I have been working on this kit for about a week and a half and have essentially completed the two main wings. It is a very simple build, just big. Man I hope it fits in the PT cruiser (just kidding, measured the back end before buying the kit) The die cutting is pretty good, I did have to wrestle a few parts out of the balsa cores though, but all in all a straight forward and fun build. I am staying pretty true to the original drawings, with the exceptions being servo mounting in the wings and possibly elevator/ rudder controls.
I am looking at 10S batteries and likely will be using a Rotomax motor as they look to have the mass required to balance this plane along with 4500-5000mah batteries. Having watched Michaels big TigerMoth, Rob's SE5a and Gregs Pup, it seemed like a fun place to go. I did have a WW1 Bristol Scout years ago that was scratch built from drawings aquired from a magazine so I do remember the fun of flying these planes and of course the tedious work of setting them up at the field. I will post a few pictures when the fuselage and wings can be setup together.
Glenn
with all the 1/4 scale planes it's going to be a "big" year at TEMAC :)
(pun intended)
Great! Next stop, full scale. A little field extension (and some geotex!) and I can land my Cessna at ROGO. That will make it a real "fly in".
Andy
Glenn,
If you are looking to build a 10s 4500-5000 lipo pack, 'hify2104' (Mike G in Elmira) is selling 2 Flight Power Evo 5s/5000 packs for $110 shipped over at the fs-electronics page at rccanada forum.
I bought the first two packs he had for sale and they are vey high quality with individual cell voltages being very close together.
good luck,
Michael
Newmarket
Yay!!! A build thread from Glenn, and another WWI bipe for TEMAC this summer. Great work, Glenn! We're looking forward to the pictures.
Martin will be happy if we show up at Kingston with these planes ;D
Hey Guys,
Thanks for the encouragement. Michael, I am checking into those batteries, though I do have a set which will be shared with my P-47.
Rob, as for Kingston, If I show up with this, I think it will be my only plane to make the trip....It's huge. :D
I will definitely look forward to flying these in formation. It will be quite a site, especially since this is the 100th year of the start of WW1.
We will have to suggest a special day for this!!
Cheers
Quote from: piker on January 16, 2014, 01:26:24 PM
Yay!!! A build thread from Glenn, and another WWI bipe for TEMAC this summer. Great work, Glenn! We're looking forward to the pictures.
Martin will be happy if we show up at Kingston with these planes ;D
Looking forward to seeing this one (anything Glenn builds!) and all the models TEMACers are building up in the air! All this building is a refreshing contrast to the buy and fly direction much of the hobby is taking. Well done TEMAC!
Hey Glenn,
I know you're probably not committed enough for an awesome airplane trailer ;D but how about a roof top mounted airplane box specifically for the Pup, or for whatever plane you need extra space for. Do you have roof racks?
The first year of the Kingston fun fly, I drove our Honda Civic with my wife and 3 month old son. I got a large cardboard box from work, added a wooden frame inside for reinforcement, and strapped it to the roof racks. It worked very well. You could come up with something a little more long term, and water proof, I'm sure. It would also be a safe way to store your plane while at home. I may have to do something like that too, for the Stranraer, as these big planes are filling up my trailer.
Glenn. Sounds like you are moving along very quick. They are fun builds. I have a few framed up pups at home if you get stuck just come over for some motivation. I have three that are all built a bit different that will assist with planning. A few scale details make these things look great.
Well I just grabbed the Thomas morse kit in 1/6. I was considering doing the float version. Might need some help on this one.
I was at Greg's house last night and these 1/4 planes are fabulous. I'm envious Glenn.
Good luck & I hope everything goes as planned.
Hey guys,
The build is going really well. I have completed the initial construction of the main wings and will start the tail feathers tomorrow.
