CL-415 group-build thread

Michael · November 06, 2018, 07:18:06 PM

Nice job on the hidden servo, Rob.

electroflyer · November 06, 2018, 09:17:58 PM

Just checking in guys. It is good to see you have started. I just started my Horizontal Stabilizer and elevators like Rob. I like to get the smaller items out the way before getting into the good stuff.
As Michael mentioned in a previous post, my CL will have flaps and other items. The cool thing is that we are doing our own vision of the same plane. It will be great to see them fly and hopefully maiden on the same day.

Glenn

Michael · November 07, 2018, 08:42:34 PM

I'm moving ahead very slowly.

Tonight I took all the rib parts out of the laser cut sheets. There's a lot of pieces!

The middle sections of the ribs have 2 laser cut holes for aileron and flap linkages with a bell-crank system, based on servos in the center section of the wing. I cut those open together for servo wires, as I intend to put servos at each aileron.

The front section has laser cut openings which should be ok for the power wires and maybe servo extensions for the speed controls, depending where I mount them. (In my big Albatross, I have the speed controls in the fuselage, and in my big DC3, the speed controls are in the center of the wing.)

octagon · November 07, 2018, 10:02:56 PM

I worked in the office late tonight so I only had time to build the rudder. Have to put gussets in and then do some sanding to the leading and trailing edges and then hinge things. Hopefully get a start on the pontoons tomorrow (or whatever the name is of the outer wing thingys)Trying to figure out where to put the rudder servo. Thinking it might go in the vertical stabilizer along with the elevator servo.

piker · November 08, 2018, 03:45:03 PM

"Tip Floats"

Michael · November 08, 2018, 07:34:05 PM

Rear ribs (excluding ailerons) glued between trailing edge and rear spar.

All the pins and tools (as weights) are used to keep everything straight, as the rest of the wing will be built forward/from this.

octagon · November 08, 2018, 08:08:01 PM

Looks good Michael. I like the notching of the trailing edge. I have pretty much finished the tail assembly. I have to add a bit of sheeting to the horizontal stabilizer, sand the tips, hinge it (think I will use pin hinges) and do a finish sanding to the entire thing. Now on to the tip floats (thanks Rob, sounds better than thingys) and then after, probably the wing.

Michael · November 09, 2018, 07:28:56 PM

Mid-wing ribs work started. They're being glued between the rear spar and the front spar and two (the bottom one first) hardwood 1/8" square spars. I'm carefully doing one at a time, holding them straight and in position as the glue is applied and dries.

Note for the others building, I'm using 1/8" thick ribs at the nacelles (other ribs are 1/16"), and leaving 2 and 1/8" space between for the nacelles to fit.

Michael · November 09, 2018, 07:33:44 PM

Note in the last image above, the plans call for 4.5mm of washout (rear wing twisted up, to help prevent stalls).

Well, I'm not doing that; I'm building the wing flat, but I will have each aileron deflected upwards approx. 1/8" or so, when the aileron controls are at neutral. This has worked well for me in the past.

electroflyer · November 10, 2018, 01:36:26 PM

Looks good guys.
I started and more or less completed the horizontal stabilizer and elevators. As you can see, I have opted to fully sheet the structures and will later decide whether they get covered in Monokote or get glassed.
I have also started the tip floats as getting the fiddly parts out of the way first contribute to my enjoyment of the project down the road. I much prefer spending time on the fuselage and wings.
Anyway, here are a few photos.

Michael · November 10, 2018, 03:17:45 PM

I like the sheeting idea, but I'm not sure what I'll do.

I've finished gluing in the mid-wing ribs, and I cut and glued in plywood braces at the wing center (where I skipped a rib).

I put 1/8" ribs at the tips, on each side where a nacelle will be placed (2 and 1/8" spaced apart, according to the plan and the nacelle formers), and on each side of the wing center.

The top hardwood spar has also been glued in.

piker · November 10, 2018, 05:24:39 PM

You guys are all Building Machines!!

Michael · November 10, 2018, 07:16:17 PM

We are !!!

The next step is more challenging, and I'm guessing my way of building will be ok.

The front of the wing has the ribs inside of 1/16" sheeting, and with a 2-layer leading edge.

I decided to glue the lower sheeting (oversize) directly to the front of the main spar, then glue the front-ribs to the spar (leaving room for the upper sheeting), but not glued to the lower sheeting yet, then form and glue the inner layer of the leading edge to the front of the ribs, and later raise the lower sheeting to meet and be glued to the ribs and leading edge. The sheeting would then be trimmed to the inner leading edge, the top sheeting added, and the outer leading edge would then be glued on and sanded to shape.

This all probably sounds confusing, but it's not really.

I used my home-made balsa stripper to cut the inner leading edge to match the size of the front of the ribs, and then carefully beveled it to match the curve of the ribs.

Michael · November 11, 2018, 06:52:10 PM

Front ribs all glued in, and then inner-layer of the leading edge glued on.

octagon · November 13, 2018, 07:24:49 PM

I have finished the frame of the wing floats. Have to sheet them but I will wait until I know the glue is entirely dry as they have compound shapes. I have found using windex on the sheeting allows it to bend nicely around those curves. All the tail control surfaces are hinged, and as per Glenn's suggestion, I rounded the leading edge of the elevators and tail and sanded a hollow into the trailing edge of the vertical hand horizontal stabilizer, so they have a nice fit with little gap. I have servo's in the tail for both the elevators and rudder and they are behind hatches.