Stevens Aero Groove 480 Build Log

[gordonbw]

It being October, I'm getting right into building season.  First in the queue is a Stevens Aero Groove 480.  This is my first Stevens kit, and the attention to detail in the engineering is very impressive. This afternoon I completed the tail feathers.... Note the laser cut slot for a carbon bar in the leading edge of the stab.  Well thought out and easy to build.

[gordonbw]

Good start on the fuselage -- the basic box is complete; now just have to build the front turtledeck, motor mount, and hatch.  The kit seems to be missing the cowl; I ordered a new one and Bill Stevens offered to replace it free if the kit was incomplete.  I had to be honest and tell him that I could not be sure it was intact when I received it last Christmas. It has been hanging around here for 9 months and I could  easily have lost the cowl myself during that time.

Anyway, the kit parts are cut to amazingly close tolerances, and the framework is very intricate.  Three of the fuselage formers are built up from multiple pieces of 1/16 balsa, lock jointed together and CA'd. 

I'm planning to power it with an eMax 2810 1100kv motor on 3 cells, likely spinning a 10x6 prop.  It will be set up as a mild sport plane to start, with the option to switch to 3D throws if my skills ever improve.

[Michael]

Nice work, Gordon!

[retiredVTT]

Hi Gordon,
You will enjoy both the building and the flying of the Groove 480. Bill Stevens turns out a fine product, although some times he does leave a bit of fragility in the model,  in the interest of extreme light weight.

A few years back I put together a Groove and found if I squeezed the fuselage in the wrong place it would break, as would the turtle deck, so I added a brace here and there and a couple basswood stringers in place of balsa.

Here are some pics that I put together as a slideshow that reveal those changes.

http://www.halifaxelectricflyers.com/Forums/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2372

Best of luck on your project.

Bill Foster
Halifax Electric Flyers

[gordonbw]

Well, that's an awesome build log, Bill. Better than the kit instructions.  I'm definitely going to follow your lead on using spruce for the turbulators.

[gordonbw]

Fuse and hatch are sheeted and sanded.  I took RetiredVTT's advice and reinforced the fuse braces at the rear.

[gordonbw]

Too windy to fly today so I made more progress on the Groove. Initial framing of the wing is complete; main spar is glued in but for now everything else is just friction fitted. All joints will be glued when the TE, LE and turbulator spars are added.  John's Hobbies did not have any spruce sticks yesterday, so I'm going to laminate the turbulators with carbon fiber to strengthen them.

[sihinch]

Very nice work Gordon. Looks great!

[gordonbw]

The covering will tell the tale, Simon.  I'm much better with balsa than with Ultracote!