I finished the Unionville Beaver I was building so today I started on a Brian Taylor designed Cessna 120. I have always had a soft spot for that plane even though I have never flown one or even been in one. I ordered a short kit from Sarik in England. After studying the plan and trying to make sure I understood how I wanted to build it and convert it to electric I started. The fuse is built in 2 parts, the front cabin area and the back of the plane behind the wing, and then they are joined together. So I started on the back end first. The formers for the fuse were not included in the kit, so they had to be constructed and then the fuse sides had to be cut out of 3/32 sheet. I was pleased with the way the sheeting came out, I soaked it on the outside with windex. I pinned it and then used thick CA while holding the sheeting to the formers. It was easy to get it done because at this point the bottom of the fuse is not in place. I finished up by using light weight spackeling and will build the front fuse tomorrow and if all goes well, join them.
Rob,
Interesting project. Can you give the specs... the size, weight and motor size of the plane... but don't stop building to answer these questions. ; :)
F.
from Wiki:
Cessna 120 — The Cessna 120 was an economy version of the 140 produced at the same time. It had the same engine as the 140, but lacked wing flaps. The rear-cabin "D" side windows and electrical system (radios, lights, battery and starter) were optional.
Number built: 7,664
Produced: 1946-1951
First flight: June 28, 1945 (140); 1946 (120)
Manufacturer: Cessna Aircraft Company
The wingspan is 62 inches, but, at least Brian Taylor's prototype weighted 5 pounds. I feel a 25 1000kv would be just barely enough, so I have a 40 that will be way overpowered, but I have it and the motor mount for it so I will use it. I think 3s will work and I have a 60A ESC that will work nicely . Probably go with mini servos, but I don't have any that match so I will have to get those. The 120s were delivered with little paint and just in the silver of the metal they were covered in so I am going for something like that.
I didn't get home until early afternoon and did not have batteries charged, so instead of going flying I went building in my workshop. The model is built in sections and then joined. Today I built the cabin area, the forward of the cabin area, and then joined them. I fashioned a servo tray out of basswood and mounted the motor. The next step will be joining the back and the front of the fuse. I need to fashion some sort of hatch to insert the battery, probably underneath, behind the landing gear. going to use pull pull for the rudder and a control horn inside the fuse to operate the elevator. I will fashion the control horn out of brass and piano wire.
I spent today designing and making a hatch to make the insertion of the battery easier than taking of the wing each time. The model's plans are many years old and no information about a hatch is mentioned on the plans.There is no room between the cowl and the windshield for a hatch so it had to be underneath.I am quite happy with the way it came out, and although not perfect, good, good enough anyway. The next step will be finalizing the servo location. I want to use pull, pull for the rudder, but I think instead of nyrods for the elevator I am going to make a control rod out of 1/4 inch hardwood dowel. I will probably raise one servo higher than the other so that the cabling and rod do no interfere with each other.
Hey
@octagon Looks like a great kit Rob. I really like your nostalgic choice of the Cessna 120. Beautiful build so far. And your amaryllis look fantastic!!
You are so lucky that you're allowed to build on the kitchen table! The wide selection of knives and paper towels are really handy!! It's also nice having a strainer handy for finding lost screws and washers in the balsa dust. ;D
Andy
Thanks Andy. Worked on a tail wheel yesterday. I made it out of brass and wire and it turned out pretty well and I think will work. Joined the fuse today and it is finally starting to look like and airplane.
Quote from: octagon on December 30, 2020, 07:08:13 PM
Thanks Andy. Worked on a tail wheel yesterday. I made it out of brass and wire and it turned out pretty well and I think will work. Joined the fuse today and it is finally starting to look like and airplane.
Hey
@octagon,
I am totally confused. To my untrained eye that tail wheel looks like it's made of plastic and rubber (except for the axle, which does look like steel wire). What am I missing here?!! ;D
ANdy
It has been a while since I posted progress, but I have been working away. I spent the afternoon today doing a lot of covering. The plans included the panel lines so I covered in smaller pieces trying to emulate them. Think it came out ok. Next step will be to build the wings, the centre section is built, so I should be able to build them tomorrow and cover them later in the week. Then, detail the cowl and mount the engine. Have to paint the landing gear, but rustolium makes a perfect match for the cub yellow. Going to emulate a 120 that is still flying in Alaska. I think my yellow is different from the full sized, although there seems to be pictures of it closer to the colour I used to, so a bit of literary licence is in order. I will send to Callie for the graphics for it.
