Scale Building a Bulldog II

[Snoopy1]

I was admiring a DA 200 yesterday at the field, it definitely had a better sound. But it was a far cry from a four stroke, in my opinion anyway.
The table saw will be here by end of Friday or sooner according to Byrnes. I had to order another roll of paper as that last tracing was the end of mine, also scheduled by end of Friday. I will redraw the fuse layout to include the correct nose size and make adjustments accordingly. Should not be that big of a deal.

No argument from me but of the 2 strokes the four does have a nice sound.

 

[acerc]

Ok, here is where I am at and what I am doing being as I started over with the paper drawings. I placed green tape on the door at the given distance marks, then ran tape across those points for the thrust line. I then projected the kit drawing and sized it, this is not a dead scale drawing but a good reference and starting point. So I marked all the former locations and then put up a side profile picture of the full scale as seen in pic one and marked the former points with a pointer. Next I projected a top view picture and marked outline references for setting the width, pic two. The third pic is of the actual paper on the bench ready to go. And believe it or not I did all this twice because I forgot to take pics the first time so I did it again but without the paper just to show how I am getting the sizes and such. The width at the cowl is 14-1/4 inches just at the edge of curving to the front as noted in pic one.

 

[stangflyer]

The "Dub" 4 cylinder would have been so sweet. I absolutely am in love with my 212. The sound is just incredible. My sons DLE 222 is just...well, it is throaty and deep. (Ummm, don't put those two words together reversed...Just sayin') But truly after admiring and listening to my friends Kolm 240 flat four? Oh my gosh....now that is a sound you won't soon forget. It just yell..."MEAN"! Nothing compares to a four stroke. Just my opinion.

 

[acerc]

I had to pull a Stang, and walk away. It was not working out no matter how I did it, the measuring and marking thing. Each paper I laid on the bench and continued to draw out on things just were not adding up, so Friday evening I walked away.
Sometimes walking away or talking it out with someone ring's the bells. Posting on here is not like talking so I called up a buddy to talk it out. And as usual very shortly into the conversation it dawned on me, I should be setting the fuse length first then matching everything to it. So this evening I did it all over, marked the fuse length of 80", aligned the side view to the marks at tip of spinner to tip of rudder. Then made all the former marks, switched to the top view and made the perimeter marks, laid it on the bench a drew out the fuse side marks and low and behold everything lined up a whole lot better. I will still need to make slight mods but now I know the width and length is right.

 

[acerc]

It is unbelievable how something can be off and all that we know is that something is not right. I have known this since I first laid it on the bench but did not know what, I think subconsciously we do know and it just takes time to come out that is why we procrastinate. Maybe sometime next week I can cut some lumber for this bird. But first I want to get some work in on the Challenger, it is so close to being ready for covering.

 

[acerc]

I am sure you guy's understand why I am taking so much time to get things sorted out before cutting wood. The base shape I laid out yesterday is based on the full scale pics at the kit size of an 80" fuse. I checked the formers against the projected images and here is where it stands. All the formers are correct in height but not in width, the final shape depends on these formers. Starting at the nose, pic one, the forward fuse formers are good below the thrust line but the top section need to be widened. I traced the cowl from a pic but exaggerated the inward curve for measuring purposes, pic two, the arrows point to what I needed for referencing and the black lines represent how it should be. Back to pic one, looking at the rear formers the arrows denote how they need to be widened. I will split them and adjust to position which brings up the next pic number 3. I have put two pieces of balsa the correct size of the stringer in a slot on the former, with the former square on the table and the square against the stringer. The stringer gives me the distance the base hardwood spar will need to be as the covering should protrude out at the balsa stringer compared to the thrust line stringer. Pic 4, the 1/4" on the table running along the outside shape line represents the thrust line stringer and has a 1/8" mark, this is where the formers will be widened to.
I think, and I won't hold my breath, but I think I am ready to start cutting something.

 

[acerc]

If I am posting to much of the little things just let me know.

 

[pawnshopmike]

If I am posting to much of the little things just let me know.

Post away bro! We like.

 

[Snoopy1]

If I am posting to much of the little things just let me know.

Keep posting these are details that make a build interesting. Just as I was struggling to make a rudder servo fit the plane.

 

[Blazing Wings]

I am sure you guy's understand why I am taking so much time to get things sorted out before cutting wood. The base shape I laid out yesterday is based on the full scale pics at the kit size of an 80" fuse. I checked the formers against the projected images and here is where it stands. All the formers are correct in height but not in width, the final shape depends on these formers. Starting at the nose, pic one, the forward fuse formers are good below the thrust line but the top section need to be widened. I traced the cowl from a pic but exaggerated the inward curve for measuring purposes, pic two, the arrows point to what I needed for referencing and the black lines represent how it should be. Back to pic one, looking at the rear formers the arrows denote how they need to be widened. I will split them and adjust to position which brings up the next pic number 3. I have put two pieces of balsa the correct size of the spar in a slot on the former, with the former square on the table and the square against the spar. The spar gives me the distance the base hardwood spar will need to be as the covering should protrude out at the balsa spar compared to the thrust line spar. Pic 4, the 1/4" on the table running along the outside shape line represents the thrust line spar and has a 1/8" mark, this is where the formers will be widened to.
I think, and I won't hold my breath, but I think I am ready to start cutting something.

Glad to see you have it all worked out.