100 Hour Replacement build; Das Ugly Stik

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Today was just finishing the assembly of the Fuselage so that painting can commence - possibly tomorrow!

Fitted the Horizontal tail note the Bevel is uppermost! Also I used a level surface, (the floor), and weighted down the nose and tail of the fuselage whilst the glue dried/set.

HStab fitted.JPG

Next thing was to fit the rear deck piece.

Rear Deck.JPG

When the deck was dry the V Stab/Rudder was fitted.

Rudder added.JPG

For the bottom piece I decided to use up a little of the large scrap pieces of FB I had and so I joined 2 pieces, the join being close to the rudder LE. After cutting out I used epoxy to fit the plywood support for the landing gear in place. Minwaxed/sealed both sides of the bottom piece. Fitted the tail servos into position and taped leads to underside of the rear deck.

Fitted fuselage bottom piece and then used PVA glue to seal all exposed foam edges.

Bottom fitted.JPG

Tomorrow will be the paint preparation which is a wipe down, a light sand on any exposed glue lumps etc. Then the first paint colour id to be applied. This coat will take many hours to dry and so I may or may not be able to mask off and apply contrast colour but then I will take that as it comes!

More later!

Have fun!
 

mayan

Legendary member
Man your building methods are way beyond what I would expect. Your end results just look amazing.
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Today was a lesson in what not to do!

I tried out new paint and new colours only to find that it took longer to dry and it was very poor in opacity!

Next I found that the colour darkened each and every coat. Trying to match colour I ended up with paint runs and had to remove it all with solvent and start again:mad::censored:.

Anyway it has some colour now and I may just use the ordinary black crosses rather than the Maltese crosses. No one at the field would even care!

A few things to engineer but otherwise on track!

Note the 6mm BBQ skewers used for wing hold down points, (a lucky find locally)!

Remainder to do on the fuselage;
Fit decals and stripes
Attach firewall
Attach landing gear including tail skid.

Those can all wait until later when the paint has hardened off a bit. Wing build is next!

Here is the current state of the fuselage

DSCF0021.JPG

More later.

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Wing pieces cut out.

DSCF0021.JPG

Now comes the delay! Before assembly I will seal the wing outer surfaces and edges, (wing join edges excluded). Next is to apply the first colour and when completely dry the second colour.

Next is to be the striping followed by the clear packing tape across the Leading Edges and the Hinge lines.

Then and only then can the wing assembly be commenced.

As a special note A secondary FB spar will be added to better support the wing centre section and of course some reinforcing around the wing joint.

More later!

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Got bored so I sealed and painted the wing panels, (exterior only).

Now they really need to harden off for a few days before I at the striping so there will be a day or 2 break in the posting on this thread unless questions are raised!

Here are the 2 wing panels in their basic colours!

DSCF0024.JPG

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Last bit of work today!

Added the stripes which are to outline the decals/markings/crosses. Also added clear packing tape over the aileron/flap hinge line as well as the Leading Edge prior to cutting the bevels.

The fuselage stripes

DSCF0021.JPG

The wing strips

DSCF0022.JPG

After the bevels are cut and finished reinforced packing tape will be added to the LE. Colour will be black of course!

More later!

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Wing is starting to look like a wing finally.

Joined the 2 wing halves together, taped up the LE, the control surface hinge lines, and the central wing joint with clear packing tape for support, and cut the bevels, (Leading Edge, Ailerons, and Flaps), as required. Folded the wing along the LE and checked control surface hinge freedom.

DSCF0021.JPG

Test fitted the main spar, fits perfectly! (Far better than the original/first build).

DSCF0022.JPG

Added cloth reinforced tape to the LE prior to the fold down flat of the upper wing panel and its time under the press, (to really crush down the LE foam).

DSCF0023.JPG

When the LE foam has been crushed fully the spar/s are fitted permanently and then the wing can be properly folded and glued to form the wing! - Next post possibly. Taking a day off whilst the wing is under the press!

More later!

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
A little further progress!

The wing folded and under what I use as a press, (a plywood stair tread or house main beam off cut).

DSCF0021.JPG

The effect on the LE after the press weight removed. Now that is flat!

DSCF0023.JPG

Main spar fitted! Also fitted the wing closure piece and the additional profile making subspar. Then fitted the NON-Stretch fibre reinforced packing tape as per my post on another thread.

