re-building a crashed foam 1200 mm Mustang

[Frank v B]

A club member crashed a 1200mm Foam P-51 Mustang.  I did not see it go in so I have no idea what happened.  These pieces were destined for the garbage can.
Got out the toothpicks and 5 minute epoxy.

Photo 73- the fuselage pieces.  The wing with retracts was not damaged so it is not in the picture.
Photo 74- the nose was split along 2 dimensions- lengthwise and crosswise.
Photo 75- the crosswise break was fixed first to help in alignment.  5 minute epoxy and toothpicks did the trick on the first break. The toothpicks will be cut off tomorrow.

Frank

[Frank v B]

4 more mixes later and the motor and nose are in place.
The broken plastic nose ring has not been glued in place yet to allow access to the foam joint underneath.

Total time into the repair....45 minutes, 7 epoxy mixes and 30 toothpicks. 
Almost done.

F.

[msatin]

Another day - another crashed warbird.
I might have to buy stock in the toothpick company

[Frank v B]

Joining the re-built nose to the rest of the fuse.

photo 93- I use small sharp side cutters to get the porcupine quills off the nose.
photo 94- 5 minute epoxy on both halves, wait a few minutes to get further into the cure, join the 2 halves with 6 toothpicks to hold the joints in place.  I held it vertically until the epoxy was relatively                                 
              hard then put it on its nose to cure further.  Reason- this alignment had to be good so the plane would track straight in flight.

Letting it cure until after dinner.

F.

[Frank v B]

Balsa fuselage brace.

Learned from the re-crashed foam Spitfire that when a foam nose has broken off a model, the foam weakens.
Installed two hard balsa fore and aft braces- one on either side- so they straddle the joint.  see photo.

The balsa braces going across the fuse are just to press the fore and aft braces against the foam fuselage sides.

Note: it is important that when adding braces like this, both sides are done at the same time to keep the entire fuse straight.

Frank

[Frank v B]

Painted the top of the fuselage with a "close-enough" match.  Yes, used Dollarama paints.  Some brown, green, black and white mixed.

FINITO!!

Frank