Peck Polymers Andreason BA4-B Build Log

[TexMechsRobot]

My wife bought me a bunch of kits for my birthday this past week. I got two Peck Polymers peanut scale kits in the mix and so this is the build log for that.

First off, the kit is super nice. The balsa is high quality and the laser cutting is beautiful. Cuts are all the way through the sheets without any blowout or beveled edges on the back. They provided plenty of straight stock in competition densities so it should build really light.

I've completed most of the fuselage, tail surfaces, and top wing but keep forgetting to take pictures so I'm actually further along than the pictures show.

I plan to attend a Northwest Free Flight event in Oregon in September in order to learn how to fly these things. I might get some practice flights in before that but we'll see. By the time it rolls around, I should have 5 planes to bring with me.









I think I'm going to go with this color scheme. Partly because it's the color of the tissue they provided and partly because I think it looks nice.

 

[nhk750]

Your a building maniac! I'm super slow on my build as I'm learning. I sure did have fun stick building my tail feathers and your little stick builds look like fun projects. You always do really nice work it inspires me!

 

[Joker 53150]

Nice looking design! I'll bet my wife wishes I liked building planes that size.

 

[TexMechsRobot]

Haha If I ever get a shop I'll be in the same boat as you! Hard to build anything large in a 1 bedroom apartment with very limited storage.

I literally just realized the finished picture in the original post is a completed Peck kit! Mine should look almost exactly like that minus the pilot. No reason to add the extra weight IMHO.

 

[TexMechsRobot]

Progress. Next is a final sanding on the cowl and then covering.

 

[nhk750]

Looking pertty!

 

[TexMechsRobot]

I got most of the surfaces covered. These pictures are all with tissue applied but not yet shrunk. I'm not a big fan of the Peck tissue and will likely just start using Esaki tissue on all of my future builds.

 

[jsknockoff]

Do you use a glue stick to cover with?

 

[TexMechsRobot]

UHU glue stick and I don't preshrink. I run over the edges with a paintbrush dipped in 50% alcohol before shrinking. This method works GREAT with Esaki but the Peck tissue didn't really shrink well. Plus, it had inconsistencies in the tissue that I had to work around and the coloration bled more than I liked. It also didn't seem to have a great color saturation.

 

[RCMAN]

Cool looking little build. One thing about balsa builds, they look cool going together and finished, unlike the foam boards.

 

[TexMechsRobot]

I got the parts covered and assembled. All except the red accents and I won't have time do those until Thursday at the soonest. I couldn't resist a test glide in the living room under just a hair of power. The video is with one 11" loop of 1/8" tan rubber wound about 50 turns.

 

[rockyboy]

Great looking build! Congrats!

 

[Craftydan]

Yet another beauty in Tex's Hangar.

Looking forward to seeing her fly outdoors!

 

[PsyBorg]

EEEK Both I and my Grandfather cringed for that glide test. Me for that impact of the plane and my Grandfather for the wood in the door.

Nice smooth glide slope though. That should fly well given more room. She is a pretty bird for sure. Well done. :applause:

 

[TexMechsRobot]

I didn't expect it to go that far! I thought it would glide gently to the floor but it leveled out and kept going.

The door is made of metal and there was no damage to the aircraft. Now you both have nothing to worry about

 

[nhk750]

Nice maiden! Does that count? Man you build fast, you have built two planes to my one T-craft and I am not even 1/2 done yet!

 

[TexMechsRobot]

Nice maiden! Does that count? Man you build fast, you have built two planes to my one T-craft and I am not even 1/2 done yet!

I'm telling you. It's a sickness. To be fair though, one of them was a fraction of the size of your t-craft!

I'll probably start on a peanut scale Peck Polymers Mustang P-51 this weekend.

 

[nhk750]

I have the "sickness" too, but my wife keeps me in check, otherwise I would spend way more time at the building bench!

 

[TexMechsRobot]

And finished!

 

[nhk750]

Very nice! A work of art.