SHORT SOLENT MARK IV – 2014 WINTER BUILD

[wollins]

Wind Test #2 completed.  SUCCESS!  Methinks there will be no binding no matter what wind is blowing.   The only chance of jamming should be if there is some warping of the flaps due to water but sealing them with Poly should take care of that. 

Ok ... so that's done.  So I just have to make the "roof" of the flaps (really the wing) and then some attachment points for the outer wings and then "construction" will be done.

Colin

P.S. Notice the weights to hold the plane in place ... just in case that wind blew almost 600 hours (and counting) worth of work onto the floor!



https://youtu.be/bDUjYxM3Y-w

[Papa]

I don't know, the car window would have provided "natural air" rather than the "artificial wind" from your leaf blower.


Congratulations, looks like you have a good working solution.


Jack.

[pmackenzie]

Very cool stuff Colin , nice 

[sihinch]

It's really impressive  Colin.

Is the angle of flap scale?

[wollins]

Very cool stuff Colin , nice 

Thanks Pat!

[wollins]

Is the angle of flap scale?

Best as I can get em!

Colin

[wollins]

Well I'm pleased that the color match between the rattle can paint that I found (thanks Michael) and my covering is a fairly close match. (that's the flap I'm comparing it to) Certainly closer than the match I had on my CL-415 water bomber between its wings and fuse and that was scarcely noticeable "live". (as you can see in the pics of the CL-415 below.) 

The original plan for the Solent was to just sheet and paint the fuse and cover the wings. However I've since decided to sheet the entire plane. This was a metal sheeted plane so that "ribbed" look just won't "fly" (no pun intended) this time around. The jury is still out on if I'm gonna paint the wings. Painting allows for better scale details like panel lines, rivets etc etc.

There could be a fairly large penalty in weight though so I'll have to see what the results of my weight testing will be later on today before I finally make that call. Will post the results of my testing where "weights" are concerned for what it's worth in terms of helping other modelers. 

Colin

[wollins]

no holding them out the window of the car at 60 mph

Hey Jack, the suggestion that you cautioned me NOT to use to test my flaps might not be so far fetched after all! lol! See from 1 min 32seconds into the attached video.

Colin

P.S. BTW, this is the most "scale" you will ever see in a model IMHO. Guy has been the Jet Masters Champion for a few years straight and you can see why. 

https://youtu.be/-HK1LrvRx0E

[Papa]

His stuff is amazing but I wonder how much it costs?


Jack.

[wollins]

His stuff is amazing but I wonder how much it costs?

Jack.

I'm guessing since that looks to be a 50 to 70lb plane with two turbines (each costing upwards of 5 to 7k) I'm guessing least 15 to 20K ... 

Incidentally for quite a while I was seeing two reference photos of my subject with each having a different position of its aileron control horns. (see  pics attached) I was confused as to how that could be since it was the same plane (ZK-AMO "Aranui"). In the first pic it shows the horns at the bottom of the wing and in the second it shows the horns at the top. 

It took me awhile to realize that it was BOTH on top and on bottom ... utilizing the pull/pull system. Well, I decided that was too much hassle ... so I settled on the bottom and making the horns themselves as scale looking as possible.   

Colin

[wollins]

Ok guys, stuff been goin' on. I'm on my second glassing of the fuse. (did the sides first)  Used 2oz glass for the sides (halfway up the fuse) and for the back half of the keel. For the forward half of the keel I used 5oz since that's my main "contact" area.

First, I used OIL polyurethane for the layup coat (1st) to seal the wood and at the same time as the adhesive for the glass. Next I will use WBPU mixed with baby powder for the finish layer, then the sanding/filling/sanding/filling/sanding/filling etc will commence.   

Anyway this should give me as good a finish as the last glass job I did. (the waterbomber.)  So we're getting there ... my hope is to give myself a Father day's gift of a "test flyable" plane so I just have a week! MUST get the paint on this weekend so as to give at least a couple of weeks worth of curing by Kingston.

Still a lot of finicky little things to do ... wiring, latches, making attachments for my cowls (using magnets) etc etc. Even though I hope to have it flyable by Fathers day, I can't see this being completely done (all the scale details that I intend to add) before the TEMAC funfly but in the meantime I hope to fly her as much as possible.     

BTW, the most obvious chance of water getting into the plane during regular flying (as opposed to crashes lol!) would be through the flap and aileron control rod exits so I've made those servo compartments self contained (sealed from the rest of the wing) for the inevitable intrusion. I've also added some rubber "seals" (second and third pics) which hug the rods as they move ... and access hatches so I can empty water from those compartments. Hopeful the combination of these measures will prevent any water access problems. (hate water sloshing around in my wings!)

Colin

[Papa]

Getting more plane like every day. Roll on  Father's Day.


Jack.

[sihinch]

Will be great to see you out at TEMAC. I've forgotten what you look like!!!

!o!

[wollins]

Will be great to see you out at TEMAC. I've forgotten what you look like!!!

!o!

Yeah, like I mentioned to Rob, I'm almost tempted to bring it tomorrow to work on it in between flights! lol!

Colin

[sihinch]

Tomorrow or Sunday? Warbirds day, right?