Sagitta build

[octagon]

So I had a lot of time today to work on the Sagitta. It is a very nice kit and builds pretty quickly. I set up the dihedral and epoxied the tips to the centre section today, as the tips and centre are build separately.  I  made the hatches that are removable so as to be able to get at the inside. It was not designed as a powered glider, but I was able to fit an Ammo inrunner into it without changing or widening the front end. The Sagitta is many people's favorite sailplane of all time, so hopefully I have built it true and square enough that it flies well. It was designed by Lee Renaud, who also designed the the Aquila and the Olympic. He owned the Airtonics company. The wood in the kit is superb and even though the kit is at least 25 years old, it is still in great shape. I am really looking forward to flying this plane. I think it will not be finished in time to maiden this year, as the reduction gearbox I need for the motor is on back order from Great Planes.

[piker]

Beautiful!  You DID get a lot done this weekend.

[bfeist]

Very, very nice. Seeing all balsa planes makes me want to build as well (almost)

Ben

[mawz]

Very nice work. That's going to be one pretty Sagitta.

BTW, I noticed yesterday that the gearbox is listed in stock over at Tower Hobbies. You may want to check them out.

[octagon]

Got slowed down a bit today. The bottom of the wings were sheeted, and it was time to do the top, which is always harder as they are curved and have to be held in place while the glue dries. I guess the bottom sheeting for the left wing was pretty brittle as I managed to put my finger through it in 3 places. Decided not to try and "jigsaw puzzle it together, but to cut the sections between the ribs out and then replace the whole section. This meant trying to cut the cracked sheeting along the rib 1/2 way. The ribs are 1/16 so I had to try and cut only 1/32 out. Well, it worked to a fashion and with a little micro balloons and epoxy, the repair should be invisible. As Frank VB says, "monocote hides a lot of sins". Should be ready for covering this weekend. Going to do the bottom of the wings black, not sure of the rest, but I flew Ken Colemans Sagitta (Now Jeffs Sagitta) and was impressed by how visible the black is at altitude.

[mawz]

Dark undersides are great, but if you can, try and get a couple stripes on one wing, it really helps with orientation at altitude.

[octagon]

Good Idea Adam, thanks.

[octagon]

So today daylight saving time kicked in and it meant I had a longer afternoon to work on the Sagitta. Everything is pretty much done except the firewall, which maddeningly, I cannot construct without the gearbox, which has been on back order since I started this kit a month ago. Ron assures me it will be in this Thursday, here's hoping. I spent the afternoon doing all those tedious little things that have to be done, but that take a long time to do. Filling, sanding, cleaning up glue joints, gluing joints back together that you broke sanding, all that stuff. But the plane is mostly built and ready for final sanding and covering. Somehow, I managed to cut one spoiler about 1/2 an inch shorter than the other, so some correction there will be necessary. This is a really nice kit, and builds like a dream, but I am glad it is not my first attempt at building, as it was produced in the 70 when the only way you could fly a plane was to build it. The instructions are rather vague, and I have had to kind of wing it to some degree, but I think it looks strait and true. Here's hoping.

[Frank v B]

Rob,

re:"Somehow, I managed to cut one spoiler about 1/2 an inch shorter than the other, so some correction there will be necessary. "

Wrong perspective.

You cut one spoiler shorter than the other so there would be a natural turn built-in when they are deployed.  As well, that's why there are trim tabs on a transmitter.... to correct for asymmetric building techniques*.

Frank


* mistakes...but shhhhh!

[octagon]

Am nearing completion of the Sagitta. Went by the field today and the damn corn is still not cut.  Thinking I might get a flight in with it this year yet, if they ever harvest the damn stuff! Did black ultracote on the bottom of the wings for visibility for these old eyes, and white on top. Fuse will be white, and, as is obvious the tail is red. Maybe a few black stripes here and there for contrast.

[Frank v B]

Rob,

re:  " and white on top."

Careful with the colours on top.  Winter clouds are light gray and white. On a turn away from the runway this wing will disappear.  Put a bright colour at the tips and at the nose to outline the 4 corners of the plane since you already have a red tail section.
As well, a white wing is dangerous in winter when going on final just below 40 feet because the wing will disappear either in the background clouds or snow on the ground.  That's why all my planes have a bright colour on the leading edge.

In summer, white is no problem because the sky is blue and the background at less than 40' altitude is generally green.

You may have noticed most of my summer planes are white with red trim and my winter planes are red with a contrasting trim.

"If you can't see it, you can't fly it".  I do recall this summer you tried to fly a plane that you couldn't see.  It did come back home to you only because it missed you terribly and felt sorry for you.

Having made the mistakes*.

Frank

*an expert has made all the mistakes once and learned.  Only an idiot makes the same mistake twice... or more!

[octagon]

Thanks for the advice Frank. Tonight I covered the "canopy". It extends from the middle of the chord of the wing to about 3 inches from the nose so that should take care of the front corner. I had been planning on doing a diagonal slash in red to match the tail on the top of the wings. Saying that, probably will not fly this thing in the winter anyway. You have got me mixed up with Andy. He's the one that flies in the snow!

[octagon]

Finished the Sagitta tonight. What a nice kit.

[bweaver]

Looks great Rob!  I like the colour scheme. 

Now you need a thermal. 

[mawz]

Looking good.

And Winter is good thermal finding season , especially before the snow flies.