I have been rather bad at posting pictures of the work on the Cessna. The plane is all but finished. Have to put the windows in and paint and detail the cowl. The 120 has quite distinctive air inlet grills on the front of the cowl. At first I tried cutting the fiberglass, but it looked like a dog's breakfast when I finished to I filled it in and make the grills out of 1/64th plywood. The next picture shows the hatch where I will be able to insert the battery. It took a while to figure that out because the kit was not designed for electric, but I didn't want to take the wing off every time to change batteries, and even if I could make a decent job of a door, it would still be pretty tight. I embedded the hinges deep into the flying surfaces so I was able to keep the gap small and at the same time hiding the hinges for the most part.The last picture is how I attached the struts to the fuse. I used the same method that my Hangar 9 Cub uses, with bolts that go through and cotter pins (ya, I know they are not cotter pins, but I don't know what they are called really) that will make the taking the wing off pretty easy. All up weight including a 4 s battery is 4.7 pounds. I am quite happy with the outcome and it is pretty strait. The graphics were ordered from Callie and should be here fairly soon. The model mimics a full sized plane that lives in Alaska.
Hey
@octagon Photo 1957 on the kitchen table includes a Flowering Plants book, along with some magnificent Amaryllis on the stove. (Do you steam them or sauté them?) Will the Callie graphics be based on motifs from the book, e.g. amaryllis? Gloxinia? Sunflowers?
Looking great. (Nice to have a break from the tiresome civil aviation and warbird graphics. You have good taste Rob!
Andy
Looks awesome Rob!
Finished the 120 today. Put it on skis in the hope I will get to fly it some day. Plane turned out well. There were a few mistakes on the plans but overall it was quite an enjoyable build.
Quote from: octagon on January 27, 2021, 06:40:55 PM
Finished the 120 today. Put it on skis in the hope I will get to fly it some day. Plane turned out well. There were a few mistakes on the plans but overall it was quite an enjoyable build.
Hey
@octagon ,
She's absolutely gorgeous Rob. I really like the black glare shield on top of the cowling. The black skis make a nice accompanying accent. Interesting to see the depression in the snow. You did a great job of preserving the snow surface when you placed the plane on stage for the photo. Bravo!
Looking forward to a portrait shoot with you!
Congratulations on a beautiful build. You have superb taste and wonderful craftsmanship!
Andy
Looks great Rob, what's next on the building board?
Ken
Hey Guys. Thanks for the kind words. I have found that rather than building to get the plane finished, it is much more rewarding to get it finished strait and square. I think this plane is pretty good, and is light at under 5 pounds flying weight. I am looking as my next project as a Howard Pete. A small, beautiful racing plane from the 30s.
Hey Rob,
Just saw this build thread...
One of the guys at our local airport has a beautiful, flying regularly, example of one of these (full size)...not sure if it's a 120 or 140, but I'll check next time I'm there and send you a photo if the covers are off.
Cheers,
Bill
Hey Bill Q. Good to see your written word.
Rob, I was curious about the Howard Pete so here is the background for the curious.
Frank
http://www.airracinghistory.freeola.com/aircraft/Howard%20DGA-3.htm
Thanks for sending that link Frank. I was interested to learn that after Pete, Mike and Ike, he built Mr Mulligan. His wife's maiden name was Mulligan and he named it after her. They were flying back from the west coast when the experienced an engine failure and crashed. Apparently they were trapped in the plane all night. As I understand it that was the end of his racing career.
Quote from: octagon on February 02, 2021, 11:01:48 AM
Thanks for sending that link Frank. I was interested to learn that after Pete, Mike and Ike, he built Mr Mulligan. His wife's maiden name was Mulligan and he named it after her. They were flying back from the west coast when the experienced an engine failure and crashed. Apparently they were trapped in the plane all night. As I understand it that was the end of his racing career.
hey
@octagon ,
As a fine ATC guy once said, "What could possibly go wrong?!" 8)
Andy
Nice! Great to see someone doing a super job on an aircraft that's not frequently modelled. Covers were on the 120 at my local airport (CNF4) so I didn't take a picture. Hoping to see your model flying...in person!
Thanks for the kind words Bill. It was a Brian Taylor design short kit from Sarik. There is also a good build log on RC groups. He is a super scale guy, down to hinges on the cowl, rivets and even the disc brakes. I am not a super scale builder, don't have the talent or the patience for that level of detail. What else is nice is that I can fit it in my car without taking the wing off.
@octagon was kind enough to indulge me for a photo shoot of his stunning Cessna 120 today. Conditions were absolutely PERFECT for photographing his superbly crafted nostalgic aviation artistry on skis: -7
oC, wind chill -14
oC with brisk west winds at 30 gusting 40 kmh, brilliant sun with scattered cumulus cloud and a dusting of fresh snow. We decided on York Cemetery as a backdrop to provide some entertainment for the residents in lockdown there. Absent any approval from them we elected not to fly, but the plane sure tried its (un)level best to lift off several times in the very gusty winds!
Looking forward to Take 2 after the graphics arrive from Callie.
Thanks Rob!
Andy
Great pictures of a gorgeous plane!
Wonderful pics! Particularly like the first one with the snow blowing out behind and the prop turning. Andy, did you have to dig a hole in the snow to get the camera low enough for that one?
Good job guys!
Quote from: Wingnutz on February 08, 2021, 08:10:18 AM
Wonderful pics! Particularly like the first one with the snow blowing out behind and the prop turning. Andy, did you have to dig a hole in the snow to get the camera low enough for that one?
