Building the Guillow's DC-3 (35.5" span, now 38") with RC /BL motor conversion

[Andy Hoffer]

How to make the in-fill balsa triangles between the stab and fin.

The one supplied in the kit are plastic and are shaped for a much thicker stabilizer and fin/rudder.  I made the tail feathers out of 1/4" balsa and essentially flat with rounded edges.  Photo 3361 shows the gap that needs to be filled.

Step 1- remove the tail feathers and sand everything smooth and square (edges, cut overhanging stringers, etc).
Step 2- build up the space the elevator and the fin would take up.  Normally I would have made that "T"-shaped insert out of sheet balsa but made it out of 1/4" sticks this time. I glued each piece of wood with two small dots of carpenters glue where it meets the fuselage.  Photo 3362 and 3363.
step 3- cut blocks of balsa or triangle stock to fill each side of the space.  This space was quite large so I used a block from my scrap drawer. Photo 3364 shows the blocks rough-cut to size with a band saw.
step 4- spot-glue the blocks in place. Photo 3366.  Photo 3367 shows some masking tape on the fuse structure to protect it from accidental sanding.
step 5- I used a knife to round-shape it, then a razor plane, then a sanding block. Elapsed time 10 minutes.  Photo 3369
Step 6- cut through the glue spots to remove the balsa.  The shaped fillets are shown in photo 3370.

The stars of the show shown in photo 3372-  The pieces of shaped wood, the knife, the razor plane and the sanding block.

Frank

ps: the green masking tape on the knife?  To stop it from rolling away.

Hey @frank,

Could yo show us the scraps and sawdust from reducing 4 cubic inches of balsa block to 1 cubic inch.  This would give the viewer a much greater appreciation of how much collateral cellulose damage a master can accomplish in 10 minutes.   We plebes could only wish fro such proficiency!   

Andy

[Frank v B]

Andy,

If you want to figure out how to shape balsa wood, just watch some documentaries on wood chucks, carpenter ants and the busy beaver. 

DC-3 Update.

Work emergencies have gotten in the way of my covering work but it has marched on.  The fuse is half covered (top half), the bottom of the wing, stabilizer and fin.  The reason for jumping around is that I always cut the larger pieces first and then use the cut-offs/cast-offs to cover the smaller items.

Will post some photos tonight.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Here is a photo of some of the parts.

F.

[Andy Hoffer]

Gee! Who would have guessed that the Canadian Armed Forces used Solarfilm, LiPos and brushless motors in their DC3's.  Very scale @Frank v B !  Fantastic job!

Andy

[Michael]

Really looking good!

[Frank v B]

Thanks Michael.  Mini-Me DC-3 is coming along.

Some more detail work. The final assembly is next.

F.

[GuyOReilly]

What a beauty!!

[Frank v B]

Guy, 

Thanks.
It's OK.  Right now it looks like a dead fish with windows.!!

Frank

[GuyOReilly]

I do not know if you saw this documentary about the DC3.  It is a bit long, but an interesting film.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=kvh3o4U5jnw

[Andy Hoffer]

Guy, 

Thanks.
It's OK.  Right now it looks like a dead fish with windows.!!

Frank

Hey @Frank v B ,

Holy mackerel Batman! 

Andy

[Frank v B]

Guy, I watched the video.  Amazing how long this plane has been in the air.  There is a special DC-3 connection to our family.

Our family (mother, brother, sister and I) escaped from Indonesia in 1958 by piling on a hijacked DC-3 from Jakarta airport.  It helped that the president of KLM in Indonesia was our neighbour.  We were given 24 hours at gunpoint to get out of Indonesia when president Sukarno took independence from Holland. They came into our house with machine guns and bombed my father's company car.

Installing the tail section.

The order to get an accurate alignment:
step 1- install the wing.
step 2- install the stab/elevators so they are level with the wings
step 3- install the fin/rudder with a triangle to make sure the fin is at 90 degrees. This photo is of the fin/rudder installation.  The triangle is taped in place with masking tape.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Cute as a button!

The props look a bit aggressive.  The decision will be made with an ammeter. 
The main landing gear stands the plane a little high but I will leave it as compression space for a hard landing.  I know the pilot.

Still to be done-  attach the servo linkages.

F.

[Michael]

Gorgeous!

[GuyOReilly]

It looks amazing!!
How about a few panel lines with a felt tip pen and a straight edge?
Really a fantastic project.
I think that 1/3 power is all you are going to need for level flight.

[Frank v B]

Thanks Michael and Guy.  Much appreciated.

Guy re: your "How about a few panel lines with a felt tip pen and a straight edge?"  Are you nuts!!  This is a Covid project, not Covid punishment.   
It will never be part of the 50/50 rule*.

Frank

* if you can't see it from 50' and at 50 km/hr. don't waste your time on it.