• If you are new to GiantScaleNews.com, please register, introduce yourself, and make yourself at home.

    We're 1st in Giant Scale RC because we've got the best membership on the internet! Take a look around and don't forget to register to get all of the benefits of GSN membership!

    Welcome!

Scale 1/3 Scale Extra 330L Build.

acerc

640cc Uber Pimp
Ok got the side sheeting on the one side and the wing fitted all I will say it really tried my patience. Will not start the other side till I have a better way of doing it. Cutting the opening for the wing was difficult and extremely time consuming. I must taken the wing off 50 times measured cut a little measure again cut a little and on it went. It’s done but there has to be an easier way. Looks ok but 2 hours to get the wing to fit the fuselage.
Use the wing to make a template that slides over the wing tube and rotation pin. Slide the template on and mark the outline, then cut it a quarter inch small. Then slide the wing on, up to where any point butts the sheeting, then use a 1/2" putty knife with the corners rounded to slide on the wing surface against the fuse sheeting to mark the wings outline perfectly.
I actually skip the template part, I slide the tubes through, slide the wing on and then use the putty knife. Some areas may be quite a distance so I do the close up parts then slide the wing further on to mark the rest.
 

Snoopy1

640cc Uber Pimp
Well from the looks of it I would call it a success, nice.

@acerc thanks for that like the template method. I did slide the wing on the tube and try to make an outline with the wing but the wing taper was what made it difficult.

Thanks but it took a lot of work and thinking of a better way of doing it.
 

Bartman

Defender of the Noob!
Ok got the side sheeting on the one side and the wing fitted all I will say it really tried my patience. Will not start the other side till I have a better way of doing it. Cutting the opening for the wing was difficult and extremely time consuming. I must taken the wing off 50 times measured cut a little measure again cut a little and on it went. It’s done but there has to be an easier way. Looks ok but 2 hours to get the wing to fit the fuselage.

View attachment 109767

i haven't checked in in a while, you're getting a lot done! and it looks like it will have very scale lines which is nice to see. keep it up! :)
 

Snoopy1

640cc Uber Pimp
Well the sheeting is on the second side . Have to make a template now and see if that works a little better.
 

Snoopy1

640cc Uber Pimp
Second side sheeted and holes made for the template. The template is made from the wing. Template fitted to the the fuselage by the 2 wing anti rotation pins. Marked the out line onto the fuselage now close my eyes cut it along the line and see what I end up with.

0669E8E0-098A-4895-B29E-EE3289598C3B.jpeg
BAA69D7F-EADE-40BD-A2AD-BE6036935843.jpeg
 
Second side sheeted and holes made for the template. The template is made from the wing. Template fitted to the the fuselage by the 2 wing anti rotation pins. Marked the out line onto the fuselage now close my eyes cut it along the line and see what I end up with.

View attachment 109798 View attachment 109799
@Snoopy1 I have been out for a week on work travel and you go and finish the plane without me !! It looks to be coming along well. I did not like cutting the sheeting holes for the wing, took me forever and I still did not really like the outcome as it does leave some gaps around the wing as I mentioned before. What is really important though is to add the 1/8" square balsa support around the opening (on the inside of the skin). This strengthens the opening and helps reduce hangar rash, while also making it a little easier to cover as you have more surface to adher the covering too when you round it into the skin.

Looks like your next big sheeting job is the turtle deck. That took me a few days to do, as it was all about taking it slowly. It is very important that the fuselage remains straight through the entire process. I started with wetting the sheeting in the centre, where the bend is tightest. I added damp paper towl to this area and let the weight of the sheeting start the process. Every 30 minutes or so I would use a water spray bottle to redamp the sheeting and paper towel working my way out from the centre. After it started taking some shape I added wet facewashers to get it to go further and let the weight of them do the work. The added bonus is they stay wet longer so the rewtting can be done at less frequent intervals. As the sheet molded further I added damp hand towels and eventually damp bath towels. The extra weight of these items is what brings the sheeting around to the fuselage contours needed. As I said it took a couple of days, but even with the relatively poor sheeting in the kit I got it around with no splits at all to the point that I could clamp the sheeting to the fusealge sides at the rear. The front decking can be completed in a similar way, although it is a little easier.

In hindsight, I probably would have selected better balsa to work with on the rear turtle deck and used a planking method on the front turtle deck.

Can't wait to see how this turns out. I am kind of glad the weather is bad as it means I get to continue following your excellent build a little longer. Who know, you might get to the point where the structure is complete and then you can keep working the other parts during non flying time?
 

Snoopy1

640cc Uber Pimp
@MuttsyFlyer , Thanks for all the tips and guidance it is appreciated. Yes the sheeting is the worst I have ever had the pleasure of working with but this time I said I am going to use what is supplied. Every time I buy a kit I end spending hundreds of dollars on replacing the wood in the kit and all that bad wood gets stockpiled and never used. Cutting out the holes for the wing was tedious buy it is done now. And yes the turtle deck is going to be a challenge.
The picture is of the one side sheeted and the wing hole cut. Any all the additional support is glued on the inside of the sheeting, made a big difference.

A5DB4DB5-325E-45D0-8EF3-537C844B8765.jpeg
 

Snoopy1

640cc Uber Pimp
Well the weather is just not giving up it is snowing right now NUTS. well started the front deck structure it was straight forward everything fitted and glued in now the tough part sheeting the front deck it will take some time and a large quantity of water but we will see. Try to sheet the front deck with almost hard wood should prove interesting.

AF2B8E7B-FD16-480B-B7A0-5B9DC4B0D392.jpeg
 
Top