Supermarine Stranraer

[wollins]

Oh ... to be an engineer. sigh! Man, that structure looks "machine made".  Don't know how you make your structure look sooooo neat. (I leave that for the outside! )

C.

[piker]

After figuring out the cabane strut framing and getting the wing center sections mounted and past that hurdle, I felt like getting back to some balsa construction so I can get the rest of the major components built.  So I've started on the stabilizer and will then move onto the fins (two of them) and the tip floats.

The stab and fins are build per the usual English style of laying a sheet of balsa, that defines the outer shape, onto the board, then building the upper half of the stab on that.  When that is done, you flip the structure over then build the bottom half.  I guess in principle this makes sense, but I'm not sure I'm a fan.  One problem is that once you lay the sheeting over the plan, you can't see the plan anymore and therefore can't see what's supposed to go where. I did transfer the rib locations onto the sheeting, but other than that, I'm relying on cell phone pictures the see the rest of the construction sequence.  Then, when I flip it over to build the bottom half, there will be no pre-set way to ensure it stays flat on the board.  Sure, I can shim it up as usual, but I could have done THAT  without the central sheeting, so the sheeting does nothing for me.  Oh well.  It was worth a try.

The picture shows the top half finished.  I'll flip tonight.  The big gaps between the stab and elevator will be filled with solid, soft balsa blocks that will be shaped to create the shaped elevator LE.

[sihinch]

Another work of art.....

[wollins]

It's depressing really ... 

C.

[piker]

I don't know what you guys are talking about.  It's just some rib and spars.  But thanks.  You're TOO kind   

[piker]

I figured I'd better post a couple of pictures to make sure my build thread doesn't disappear onto the second page.   

So, I've been working a little here, and there, on the Stranrear, with the little time I have.  I don't have a lot to show.  Just the current, almost finished state of the rear stab and fins.  I need to do a fair amount of sanding to get them looking more wing like, and I need to fill in the gaps at the front of the stabilizer to create the shaped LE.  I'm trying a different (for me) approach to the hinging method where an aluminum tube guides the 1/16" music wire hinge pin through the various hinge points.  It's working out very well and has created an easy way to install the stab after covering.

The other picture if of one of the tip floats I glued up last night.  after that is a picture of the same tip float beside one of my Sandringham tip floats, which coincidentally, is the exact same size.  Interesting (I think)   

[wollins]

  It's working out very well and has created an easy way to install the stab after covering.

Cool!  Is that the only advantage?

Colin

[Michael]

Impressive!


I hope your's and Colin's flying boats will on the water and in the air this summer.

[piker]

Cool!  Is that the only advantage?

Colin
[/quote]

Is that not enough?  Being able to establish the hinging method and securing everything while the structure is open then easily removing the surfaces for covering, then easily reinstalling for final assembly?     Umm... what else... it's a great way to ensure a straight hinge line through the various hinge types before committing to the final hinge location. 

Actually, I'm still not sure how best to hinge the ailerons on this plane as they have a similar inset type hinge line.  The problem is the aileron tips curve around a bit at the wing tip so there's not a straight line shot to the hinge line.  However, I'll have to revisit that area and see if I can use a similar method.  It would solve some problems.

[piker]

Impressive!


I hope your's and Colin's flying boats will on the water and in the air this summer.

I hope so too! Sooner rather than later in the flying season.

[piker]

I'm at the point now, with the Stranraer, that requires a bunch of mechanical types details.  Things like removable tail mounting, tail control surface servo mounting, landing gear mounts, wing joiners, etc.  I'm glad to say that I'm moving through these things so I can soon finish sheeting the fuselage and wing center sections.  Then I'll be almost finished construction.  However, that's still some time away.

The below pictures show the stab/fins in place on the fuselage with the rudder servos mounted in the stab, and an overall view of the tail sections after sanding and shaping.  I've also includes a blurry picture of the elevator servo mounted in the back end of the fuselage and another view from underneath.

[Michael]

Very impressive!

[wollins]

Had the good fortune (learning experience) to see this in person last night and I have to tell you, the pics don't do it justice.  It's like it's been made by machine as opposed to by hand. Clean, crisp construction.

Colin   

[piker]

Well, it's been a LONG time since I posted anything on my Stranraer build thread, so I figure it's time to bring it back to life...

I had put the build aside last Spring as the Winter building season was coming to an end, and I had other build priorities for the summer... oh, and some real life priorities too, like renovations, house buying and selling, etc.  So after a summer away from the plane, I was able to set-up a temporary workshop in our new house and get back to work.

I've been working away at various aspects of the plane.  I finished planking the fuselage, created and sheeted the lower wing center section, sheeted the upper center section, and planked the nacelles and tip floats.  I still need to build the cowls and the interplane struts, and create the fairings for those.  The plane is roughly sanded at this point, but it's coming along.  I hope to be glassing and covering within the next couple of weeks.

Another reason to bring this thread back to life is because I'll be bringing the plane to the Pilots Meeting tonight.  I'm looking forward to showing it off a bit.   

[Michael]

That was amazing (last night at the meeting)!

This model is the most impressive and ambitious project I've seen, and Robert's work is fantastic!