plane and have made Ray, I am sure very happy. A job well done!
Now carry on and top it off in 3 weeks with the maiden.
I'll be working on the weather on yours and Ray's behalf.
Thanks Frank...
Enheartening. That's wonderful, Frank.
Wonderful.
You are a good man Frank.
Thanks for the support guys... and Guy.
We have tentatively set the maiden flight for the Tiger Moth for Sunday, April 5 if the weather is OK and Ray is feeling OK. The plan is to have Roger of John's Hobbies pick up Ray and drive him to the field for 11 am. We plan to be ready. The final Go/no go will be made 3 days before when we see the 3 day forecast and Roger can get Ray's health status. Ray's neighbour Dave* has asked to be invited as well. We expect him to attend.
The action standard is :
- if the maiden is successful Ray will be given the airplane to take home. Plane, radio, motor, battery and all courtesy of TEMAC.
- if the maiden has a hiccup, the plane will be repaired and re-maidened two weeks later (Easter is in between).... then Ray will be sent home with the plane.
He will go home with an airplane that has flown and is in one piece... no matter what!
To improve our chances of success I would love to be able to count on Bruce and Glenn as assistants.... or slave drivers. ;D
Fingers crossed.
Frank
* Dave drives Ray around to doctors' appointments, etc. Dave drove Ray to the store last week.
I plan to be there, camera on hand.
Looking forward to this event.
Guy
Re: To improve our chances of success I would love to be able to count on Bruce and Glenn as assistants.... or slave drivers. ;D
I'm good for that, or are you just looking for weather assistance? :P
I'll be there wearing a mask and gloves and standing way in the background.
Very happy to see this maiden.
Bruce,
I don't know whether or not I need help with the weather. You did a great job last Sunday so you're a keeper for that job.
David,
Mask? Heck, I'll wear a hazmat suit. Do you need protection from a virus or me?? ;) ;)
Thanks for the support.
Frank
Needless to say we have delayed the flight originally scheduled for tomorrow.
I have started back at this model to do the final details (insignias, numbers, colour stripes, etc.). I have left it up to Roger from John's Hobbies to make it any Sunday that he feels comfortable. Ray is in a very compromised health state so we need to be sure it is safe.
Will post updates on the finishing touches. I will let Bruce and Glenn know the date just in case they are able to help for the maiden.
Guy, you're still on call for the photography assignment.
Frank
The details:
Since Ray was a Canadian pilot, I have chosen a Canadian livery for the Tiger Moth. This one is registered in Gatineau, Quebec and apparently flies with the Hamilton War Heritage group. Good enough for me.
Made the roundel out of peel and stick colour film,. Left-overs from a printing company.
Photo 15- The roundel on the fuse had to be 2.25" in diameter. I drew out the circles from the centreline. Only the blue and red circles had to be accurate. The while just had to be smaller than the 2.25" outside diameter. The circle cutter came from Dollarama a few year ago. It has a center point and a cutting blade on the outer arm.
Photo 16- the mocked up roundel
Photo 17- the roundel on the fuselage. The red/white/blue stripes on the fin were electrical tape.
The numbers were cut out from a set of 72 meg Futaba antenna flag with the frequency number on it. Glued with a very tacky clear glue.
Meets the 50/50 rule.
Frank
ps: I was sooooo envious of Simon's home printed water slide decals.
I want everyone to be aware, this is not an official TEMAC event.
This, and any other activity related to TEMAC, is not an essential activity.
Please do not use this website to invite other members to congregate while there is a Stay-At-Home situation in this province.
Michael,
Do not worry. It will not take place until all clear signal has been given by Queen's Park, Ottawa and the TEMAC executive. It will not be the first gathering at the field once the all clear signal has been given. Ray is way too frail to risk anything.
Frank
Thank you.
@Frank v B I will be available for camera and video duties whenever needed..... Provided that the Filed is open and we have the ALL CLEAR. :-X
Also, provided that the other official photographer is not too critical of my artwork. :o I saw how
@bweaver was treated when showing off him Italian creation. ;)
Guy
Thanks Guy.