Simon once you are done with the racers. You should build one. Glenn. Nice work the wings look great. I have a hk aces of iron knock off that I painted up that you can have. He should be the right size as we installed one in Demetri's pup from Toronto club and it looked pretty good. I snuck the Thomas morse in the house today. Going to start cleaning the bench so I can start building again.
Nice work!
Big wings!
This is very exciting! A rare glimpse into the GN workshop. It's an exciting new world of building within our little club ;D
Very nice looking wings, Glenn.
Thanks guys,
Horizontal stabilizer and elevator completed today. Also set two wing servos into the Highlight Glider purchased at the London swap meet.
I also had some time last night and installed the power system in Stephens D7 (3000 watts should be good on 10S using a 20X8 prop). Just need to get some of the electronics sorted out and install the servos in the wings. It seems to be balancing about the same as the BUSA kit and the H9. So It should be close.
I also started working on one of the framed pups that I had in the WW1 room. I had to fix some of the wood and add some gusets here and there just for some added strength. I have to rebuild the alerions as the hinges where cut? I am assuming it was because they pulled the covering off the plane and I saw some repairs to the main fuse.. But man talk about over kill.. the guy stapled the hinges and use tooth picks! Grrrr... So it is going to be painfull to cut them out. Going to head to pin afterwork and get some wood.
I originally had some issues with the blue pup (See mainpage pictures), I had to find a place to stuff two 5S, 5000 packs. I ended up placing them behind the file wall with a opening under the landing gear. But now with more experience, It would have been easier to make a hatch at the bottom of the aluminum cowl and slide the batteries up the nose. They do fit and then strapping them in. The issue was that I had to add a ton of weight to get the C/G close. It am still a bit behind the C/G but the plane still reacts the same way with more nose weight. I did notice a fair amount of elevator down in level flight.
Glenn where are you going to install the batteries? Also are you thinking of adding suspension? All my pups have a different set up if you want to take a look.
Hi Greg,
I just started looking at the drawings yesterday evening. For a large plane, it is not as convenient as one would have thought to load and unload batteries into the nose. I would like to see your Pup's though. Any tips and visuals are always appreciated.
Glenn
Well, still plugging away. The rudder and fin as well as the horizontal stabilizer and elevator are assembled. The construction is very simple and straight forward but also very rewarding. Here are a couple of photos. ;D
Moving on to the fuselage. The two halves are assembled and I am in the process of locating the correct positioning of the formers. D'oh, time to start reading the manual. ;)
You're progressing fast!
Very nice!
Speaking of battery access on these WWI planes... now you can see why I was so thrilled with the ready made, easy access and east balance on the SE5a. I hope you're able to figure out a great solution.
Colin described my SE5a, when he say it being built, as just a big slow flyer. It's true! Compared to later fighter aircraft with retracts and flaps, they're really quite simple with only 4 basic functions. What makes them fun and interesting is all the exposed details, like guns, engines, rigging, etc.
Quote from: electroflyer on January 24, 2014, 09:27:29 PM
Well, still plugging away. The rudder and fin as well as the horizontal stabilizer and elevator are assembled. The construction is very simple and straight forward but also very rewarding. Here are a couple of photos. ;D
That Bowflex rowing machine looks like it would make a good sanding platform. And you have
two options: either the plane rides the seat or the builder! Your builds are always inspirational!! Way to go. :D
Andy
Hi Andy, keen eye spotting the bow flex.lol
I have been working on the fuselage through out the day. Having a small back saw has definitely helped to keep the joints straight and clean. Tomorrow I will flip the fuselage and start the upper decking.
I am looking at a side load option for battery installation as despite the size of the plane it is quite cramped for my batteries.
Well after considering all the options, I found that the easiest method of making my 10s 4900mah batteries fit with in the confines of my Pup was a side load. After checking the batteries against the drawings it became obvious that flipping the plane over to change the batteries would grow tiresome very quickly. Adding spruce 3/8"square wood on either side of the fuselage would allow the extra width I require to provide a shelf without having to radically having to alter the landing gear. The best part is that I still have the batteries providing the nose weight required.
