A couple nights updates here - progress has been slow but steady around other activities.
First up was gluing down the edges of the canopy base, then trimming flat and sanding smooth.
Then it was time to attach the rear former on the canopy base, using the recommended method of protecting with wax paper and taping into place to get the angle of the former just right before dabbing with CA.
During a visit to the laser cutter for the Caudron C.460 project, I made up a batch of magnetic hold downs with a little twist from the first set I bought. As it proved super helpful to have a handle on the back of the 'finger' style clamps, I designed in a 90 degree brace as the handle. Two tools in one
Next was figuring out mounting for the front tricycle gear. Using scrap plywood from the kit, I cut two pieces - one just long enough to fit into the opening in the firewall, and the second longer to fit exactly between the bottom of the fuse and the brace on the back of the firewall.
I stuck them in place with some white gorilla glue and applied clamping pressure (using a small socket as a spacer so the clamp didn't crush the frame)
And presto - a very secure mounting point for the nose gear!
And last up here is gluing on some attachment blocks for the cowling to mount into. Never was crazy about putting screws into the side of the firewall or body for a cowling. If a landing goes rough, damage is likely to more difficult to fix structures of the plane. With a softer balsa mounting block as the cowling attachment point, I have an easy to repair breakaway mounting point that will absorb some energy but give way with some smacking around. And when the screws eventually strip out the balsa (which they will sooner or later) it's simple to glue in a new block.
First up was gluing down the edges of the canopy base, then trimming flat and sanding smooth.
Then it was time to attach the rear former on the canopy base, using the recommended method of protecting with wax paper and taping into place to get the angle of the former just right before dabbing with CA.
During a visit to the laser cutter for the Caudron C.460 project, I made up a batch of magnetic hold downs with a little twist from the first set I bought. As it proved super helpful to have a handle on the back of the 'finger' style clamps, I designed in a 90 degree brace as the handle. Two tools in one
Next was figuring out mounting for the front tricycle gear. Using scrap plywood from the kit, I cut two pieces - one just long enough to fit into the opening in the firewall, and the second longer to fit exactly between the bottom of the fuse and the brace on the back of the firewall.
I stuck them in place with some white gorilla glue and applied clamping pressure (using a small socket as a spacer so the clamp didn't crush the frame)
And presto - a very secure mounting point for the nose gear!
And last up here is gluing on some attachment blocks for the cowling to mount into. Never was crazy about putting screws into the side of the firewall or body for a cowling. If a landing goes rough, damage is likely to more difficult to fix structures of the plane. With a softer balsa mounting block as the cowling attachment point, I have an easy to repair breakaway mounting point that will absorb some energy but give way with some smacking around. And when the screws eventually strip out the balsa (which they will sooner or later) it's simple to glue in a new block.