Just Googled Tiger Moth 8869 to see if there were roundels on the top wing. Answer. Yes! Now I'll have to make those.
The first photo shows the size and placement but not on this model. The second photo is of 8869.
Will cut them out tomorrow.
Frank
Now for the wing roundels.
Looked at the photo, eyeballed the size and measured it at 5" diameter. Drew the line and made the diameters of the external and internal dimensions of the roundel colours and started cutting.
Placed it on the starboard wing. Then did measurements of the centre and transferred the spot to the port wing. Put a pin in the wing at the centre point and installed the white roundel first using the pin as the centre point. Then eyeballed the blue circle and then the centre red spot.
Done. Yeah!
Frank
Found the plastic cockpit canopy and tried to figure out how and where it attaches.
Googled the plane and found that the top deck of the front extends to behind the cabane struts. have to fill in the part between the cabanes.
Made two formers and glued them in place. Have cut slots for 3/16" stringers. Will then cover it with two layers of 1/16 balsa to get the thickness to match the thickness of the fuse side.
Note: the canopy still has to be cleaned. All the dirt is visible.
Frank
@Frank v B that is going to be tricky to cover between the struts. Did you figure out how to do that yet? Do you have a small enough iron?
Great job, the plane will look even better with a clean canopy. ;D
Guy,
re: "that is going to be tricky to cover between the struts. Did you figure out how to do that yet?
Yep. Nope!
I never have a grand scheme other than the objective. In this case the top must be extended. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.
It is usually easier than you first think. I'll take you through my thought process....once I find the "on" switch. ;D
Just put the stringers in place. As usual, the stringers are long. I cut them after the glue has dried. See photo.
Frank
OK Guy, here is my solution to the problem.
- Hoped to do it in 2 halves and join them in the center stringer. Couldn't do that because of the angled cabane struts.
- wanted to do 2 layers but that would have been too complicated (double the work).
- a single layer meant bracing all the way around, especially where it joined the existing fuse. That's why the blocking in photo 09.
Final approach: single layer, 4 pieces, try to cover it in Monokote. If too much trouble, paint it.
Photo 08- the two pieces cut for the starboard half. Soaked them for 15 minutes slipped between a water soaked and folded shop towel.
Photo 09- blocking in place above the covered fuse portion.
Photo 10- the two pieces glued and pinned in place.
Photo 11- photo showing the two pieces in place on the right side.
Let it dry overnight.
Frank
How to make a joint in two pieces of balsa.
Just in case you think making the fuse top out of 4 pieces is difficult at a joint, here is how to do a random joint.
This is the way we do joints in wallpaper.
Photo 12- overlap the wood that have to be joined in the middle.
Photo 15- cut through both pieces of wood in a single cut. Throw away the two scrap edges.
Photo 17- the pieces fit together like a glove. ps: the small gaps that show are because I did not hold the knife completely vertical. The thicker the wood, the more important it is.
This is a squigley joint just to show you how easy it is. Straight joints are even easier. Overlap the balsa, metal ruler, one knife cut. If there is a small gap, I use wood glue because the moisture in the glue swells the wood and closes the gap.
Frank
Very nice Frank.
I presume you soaked the 2 pieces of balsa to make it easier to bend?
Quote from: msatin on April 07, 2020, 11:22:28 PM
Very nice Frank.
I presume you soaked the 2 pieces of balsa to make it easier to bend?
Obviously Frank would have used a 'wet blue shop towel' to accommodate this dampening practice. I understand it has to be a blue one. See Frank, sometimes I pay attention. ::)
Mark,
Thanks.
Quick explanation of two of my assumptions:
1) Damp wood: absolutely so it can be bent without cracking. My main worry was the sharper bend just at the bottom where its meets the yellow fuselage. I glued the blocking there earlier. The sharp angle change at the top end of the blocking is where the break would occur. Absolutely no problem bending it.
2) Blue shop towel: these towels stay damp a lot longer than regular paper towels. I fold them around the balsa so both sides are dampened.
Do you know this bweaver guy? Me neither. ;)
Frank
Now for the port other side. There had to be a better way.