Beautiful airplane!
... and you're really building fast!
Thanks Michael,
It is a fun build.
As it stands though, I think I am more excited about seeing the maiden of your DC-3!! ;)
As it stands, I'm less nervous to see the maiden of your Pup! ;D
The Pup is coming along nicely. Good solution to the battery mounting problem.
I'm Lookin' forward to the next update :)
Well things have slowed down a bit as my motor choice is being shipped. I went with the g160 245 kv but I need the motor so that I can set the proper bolt location. The blind nuts also need to be installed to facilitate the completion of the battery box. In the meantime I am going to the sunny Caribbean for a week.
Cheers :D
That's a good way to kill some time while you're waiting ;D
The Pup looks great!
Hey guys,
Here is the latest update on the progress of the pup.
The motor arrived and is installed. The wing has been aligned and bolted to the fuselage.
The "N" struts are under construction and once complete I can start with the sanding and filling. The plywood which wraps around the fuselage to create the rounded extension behind the cowling is also near ready to be installed. I am really enjoying this build as it is challenging but not overwhelming. Here are some pictures.
Looks immaculate. Very nice.
I was interested to see your leading edge isn't rounded yet. Is this a normal build practice to glue them on and then sand later?
Hi Simon,
Thanks,
This kit comes with angular shaped leading edge balsa instead of pre-shaped rounded pieces. Given that you want the pieces to blend together you do normally sand after they are joined. The leading edge is relatively soft and will sand to shape quickly.
I'm glad to see you're back at it, and have sobered up after your trip to the beach ;D But that tail wheel assembly looks a bit odd...
Yeah it is definitely a second rate tail skid, but a first rate counter balance for that big motor. ;D
wow looking good... if spring ever comes to southern Ontario i can't wait to see that fly!
I'm surprised Robert hasn't yet posted a photo of this plane on floats, or Andy hasn't posted one on skis.
Not a Pup, but you get the idea ;D
What is the current status of this build? I am waiting eagerly!
Hi Greg,
I have been sanding and filling the structure in preparation for covering. I added cap strips to the wing tips and trailing edge to make a better looking wing and provide more surface to attach the covering too.
I set the aircraft up yesterday just to confirm that things were still straight and I am looking at making the tail detachable for transportation when traveling to Fun fly's which would probably allow for more planes to fit in a given space. I will probably start covering the wing tomorrow. I'll send photos soon.
How are your projects coming along?
Glenn
Well I'm just in the process of covering the upper wing. It has really paid off to not rush the process as the covering magnifies the flaws. Anyways here are a couple of pictures.
Superb. :)
C
Yes! Looking very good, Glenn!
So I assume you'll be painting the natural coverall?
Thanks Guys,
The plane is going to stay natural more than likely through the test phase and then be painted. I found a unique looking pup that had a red tail section, But I will probably stay with the more traditional schemes. It is truly a fun build. Very much like the Sig Cub and astro Porterfield, just a lot bigger! The upper wing is entirely covered and I am currently looking at making the tail detachable. Lots of work left, but I am hoping for mid to late May test flight.
Glenn
Nice! I need to get my SE5a finished too!
DR-1 too! ;)
Worked on getting the struts trimmed and shaped. Did not photograph today, but here is what it currently looks like.
Well progress to date : 1) struts are stained and attached to piano wire. 2) landing gear is also built with stained wood attached. :P
Next up was a control equalizer for the elevator for the pull/pull system . I was able to use parts from an old motor, an unused wooden motor mount , levers from a steerable nose gear kit and of course the actual wire kit to come up with what I hope will be a clean solution. It allows one servo to do all the work.
That stained wood looks fabulous. Nice one Glenn.
Yes! Looking very nice!
That looks like a work of art ... real clean!
Colin
Thanks guys,
I was not sure if this post had gotten through as everything froze on me while I was posting.
