Build log of the GIANT SEA DUCK BUILD. yes, it’s happening.

So, I decided to scratch build a giant Sea Duck. I loved how the FT kit built and flew. If you haven’t built/flown one, do yourself a huge favor. You wont regret it. My Duck finally met its demise after I attempted to thread the needle in my back yard, the second time. That’s right, nailed it on the first try. The Mrs. can attest, it is one of the few times she was actually paying attention to my flying. Anyway, after scratch building a P-38 using the salvage from the duck, I decided the duck is way more enjoyable for my flight style. Because I am a giant child (another thing my wife can attest to) I decided to make a GIANT duck. Since this isn’t your average plane build I thought I’d share the journey. Also as I learn things I will share, and if you have a suggestion or a question, please don‘t hesitate. I am still very new to all of this but hot diggity is the learning curve fun! So if you are new like me, let’s learn together, and if you’ve been around the block more times than the street sweeper, tell us everything! Please!

I’d share the pictures of the stacks of printed paper and DTFB but we all have a general image in our minds, soooo… Without further ado, DAY 1

I started by carefully trimming and assembling the now even more tiled, tiled plans. One full plan sheet at a time. I know there are two in the picture. After I had a completed full sheet, I assembled 4 DTFB sheets into one big one and attached the plans to the FB sheet with 3M Super 77. I will demonstrate that with tomorrow’s update. I didn’t think of it until I started writing this. I know that all may seem like a daunting task. Meh, not bad. I haven’t doubled the thickness of the FB yet because I plan on being strategic where I double thickness, or add custom ribbing for structural integrity. After that, I started cutting.

Lesson learned so far: I’ve found laying all of the tiles out before assembly and then working from the center 4 tiles out helps keep things in better alignment.

IMG_0172.jpeg


IMG_0173.jpeg
 

Piotrsko

Master member
Hmmm looks like a giant sea duck. Nice. Might contemplate using BORDEN commercial display board, it is about 20% thicker and sold in WallyWorld. Might be stronger and more bend resistant. Definitely more expensive.

If you tiled up the plans, the notches should have grown, the folded spaces got bigger. Gonna make booms and fuse assembly interesting. Gonna need a box of hot glue sticks.

Bigger means more aerodynamic stress that you have to account for. Might never fold the wings on a standard, but gentle pull up and fold them on this size.

Really nice aspect is the old man saying: bigger flies better crashes harder. Caveat: wont fly through a hulahoop, however, too big
Hmmmmm two build logs going. Might have replied to wrong one.
 
Last edited:

FlyerInStyle

Elite member
how big will it be?
So, I decided to scratch build a giant Sea Duck. I loved how the FT kit built and flew. If you haven’t built/flown one, do yourself a huge favor. You wont regret it. My Duck finally met its demise after I attempted to thread the needle in my back yard, the second time. That’s right, nailed it on the first try. The Mrs. can attest, it is one of the few times she was actually paying attention to my flying. Anyway, after scratch building a P-38 using the salvage from the duck, I decided the duck is way more enjoyable for my flight style. Because I am a giant child (another thing my wife can attest to) I decided to make a GIANT duck. Since this isn’t your average plane build I thought I’d share the journey. Also as I learn things I will share, and if you have a suggestion or a question, please don‘t hesitate. I am still very new to all of this but hot diggity is the learning curve fun! So if you are new like me, let’s learn together, and if you’ve been around the block more times than the street sweeper, tell us everything! Please!

I’d share the pictures of the stacks of printed paper and DTFB but we all have a general image in our minds, soooo… Without further ado, DAY 1

I started by carefully trimming and assembling the now even more tiled, tiled plans. One full plan sheet at a time. I know there are two in the picture. After I had a completed full sheet, I assembled 4 DTFB sheets into one big one and attached the plans to the FB sheet with 3M Super 77. I will demonstrate that with tomorrow’s update. I didn’t think of it until I started writing this. I know that all may seem like a daunting task. Meh, not bad. I haven’t doubled the thickness of the FB yet because I plan on being strategic where I double thickness, or add custom ribbing for structural integrity. After that, I started cutting.

Lesson learned so far: I’ve found laying all of the tiles out before assembly and then working from the center 4 tiles out helps keep things in better alignment.

View attachment 245837

View attachment 245839
 
Hmmm looks like a giant sea duck. Nice. Might contemplate using BORDEN commercial display board, it is about 20% thicker and sold in WallyWorld. Might be stronger and more bend resistant. Definitely more expensive.

If you tiled up the plans, the notches should have grown, the folded spaces got bigger. Gonna make booms and fuse assembly interesting. Gonna need a box of hot glue sticks.

Bigger means more aerodynamic stress that you have to account for. Might never fold the wings on a standard, but gentle pull up and fold them on this size.

Really nice aspect is the old man saying: bigger flies better crashes harder. Caveat: wont fly through a hulahoop, however, too big
Hmmmmm two build logs going. Might have replied to wrong one.
Definitely have the glue sticks, and definitely burning ‘em up! All of the what you said with the plans definitely happened. I was ready for it thankfully. Still, assembly of the nose was/is currently an exercise in patience and fitting. Of which I am mediocre at both. On the subject of aerodynamics, it is definitely going to be the lightest brick I’ve ever pulled through the air. I am planning on reinforcing the body where the wings slide through with doublers and an extra support or two that I will show (when I get there) rather than explain. As for the wing, I was thinking of using carbon fiber square tubing from nacelle to nacelle. I haven’t really decided on the outer wing reinforcements because they also have to be removable. The tail booms are another area that will need some pretty beefy reinforcements. These are the things I will work through when I get there, though I’m always open to thoughts and suggestions before I do. Thanks for the input Piotrsko, much appreciated.
 