Please remember that this whole job was made much more difficult because I wanted to preserve as much of Ray's work as possible. I got the plane with the cabanes in place. They appeared quite solid.
This time I made a paper template then transferred it to balsa. It is soaking in the same re-damped blue paper towel while I do this post.
Photo 18- On the paper template, note the 4 little cuts around the forward cabane strut. These 4 cuts were there so I could fold them back around the strut and get an accurate template without an extra 3 or 4 trial fits. Two were folded back, two stayed in place. The long folded back part was left on so just in case the cut was too long, I could fold it back and mark the true cut line.
The pencil mark at the top right hand corner is where the joint is located . The piece of balsa I used was shorter so I will just make a filler piece later.
Photo 19- how the paper template fit around the struts. Note the 4 little cuts around the cabane on the left. Two are up, 2 are down. The long cut was marked as well.
Photo 20- the template and the balsa piece.
Photo 21- The balsa is happily soaking up moisture. Back soon.
Frank
The aft insert on the port side.
Filled, sanded, covered and the black instrument panel installed.
Next- clean the canopy and attach it.
Frank
@Frank v B , concerning you comment: "... the black instrument panel installed."
Are you not planning on adding decals or an image of a compass, turn & bank coordinator, etc.
These would be just an added touch, you are so close!
Great job!!
Guy
Guy,
re: "... the black instrument panel installed."
There is always a critic in every crowd. ;) ;) It represents a scale instrument panel after the electrical system shorted out while night flying! So there. 8)
I will come up with something to keep you happy. My brain is revving in neutral now but hope to find "forward" soon.
Thanks Maximoa, ;D
Frank
@Frank v B I did not want to leave you in a bind. Here is a picture that you can scale down as needed to fit.
Guy,
Considerate!
I tried to expand it and print it and couldn't. So I Frankensized the problem and made my own with a hole punch and peel and stick film.
6 round dials per cockpit plus a student brain wave indicator for the instructor's cockpit. It is red, indicating non existent brainwaves. ;D
Cleaned the cockpit canopy. Just have to install the panel trim and screw it in place.
Frank
Excellent! ;D
When I fly, if I see a needle in the red, I start to worry... :-X
Photo 26- Cockpit instrumentation in place, including the brainwave indicator (red)
Photo 27- Cockpit canopy joint outlines in place, screwed in place. The overall look. Fine for the 50 foot test. 8)
Photo 28- Close-up of the canopy.
Next: the interplane struts.
Frank
Good job
@Frank v B , the plane looks AWSOME!! :D
But, who will fly the plane? ??? It has no pilot inside... :o
Gosh
@Frank v B this is very different vs. your normal "50:50" rule!
Is this CoronaSituation creating a new you?
Simon:
re: "this is very different vs. your normal "50:50" rule!" Better or Worse, if it is not equal??
Done !!!! Ready to fly.
Beauty shots. I am going to leave the struts as is for simplicity. There are supposed to be two struts on each side. My logic- the more the upper and lower wings are attached to each other, the more pieces there will be in case of a crash.
Now it is up to the Post-Coro Rogo Opening announcement
Looks Awesome Frank!
It is a beauty Frank. Your work is amazing!
Hi
@Frank v B .. / -.- -. . .-- / -.-- --- ..- / .-- . .-. . / .- / --. .-. . .- - / --. ..- -.-- --..-- / -... ..- - / -.-- --- ..- / .... .- ...- . / -.-. .-.. . .- .-. .-.. -.-- / . .- .-. -. . -.. / ... .- .. -. - .... --- --- -.. / --- -. / - .... .. ... / --- -. . -.-.-- / -... .-. .- ...- --- / ... .. .-. -.-.-- / .. / .-.. --- --- -.- / ..-. --- .-. .-- .- .-. -.. / - --- / - .... . / .--. --- .-. - .-. .- .. - / ... . ... ... .. --- -. .-.-.- / .- -. -.. -.--
Andy,
Found a spelling mistake.! ;D ;D 8) 8)
Frank
Quote from: Frank v B on June 14, 2020, 05:53:33 PM
Andy,
Found a spelling mistake.! ;D ;D 8) 8)
Frank
One of the pins must have fallen out!
