I got really lucky with that one. Even without the bonus of selling the engine I figure $70 for a solid and well-built airframe was worth the cost.
L-19, 27% from Hostetler Plans, 116" span
- Thread starter Joker 53150
- Start date
Use a bit of nitro fuel to free up the carb. You can try just dropping some in but it may require removal of the carb and soaking for a couple of days. Great find. Robin kits are well-designed and should fly well. Fix the empennage and re-cover and you should be golden. If you cannot free up the hinges, just cut them with a dremel and get rid of them. Reliants are known for good flying and gentle characteristics. Should be a fun distraction.
The engine sold as-is, so no screwing around with it for me, luckily.
My plan for the plane is pretty much what you said. Interesting find on the rudder hinges as I was taking the bird off the bench yesterday, the rudder was held in place with plastic pushrod material, not actual hinges, this was a lot of plane for a display, it must have been in a big area like a bar or restaurant or office.
My plan for the plane is pretty much what you said. Interesting find on the rudder hinges as I was taking the bird off the bench yesterday, the rudder was held in place with plastic pushrod material, not actual hinges, this was a lot of plane for a display, it must have been in a big area like a bar or restaurant or office.
To help speed the work along on the wing, and to help make sure it's as accurate as possible I had a short-kit wing cut by Laser Design Services. Normally they sell the full L-19 as a short kit but they were willing to do just the wing for me, which I like! 
Turn around was pretty quick since they cut the pieces as needed, and the wing arrived in about a week. The quality of the cutting was top notch, and even with the "thick" 1/8" sheet for the ribs the pieces still popped right out of the sheet. Every single laser cut I looked at so far was completely through the sheet as it should be.
Now that I have the short kit I was able to order the remaining balsa, ply, and basswood needed to build the wing. No pics yet, but I'm starting off by laminating 3 pieces of 1/8" ply together for the front center section and 3 more for the rear. The center of the wing is permanently mounted to the fuselage and the wings will slide on to these ply pieces.
I also am doing some prep work on the planking to get it ready for 'glassing. Balsa filler is thinned and plastered on. After it dries thoroughly I'll give it a good sanding to create the final shape of the fuse.
Turn around was pretty quick since they cut the pieces as needed, and the wing arrived in about a week. The quality of the cutting was top notch, and even with the "thick" 1/8" sheet for the ribs the pieces still popped right out of the sheet. Every single laser cut I looked at so far was completely through the sheet as it should be. Now that I have the short kit I was able to order the remaining balsa, ply, and basswood needed to build the wing. No pics yet, but I'm starting off by laminating 3 pieces of 1/8" ply together for the front center section and 3 more for the rear. The center of the wing is permanently mounted to the fuselage and the wings will slide on to these ply pieces.
I also am doing some prep work on the planking to get it ready for 'glassing. Balsa filler is thinned and plastered on. After it dries thoroughly I'll give it a good sanding to create the final shape of the fuse.
Fuselage work continues, and continues, and continues...! Soon I'll need to start fiberglassing the project, but before that can happen there is major smoothing needed. To help remove the blocky look from the planking the fuse was sanded to remove the rough edges. Then, balsa filler was thinned with water and applied across every joint, and left thicker across the top of the fuse where it needs the most help. After drying I start with a sanding block to remove most of the excess, and then switch to a sanding sponge that will more easily conform to the curve of the top/bottom. It'll take a couple applications of filler to get it right (this was the first application), but it's certainly getting there! After it's done I'll apply the fiberglass and resin which will give it some strength and ding-resistance, followed by spot putty to fill imperfections, primer, and paint.
The center section of the wing has also been started. The front and rear spars are made from 3 laminations of plywood, and they'll be mechanically fastened to the wire "hoops" that extend down the sides of the fuselage, tying it all together. I can't do much more on the wing until my balsa arrives from Balsa USA. Any day now...! In the meantime, I spent most of the Superbowl yesterday building the motor mount for the 58cc gasser. The plans show very specific details on how much down-thrust to use, so that's what I'm going with. By extending the custom-made box a bit I was able to avoid buying engine stand-offs. After a little cleanup and fuel-proofing I'll be able to get the box mounted to the firewall, and can then figure final placement of both the engine and cowl. Maybe by then the landing gear will have arrived!
The center section of the wing has also been started. The front and rear spars are made from 3 laminations of plywood, and they'll be mechanically fastened to the wire "hoops" that extend down the sides of the fuselage, tying it all together. I can't do much more on the wing until my balsa arrives from Balsa USA. Any day now...! In the meantime, I spent most of the Superbowl yesterday building the motor mount for the 58cc gasser. The plans show very specific details on how much down-thrust to use, so that's what I'm going with. By extending the custom-made box a bit I was able to avoid buying engine stand-offs. After a little cleanup and fuel-proofing I'll be able to get the box mounted to the firewall, and can then figure final placement of both the engine and cowl. Maybe by then the landing gear will have arrived!
Finally I'm making a little progress on the L-19 again. It took forever for the landing gear I ordered to show up, but it's here now and bolted in place.
And now the L-19 is able to stand on it's own feet for the first time! She's long, almost as long as the door I'm building on - 6' 6" total so it should just barely fit inside my Expedition with seats folded down. With the landing gear sorted out I installed the engine mount. It still needs some additional bracing since this engine is so large, but it's strong enough for now to hold the engine so the cowl can be installed. I'm only doing 3 small screws to hold the cowl in place for now, but will beef that up considerably once more progress is made. I was worried about the intake stack and carb sticking out from the cowl's side, but it turns out this cowl is so wide that the entire engine fits inside nicely. I'm not sure yet how the exhaust will work, hopefully that fits with minimal modifications...
And now the L-19 is able to stand on it's own feet for the first time!
She's long, almost as long as the door I'm building on - 6' 6" total so it should just barely fit inside my Expedition with seats folded down. With the landing gear sorted out I installed the engine mount. It still needs some additional bracing since this engine is so large, but it's strong enough for now to hold the engine so the cowl can be installed. I'm only doing 3 small screws to hold the cowl in place for now, but will beef that up considerably once more progress is made. I was worried about the intake stack and carb sticking out from the cowl's side, but it turns out this cowl is so wide that the entire engine fits inside nicely. I'm not sure yet how the exhaust will work, hopefully that fits with minimal modifications...
I just had to laugh at that! Great work so far!!
TooJung2Die
Master member
It's becoming apparent that Joker is suffering from AADD. Airplane Attention Deficit Disorder. Ooh look, another airplane!
No updates, my biggest projects are all pretty much on hold as I have no way to transport them. On that note I’m interviewing for a new job and may not be able to transport my 1/4 scale stuff either (I’d be giving up my company vehicle, a Ford Transit Connect). She’s still sitting on my rack patiently waiting for work to start up with it again.
