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IMAC Build: Dalton Extra 300

I was going to do this last night but since my 600N actually sold, I spent last night prepping it for shipping.

Anyways, I can attest that 50:50 Ammonia:Water makes balsa very pliable. I still needed a good number of clamps to ensure a nice and straight bond though.
 

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So far today I've got the hatch sheeting cut and sanded down but of course I managed to knock off the backplate in the process so I had to reglue it.

After that, I glued together some 3/32" balsa for the cockpit floors. I'm not going to do a full length floor and just do something to sit the pilot and dash to sit on. I may continue on from where the dash will go to the front but I haven't made up my mind. I want to be able to glue the pilot back in if he should ever come undone.
 

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Next up for today was the 1/2" balsa to support the canopy. I'm hoping the curve is OK to save sanding filler later where the canopy meets the fiberglassed portion of the hatch.
 

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It could be possible for late in the season. I'll have to see how things go this summer. I'm already down from last year with help so if all I get to is having the control surfaces cut out and a little bit of covering on the plane by New Years I'll be happy.
 
I've been busy at it again.

I wanted to check how much the cowling rises above the hatch and it's about where I want it. I can enlarge the holes for mounting the lower cowl piece to raise it up or down.

Following that, I glued some strips of 3/32" balsa to level off the tops of the 1/4" spruce with the floor. After letting the glue cure a little, I glued another piece of 1/4" spruce on top of that.

While that cured, I started to work on tracing the bottom of my pilot figure and instrument panel. When I put down the stone paint, I want to keep from applying paint where the pilot and panel go so I have a flat surface to glue to. I just used some pieces of 1/16" balsa I had leftover. I then cut some holes in both the templates and the floors with a piece of sharpened brass. I glued on some lite ply blocks to one side of the 1/16" balsa. I'll be able to tighten and sandwich this down but I'll also be able to move it around if I need to before I paint. More pics will come later.

Lastly, I glued on a strip of 3/32" balsa to sides of the hatch frame. I just did one side and I will do the other later.
 

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Last little bit showing the method I'm using to effectively mask off the area where the pilot and dash will go.

I also added some balsa to help reinforce the backplate.

Unfortunately I'm headed out for work for 10 days tomorrow so it'll be some time before I get back to it.
 

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So someone in another thread mentioned that I need to get back on this and I plan to. Work is once again getting in the way...

With the current limbo status of the hobby and what we will be able to do, I'm going to hold off on buying a motor and servos probably until a decision is made. There's plenty to do including working with the fiberglass parts and getting it covered etc. to keep me busy for a while. Plus it won't cost me much to do those things so money is not the issue. If I get to the point that I just need a motor and servos to fly it, then yes I will buy them but I plan to hold off on those items for as long as possible.

Part of that is also because my wife offered to let the household help pay for the motor to finish this up and I don't want to take advantage of it because if there's a 400 ft. altitude limit, I'll be putting one heck of a GPS/Sonar unit on my kayak when I get it.
 
Well I didn't get anything done this weekend. I was mostly focused on work stuff including a presentation that I will hopefully be giving the new global CEO of the company I work for on Tuesday.

Getting out to the field on a more regular basis will probably depend on what he thinks of what I've done with the research and development for North America and hopefully he'll take note of the hard work I've put in so that I can get the resources I need.

What's going on with the FAA and the hobby isn't exactly helping either. Part of me kind of wants to sell everything off but a bigger part of me has a greater hope that nothing will change and we will be able to continue to fly giant scale.

This limbo feeling really kind of sucks.

And then there is also the issue that I will hopefully be moving back to College Station when they relocate the research station. Pattern is bigger down that way so if I wanted to compete, it would be a lot easier than IMAC. Of course that once again depends on me having the free time to be able to fly on a regular basis to get enough practice to be able to feel like I can compete.
 
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