Andy
Quote from: Frank v B on April 10, 2020, 04:03:00 PM
Simon:
re: "this is very different vs. your normal "50:50" rule!" Better or Worse, if it is not equal??
Done !!!! Ready to fly.
Beauty shots. I am going to leave the struts as is for simplicity. There are supposed to be two struts on each side. My logic- the more the upper and lower wings are attached to each other, the more pieces there will be in case of a crash.
Now it is up to the Post-Coro Rogo Opening announcement
I
KNOW there is an antenna wire in there somewhere. I guess the flash died out at the back of the photo! 8)
Andy
What woke up Andy on this post was a note I sent out earlier today asking Bruce and Andy to help me maiden the Tiger Moth later this week.
We are not going to wait for Covid to run its course before maidening this airplane in front of Ray, the owner. We are going to maiden the plane later this week and take photos and videos of the event so we can present them with the plane to the owner as a TEMAC project.
Am aiming for Thursday, June 18 but will confirm the date once I check with the important players tomorrow.
Bruce- pile-it assistant and videographer
Andy- 72 meg antenna extender and photographer.
Mark- clapping...if the maiden is successful. Garbage detail if not. ;)
Frank
I will be practicing my 72 MHz antenna pull technique using
@Frank v B 's vintage bomb-proof Airtronics Vanguard TX, which I expect is similar to the one Frank will use for the Tiger Moth maiden flight.
Vintage TX, Vintage plane, Vintage pilot, and
@bweaver to audit the flight - it just doesn't get any better. 8)
(http://temac.ca/smf/index.php/topic,7477.msg50644.html#msg50644)
Andy
@Frank v B Best of luck with the Maiden Flight of the Tiger Moth; if it looks good it should fly good... err.... well! ;D
Work, unfortunately, prevents me attending this momentous event. :'(
Please
@Andy Hoffer take good quality pictures... you always do, I know! :-X
@bruce , We all will be looking forward to your unbiased and fair and thorough analysis of the flight performance. :o ;D
Quote from: GuyOReilly on June 14, 2020, 08:51:06 PM
@Frank v B Best of luck with the Maiden Flight of the Tiger Moth; if it looks good it should fly good... err.... well! ;D
Work, unfortunately, prevents me attending this momentous event. :'(
Please @Andy Hoffer take good quality pictures... you always do, I know! :-X
@bruce , We all will be looking forward to your unbiased and fair and thorough analysis of the flight performance. :o ;D
Bonjour
@GuyOReilly ,
Je ferai les plus belles photographies que possible! Je doit le faire parce que
@Frank v B est l'homme du jour. Et bien sur j'ai besoin toujours de plus des images pour mon collection Van Beurdenaise!! 8)
À la prochaine,
Andy
Guy,
Notice that Andy writes either in morse code or French because his command of the English language is at best...limited. ;)
This confirms that we are meeting at the field this Thursday, June 18 at 1 pm to maiden the Tiger Moth. Both Andy and Bruce have confirmed.
Frank
Unless something comes up, I will be there as well
Quote from: Frank v B on June 15, 2020, 09:52:30 PM
Guy,
Notice that Andy writes either in morse code or French because his command of the English language is at best...limited. ;)
This confirms that we are meeting at the field this Thursday, June 18 at 1 pm to maiden the Tiger Moth. Both Andy and Bruce have confirmed.
Frank
What nice juicy bait! It just needs a dash of salt! 8)
Andy
Unfortunately, a business engagement prevents my attending this momentous event.
@Andy Hoffer your linguistic prowess are impressive; even morse code, although Google translate can do that automatically. But the French!! I am mesmerized.
I am looking forward to pictures and videos of the maiden flight.
@Frank v B weather looks good and may the Wind Gods be with you!
Guy
Final preparations:
The power package is a Turnigy 3548 800 kv, a 40 amp ESC,. 4 cell 2200 mah, 13 x 7 wood prop.
