Frank's Rainbow 2000 (.45-.55 size) build

[Andy Hoffer]

Started with the fuselage, opposite to the instructions.  A fuselage is easier to tinker with when there is nothing attached to it.  While working on the nose, the plastic bag surrounding the fuse was left in place.

Attached the plywood E-motor mount on the stand-offs per the instructions.  When I saw the motor was larger, I added washers on the bottom of the stand-offs where they touched the plywood firewall.  This was done just to spread the load over a greater area.  See photo 38

Problem: remember the .60 size motor I outlined in the first post.  It was a Power 90!!!  Holy crap!

Step 1- the X-mount was larger than the width of the firewall.  Found a smaller 46-60 E-Flite X-mount kit.  This created a new problem.  The mount holes were too close to the motor housing so they had to be elongated.  See photo 42.  On the right is the mount that came with the motor, on the left is the new smaller one with elongated mount holes.

Step 2- remove the T nuts from the motor mount so new holes can be drilled.  Removing the T-nuts was easy.  Insert the 4 screws into the T-nuts (see before photo 39) and one light tap of a hammer and they came out cleanly (see photo 41).  Photo 43 shows the 4 T-Nuts dropped down.

Step 3 is tomorrow.  Drilling the new holes for the new T-nuts.

Photo 43 also shows the effects of @Frank v B  taking photos with out his glasses on !! 

Andy

[Andy Hoffer]

Here are the photos:

- gone are the pilot's legs. More room for the batteries.  Photo 82

- the nose as viewed from the open hatch.  The right half of the photo behind the firewall is fully glassed.  The left half of the hatch is the glass reinforcement for the landing gear block.  Below the plane is the balsa battery tray.  I cut this half away to access the the landing gear blocks.  The pilot would not budge so I had to leave him in place.  Photo 81

- the cockpit showing the extra room now that the legs are gone.  The main former in front of the pilot has glass in the bottom to strengthen the aft portion of the landing gear block.  Photo 80.

Frank

Perhaps @Frank v B can explain how the pilot will reach the rudder pedals without his legs!!   

Andy

[Frank v B]

Andy: re: how the pilot will reach the rudder pedals without his legs!!   

Rudder is over rated.  Half my planes don't have one.  Who needs legs anyways.  Hand controls.  Use your imagination.

Frank

ps: Andy, thanks for picking out the spelling mistake.

[Andy Hoffer]

Andy: re: how the pilot will reach the rudder pedals without his legs!!   

Rudder is over rated.  Half my planes don't have one.  Who needs legs anyways.  Hand controls.  Use your imagination.

Frank

I trust you realize that this is a very dangerous proposition!   

Andy

[piker]

Andy: re: how the pilot will reach the rudder pedals without his legs!!   

Rudder is over rated.  Half my planes don't have one. 

Most of your planes don't have wheels... but I guess if most of your landings are nose first in the mud, or upside down on the runway, wheels are over rated too   

[Andy Hoffer]

Andy: re: how the pilot will reach the rudder pedals without his legs!!   

Rudder is over rated.  Half my planes don't have one. 

Most of your planes don't have wheels... but I guess if most of your landings are nose first in the mud, or upside down on the runway, wheels are over rated too   

I like how this guy thinks!!! 

Andy

[Ededge2002]

Wheels are for cars!

[Frank v B]

Thanks Ed.

I don't say my hand-launched planes don't have wheels, they have poor man's retracts.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Finished both wing halves.  Installed the servos, control horns and control rods.

I am trying to figure out whether the wing can stay in two halves.  There are two aluminum joiner rods but the instructions say the rods need to be epoxied in and the root ribs glued together.

Tried to look up on RC groups and other websites but no clues whether the wing can stay apart.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Back to work
- aileron servos installed.  See photo of the top and the bottom of the wing.
- Wing tubes glued in place.  The instructions state both wing halves should be glued together but a 72" wing with a wide chord is tough to store and transport.  Nowhere on RCCanada or other websites does it have posts on options.  Have done the ultimate compromise.  Glued the main spar tube into the port wing and the trailing edge tube into the port wing.  This way it is locked in place but the wing can still be taken apart.
- cut out the covering for the stab.  This required the careful measurement to make sure it is square to the fuselage.  A lot of measuring and adjusting.  The covering has to be cut so the glue holds wood to wood for strength.

The installation order is:
1) install the main wing in its proper mount with the proper screws
2) install the stab per the cut-outs so it is square when viewed from the top.  Then adjust it when viewed from the front so the stab is in line with the wing.
3) install the fin/rudder once the stab is set.  It is set at 90 degrees to the stab.

getting there.


Frank

[Frank v B]

1) assembled the wing for the first time.  The tubes slide in fine.
2) glued the stab in place with 5 minute epoxy.  Note: the hinges have not been glued in place yet
3) glued the fin in place.  The rudder hinges have not been glued in yet.  The bottom hinge goes into the fuse so it cannot be installed until the fin glue cures.

It's starting to look like an airplane... a large one at that!

Frank

[Frank v B]

There is a finish line.... in the distance!!

Tonight did the following:
- hinged both elevator halves
- hinged the rudder
- fished the pushrods through (2 for elevator, 1 for rudder)
- installed the tail wheel
- installed 3 control horns (2 elevator, 1 rudder)
- linked the elevator pushrods and connected them to the servo
- connected the rudder pushrod to the servo
- installed the receiver and bound it to one of my DX 6's.  The wigglers worked perfectly.

Tomorrow the cowl.  This may become a bit of a time stealer if the spinner back plate clearance with the front of the cowl is not correct.

Frank

[Frank v B]

A quick non-photographic* update:

installed the cowl- it was fiddly for two reasons:
i) I had to bring the motor out by using two washers under the firewall bolts
ii) there is right thrust in the motor but not in the cowl.  Had to find the exact angle where the spinner backplate would clear the cowl and the motor housing did not rub against the cowl.  Remember, the motor is about 75% lager than called for on the plans.
Secured the cowl with 4 socket head washer screws.

I will be delivering the plane to the store this week... to pick up the next project.

Frank

* this way Andy cannot use his Fill Flash comments.

[Andy Hoffer]

A quick non-photographic* update:

installed the cowl- it was fiddly for two reasons:
i) I had to bring the motor out by using two washers under the firewall bolts
ii) there is right thrust in the motor but not in the cowl.  Had to find the exact angle where the spinner backplate would clear the cowl and the motor housing did not rub against the cowl.  Remember, the motor is about 75% lager than called for on the plans.
Secured the cowl with 4 socket head washer screws.

I will be delivering the plane to the store this week... to pick up the next project.

Frank

* this way Andy cannot use his Fill Flash comments.

Oh, you mean like for photo #1842 in http://temac.ca/smf/index.php/topic,6598.msg43570.html#msg43570?!!



Andy

[Frank v B]

Andy, you spelled it wrong!

your statement "Oh, you mean...." should really be spelled "Oh, you're mean"

Your Buddy,

Frank