I'll see if the planes are still available and what he'd take for the lot. I won't be available to pick the stuff up till next weekend so he'd have to agree to hold it for a small deposit, so I'll let you know what he says.
FTFF 2015 Scratch Build: Sikorsky S-39
- Thread starter willsonman
- Start date
I'll see if the planes are still available and what he'd take for the lot. I won't be available to pick the stuff up till next weekend so he'd have to agree to hold it for a small deposit, so I'll let you know what he says.
Thanks! While it would be fun to have another S-39 I really do not have my heart set on it. There would have to be some serious work to look it over. With all the hardware in the wings I would have to strip it down and do a full inspection. Cutting some wing panels from foam would be fun but I'm sure that it would not fly the same as mine. The specs on the original estimated 7 pounds and mine comes in around 4. It would be a very fun project though.
So far no response from the seller. The ad is over a month old so it's possible the guy sold the stuff and didn't bother removing the ad. I'm not holding my breath.
Meh, no biggie. I'm really looking forward to showing this one. So many people saw the progress I made last year and I hope folks can enjoy the finished product. I know I have. She is a sweetheart to fly. I will be doing the Rx upgrade when the new FRSky Rxs come in, hopefully Saturday. This will give me a chance to also inspect the aileron servo bay and make sure nothing is loose in there. I will also inspect the rudder and elevator bays.
Of course, for this and the P-6E Hawk, I will be bringing a couple of spare servos. As they are full-size I do not expect the vendors to have any available for purchase for this venue. The dummy motor needs a few seam spots re-glued as well. She needs to be picture-perfect for the event and I'm a little OCD about this model.
Of course, for this and the P-6E Hawk, I will be bringing a couple of spare servos. As they are full-size I do not expect the vendors to have any available for purchase for this venue. The dummy motor needs a few seam spots re-glued as well. She needs to be picture-perfect for the event and I'm a little OCD about this model.
Took the S-39 down last night for a cleaning. I used a heavy duty cleaner with a de-greaser to remove the bug guts and grass. Some areas were more caked on than others. I made the repairs to the dummy motor with just a few touches of CA. I also remembered that at one point I had lost an air intake tube for one of the cylinders. I spent 30 minutes looking for it to no avail. I may have to whip up something. Its on the top cylinder so its fairly prevalent. I also spent some time removing bubbles from the vinyl decals. This just comes from heat exposure. Its one of the drawbacks to using them. Took a #11 x-acto blade and made tiny punctures in the center of the bubble and in a circular pattern, rubbed the bubble out. There was a bit of wrinkling in a couple of spots but I think once it gets heated in teh sun again it will reset. I did not want to apply direct heat for fear of melting the foam. Last thing was to apply some graphite powder to the wheels. This just helps with overall evenness in rolling resistance. Its the same stuff you use on pinewood derby cars. In a pinch you can also take a pencil to some 400 grit sandpaper and apply the dust from that.
My new FRSky Rxs came in yesterday. Binding was a snap and both are working at the same time. While I had the wing hatch off I did notice that the aileron servo was quite loose so I secured that. I spent a little mroe time looking for the intake pipe that fell off awhile ago. Still no love so I pulled one off from the very bottom of the radial and re-located it to the top.
Missing intake pipe.
After one was re-located.
I also took some time to get my camo netting set up. I've seen this done at other events and it really helps to keep the direct sun off your foam models. Some tent pegs and arrow shafts with camo cord. I think the cords need to be much shorter but I think you get the idea from these pictures. Wing panels put in place for size reference.
Missing intake pipe.
After one was re-located.
I also took some time to get my camo netting set up. I've seen this done at other events and it really helps to keep the direct sun off your foam models. Some tent pegs and arrow shafts with camo cord. I think the cords need to be much shorter but I think you get the idea from these pictures. Wing panels put in place for size reference.
I like that camo tarp idea. I have a box of mylar blankets and my intention was to cover sensitive models with those, or keep them in the small "backup" tent. The mylar is great EXCEPT for the fact that is is basically a mirror and in bright sun it can be super distracting or annoying if it reflects in your eyes. Wouldn't want it to blind someone on the flightline 
Here is the link to the netting I have. At 15$ its quite affordable for what its intended use is.
I've just used a white bed sheet in the past with good success. Super simple, and essentially free (unless my wife finds out).
Thanks for posting that, Carl. For those who missed it, I did have a mishap at FTFF but she can be quickly repaired. Look for updates here.
Finally getting around to making some repairs. I had a bad take-off attempt at FTFF and while it WOULD have been a non-issue, the chairs on the flightline took a toll. I'll reiterate... NO CHAIRS on the flightline. It poses a risk for pilots getting out of the way in a situation like this... NOT for the airplane. Just to make that clear.
This is why building with foam is awesome. All the hard points acted as they should. They broke before the plane did. While this picture shows the major extent of the damage I'll show you how this is really very minor. Note the damage to the under side of the fuselage, and the landing gear. Lets remove things to reveal the real damage.
