Scale 50cc Scratch Build From My Own Design Revisited

[Jetpainter]

More hatch planking. It's getting there.

When you cut strips for the planks they always seem to curve when cut loose from the sheet. In the last photo you will see one I did tonight that is by far the worst yet. It was the first strip off a nice straight sheet that went nuts when I cut it off. They all do it , but that one was truly impressive.

 

[Terryscustom]

Always interesting how much energy is tied up in dried wood. I've cut slices off 3/4" hickory and had them instantly look similar to yours, pretty crazy.

 

[tylerzx9r]

Jetpainter, Is there a particular reason you went with the planking? Easier? Scale? What you know best? Would it have been better for weight to use foam for the shape? I do think it is really cool. Looks more like a pc of art when building that way!

 

[Jetpainter]

Always interesting how much energy is tied up in dried wood. I've cut slices off 3/4" hickory and had them instantly look similar to yours, pretty crazy.

The weirdest part to me is that out of the first four strips I cut, three of them bent like that and one stayed nice and straight. Looking at them you couldn't see any grain difference, but obviously there was something going on.

 

[Jetpainter]

Jetpainter, Is there a particular reason you went with the planking? Easier? Scale? What you know best? Would it have been better for weight to use foam for the shape? I do think it is really cool. Looks more like a pc of art when building that way!

The only way I know to do that shape with foam is to carve a foam plug, make a mold and then make a fiberglass fuselage. Or you could carve it out of foam and then fiberglass it like an old Byron Pitts. Making a plug and laying up my own fuse is something I want to try some day. It falls in my skill set, so I'd love to try it. The glass right over the foam method, like the old Byron Pitts, was fine for the Pitts since the fuse was molded. To carve one and do that would require a lot of filler to make smooth and would get heavy in a hurry.

Even though I had never planked anything before, it seemed the only logical way for me to do it, and I just wanted to see if I really could do it.

 

[tylerzx9r]

Well, your doing a great job jetpainter! Looking forward to seeing more progress.

 

[Jetpainter]

I did more planking on the hatch tonight. Since I finished the area around the canopy I was able to test fit it. It looks like its going to work fine. It's originally for a .60 size Great Planes Super Sportster. I pick it just by memory and basic measurements on Towers website so I'm relieved that it looks like it's going to work.

I still have more planks to do and a lot of sanding, but the hardest planks are in.

 

[ericb]

Looking better and better all of the time. Keep up the good work.

 

[ProfilePilot]

Looking Great Jetpainter! I have been following this build for some time. I am enjoying the your progress. Thanks for all the great photos.

 

[Jetpainter]

Thanks guys!

I took advantage of some time before Thanksgiving festivities yesterday to finish the planks on one side of the hatch. Today I'll finish up the other side and sand them tonight if the glue is dry.