FliteFest 2022 Dawn Patrol - Sopwith Pup

[willsonman]

Having seen a few of your builds now, I can see how you'd find a way to clean up those fins. Me, on the other hand - I thought after a thick enough coat of paint no-one would notice! That prop hub you did with the locking wire represented? Just wow. I'm building a plane that might fly but you're making art!

😂 thanks friend. I’m always exploring new ways of building and trying to do little subtle details that add up. I frequently tell folks at events to feel free to look at my models and then come back later to look again as light and other factors will let you see different details. There’s a reason that “building flying works of art” is my YouTube tag line.

 

[The Fopster]

Top deck started. It's going to need a pilot to fill that big hole! Time to search thingiverse again...

 

[The Fopster]

And first wing skin cut out. Need to wait for wing joiner tubes in the mail, but that gives me time to figure out how to do all the fiddly bits like the struts between the wings and the rigging wires. Lots to do!

 

[The Fopster]

A weekend of lousy weather was a perfect opportunity to make progress on the pup. Sadly I was redecorating the guest washroom so nothing got done. I did manage my first ever bit of designing for 3d printing this evening, though. Some plastic mounts designed in tinkercad for the wings with a 3 degree dihedral built in. They slide into a carbon tube joiner and seem to look as expected. I'll epoxy them to a plywood spar - should be more than strong enough. Also trying to print a pilot in lightweight PLA, as he has the temerity to be sitting behind the CG! Needs to go easy on the beer and burgers or this thing'll be tail heavy!

 

[The Fopster]

Not the best print quality, and some light repairs needed, but at 5g I'll take that!

 

[The Fopster]

A bit more 3d printing to make parts for the cub. I printed some wheels overnight - simpler and heavier than Josh Orchard's amazing spoked wheels, but much easier to make!

 

[willsonman]

I can dig those. I'd still encourage you to eventually try your hand at the spoked wheels. Amazingly, they are simpler to make than you might think.

 

[The Fopster]

I can dig those. I'd still encourage you to eventually try your hand at the spoked wheels. Amazingly, they are simpler to make than you might think.

I'm sure I will at some point. In fact I found myself looking at fine Kevlar thread last night. I can imagine the strength to weight ratio of those things is pretty impressive! It will have to be done at some point...

 

[The Fopster]

Here's a very dull set of pictures - this is the wing joining system I've designed for my foamboard Sopwith Pup. Small 3d printed blocks epoxied to a plywood spar, and the blocks have holes to fit a 10mm carbon tube joiner at 3 degrees to give the right dihedral. That sits between two foam spars, then the wing skin closes over the top. Once glued it will slide on (and off!) the carbon tube joiner that will go through the fuselage. Removable wing - simples!

 

[The Fopster]

Half an hour of very rudimentary painting and I've got my pilot. 3d printed using Colorfabb LW-PLA in 1/6th scale and only 6g painted. That'll do! If it crashes on the maiden it was his fault...

 

[cyclone3350]

Wow, this is looking good!. I like the pilot. He looks like a battle hardened crusty 'ole Britt.

 

[wilmracer]

Here's a very dull set of pictures - this is the wing joining system I've designed for my foamboard Sopwith Pup. Small 3d printed blocks epoxied to a plywood spar, and the blocks have holes to fit a 10mm carbon tube joiner at 3 degrees to give the right dihedral. That sits between two foam spars, then the wing skin closes over the top. Once glued it will slide on (and off!) the carbon tube joiner that will go through the fuselage. Removable wing - simples!

I'm very interested to see how this works out. I love the idea and as long as the first sleeve is long enough to hold the CF tube steady you hopefully shouldn't have too much trouble aligning the second support. I still need to get those magnetic retention/anti-rotation pins on to thingiverse but I suspect this would pair well with those for quick and dirty removable FT style wings

 

[The Fopster]

I'm very interested to see how this works out. I love the idea and as long as the first sleeve is long enough to hold the CF tube steady you hopefully shouldn't have too much trouble aligning the second support. I still need to get those magnetic retention/anti-rotation pins on to thingiverse but I suspect this would pair well with those for quick and dirty removable FT style wings

I’ve tested sliding on and off the joiner and it seems fine - there is a slight chamfer on the hole to help. I was planning to use your anti rotation pins but I decided to draw up my own as I need the practice with designing. This is the first time I’ve designed parts to print so I’m picking it up as I go along. I’m using Tinkercad which is surprisingly capable once you get going.

 

[The Fopster]

No progress over last the few days, but a weird one metre long spongy rubber sausage arrived in the mail this morning so now I can make tyres for my wheels. These will look just fine, I think!

 

[Matthewdupreez]

but a weird one metre long spongy rubber sausage arrived in the mail this morning so now I can make tyres for my wheels.
View attachment 219918

..... I wonder how that sausage happened to get in your mail 🤣

 

[cyclone3350]

No progress over last the few days, but a weird one metre long spongy rubber sausage arrived in the mail this morning so now I can make tyres for my wheels. These will look just fine, I think!
View attachment 219918

That looks good. What did U order for the tires? Weather door stripping?

 

[The Fopster]

That looks good. What did U order for the tires? Weather door stripping?

Not sure what it's supposed to be used for, but it's 19mm cross sectional diameter neoprene foam rubber. Quite heavy but the wheels are not behind the CG so I don't care!

 

[cyclone3350]

Not sure what it's supposed to be used for, but it's 19mm cross sectional diameter neoprene foam rubber. Quite heavy but the wheels are not behind the CG so I don't care!

Yeah, I think we R referring to the same thing. This Friday, when I go out to pick up the plans, I'll announce my entry for the Dawn Patrol. Was looking for an idea for the tires, & now I think I have one. Thanks for posting. I am going to give this stuff a shot. BTW, when I did the wheels on my Pup, I used some pretty heavy materials myself. It turned out the Pup needed as much weight U can build forward of the CG.

 

[The Fopster]

Yeah, I think we R referring to the same thing. This Friday, when I go out to pick up the plans, I'll announce my entry for the Dawn Patrol. Was looking for an idea for the tires, & now I think I have one. Thanks for posting. I am going to give this stuff a shot. BTW, when I did the wheels on my Pup, I used some pretty heavy materials myself. It turned out the Pup needed as much weight U can build forward of the CG.

That stuff looks good. Mine is solid rather than hollow - hence the weight. Wondering if I should have looked a bit harder!

 

[The Fopster]

A little time this morning on the Pup. Wing mountings glued into the wings (top skins not glued yet - some internals still to finalise) but I was able to test sliding the wings onto the joining carbon tube. Good news is it seems to work just fine and the second block engages easily. Of course I had to prop up the bits to see how it looks! It's bigger than I imagined it would look!