The readings are 30 amps, 430 watts. (post-Hoffer correction. The 330 watts was on 3 cell...too marginal)
I have put in a 2.4 gig Orange receiver so I can adjust the throws.
Tomorrow I will secure everything and charge the battery and be ready for Thursday's 1 pm test flight.
Fingers crossed.
Frank
Quote from: Frank v B on June 16, 2020, 11:06:55 PM
Final preparations:
The power package is a Turnigy 3548 800 kv, a 40 amp ESC,. 4 cell 2200 mah, 13 x 7 wood prop.
The readings are 30 amps, 330 watts.
I have put in a 2.4 gig Orange receiver so I can adjust the throws.
Tomorrow I will secure everything and charge the battery and be ready for Thursday's 1 pm test flight.
Fingers crossed.
Frank
Good morning
@Frank v B,
How am I supposed to get any sleep when you keep leaving aromatic bait all over the place on a nice cool night with the windows open?
Oh well..... I am intrigued by your electrical data. 4S (nominal 14.8 volts) x 30 amps = 330 watts ??? Could that be
3S (nominal 11.1 volts) x 30 amps = 330 watts? Or 4S (nominal 14.8 volts) x 30 amps = 444 watts? Oh sagely CFI, please help a lowly neophyte understand.
Humbly yours,
Andy
Oh, Andy,
That was not bait. That was just a mistake. I know you never make one so it must feel like reading a Trump report. ;D
You were correct. The 330 was the 3 cell reading which I thought was too marginal. At 4 cells it was 430 watts which was just fine*.
You have been given credit for the correction in the original post.
You can go to sleep now. Your photographic talents are required tomorrow at the field. 8)
Frank
* there was a prop change as well. I reduced the pitch from 8" to 7" because of the higher cell count. Both props were wood. An APC on a Tiger Moth just doesn't cut it. 8)
Quote from: Frank v B on June 17, 2020, 08:30:20 AM
Oh, Andy,
That was not bait. That was just a mistake. I know you never make one so it must feel like reading a Trump report. ;D
You were correct. The 330 was the 3 cell reading which I thought was too marginal. At 4 cells it was 430 watts which was just fine.
You have been given credit for the correction in the original post.
You can go to sleep now. Your photographic talents are required tomorrow at the field. 8)
Frank
Hmmm.... 4S, 430 watts, 30 amps = 3.6 volts/cell under load. OK. Now I can sleep. (Whew!)
Andy
Success!!!!!
The plane flew about 6-7 circuits of the field in perfect weather conditions. Before Andy stopped me to take photos at the taxiway it was a cross-wind from the east. Andy did his stuff taking beauty shots of the plane. When it came time to take off, the wind had switched to the south for a perfect line-up down the runway.
The plane took off quickly at scale speed and it took about two circuits to trim it out hands-free. A lot of "down" elevator trim (max) and a lot of "right" trim (almost max). All flying was done at full power. A couple of passes for the camera and then a landing. Nothing fancy. Just tried to make it home in one piece. When the plane landed and rolled out (weather-vaned) it hit the grass edge of the runway and flipped. No damage other than another one-bladed prop for my collection.
Present as witnesses and support were:
Graham- came out off semi-retirement to cheer me on.
Bruce- in charge of weather. Fine job.
Mark- video and in charge of carnage sweep-up (luckily no work).
David- on video until he had an SLR mirror incident.
Andy- bothering me and photography.
Allan Biggerstaff came all the way from Guelph to cheer me on (he happened to be in town).
Michael- final checklist coach.
It has been a long road but well worth the time.
Ray, the plane and all electronics, motor and radio are yours courtesy of TEMAC. It flies. Mission accomplished.
We will have you over when the Covid restrictions (no visitors allowed) end.
Andy, David and Mark will post some of the photos. Thank you for your help.
A big :) :D ;D 8)
Frank
Well done Frank! An accomplishment and wonderful gift. Bravo.
@Frank v B was stellar today! He was cool, collected, and remarkably resistant to my incessant stage direction. But he finally realized that you have to suffer for art.
The photos below are self-explanatory, but a couple merit some interpretive discussion.