It must have been related to the issues Ben has been dealing with.
I now have the aircraft sitting on its main gear....... Yeah!
The rudder and elevator servos should be installed this weekend, ESC has been ordered, and the fuselage is getting a few minor balsa wood details which after studying some old photos should enhance the appearance a bit. All in all, this has been a really fun aircraft to build and with any luck should be good to go in a few weeks.
Glenn
Nice! So much cool building going on! I love it!
What a great club ;D
Update : Speed. Controller has arrived, Tail skid is made and attached to the fuselage, servo mount for the elevator is glued in position and test fitting of components resulted in this picture.
Glenn
The resulting picture is more than satisfactory. ;D
Wow! Nice!
The plane matches your décor ;D
So cool!!!
Thanks Gord and Michael.
Rob, you get special mention for keen observation. lol
Servos are now installed. I hope finish the control cable routing tonight.
I'm working to ensure that wires do not bind or make any contact with one another so that I can get this last part of the build complete. Phew!
Sorry for the large gap between posts. Between work and repairs the Pup has taken a bit of a back seat. The aircraft is on the verge of being completed enough to hopefully test fly tomorrow. Balancing is my last concern. It is very close with motor, batteries and ESC, but at the 4" balance point the tail hangs slightly low. Biplanes are usually okay slightly tail heavy, but I will buy some lead today as I would prefer to ensure a good flight. Just need to check the forecast. 8)
Glenn
Regarding your test-flight - tomorrow is our float fly.
If you want to test-fly it in privacy, tomorrow should be pretty good.
Otherwise, there's always Sunday afternoon.
if you can trust the weather network Sunday looks good :)
We were talking at the field and my blue one is balanced based on this post: Well I dug a little deeper on this cg issue with the Balsa USA Sopwith Pup and this is what I found: 5 1/4" from the leading edge of the top wing is the standard optimal cg for this model. The assembly manual, page 30, photo 164 shows the construction of the machine gun , this photo also shows the location of the original CG at 5 1/4". If you compare the photo to the plans that come with the kit the cg on the plan is not in the same place and is well forward of the cg in this photo. So. Between 4" and 5 1/4. You have some play room.
If you plan on the maiden today. I could try to bring my blue one to compare set ups. I know that I was a bit of tail elevator down. About 1-2 cm from level. A few clicks of right rudder and level wings. You should be good at that point. Plus I was at 5" from the leading edge for c/g. That could explain the few clicks down. But could be incidents also.
Hey guys,
Test flew the plane today. It was better than expected. Despite the wind it penetrated nicely. The only hiccup in the entire flight was landing smoothly on the grass, then right near the end of the roll out touching the geotex runway which popped the retaining clip causing the wheel to fall off and an abrupt end to the landing ...tail up! Fortunately no damage. Greg, thanks for the info regarding cog. I did suspect a fairly wide tolerance, but decided to err on the side of caution. 18 ounces later, I'm at 4.25 " and it felt good. Thanks to Greg, Andy Frank and Jeff for your words of encouragement. Thanks to the same guys the Apprentice has been rescued from the tree.
Cheers!
P.S. The Pup flew twice!
Congratulations!
Sorry we missed it.
Yeah!! Way to go. Congrats Glenn.
I'm really happy to hear about your successful test flight. It sounds like you had fun flying it. Congratulations!!
Next stop... Kingston.
Everyone should come out to Kingston to watch the TEMAC 1/4 scale Biplane demo flights ;D
The first flight of Glenn's Pup was terrific. It just lifted into the sky at half throttle and showed no tendency to want to do anything nasty. Interesting that full throttle did not make it go much faster. I think Glenn was smart to use a low pitch prop for power and not speed. Looked like half throttle was the speed limit of the airframe.
Majestic.
The test flight was a nice break from the Apprentice retrieval party in the tree. :D
Frank