Sounds like a good idea. Let me know how it goes, I wish I could test on a hard surface with some scale size gear/wheels.
Bücker Bü 180 Student Swappable - design, build, and review log
- Thread starter nerdnic
- Start date
Sounds like a good idea. Let me know how it goes, I wish I could test on a hard surface with some scale size gear/wheels.
Hey Owen. Yeah all is well with nerdnic, just been occupied with some other stuff the last week. My wife and I are celebrating our 2 year anniversary this weekend
JohnRambozo
Posted a thousand or more times
Finally. They finally arrived today. I would have been working on the nnBucker earlier, but I took my spitfire out in some strong wind and converted it into a splitfire. I ended up in a high speed spiraling dive and the fuse split right in half just behind the cockpit. I posted about it on the FT Spitfire thread. It took a couple of hours to get everything lined up and true again.
I should make some good progress tonight and tomorrow. My goal is to have it built and painted this weekend.
Edit: Progress pic for Saturday night. Too exhausted to go on. Wings are built and installed.
Edit: Progress pics Sunday morning - Servos mounted using nnLayout and coffeestraws. I put side supports under the servo mount and supports for the straws after they found their own comfortable path out the back.
The wing was centered and glued in place along the bottom edge only, I carefully cut slits just in front of and behind the wing.
Skewers were used at the stress points to protect the wing from the elastics with plenty of glue. I reinforced the exposed surfaces of the fuse and the wing with a very thin layer of glue to prevent wear on the fragile foam edges.
Sunday wasn't quite as productive for building as I had hoped. I did sneak out to fly the spitfire a bit but a cold front rolled in and the wind started getting dangerous so I landed and came home. I only have to center the tail and put on the turtle deck (neck?). So close!
I had this brainstorm as I was putting on the reinforcements for the wing mounts. I had already been crosshatching the surface of the square piece but I got the idea I could use the pointed end of a skewer to poke anchor holes for the glue to grab onto giving it a bit more lateral resistance, effectively making hardened glue spikes. I've had the paper come loose and I'm hoping to avoid that this time.
EDIT: As you can see by the paint job, these photos were taken out of order, but I wanted to explain a few more things that need to be incorporated for removable wings. Just like the FT Spitfire build regarding removable wings, you'll need to glue guides on the top that perfectly fit inside the fuse.
Measure the exact distance of the inside width of the fuse. Use a double high rectangle on the rear to account for the greater lateral stress in that area. A single high rectangle is fine for the front. Here they are mounted.
The important thing is to just make sure it is centered directly over the lower fuse so that it will hold the wing in the correct orientation. These two photos show the alignment:
I hooked up the aileron controls by bending some left over piano wire and gave it a little aileron induced washout per the nerdnic's suggestion. The control horns are just a cut up gift card. I mounted the bottom part of the rudder when my OCD kicked in and I had to fully enclose the bottom of the fuse.
I put in a little time after work and finished the build. Controls tested to work. I used cutouts from a 2 liter soda bottle for the windshields. Just a few minor things before the maiden... like the power pod skewer. Its the little things that count. Feast your eyes on that massive wingspan.
I added some permanent shims/guides for the power pod. I test fit for thickness and found a slightly 'massaged' 3 layer shim on each side would be perfect. I laminated all the layers for strength as the power pod skewer goes right through them. I have gift card reinforcements over the holes on the power pod itself and on the fuse. Its very snug and rigid. I had to move around my ESC to fit the battery to get the CG right. The battery sits right on top of the front wing mount. She's ready for maiden (and paint)!
The maiden didn't happen yet. I just wasn't comfortable launching her into a crowd of people at the park but I did get the yellow on. Its a really bold and lively yellow. I love it. It was made with the following combination of Liquitex Basic Acrylic colors: 2 parts cadmium yellow medium, 2 parts primary yellow and 1 part titanium white. Markings yet to come.
Added some details. Somehow those lines give it an old timey feel and I'm really liking the way those windshields shine against the black. If I squint, I almost feel like that cowl has some real dimension.
