1/6.78 Scale Hawker Typhoon

piker · January 07, 2013, 09:31:42 AM

Progress is progress. Even a little bit of work, here and there, moves the project forward. No work = no progress = no plane for the Spring

wollins · January 07, 2013, 09:54:26 AM

I know ... just doing that little bit got my juices flowing again.

I must admit that I'd left off this plane for so long that I was actually considering starting the other projects before restarting this one. Now my enthusiasm for this is back and I'm raring to get it done. (to the flyable stage anyway!)

Got a few hours free this afternoon and I intend to button up the rudder and tailwheel setups and get that all done. Can't wait to see how my tailwheel works when its all coupled up.

Then it's "just" to get my battery positioning and subsequent fabrication of battery box set up and she'll be "flyable".

Colin

sihinch · January 07, 2013, 10:04:39 AM

Can't wait to see it Colin. It'll be awesome.

S

piker · January 07, 2013, 10:18:04 AM

Don't forget the ski's!

gordonbw · January 07, 2013, 10:18:25 AM

Go Colin!!

wollins · January 07, 2013, 11:18:25 AM

Thanks Simon, Gordon, Rob! To be honest one of my motivations to get this done, is because I intend to start my first EVER balsa kit build! Woot woot! I'm fortunate to have one of the best for guidance, (Rob) because in his words "I don't want to see you mess this up"!

It's be a CL-415 kinda off the same class/size as Rob's CL-215. I was mainly encouraged to start "real building" (finally) by Rob's persistent nagging over the years ... but also because of all the building craze that's going on at TEMAC nowadays. Seems like everywhere I turn on the site there's a balsa build going on. So I can't wait for this challenge ... should be a blast!

Colin

P.S There will be no skis on this one, Rob.

wollins · January 16, 2013, 11:12:41 PM

Well, I've finally tied up the rudder, elevators and tailwheel mechanism. Not much to show for it except that it was a lot of fiddley stuff. Both rudder and tailwheel are hooked up via separate pull pull wires and I had to do some creative work with the servo arms as there might have been some "interferrance"between the wires. Again ... not a big deal but mostly fiddley stuff.

Glad to report that my tailwheel works perfectly with the hookup ... there was some concern that in the retracted position there might have been some issues with wire tangles but all came out quite well.

Alls left now is to sort out the battery positioning and susequent fabrication of the battery "compartment" but I daresay that this might be the most challenging of the build just by virtue of the fact that these are enormous packs! (10S 8000mah weighing almost five pounds!) So finding the right spot will take some carefull consideration and there will be no room for error with the fabrication once the cutting starts.

Colin.

P.S. Attached are some pics of the installed spilt elevator control rods, "double decker" rudder servo horns and tailwheel hookup. Again ... nothing special.

piker · January 17, 2013, 09:29:21 AM

Hey Colin,

Nice work. I really like the double decker servo arm. That way you can adjust the centers indiuvidualy, and also individualy adjust throw (by moving the clevises inward on the arm) if you find that, for example, you want less travel on the tail wheel. But what are the short pieces of nyrod for? Will the pull/pull linkages not thread directly into the clevis?

Robert

wollins · January 17, 2013, 10:09:29 AM

Quote from: piker on January 17, 2013, 09:29:21 AM
Hey Colin,

Nice work. I really like the double decker servo arm. That way you can adjust the centers indiuvidualy, and also individualy adjust throw (by moving the clevises inward on the arm) if you find that, for example, you want less travel on the tail wheel.

Exactly. I deliberately wanted the the adjustability of the tailwheel independent of the rudder adjustability even though they use the same servo.

Quote from: piker on January 17, 2013, 09:29:21 AM
what are the short pieces of nyrod for? Will the pull/pull linkages not thread directly into the clevis?

Robert

Nope! The linkages are from the kit's hardware and the clevises are sullivan's. Different fit ... so I adapted to the situation by using extra Gold N' Rod inner pieces (yellow) which add even more felxibility in terms of being adjustable.

wollins · January 23, 2013, 02:40:10 PM

Well it took me almost five days to get the retracts (mains) just right. Talk about a PITA ... lots of reinforcing since this beast I'm predicting will be just shy of 20lbs!

Then there was all the adjusting etc to get the rake of the mains and the tracking/alignment of the wheels just right ... and finally the endless tweaking to get the gear covers to fit perfectly. Next up is installation of landing/navigation lights.

Colin

http://youtu.be/Sg59efansGY

Michael · January 23, 2013, 10:38:57 PM

Wow! Those really fit nice and flush.

wollins · January 24, 2013, 12:11:40 AM

Thanks Michael ... took a lot of time to get it like that but it was worth it in the end! BTW your Bronco was awesome ... always liked a Bronco.

Colin

piker · January 24, 2013, 09:42:24 AM

Yes! Awesome looking retracts, Colin. I hope they stay so nicely aligned after regular use.

wollins · January 24, 2013, 01:19:44 PM

I just hope they get "regular use". lol!

wollins · February 10, 2013, 04:46:16 PM

Ok so where were we ... oh yes installation of landing and nav lights. Before I get to that let me just say that its not been a good couple of weeks ...

SETBACK #1!

After getting my retracts all dialed in I discovered that the cheap HK electric retract (cost all of six bucks) that I was using for my tailwheel just stopped working! Turns out it couldn't take the "pressure" off all that cycling that I was doing in getting it and the main retracts dialled in just right. God forbid it should last for more than forty or fifty cycles without any weight on it at all!!

I don't know what I was thinking ... I put Lado retracts for my mains and then use a HK retract for the tailwheel! Penny wise and pound foolish ... or another way of putting it ... buy cheap buy twice! (or thrice! lol!) So waiting for the replacements for that. Incidentally, depending on how you look at it ... everything happens for the best cause in pulling out the cheapie retract discovered that my fabrication of the tailwheel setup wasn't as robust as I'd have liked. (See post 19 here) I now have a new plan of fabrication in my head for when the new retract arrives. Instead of the tailwheel assemply and its shaft/strut rotating within the retract, the tailwheel assemply will now rotate on the shaft/strut. You'll see when I show pics ... it'll be cool. I'm pretty excited about it causse it'll be rock solid!

SETBACK #2!

Ok .. now on to the lights. Well, I got most of ti done and wouldn't you know ... as I got it all done and started working on the lens ... dicovered that there wa s short in the circuit somewhere! So now I have to rip em all out and locate the short and put it all back together! Don't ya just love this hobby?

Pics to come to show landing/nav lights setup.

Colin