Scale 25% Krier Kraft build, a tribute to grampa.
- Thread starter Bipeguy03
- Start date
Bipeguy03
150cc
Working on finishing the former drawings. I omitted some of the outer details such as the stringers and/or sheeting and covering. The sheeting will stop at the end of the wing saddle (F6).
FINALLY finished redrawing the formers. I went back and added the 1/4 x 1/4 bottom stringers between formers F1 and F2.
F5 is the former at the trailing edge of the bottom wing and underneath the center of the cockpit. F6 is the rear of the cockpit and is were the sheeting stops, here the stringers will go from 1/4 x 1/4 balsa to 1/4 x 3/8 balsa.
F3 is at the rear cabane, I did not draw in any of the cabane mounting detail mainly because I am still debating how exactly to do it. The original plans call for holding the wire to a large ply block with J bolts. I'm leaning more toward using the ply block on a set of 1/4 square spruce to create a tunnel for the wire to be captured in. F4 (partly shown) does not have a lightening hole in it because it will double as the instrument panel.
Formers F7, F8, and F9 are the aft formers. I decided that all of the formers will be made in 3 or 4 pieces hence the letters around the parts. F9(a) does not have any stringer cutout in it because the turtle deck stringers will but up to it, and the tail cone will be balsa block on either side of the fin.
Bipeguy03
150cc
The original plans. You can see where I has started to draw the changes on the original plan before I decided to redraw the whole thing. The nose is totally wrong and the turtle deck has a Bucker Jungmeister type turtle deck. The fin and rudder are actually the right shape for the changes that Charlie Hillard made to it after he purchased it, to accommodate the larger engine. The horizontal is also incorrect, as the shape it that of a Bucker and it is also an airfoil. Grampa immolated the real Krier which had a tubular (flat) horizontal stabilizer.
Getting ready to re-draw the wing. This is the original. Actually other than just a few minor changes the wing will stay the same. those changes are stretching and reshaping the tip to the correct shape and get the span from 68 inches to 71 inches, and adding servo mounts for dual aileron servos in the bottom wing.
The original former drawings. I really was able to get quite a bit more room for the radio and fuel tank. I also reduced the size of the blocks in the wing saddle, which should save quite a bit of weight.
Every thing clamped down flat and ready to start tracing the wing tomorrow evening!
Bipeguy03
150cc
As the build progresses I would like to be able to share the stories with you guys that my dad has shared with me about my Grampa Mick. He was one hell of a guy and was one fascinating individual, but I am quite bias. I have some really neat pictures to share from his Air Force career which spanned from the last couple of years of the Korean War to 2 tours in Vietnam (the second of which was voluntary!).
Before we get into too much of that I do have a few pics of grampa Mick to give you guys a face to my stories!
Can't see much of him in this pic but it goes with the purpose of this thread, flying the Krier.
Grampa Mick was pretty good friends with a fella that most of you know of, Miles Reed. Grampa is in the blue hat sharing a conversation with Miles at a fly-in sometime in the mid 80s.
Grampa and his Hostetler Skybolt at a fly-in, in 1986. This was the year before I was born, and unfortunately the last good season of flying he had before he got sick. He had a heart attack later that fall and in the early months of 1987 was diagnosed with lung cancer. He passed March 28, 1988 at home with my dad and mom at his side.
His Skybot around 1985. The 'Bolt was finished in 1983 and the reason the cowling is not on in this picture is because he was testing the engine change. Originally it had a Quadra Q50, but he changed it to a Zenoah G-62. I still have the 'Bolt, and now with building the Krier, I plan on getting it back in the air as well.
Before we get into too much of that I do have a few pics of grampa Mick to give you guys a face to my stories!
Can't see much of him in this pic but it goes with the purpose of this thread, flying the Krier.
Grampa Mick was pretty good friends with a fella that most of you know of, Miles Reed. Grampa is in the blue hat sharing a conversation with Miles at a fly-in sometime in the mid 80s.
Grampa and his Hostetler Skybolt at a fly-in, in 1986. This was the year before I was born, and unfortunately the last good season of flying he had before he got sick. He had a heart attack later that fall and in the early months of 1987 was diagnosed with lung cancer. He passed March 28, 1988 at home with my dad and mom at his side.
His Skybot around 1985. The 'Bolt was finished in 1983 and the reason the cowling is not on in this picture is because he was testing the engine change. Originally it had a Quadra Q50, but he changed it to a Zenoah G-62. I still have the 'Bolt, and now with building the Krier, I plan on getting it back in the air as well.
HRRC Flyer
GSN Sponsor Tier 1
Hey @Bartman,
Can someone nominate a build thread to be a "Feature Thread"? This thread will not go as quickly as someone building an ARF or even a kit, but the attention to detail and the drawing work done so far is more than worthy IMHO. Besides, when it's done, it will be an incredible plane.
David
Can someone nominate a build thread to be a "Feature Thread"? This thread will not go as quickly as someone building an ARF or even a kit, but the attention to detail and the drawing work done so far is more than worthy IMHO. Besides, when it's done, it will be an incredible plane.
David
Bipeguy03
150cc
WOW....your Granddad did an awesome job on that one, and I'm sure you're gonna repeat it!!! Here's a brief history of Harold from Airshow Wiki;
"Harold Krier joined the Army Air Corps and served as a Flight Engineer during World War II . After the war he earned his A&E license, learned to fly and started the airport in Ashland, KS that bears his name. In the late forties he built his first aerobatic airplane, a clipped wing cub, and taught himself aerobatics out of the old Air Corps primary flying manual. His interest in perfection led him through a series of airplanes - the Krier Kraft Acromaster , the Great Lakes Special and theChipmunk . With these, Harold represented the U.S. in competitions in Spain, Russia and Germany.
Harold was a master mechanic and builder of airplanes but he freely gave it all away to anyone who asked for help. He was a quiet man whose flying spoke louder than a shout. He flew for the pilots, not the crowd, and only the pilots in the crowd could fully appreciate the skill and smoothness with which he could perform any acrobatic maneuver. Perhaps more than any other individual, Harold Krier was responsible for the revival of aerobatics in this country in the fifties and early sixties.
The farm boy from Ashland, Kansas, is no longer among the aerobatic fraternity. He was killed spin testing a prototype airplane in Wichita, Kansas at 4:00 p.m. on July 6, 1971. There were no witnesses to the accident; but he was found about a half mile from the wreckage with his chute only partially opened and the spin chute installed on the aircraft torn away. Services were held for him in Ashland at 10:00 a.m. on Friday, July 9, 1971.
Source: http://icasfoundation.org/hof/view/Harold+Krier"
I remember watching Harold at airshows with my Dad when I was a kid. Little did I know that someday I would have my name engraved on the IAC trophy bearing his name.
Looking forward to watching this build
Harold was a heck of a designer, he was helping Charlie Hillard with the design of the Spinks Acro. Unfortunately that was the airplane he was spin testing when he was killed.
Thanks for posting!
Bipeguy03
150cc
Not really, I've already used up an entire brick eraser! lol