Still looking good after several flights!
And here she is in the air. I'm still getting used to flying while holding a phone.
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SnowRocker88
Amateur pilot and builder
Looks beautiful!
JohnRambozo
Posted a thousand or more times
Thanks SnowRocker! Thanks to nerdnic for designing her and documenting his build. I'll be updating that same post throughout the day.
nagromnewo
New member
Hey Owen. Yeah all is well with nerdnic, just been occupied with some other stuff the last week. My wife and I are celebrating our 2 year anniversary this weekend
Well, congratulations!!!
Owen
JohnRambozo
Posted a thousand or more times
Oh yeah, happy anniversary. Mine was at the beginning of the month. Also 2 years.
I'm glad you approve of the wing.
I thought you might like the nnLayout comment. You deserve credit for the placement. Updated my post with the latest progress. Almost there!
JohnRambozo
Posted a thousand or more times
We look forward to having you back. I hope you enjoyed the time away.
I updated my post with the complete and unpainted nnBuckerBu180. I got a little dimple in the rear turtle deck but I can live with it. There's a good chance I'll end up painting it before the maiden unless I can get myself up and around in time to get to work early enough to fly after work. It could happen.
Thanks nerdnic, for the great design!
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Awesome! Will you be able to get a video of your flight?
JohnRambozo
Posted a thousand or more times
Yessir!
SnowRocker88
Amateur pilot and builder
Going to do a build article?
I want to. I want to do a build video and cover the build in a few chunks:
01 WING
02 FUSE
03 POSTER BOARD
04 ELECTRONICS
If I break up the video into multiple, section focused slices then I can reuse them on other planes I design. Assuming they don't have plans specific steps, each slice would be a generic how to. And then any specific details that need to be covered can be addressed in a plane specific video.
This is my goal, anyway. Issue is I don't want to make something that isn't quality. The one camera top down, slightly angled fixed camera view that most people produce isn't what I'd want. So until I figure out a location and rally some friends to film for me I'll just have to keep referencing the FT Mustang build video as it includes the build techniques required to build the nnBucker.
SnowRocker88
Amateur pilot and builder
Very cool. Sounds like you're going to be putting out some quality information! Can't wait to see it! I can say for certain, I will never be at that level. I'm not much of a production person. More cut-and-dry text and photo detail person myself.
Certainly looking forward to it!
Certainly looking forward to it!
JohnRambozo
Posted a thousand or more times
Smart concept. After you build a plane or two, I think that's really how we use the official FT build videos. You can see the progression of thought from one build video to the next, so rather than following the build exactly, you start to incorporate all of the best ideas into whatever you're building and add your own.
I know I offered to help with formatting if you do an article. To take it a step further - if you ever decide you want your own articles on your own site, I have a dormant forum that needs to be repurposed and would be happy to put it to good use hosting your articles where you would have complete control of the content and presentation.
I also updated my post to show my version of the power pod guides.
There is nothing wrong with that, man. I've never done a complete video production before and I'm not even sure how elaborate I'd want to go with a build video. I just really enjoy the whole process and figure if I'm gonna do it, I want to do it as best as I can.
I like your 3 foam shim. That will add a lot of strength to the fuse overall, great work.
That is a very generous offer and I appreciate your enthusiasm. I am looking into building a site but it's just an idea right now, but I will definitely let you know when/if there is any movement in that area.
I am excited to see your maiden video! Did you decide if you were gonna paint her first?
JohnRambozo
Posted a thousand or more times
I'm glad to have your endorsement of the powerpod guides. I'm happy about how they came out. I was considering doing a maiden today if the weather holds out but wouldn't she look great fully painted first? Decisions, decisions. Maybe I will paint first and maiden her on the weekend. Then again, if I can trust the weather report, its supposed to get windy this weekend (10-20mph) and rain the following weekend...
Just let me know when/if you're ready to put a site together and I'll be glad to contribute.
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