DSCF0024.JPG

A close up view of the non-stretch packing tape placement.

DSCF0025.JPG

Will now wait until everything has dried/set and then glue the wing closed.

More later!

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
The wing build is complete apart from the fitting of the servos and control horns.

Here is the wing folded and glued. Note that the underside portions of the wing top panel still exposed have not been sealed or painted and neither have the visible parts of the main wing spar.

DSCF0022.JPG

All remaining exposed foam or unsealed FB were sealed. The exposed unpainted portions, (mainly the flaps and ailerons), were painted in a different colour to the top of the wing. On the top they are white and on the underside they are red.

DSCF0021 (3).JPG

Next part of the build is the fitting of the electrics and the landing gear! The "Crosses" get fitted after the maiden! I could not resist a test assembly of the new bird to get the whole picture on the colour scheme chosen!

DSCF0021.JPG

When the paint is dried a little more the electrics will be fitted! Next time!

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Not a lot done today and yet a large step towards completion.

I fitted the servos and adjusted them for proper throws and operation. One of the Flap servos needed to be reversed which I did not both to do for the original build but this one is to be better so the reversal was necessary, (old style - reversing the motor and pot wires inside the servo). Please note that the pushrods I used were made from straightened paperclips!

Anyway here is a pic of the servos fitted in their final positions.

DSCF0022.JPG

The undercarriage and the final motor installation is all that remains to be done.

Sadly I have no remaining stock of the Aluminium bar so there will be a little delay from here but I managed to do the tail skid.

DSCF0023.JPG

Fitted into the tail.

DSCF0021.JPG

More later!

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Well there was nothing for it I had to go to the local hardware store and pick up some more Aluminium bar! Unfortunately they had no 3x12mm stock but they did have some 3x20mm so I bought a length 2 metres for under $6 AUD. (I love finding old stock in those little hardware stores).

Here is the bar cut to length for the undercarriage.

DSCF0021 (3).JPG

Bar folded as required

DSCF0022 (2).JPG

Found some 4mm spring wire a bit old but it will do. Bent the wire to fit the Aluminium bracket.

DSCF0023 (2).JPG

Fitted the chosen wheels! Now where did I put those wheel locking collars?

DSCF0021.JPG

Oh Well! Next post should be the last before the maiden!

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Looks like a Friday maiden but then the cyclone is building off of the coast so it may be delayed.

Anyway for some old wheel collars and fitted the wheels and then the undercarriage to the fuselage. I used 2 screws as well as the epoxy to lock the gear in permanently I hope!

DSCF0021.JPG

Here it is with the wing attached ready to go!

DSCF0022.JPG

and again!

DSCF0024.JPG

Next post hopefully of the maiden!

Have fun!
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
There was a break in the weather this morning and so I went to the field specifically to maiden the Ugly Bird!

Here it is ready to go!

DSCF0022.JPG


Lift off

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A flyby

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Flaps down on approach

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Back in the pits

DSCF0021.JPG


Sorry for the lack of a touchdown shot but the camera man was complaining that the camera, (a $15 special), was not taking photos immediately the button was pressed. The was a bit of lag and the plane had moved from frame by the time the camera recorded the pic.:rolleyes:

Anyway it flies and it is much lighter than the original. At full throttle it would continue to climb at a 45 Degree angle and you could throw it into a bank and watch the plane almost hang there prior to picking up speed once again. A slow and solid flier with some great low speed handling characteristics.

Build one and you will not be disappointed!

Have fun!
 

mayan

Legendary member
@Hai-Lee that is beautiful. I am so happy to read all your build posts. And the final model looks rock solid. Eventually I’ll build one too.
 

Hai-Lee

Old and Bold RC PILOT
Almost lost it today! As there was no crash there are no pics,

One the second flight after a rough landing on the flight before the powerpod came loose in the front but I did not notice it.

On the second flight things seemed a little weird with the plane tending to crab a little which i thought was the little wind we had. I did a rapid roll and then all hell broke loose! As the roll was to the left it was not at first noticed as it just seemed to be a slightly faster left roll than usual but when I tried to end the roll it took full right aileron to get it to stop and fly level.

Immediately I brought it in for an emergency landing during which I almost lost it. I cut motor power because up until then I had been trying to maintain airspeed. When the motor cut it settled and landed ok.

The motor was pointing down and extreme left.

Oh well something to fix!

have fun!