Good job guys!
Thanks
@Wingnutz ! I just imitated a penguin belly skating on the ice! And you can't go wrong with a fabulous subject.
Cheers! Andy
Was at the local (Lindsay) airport today. Luke, the owner of the C-120, I referred to earlier was there to go flying, so the covers were off. It's 1946, 85 hp (Continental I think) last painted in 1997, but still looking great! Almost as good as yours, Rob! Will post a short video from my phone, if I can ever figure out how to edit it! https://youtu.be/f8PsJDxq4qE
Luke had to abort two take off attempts as the air speed indicator was not functioning on the take off runs.
The second photo is of a Thurston Teal which showed up at the fuel pumps for Lindsay's cheap av gas. Looks like it would be right at home at a model airplane float fly...(okay, a bit big!)
Nice Pics
@Wingnutz - the Yellow Float Plane looks like a cinch for @electroflyer &
@Michael
Must be more of these old birds around than I figured. Another one visited Lindsay today! Had to take this one from inside the car.
I finally got the graphics from Callie today and applied them. As usual they were scaled perfectly. She and her husband really do fine work. I have detailed the interior with a dash and control wheels and a pilot. It has been a fun a rewarding build and the plane flies very well to boot. I decided to go with separate ailerons and 50% differential. Looking forward to seeing the result.
Wow, what an excellent build, you have done a great job, looks great! How did you find the plans and the laser cut kit, did all go well? Any issues? Would love to know what you think, please, as I am thinking of following in your footsteps 😀
Hi River, don't know if I actually know you. The 120 was a build I did from a short kit from a company in England called Sarik. In fact you can buy it in 3 or 4 ways. Just the plans. the plans plus the cowl and windshield or the entire short kit. Even with an entire short kit you still have to supply sheeting and landing gear and so on. I would not say it is a beginners kit. What Sarik did was take Brian Taylor's plan and lazar cut the parts, so it saves you cutting out ribs and formers and all. But it is not a nice interlocking type of kit like say Top Elite or Alien kits are. I would say it requires intermediate skill, certainly not a first build. Now saying all that, it was very a very rewarding build, took about 3 months and it flew very well right from the first flight. Sadly, I had a coming together in the air with another plane, neither of us saw each other until we hit, and the 120 angered in from about 100 up. Wing broken, fuse written off ahead of the back of the wing, cockpit vaporized. I have started the long road back to repair and have ordered a few parts from Sarik. I hope to have it back in the air this year, but the weather has not cooperated as it has been nice a lot and in the summer I find it hard to spend a flying day building in my workshop. Winter and bad weather comes soon enough. If you have some building skill I encourage you to give it a go. There is a concise building thread on the forum, and the guy converted it from gas to electric. I used his idea to build the belly hatch to install the battery. The plane is excellent as a first scale model.
Hi, thanks for such a quick response, really appreciated. No we don't know each other. Great to hear it was a good build and flew well, but really sorry to hear about the accident, never easy, but it sounds like you have the skills to put it back together. Hope that goes well. Is all the information needed available on the plans, so if I was not to buy the laser cut parts I could make/ cut them out myself? Just trying to decide what to do, I quite like the process of making all the parts from plans, but the laser cut would be quicker, but then there is the cost. If the plans are detailed I would probably do all the cutting myself, as I am retired I have plenty of time and in no rush. Is that right that the plans come with a Magazine article on the build? Thanks again for the response really appreciated.
Hi River,
Yes, the plans are typical Brian Taylor plans, very detailed, and if you like cutting out stuff yourself it is all that you need. My plans are a bit cut up and missing a few little areas where I used them as templates for some parts, but if you want to borrow them and have them copied I am good with that. They are fully detailed and have drawings of how to assemble the fuselage, as it is built in two pieces and then joined. I think the cowl and windshield might be a challenge and worth the investment, the windshield in particular.The plans did come with the magazine article, full colour and well detailed. It was a project article that was in Model Airplane News some years ago and I found it very helpful. There is a mistake on the plans that they point out. Can't remember at the moment, something like the plans saying some of the sheeting was 3/16th when it should be 3/32, but it is obvious and well documented. Here is a link to that build on the web I was telling you about. https://www.modelflying.co.uk/forums/index.php?/topic/42085-building-brian-taylors-cessna-120/page/4/
I am happy to help if you need it or have other questions
Rob
416-985-5401
I'm retired to so whenever
Cheers
Hi Rob, thanks for the additional information, really appreciated, and also thanks for the offer of the plan loan. I am actually in the UK so I will get a set from Sarik. The advice on the windshield and cowl is definitely good! I will certainly get them, but as I said I will probably do the cutting out I think. Can you remember what year the article is, I may try to look it up, certainly sounds useful and interesting.
Rob, just thinking if you had a copy of the article you could send me that would be really useful, be great to read it, and as I said I can then order the plans, all the best