Pulling glass away the foam is intact in the nose and just requires some spackle to smooth back out and replace the glass and finish work. Same with the hard mount points for the landing gear. The bottom plate was fine and just needed to be glued back in place. The upper plate required a new ply plate to be cut but the foam is fine.
So, we apply spackle to the fuselage and re-install the bottom plate.
I cut the new top plate and while the glue set I installed new eyelets on the bottom plate. I also replaced one eyelet on the opposite side. It had bent and I had a whole box of them. I further looked into other damage done and the tail wheel/rudder needed the control horn to be re-soldered. That was a quick job and I added some solder to reinforce the joint.
After about an hour and a half of leisurely work she is back on her legs and could easily fly again at this stage. However, before I do fly her again I would like to put new glass on the exposed foam to protect it. Finish work can come over time. Also, note the slight damage to the leading edge of the wing on the left side. The foam is crushed a bit but is otherwise fine to fly. Its a cosmetic fix that again can come in time. The vinyl will need to be peeled back and spackle used to make the repair.
This is why building with foam is awesome. All the hard points acted as they should. They broke before the plane did. While this picture shows the major extent of the damage I'll show you how this is really very minor. Note the damage to the under side of the fuselage, and the landing gear. Lets remove things to reveal the real damage.
Pulling glass away the foam is intact in the nose and just requires some spackle to smooth back out and replace the glass and finish work. Same with the hard mount points for the landing gear. The bottom plate was fine and just needed to be glued back in place. The upper plate required a new ply plate to be cut but the foam is fine.
So, we apply spackle to the fuselage and re-install the bottom plate.
I cut the new top plate and while the glue set I installed new eyelets on the bottom plate. I also replaced one eyelet on the opposite side. It had bent and I had a whole box of them. I further looked into other damage done and the tail wheel/rudder needed the control horn to be re-soldered. That was a quick job and I added some solder to reinforce the joint.
After about an hour and a half of leisurely work she is back on her legs and could easily fly again at this stage. However, before I do fly her again I would like to put new glass on the exposed foam to protect it. Finish work can come over time. Also, note the slight damage to the leading edge of the wing on the left side. The foam is crushed a bit but is otherwise fine to fly. Its a cosmetic fix that again can come in time. The vinyl will need to be peeled back and spackle used to make the repair.
Well, after nearly 3 months I really just wanted to fly her again. I really love this airplane and she is such a joy to fly. While life and other distractions have prohibited me from really getting the drive to make the repairs I knew I would when I got properly motivated. I knew I wanted to fly her again before winter sets in again and the cooler nights are officially here. I've now got 4 batteries I can fly in her so I really have no excuses. She is more of a fair weather airplane due to the lack of weight. Wind penetration is not great but on the right day I could fly her all day long.
Will it fly off of snow?
Probably if I remove the landing gear. The snow we get here is not very fluffy stuff. Its usually wet, slushy, and quite hard. This does not lend itself well for foam. Its a curse of east coast snow.
No pics but I did get glass on the bottom of the fuselage and put some spackle on the side. I think blending may take a bit of work there but should not be terrible. I used the same technique here as originally done. WBPU and glass cloth. Once dry, I trimmed up the excess glass and sanded the edges to remove the remaining cloth. I'll get at least another layer on before I start filling.
Ok, so while another application of spackle dries on the side I'm addressing some foam off-gassing. A few big bubbles formed on the bottom of the fuselage over time from heat and this is the risk you play when building with foam and fiberglass. I do not believe I have ever covered this on this forum so Here we go...
Using a syringe with a needle (dremel off any super sharp bits... they are pokey!) to fill the bubble with a mix of wood glue (TitebondII) and water. My TLAR said about 3 parts water and 1 part glue... maybe 4:1. The point is you want the glue runny to get everywhere inside the bubble fairly easy
Take the needle out once filled and use a paper towel to squeegee out and around the bubble. This works the little bit of glue into the bubble.
Then use the heat and pressure of your thumb or finger to dry the glue as much as possible. I worked on this bubble for about 3-5 minutes before it would not pull away. Its a gentle massage.
What you are left with is a concave divot. This can now be sanded and filled with spackle, smoothed and painted again. In my case... I'm calling it a dent in the metal from a hard water landing I hope Sponz Jr (Akimbo) sees that comment. He bugged me all through FTFF about never having this airplane on the water at all. Oh well.
Using a syringe with a needle (dremel off any super sharp bits... they are pokey!) to fill the bubble with a mix of wood glue (TitebondII) and water. My TLAR said about 3 parts water and 1 part glue... maybe 4:1. The point is you want the glue runny to get everywhere inside the bubble fairly easy
Take the needle out once filled and use a paper towel to squeegee out and around the bubble. This works the little bit of glue into the bubble.
Then use the heat and pressure of your thumb or finger to dry the glue as much as possible. I worked on this bubble for about 3-5 minutes before it would not pull away. Its a gentle massage.
What you are left with is a concave divot. This can now be sanded and filled with spackle, smoothed and painted again. In my case... I'm calling it a dent in the metal from a hard water landing
I hope Sponz Jr (Akimbo) sees that comment. He bugged me all through FTFF about never having this airplane on the water at all. Oh well.
