Scale Wendell Hostetler 30% Piper Cherokee Glass Fuselage Build.

[dhal22]

Poly glue is PERFECT for balsa/ foam assembly. It takes a claw hammer to separate. I have some of the carbon tissue somewhere waiting for this application.

 

[TonyHallo]

Hey I found a 20 yard roll of 3/4 ounce glass in the rafters with the carbon tissue that I didn't know a had. Need to do a few test pieces to determine what glass i will use the glass the wings, .56, .75.or 1.5. each wing is about 1 1/4 square yard.

Poly glue is PERFECT for balsa/ foam assembly. It takes a claw hammer to separate. I have some of the carbon tissue somewhere waiting for this application.

Don't forget the vacuum.

 

[dhal22]

My method is layered foam cores, poly glue rolled until only a sheen, balsa skins lightly misted with water, the foam core shucks, all assembled inside pieces of 3/4" MDF and clamped vigorously. The Poly glue will expand into the balsa and foam leaving a crazy strong bond. I've only had separation success with a claw hammer. Testing of course.

 

[TonyHallo]

Vacuum makes the glue foam more rigorously. If you think clamping is good, vacuum is way better, it makes the little bubbles in the foam bigger. I roll the glue on the skins and sprayed the outer surface of the skins with ammonia to help the bend. How would you handle the the carbon tissue?

 

[TonyHallo]

Right wing is in the bag!

 

[TonyHallo]

Pulled the trigger for the avionics package, FrSky RB25 redundancy bus and three R6 receivers. A receiver will be mounted in each wing tip and one in the vertical fin. Thought I would buy these now before the tariffs kick in, the prices are unchanged currently.

 

[TonyHallo]

Conducting a test to determine the difference between 1 1/2 ounce cloth applied with epoxy and peel ply verses a 3/4 ounce applied with epoxy thinned 100% with alcohol and the weave filled with the same the following day. I learned about the thinned epoxy from a fellow named Dan Parsons who sold .56 ounce cloth before it became popular. I think I bought a 10 yard roll that came with the thinning instructions, had to be the late 80's, I used the cloth to finish a Piper Twin Comanche, .40 size glow. This plane taught me about tail heavy. Took off and flew fine however on landing the tail suddenly dropped and I was looking at the bottom of the airplane, you know what happened next.
The balsa squares are 6" x 6", each weighted 25 grams before. 1 gram accuracy should be fine, .036 ounce per gram. In an ideal world the 1 1/2 ounce sample should weight about 2 1/2 grams more and the .75 should be a little over 1 gram. I suspect the 3/4 ounce will come out heavier since the weave is being filled with epoxy.
I would like to glass the wings soon before the flaps and ailerons are cut out, need to put corrugations in them before they are cut free.

 

[TonyHallo]

Decided to go with 3/4 ounce cloth. The 1 1/2 ounce would add 8 ounces. The bottom of the left wing is glassed, may get the top later today. The 3/4 ounce cloth is easier to work with than the .56 ounce cloth. Carving the trailing edge on the right wing,

 

[Snoopy1]

Decided to go with 3/4 ounce cloth. The 1 1/2 ounce would add 8 ounces. The bottom of the left wing is glassed, may get the top later today. The 3/4 ounce cloth is easier to work with than the .56 ounce cloth. Carving the trailing edge on the right wing,

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Nice job on the sheeting, like the staggered joints.

 

[TonyHallo]

Well my 1 1/8" x .049" x 36" tube arrived late today, looks real nice, however the tube I used to make the wing sockets measures 1.124" and the new tube measures 1.128", guess what, it doesn't fit! Ordered another tube from Wicks Aircraft today, hopefully it is smaller. Kinda takes the wind out of the sales, hate the thought of turning it down and polishing.