Now, what NOT to do! If a build video exists for the plane you are building, use it! and here is why.

After installing the bow doubler and reinforcements(not pictured), I had them all nice and aligned and glued mostly in place. You’d almost think I knew what I was doing, almost. I decided while I was letting some glue cool to try and dry fit the top, which is pitched like a roof with a curved eve. Its shape doesn’t really facilitate fitting a contoured flat surface. I know that description makes very little sense but once you’ve built a Duck, you’ll know exactly what I am taking about. There absolutely is a way, it just involves a different order of assembly, which is clearly laid out in the video. Because I tried to go from memory I ended up having to cut back all of my work, fit the top of the bow, and glue/re-glue everything.
IMG_0182.jpeg
 

Spitfire76

Well-known member
I built a regular size FT Sea Duck earlier this summer and thought that was large especially with the wings not being removable. How do you plan on transporting it?.
 
I built a regular size FT Sea Duck earlier this summer and thought that was large especially with the wings not being removable. How do you plan on transporting it?.
I’m good friends with Harry Potters third cousin and he taught him a couple spells.

In all actuality, I’m still working that part out. It is definitely going to require removable wings. I’m currently looking at carbon fiber tubing and internal splices, but i also have an idea using CF flat stock. It wouldn’t be as strong as the tubing, but it is cheaper. Also i am going to slim down the pontoons for all the drag reasons. I’m also kicking the idea of sans pontoons? You had a duck on the water, do you think it would be stable enough without them? The flat fat bottom and low CG make it pretty stable as it is and the wide wingspan is like a tight rope walkers balance poll (I don’t know here, I’m just educated guessing from high school physics). This project is fluid until the glue cools, and even then, who knows?
 

Shurik-1960

Well-known member
Does your duck take off from the water? The air resistance created by the huge fuselage increases the power of the engine, which is needed and increases the weight of the batteries and the airframe itself.For large models, I make a wing with a thick profile and achieve the lowest weight of the model.
 
Does your duck take off from the water? The air resistance created by the huge fuselage increases the power of the engine, which is needed and increases the weight of the batteries and the airframe itself.For large models, I make a wing with a thick profile and achieve the lowest weight of the model.
It will. Due to the flat bottom it will have a little issue breaking the surface tension which will make it a little sticky on take off and a little bouncy on landing. But these effects should be fairly easily mitigated by a more proficient pilot. The profile of the Ducks wing is pretty substantial and there is plenty of room in the nacelles and body for just about any suite of electronics you’d like to stuff in there. Keeping the wing loading down is going to be more important for not folding the wings more than anything.
 
Looking great. I have one of these too, great for summer and winter flying. Looking forward to the giant one in action. View attachment 245853
NICE! They fly off just about every surface. Did your Duck ever get its feet wet? My Escobar runway at Winglert Field (our backyard) is hardpan in the summer and duck snot in the winter. I just made it this summer so I haven’t flown it in the winter, but i know our soil and it might be mowed weedpatch landings when its wet. Where I live in California, we have to keep all fire fuels cut down below 4“ and fire ladders cut above 6’. The golden stocks of all of the weeds ive mowed/weed whacked over the season make for soft, butter slippery landings, albeit with a little extra debris in the fuselage and the occasional weed stock sticking out of a wing like a spare pitot tube. You know, in case you lost the first one. I’ll post a picture of Winglert Field the next time I wander out back.
 
Winglert Field.

The undulation is so I can practice for my Pirate Pilot License. It’s like a private pilots license, but cooler and WE DONT NEED NO STINKING LICENSES! at Winglert Field.
IMG_0189.jpeg
 
Last edited:

Burnhard

Well-known member
NICE! They fly off just about every surface. Did your Duck ever get its feet wet? My Escobar runway at Winglert Field (our backyard) is hardpan in the summer and duck snot in the winter. I just made it this summer so I haven’t flown it in the winter, but i know our soil and it might be mowed weedpatch landings when its wet. Where I live in California, we have to keep all fire fuels cut down below 4“ and fire ladders cut above 6’. The golden stocks of all of the weeds ive mowed/weed whacked over the season make for soft, butter slippery landings, albeit with a little extra debris in the fuselage and the occasional weed stock sticking out of a wing like a spare pitot tube. You know, in case you lost the first one. I’ll post a picture of Winglert Field the next time I wander out back.
Yes it did on one occasion last summer. The pontoons are not ideal but generally it works. It really is an all-terrain flyer. I added a layer of whiteglue on the bottom surface for extra durability.
 
I like the glue idea. I had crystal clear gorilla tape on the bottom of mine.
Yes it did on one occasion last summer. The pontoons are not ideal but generally it works. It really is an all-terrain flyer. I added a layer of whiteglue on the bottom surface for extra durability
 
are you just using regular foam and letter/a4 paper?
yup. DTFB and 8.5”x11” paper. There are places that need serious reinforcement for its size but for the most part I haven’t had to double to much up. The wing is going to be an entirely different story, at ~9 1/2 feet they need to be removable. There is carbon fiber in my future.