Unionville Hobbies Beaver build

[octagon]

So, I finished the Laker and needed to decide what to start on next. I was able to get this half built kit Unionville Hobbies 6 foot Beaver for a decent price. It is missing a few bits and the plans but the plane builds pretty easy. It turns out the fellow who started it, for reasons I cannot understand, extended the wings 3 inches on each side, so, unless someone has a good reason not to do so, I will shorten them to what is shown on the plans. The horizontal stab and elevators in the kit are about 4 inches short of scale, and are made of solid 1/4 balsa, so I decided to make a scale, built up version. I will go with the rudder as supplied with the kit. Spent the day building the h-stab and elevators, cutting out the windows and trying to work out battery hatch, tail wheel, et al. Balsa in this kit is really light. I am thinking Eflite Power 25 and 4s.

[Frank v B]

Rob,

I love the sticks and bones.

Two observations:
1) seriously consider upgrading the motor to at least a Power 32.  These kits are quite heavy (6 pounds) and they have a lot of volume to push (pull) through the sky.  Also, it gets more weight up front for balance.  Electrified, these kits come out tail-heavy. I put my battery under the motor box to get weight forward.

When eight of us built the Unionville Hobbies Norseman (essentially the same kit) we powered it with a Power .46 equivalent on 4S which was a bit overkill.  The biggest problem was getting a prop big enough with ground clearance.  We went to a 3 bladed prop to get enough amps.

Just found Gregor's 2012 conversion post and his comment on powering the same kit.  http://temac.ca/smf/index.php/topic,3226.0.html

2) fill in the center of the stab with solid balsa at least 1/4" wider than the fuse.  You have to cover the stab first and cut back the covering to get a wood-to-wood glue joint at the fuse.  As built, you cannot achieve this with sticks going through the fuselage. See my stab on the Stinson Voyager (the 6th post) http://temac.ca/smf/index.php/topic,7329.0.html

I will get the clear Monokote to you for the side windows.

FWIIW

Frank

[Gregor77]

There is a video of the plane on You tube also.  From what I recall I was using a 4S,4000 and it balanced perfect with the G46.   The only issue I had with mine was there was no access to the battery.  I had to remove the window and tape it back in place.   

You will like this!  Plane flies great! 

Funny I was watching the video this past weekend.   

[octagon]

Got a chance to work on the Beaver (hmmmm, sounds a bit dirty doesn't it) today. I was wrestling with how to make the tail wheel steerable. The plans call for a rod to go through the plane and hook into the rudder. But then everything has to be in place before covering and also trying to work on the plane with the 24 inch stab attached means for sure I will knock the tips off of it at the very least. So, anyway, after a lot of thought I decided to just run a servo to the tail wheel and Y it into the main rudder. I silver soldered a brass control arm to the top of the tail wheel post and built servo rails. It took more time than it should have to figure it all out, but that is often the way, in my experience, when you are creating on the go. It worked out well and I installed the rudder and elevator servos and completed half the ends for the control rods. I will leave the terminal ends until I get everything else done. Now I need to figure out what motor and ESC to use. I am thinking a Power 25, but have been counceled I should go to a 32. I have 2 brand new 25s thanks to the demise of my CL 415. Perhaps I will use them and see how it flies.

[Frank v B]

Rob,

Look at Wingnutz' motor/battery combination on his Unionville Hobbies Norseman to get the battery as far forward as he could.  See post 113 on the Norseman build thread. http://temac.ca/smf/index.php/topic,3879.105.html
On mine, I put the cut-out in the cowl on a hinge with a magnet to keep it closed.

Frank

[octagon]

I have had a chance to do some more on the Beaver. As per Frank VBs suggestion, I cut the cowl to have a door through which to insert the battery. I cut the firewall and will build a box behind it to contain the battery. I bent and silver soldered the landing gear, which took more time and effort that it should have, or so it seemed. The plans show no covering of the gear, but I decided to fashion gear legs from 1/2 inch balsa. The plane is going together pretty well, and I am enjoying the engineering I have been doing. I am going to finish it as the first Beaver puchased by Lands and Forrest in Ontario.

[Frank v B]

re: Rob's comment " As per Frank VBs suggestion, I cut the cowl to have a door through which to insert the battery."

Some background: Let's give credit where it is due.  Jack Higgins built ahead when 8 of us built the Unionville Norseman (similar to Rob's Beaver) as a Club project in 2015.  When Jack got to this stage, he built it with an arming plug.  The problem was that there was a firewall, a huge landing gear plate and a short nose.  No room for a hatch on top or on the bottom to connect batteries.  No way to change a battery without removing the wing.
Jack challenged me to come up with a way to be able to change batteries without removing the wing.
This was my answer to Jack's challenge.  Bill Q. (aka Wingnutz) used this method on his 8' span Norseman.  I forwarded the photos of Bill's plane to Rob and he took it from there.

Nice going Rob.

Frank

Photo 1- of Eric Adams' yellow/white/blue Norseman- shows it was impossible to incorporate a hatch.
Photo 2- Close-up of Wingnutz's 8" Norseman with the battery hatch in the bottom of the cowl as Rob used.