#3797 -
@bweaver was not about to be upstaged by 4 pounds of balsa and glue. He was the essence of artistic "RC modelling" at TEMAC.
#3795 - MAAC centrefold version of 3797
Bravo Frank! Ray will be one happy guy!
Andy
Nicely done today Frank!
More...
Tiger Moth maidens are often notorious for nose-up and rolling oscillations immediately after take off.
Over the first two circuits, Frank engineered some tricky trim adjustments, but by the third circuit, he had the model flying straight and level.
Well done, Frank!
Re Dave K's photo #9247 above (http://temac.ca/smf/index.php/topic,7272.msg50689.html#msg50689):
@Frank v B neglected to mention his covert installation of a jet-assist takeoff device to ensure prompt climb-out to a safe elevation. The man is brilliant!!
Andy
Awesome Afternoon!!
Thank you for the Thank You's.
Interesting comment by Michael.
Notice in photo 9247, which Andy called the "Jet assist" photo, the elevator is neutral, yet it jumped in the air. Then once it was fully trimmed out and I did an Andy-requested low flyby with wings tipped towards him at level flight (photo 3810) the amount of "down" elevator trim for level flight. The low photo passes did not start until the 3rd pass when it was fully trimmed out for "hands off" flying.
Frank
Bravo
@Frank v B !! Looks amazing in the air. ;D
Tiger Moth is one of my all-time favourite.
Glad to read that you had it all under skillful control at all times, even during the rocket -assisted takeoff. ;)
Guy
Quote from: GuyOReilly on June 19, 2020, 09:08:40 AM
Bravo @Frank v B !! Looks amazing in the air. ;D
Tiger Moth is one of my all-time favourite.
Glad to read that you had it all under skillful control at all times, even during the rocket -assisted takeoff. ;)
Guy
Absolutely! And
@Frank v B 's cross-wind landings are the finest anywhere! 8)
Andy
Guy,
Thanks for the kind words. So Andy caught me landing the Tiger Moth doing a curtsey at the end. It is my Australian landing. My specialty.
I sent a note to Roger of John's Hobbies last night under the heading "Tiger Moth, Success!! Mission accomplished." His reply arrived today:
THAT, My good man is absolutely FANTASTIC!!! Love it!1
I am also glad that you hired a professional model to pose appropriately with the aircraft.
No sense wasting digital memory space for photos to a rank amateur.
Bravo!
And thank you and everyone else involved for the effort to have that aircraft see the skies for Ray.
Regards,
Roger
www.johnshobbies.ca
416-421-1850
It was all worth it.
Frank
I just read this thread from beginning to end. Great job
@Frank v B. I hope Ray gets a chance to see it flying at TEMAC soon.
Ben
Ever searching for new ways to see first hand exactly what makes
@Frank v B the way he is, I decided to pay a visit to one of his favourite formerly Hoffer-free sanctuaries, John's Hobbies in Toronto. It was amazing how receptive everyone there was to the idea of pulling Frank's tow rope. Roger and Heidi were gracious hosts and provided great insights into the 50-year history of this wonderful store and the people who work there. We spent considerable time debating who had the greatest impact on Frank's psyche, John's Hobbies, as an unending source of temptation, or myself, in giving the man no peace nor place to hide. We then moved on quickly to problem solving - where to send Frank for help in exorcising his demons!
A great time was had by all. And we have to thank Frank for this wonderful vignette of entertainment in our lives! :D
Andy
Quote from: Frank v B on June 16, 2020, 11:06:55 PM
Final preparations:
The power package is a Turnigy 3548 800 kv, a 40 amp ESC,. 4 cell 2200 mah, 13 x 7 wood prop.
The readings are 30 amps, 430 watts. (post-Hoffer correction. The 330 watts was on 3 cell...too marginal)
Frank
Soooo, it was 4 cells as I suspected
@Frank v B ...
Guy
Guy,
Thank you
@GuyOReilly.
Sorry I could not remember it. I blame it on the world-wide memory chip shortage.... and that I am just plain getting old. ;)
At least give me credit for a complete build thread. 8)
Frank