Frank's Dumas Bearcat RC conversion- 30" span- Covid build #6

[Frank v B]

Finished the nose area
Photo 06- the nose with the motor and cowl in place.
Photo 07- battery hatch (left) and cowl removed.  Both are held in place with registration pins and magnets.
Photo 09- motor built into the nose.
Photo 10- the bottom of the nose with the cowl and the battery hatch in place.

Bad news: Due to a technical glitch (stupidity?) I cannot post the pictures. My Commodore 64 is having problems.
Good news: Andy has nothing to critique.   Peace at last.

Have started covering.

Frank


ps: for those of you who wondered about my silence for the last week.  I could not find my camera in the car.  Found it today looking for wire to Lipo-start my car.    It had slipped under the passenger seat.

[Andy Hoffer]

Finished the nose area
Photo 06- the nose with the motor and cowl in place.
Photo 07- battery hatch (left) and cowl removed.  Both are held in place with registration pins and magnets.
Photo 09- motor built into the nose.
Photo 10- the bottom of the nose with the cowl and the battery hatch in place.

Have started covering.

Frank


ps: for those of you who wondered about my silence for the last week.  I could not find my camera in the car.  Found it today looking for wire to Lipo-start my car. 

C'mon @Frank v B !  Tell us where you found it!! 

[Michael]

Bad news: Due to a technical glitch (stupidity?) I cannot post the pictures. My Commodore 64 is having problems.

Frank

It's not you. I can't post images either. I think there's something wrong with our website.
I've notified our 'web-master'.

[Frank v B]

Michael,

The best news I have heard all day.   


Frank

ps: as you can tell I have very little faith in my technical ability.  Ben is going to blame Andy again for his high resolution photos.

[Frank v B]

Thank you Michael and Ben.

The pictures for the post at the top of the page attached without a hitch.

Feeling good again.


Frank

[Andy Hoffer]

Looking good @frank.  Seems like a such a shame to cover such beautiful wood work.  How about clear or at least transparent covering? 

Andy

[Frank v B]

Andy, your last post is starting to sound like a compliment... are you OK?   

The wing is covered on both sides and the ailerons and flaps are covered as well.

Note the small gold pushrods coming out of the trailing edge near the root.  These are the pushrods to activate the flaps.  They come out of the bottom of the trailing edge.  The push-pull action of these pushrods activates the flaps.  The reason: this plane may have to belly land to save the retracts so it cannot have exposed control horns, servo arms or pushrods.... and I did not want to use torque rods.

Still have to cover and add the landing gear covers.  Note the picture of the top of the wing.  There are 3 servo wires coming out (aileron "Y" harness, flap, retract).  A busy wing.

Frank

[Andy Hoffer]

Andy, your last post is starting to sound like a compliment... are you OK? 

The wing is covered on both sides and the ailerons and flaps are covered as well.

Note the small gold pushrods coming out of the trailing edge near the root.  These are the pushrods to activate the flaps.  They come out of the bottom of the trailing edge.  The push-pull action of these pushrods activates the flaps.  The reason: this plane may have to belly land to save the retracts so it cannot have exposed control horns, servo arms or pushrods.... and I did not want to use torque rods.

Frank

Hi @Frank v B

The trepidation with which I approached this afternoon's sojourn at the field with you today manifested itself in some very bizarre behaviour.  Please accept my sincerest apology for such an uncharacteristic complimentary outburst! 

Andy

[Frank v B]

Getting there.

Glued the stab in place.  The photo shows the fin/rudder taped with a triangle to make sure it is 90 degrees while the glue dries.
One of the tail cone triangles is glued to the bottom of the fin/rudder on the port side.  Will let the glue cure overnight.

Frank

[sihinch]

Looking good Frank!

[Frank v B]

Thanks Simon.

You know this one has to fly better than the ones you and I bought from Hobby King about 7-8 years ago.
That was a classic example where the cover was much better than the book.....of blank pages. 

I still love the look of this plane.  Raw power and function verses the aesthetics... and performance.... of the Spitfire.


F.

[Frank v B]

Everything fits.

The tail wheel.  Well, it is square but castoring.  The aluminum tube is partially exposed.  It goes all the way to the stab and is raked backwards.  Notice it is off-centre because I did not want to break the bottom stringer.  To trap the shaft, I soldered a bulge onto it (see photo 18), sanded it until it just fit inside the tube and squeezed the tube with pliers to trap the tail wheel assembly (photo 19).  Yes, a square wheel for a square pilot.

All the servos are connected to the moving surfaces.

Notice the landing gear covers!  Cool.  I will correct the "toe-out" of the port landing gear visible in photo 20.  If anything, there should be "toe-in".

Next steps
- The trim stripes, including the "this way" arrows as Guy requested. This way up.  This way forward.
- my daughter is going to custom match the paint on the plastic cowl. I just picked any can of blue spray paint for my attempt.
- going hunting for a plastic cockpit.  It was missing from the kit.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Cockpit shopping completed.  Nothing at Dollarama.  Found a package that would work at Home Depot.  The blister pack of a gate handle.  The cockpit on the plan showed 6" long and 2" wide.  This will do.  I invoke the 50/50 rule.  Photo 23 and 25 are of the package as bought.

Weigh-in

Weighed the whole thing now that it is covered and ready to fly.  Total weight is 16.1 oz.  Including the battery, RX and ESC. 
Not bad for a 30" wingspan plane with ailerons, flaps and retracts.  That gives it 150 watts per pound.  More than enough to fly..... unless you are Ben Feist or EdEdge. 

Frank

Oh, yes... gate handle for sale.  Cheap!

[Andy Hoffer]

Fabulous @Frank v B .

Just needs a Frankian Manikin. 

Looking forward to the maiden flight and portrait session.

Andy

[Frank v B]

Canopy in place.  Installed with 3 screws, then the edges glued with 5 minute epoxy.

Looks like a Bearcat canopy built by the guy who built the BF 109 canopy.  The corners give it away.

Trim on the canopy is car detailing tape from Canadian Tire.

F.