First Balsa Kit - SIG Four-Star ep20 Build Log

[bliss224]

Hi all,

I am a new flyer from NY who, like many of us, was brought into the hobby by Flite test's awesome videos. Like most of us the cold and wind have stopped me from continuing my flight training so I decided to get started on some projects for the winter. I love my foamies (champ, supercub s, FMS Cessna 182) but have always wanted to get into building and flying balsa and wood aircraft ARFS and kits. I just finished building my Sig Senior Sport ARF and have decided to give the SIG Four-Star ep20 kit a try. Just as a disclaimer this plane may be above my flying abilities at the moment but I am looking for a club to join in the spring so i can ask an instructor(I am self taught) to guide me with my new nitro sig senior sport and this four star. Progress is slow as I am learning as I go but here is what I have done so far.


Completed Wing. As of the time of this post I have finished sanding the leading and trailing edges of the wing and will post pictures of it shortly.

 

[abieex]

Nice job so far. Remember, this is not a sprint. Take your time and you will be rewarded with a nice flying plane.

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

This will be a fun one. 4-stars have a very good reputation with pilots as being a fun plane with very few bad tendencies. Just keep everything straight and you'll be fine.

 

[Balsa to Foam]

I have a four star 20 and i love it but use a 200 to 250 watt motor or else it is an absolute rocket, it repairs well too

 

[bliss224]

I have a four star 20 and i love it but use a 200 to 250 watt motor or else it is an absolute rocket, it repairs well too

Great to hear, I am sure I will need to repair it shortly after its maiden. I was starting to look at electronics but really didn't do all that much research. Since you have experience flying one how forgiving do you think this aircraft would be for a beginner? I purchased this kit based on reviews that say its a great first low wing and a bit more aerobatic plane.

Initial construction of the fin, rudder, stab, and elevator are complete and some fuselage pieces are drying after being laminated. Had a little trouble with connecting the two elevator pieces with the wire, but it all came out straight. Pictures to follow soon.

 

[Balsa to Foam]

for me it was my first balsa kit, prior to that i had never flown a balsa airplane. everything about it was extremely forgiving stalls were super gentle. as for electronics i used a Turnigy 2830 Brushless Motor 1000kv a detrum 30 amp speed controller a sky lipo 2200 3 cell and standard 9 gram servos all around( you probably should use metal gear though). I hope this helps.

P.S. i had to custom make a motor mount so pm me if you have questions, good to hear how much progress you've made

 

[bliss224]

for me it was my first balsa kit, prior to that i had never flown a balsa airplane. everything about it was extremely forgiving stalls were super gentle. as for electronics i used a Turnigy 2830 Brushless Motor 1000kv a detrum 30 amp speed controller a sky lipo 2200 3 cell and standard 9 gram servos all around( you probably should use metal gear though). I hope this helps.

P.S. i had to custom make a motor mount so pm me if you have questions, good to hear how much progress you've made

Thanks for all the info, I really appreciate it. I am thinking of going with the recommended himaxx motor and hs-85s. Oh and here are some updated pics

 

[Balsa to Foam]

Every thing looks really good:applause:

 

[colorex]

Nice! Subscribed

 

[Joker 53150]

Looks like very quick progress! Gotta love a well designed laser-cut kit!

 

[abieex]

Very nice!

 

[AkimboGlueGuns]

Your balsa skill seem to be really good for a first time builder, much better than mine anyway.

 

[bliss224]

Thanks for the feedback guys. This kit is definitely awesome for a first time build as the almost completely laser cut kit really fits together really nice and easy. Did some more work on the fuselage, time to let it dry for a while.

 

[Rcgary24]

Lookin Good!!!!! Ive subscribed to this thread as well , In my dads older age , he has gotten more into the smaller electrics since they are easier to transport and handle , and he likes to build so i might have to get him one of these!

 

[abieex]

Very very nice. What are you covering it with? Color scheme?

 

[bliss224]

Lookin Good!!!!! Ive subscribed to this thread as well , In my dads older age , he has gotten more into the smaller electrics since they are easier to transport and handle , and he likes to build so i might have to get him one of these!

I think this kit would be perfect for him. Build process was fun and this guy is about the size of my super cub s so will fit easily into the back of my truck.

Very very nice. What are you covering it with? Color scheme?

Thanks! I am probably going to do an order of microlite from tower hobbies tonight. I am thinking of black, white, and red kind of like how the sbach is done, but probably much simpler since this is my first covering job.

Build Update:
So I finished sanding the sheet for the top of the fuselage and installed the push rod guide tubes per the instructions. I actually ran into a lot of trouble trying to sand them down to match the fuse before i got out the dremel. After that fiasco was over i filled in and fixed any scratches or dents in the fuse stemming from any mistakes i made along the way. Now that all the main assemblies are complete I have to wait to get the right grit sandpaper to finish sand all the pieces then onto covering. Here are a few test fit pictures.

 

[colorex]

I just love it. Wish I had one to build right now

 

[bliss224]

Okay so I have a lot to learn about covering a parkflyer with microlite. I Made my first attempts at it over the last few nights (followed the directions carefully) and a few problems arose. The first problem to pop up when covering was that even though i used a sanding block when building, I seemed to bevel in the tops and bottoms of the stringers (hope that is the right term) on the elevator and stab. While its not horrible i might just rebuild them as it is not major construction. I did check the rest of the wings, fin, and rudder and thankfully I only was heavy handed with the sanding on the elevator and stab. After the first layer of white covering I tried to add a second color over the first using a technique I found on a youtube video. It came out ok, not terrible, but also not great. There are a lot of air bubbles trapped between the two layers of covering. I think I am going to watch a few more videos, practice on some more scrap, and then move onto a different section of the airplane for now while I decide what to do with the elevator and stab.

 

[Balsa to Foam]

I wouldn't worry about the bubbles between the covering, if it is fairly large just poke a small hole in the top part of the covering and iron it out, it should be fine. Looks fantastic!!!! Here's a pic of mine.

(I have yet to master covering yet too)

 

[roversgonemad]

For large covered areas I try to avoid layering. It is very difficult to get all the air bubbles out. I have a piece of thick glass, 24x36" that I use for seaming large sections of covering. With the heat at sealing temp a nice seam can be joined without shrinking the covering. The covering readily peels from the glass and can be transferred to the air frame. The other option is to thoroughly perforate the bottom layer, allowing the air to escape. You can also do it without the glass, but you have to be sure seams are over areas that have wood under the seam, and not the open areas of the air frame. However, from what I have seen in your pictures, your covering looks good. I have seen some absolutely wretched covering jobs before, and oddly enough, the plane still flies. In fact, they look fine in the air!!