Build Class- Frank's Joy Stick project

[Frank v B]

This is a highly maneuverable low wing airplane originally designed for an .049 IC motor.  This is an electric conversion.

The fuse is slab sided, no formers  I am retaining the rubber band wing because it is the simplest way of attaching it and most forgiving when hitting the dirt.

Photo 41- cutting out the wing ribs- 14 of them out of 1/8" balsa
Photo 42- fuse parts cut out- 1/4" top, 1/8" sides, 1/8" bottom behind the trailing edge, 1/4" bottom between the motor and leading edge of the wing.
Photo 44- gluing the fuse sides and bottom in place.
Photo 45- gluing the bottom forward section.  Wrong!!  I glued it on top.  Had to cut it off and glue it between the sides.

Total parts cutting time- a one hour TV show.
Total fuse building time- 1 hour.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Queue the wing.

Photo 46- stack all the ribs together and sand them together so they are even.  Note the magic marker.  I always mark the top of the ribs at the spar with a magic marker so I know which side is up.  This is to guarantee that all ribs are oriented the same way.  They may have started off as a symmetrical rib but the sanding may change the shape.  This way all ribs are the same.  The 4 ribs are for the centre section.  The rest are standard ribs.

Photo 47- pin the main spar to the plan.  I always put pins in the end, then line up a steel ruler beside it. note the bow in the spar.  Then you push the ruler up to the pins and straighten the spar, then inset the pins between the ribs.  You have to start straight to finish straight.

Photo 48- ribs in place.  Glued onto the trailing edge and the lower main spar.  The leading edge balsa has rubber bands on it to hold it in place while the glue dries.

Photo 49- leading edge in place.  The rubber bands have been stretched and pinned to hold it in place while the glue dried.

Photo 50- the first wing is angled up and the second wing is started on the board.  The dihedral brace will be installed later.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Da wing cont'd,

Photo 51- clamp used as a dihedral brace to give 4.5" dihedral (one-tip measurement)
Photo 53- brace on the wingtip- I leave the triangles big because it is faster to cut them down after the glue dries than analy cutting and fitting them before gluing.
Photo 59- the balsa is used to make a template of the rib angles.  It is easier to sand and fit balsa than solid pine.  The angles are then drawn on the brace.
Photo 60- the fully cut slot in the center ribs for the dihedral brace.
Photo 61- Slipping the cut dihedral brace into the slot so the bottom angle can be marked.  I used Home Depot clear pine (1x2 or 1x3).  Nothing fancy.
Photo 62- bottom angle marked with a pencil.
Photo 63- the finished (shaped) dihedral brace before installation.
Photo 64- balsa sheeting over top of the brace.
Photo 65- Plywood motor mount installed.  Rubber banded to hold the firewall while the glue dries.

Frank

[Frank v B]

TADA!!!!

Motor installed, wheels on final fitting before final sanding and covering.


Frank

[Frank v B]

Covering completed.

[BJROB]

Nice you make it look so easy
I like it,  put me on the list to build one
Is there a list? Let's  have a list

[octagon]

Great build Frank. This should be all sorts of fun to fly. Can I get a copy of the plans from you?

[Frank v B]

Thanks BJ and Rob.  There will be a list and I do have the plans but I will make templates for all the parts (easier for the builder)

Gotta finish:  making the pushrods.  Made them out of left-over metal bits and screwy bits (clevises).  I prefer to not make them out of one piece of piano wire because they flex.  In the old days wire pushrods caused radio interference so wood was used as an insulator.

Caution- do not use screw-in clevises on both end of one pushrod.  It will twist and unscrew until one end falls off.  Don't ask me how I know.

The stick was from a dollar store.  To make the pushrod I put a 90 degree bend in one end, drilled a hole in the wood dowel about 2" from one end, inserted the metal and wound it with dental floss and glue.  I rounded the wood dowel below the metal piece so it does not catch on anything and stop servo movement. Again, please don't ask me how I know.

Photo 74- the pieces of the pushrod.
Photo 75- The dental floss holding the piano wire onto the dowel.  The knife tip points to the rounded end of the dowel below the metal end.
Photo 76- finished pushrod.

Frank

[Frank v B]

The finished plane.  The big reveal.

Photo 77- the finished plane.  Ready to fly.  I will mess around with the cockpit to add character.
Photo 79- close-up of the motor and nose wheel steering.
Photo 80- Looking up the butt.  The elevator linkage is hidden inside the fuse.
Photo 81- the tail end details
Photo 82- the battery hatch closed
Photo 83- the battery hatch open.

Done!!!

Frank

Here are the stats:
weight- 19.2 oz with a 1300 mah 3 cell battery
power - 130 watts per pound


Time to build (rough- it was not a race!)
- Cut out the parts and sand 2 hours (2 episodes of "The Closer")
- each wing half 1 hour (2 hours total)
- joining the wing, making the block- 1 hour
- landing gear and motor installation- 1 hour
- covering 3 hours
- radio installation (servos) 1 hour
- covering- 4 hours
- final assembly (pushrods, re-install motor and landing gear, dowels for wing rubber bands, hatch hold-down) 2 hours

ps: most sport planes (40 size like The Norseman) take 40-60 hours

[octagon]

Looks great Frank. 40 to 60 hours. I think that is really optimistic for something like the Norseman. For me I think I would double that time!

[Frank v B]

I promised to "mess around with the cockpit".

In honour of Bruce's crashed PT 19 (see his earlier post http://temac.ca/smf/index.php/topic,6455.0.html).

That's Bruce in the rear cockpit.  I am in the front cockpit.  Bruce is giving me my flight test.   Two blind mice.
The windshields are courtesy of the Coca Cola Company.

Frank

[BJROB]

Wow Frank
I can't believe the resemblance of you and Bruce
Still the plane looks great.
The plane looks like great for first into balsa scratch build
Can't wait to get into it and learn and get my hands dirty
Even better flying formation with friends

[bweaver]

I promised to "mess around with the cockpit".

In honour of Bruce's crashed PT 19 (see his earlier post http://temac.ca/smf/index.php/topic,6455.0.html).

That's Bruce in the rear cockpit. I am in the front cockpit.  Bruce is giving me my flight test.   Two blind mice.
The windshields are courtesy of the Coca Cola Company.

Frank

I'm the handsome one.  (I'm back! )

[Frank v B]

Bruce:

re: "I'm the handsome one." Of course you are!


re: (I'm back! )   Great!  I was starting to get worried that no-one was keeping me honest.

Frank

[octagon]

I was impressed with Frank's Fun Stick build so I decided to build one myself. Found 1/3rd size plans on the internet and had them enlarged at a printing place.  Frank is right in that it is a quick build and should be a good choice for the build class next fall, along with, or either than, the small flying boat that Michael is building to evaluate. I decided to give the tail feathers the classic Ugly Stick rounded tail and scalloped trailing edge on the elevator. I tried a canopy I had kicking around, but it did not look right with the classic tail, so my pilot will be open to the wind with scarf blowing  behind. Tomorrow the firewall will be constructed and installed, the motor and servos installed and the battery hatch figured out, and with luck the landing gear added.