Spacewalker balsa build: HobbyKing Sponsored
- Thread starter willsonman
- Start date
jaredstrees
Well-known member
Subscribed. I really enjoyed following your last balsa build and have been pondering a balsa build myself. Love the foam board for the quick and easy builds, but I really want to make the next step in this hobby.
RCMAN: Quality so far seems on-par with most laser kits these days. As I get into construction, that will be the sure tell. Stay tuned!
Jared: Thanks for your interest! This is precisely why I am doing this build. The next logical step for a proficient builder of foam board FT aircraft is to step in and learn some basic balsa construction techniques. I'm certain this will fit the bill. It is a good size and the parts are not too tiny that would make it otherwise difficult to piece together. I hope as you follow along, you can be inspired to step up and build your first balsa aircraft. If care is taken, it can last for decades and be something more than just bashing around in combat at the end of its life. The longevity of these airplanes lends them to dozens of stories of friendship... which is what we are after anyways!
Jared: Thanks for your interest! This is precisely why I am doing this build. The next logical step for a proficient builder of foam board FT aircraft is to step in and learn some basic balsa construction techniques. I'm certain this will fit the bill. It is a good size and the parts are not too tiny that would make it otherwise difficult to piece together. I hope as you follow along, you can be inspired to step up and build your first balsa aircraft. If care is taken, it can last for decades and be something more than just bashing around in combat at the end of its life. The longevity of these airplanes lends them to dozens of stories of friendship... which is what we are after anyways!
So lets get started.
From the diagram it quickly gets confusing when you have two parts labeled as F14 but they are clearly of different shape. Turns out, this part is not laser etched on the wood BUT is labeled as F10 on the parts sheet at the beginning of the instructions.
And the part found.
Seemingly cut well.
Not so. I had to break out the #11 blade to get the holes cut out. It was a pain and pieces broke but thin CA made quick repairs. Certainly not the WORST cut I've ever had to deal with but not the best. This was even balsa, not ply.
When pieces need to be laminated, I use wood glue and clamps. For balsa, I use scrap to meet the clamp so that the clamp does not damage the balsa to be on the aircraft.
And the first section is complete. This is a DRY fit. Doing this you can figure out how things key together and the order in which you need to apply glue. Parts keying together is a bit of a puzzle at times but its simple stuff.
From the diagram it quickly gets confusing when you have two parts labeled as F14 but they are clearly of different shape. Turns out, this part is not laser etched on the wood BUT is labeled as F10 on the parts sheet at the beginning of the instructions.
And the part found.
Seemingly cut well.
Not so. I had to break out the #11 blade to get the holes cut out. It was a pain and pieces broke but thin CA made quick repairs. Certainly not the WORST cut I've ever had to deal with but not the best. This was even balsa, not ply.
When pieces need to be laminated, I use wood glue and clamps. For balsa, I use scrap to meet the clamp so that the clamp does not damage the balsa to be on the aircraft.
And the first section is complete. This is a DRY fit. Doing this you can figure out how things key together and the order in which you need to apply glue. Parts keying together is a bit of a puzzle at times but its simple stuff.
So, keep in mind that laser cutters only cut perpendicular to the wood surface. Here you can see where I needed to trim (or sand) the ply so that the angled piece would fit flush. This is a GOOD thing to ensure that a proper gluing surface is made and that the airplane will not fall apart over time.
All glued up, you can see how tightly the parts fit together. The tightness helps with dry fitting but also alignment as you assemble.
For the firewall, and other larger parts that are laminated, I try to clamp for awhile to let the glue start to cure, then I make sure it dries FLAT by placing it under pressure on a flat surface with something flat on top that is heavy.
In this case I'm using my glass build plate.
Assembly of the front portion of the fuselage requires you to glue it from the rear portion, moving forward. Things key together but it is easy enough, one part at a time. I will note that the gap of one part at the firewall is due to the firewall angle... built-in thrust angle. Also, the cutout that has not been removed is for a throttle servo, should you choose fuel of the liquid variety... OPTIONS!
All glued up, you can see how tightly the parts fit together. The tightness helps with dry fitting but also alignment as you assemble.
For the firewall, and other larger parts that are laminated, I try to clamp for awhile to let the glue start to cure, then I make sure it dries FLAT by placing it under pressure on a flat surface with something flat on top that is heavy.
In this case I'm using my glass build plate.
Assembly of the front portion of the fuselage requires you to glue it from the rear portion, moving forward. Things key together but it is easy enough, one part at a time. I will note that the gap of one part at the firewall is due to the firewall angle... built-in thrust angle. Also, the cutout that has not been removed is for a throttle servo, should you choose fuel of the liquid variety... OPTIONS!
The typical balsa kit from HK would be sooooo much better if the laser cuts were better. It really frustrated me having to guess as assembly steps AND cut most pieces out of the sheets as well. Your instructions are much better than I experienced with their older kits. Not perfect, but at least they're moving in the right direction.
Its really not that bad. While some parts may need a little cutting here and there, it is a far cry from the days of die cut (or crush) kits back in the day. The assembly is quite clear from the images and if you have ever done a modern lego assembly, you are set. It is very intuitive.
PsyBorg
Wake up! Time to fly!
In that last picture... Close side of the firewall there is a horizontal piece that does not meet the firewall. Is that for something else to fit in there or is it not cut correctly in the kit? I am going to assume something fits in there as you have not mentioned any issues. If I am getting ahead of your build let me know.. Its just something that stands out with my ocd mentality.
HAHAH! It's all good man. Just wanna make sure you are up to speed 
SlingShot
Maneuvering With Purpose
Good catch. It's good to know that it IS part of the plan.
Having built about 7 or 8 balsa planes in the last couple years from four smaller kit manufacturers, I have to say that the laser cutting quality on this HK kit is not typical of the industry at all. I have only had one sheet of parts that wasn't cut all the way through on one kit - and that was a single sheet in a kit where everything else was cut properly.
While I agree it's not a big problem to finish the cuts by hand, and yes it's way better than the die-crushed days, this is not typical quality of laser cutting compared to other available kits on the market.
That being said, the design of the part keying looks very well done so far, and the instructions are miles better than my last HK kit. Hopefully that trend will continue through the rest of the build.
While I agree it's not a big problem to finish the cuts by hand, and yes it's way better than the die-crushed days, this is not typical quality of laser cutting compared to other available kits on the market.
That being said, the design of the part keying looks very well done so far, and the instructions are miles better than my last HK kit. Hopefully that trend will continue through the rest of the build.
nhk750
Aviation Enthusiast
Wow! Im amazed at how clean the edges look on laser cut kits. I have struggled with the Great Planes T-Craft die crunched kit for some time now and can hardly wait to move on to a laser cut kit. When I look at your build it is like I put super glasses on compared to my blurry crunched shattered die crunched kit. I guess it is teaching me alot though...
TexMechsRobot
Posted a thousand or more times
If you think that's a quality laser cut, then you're in for a treat if you buy something other than HobbyKing
TexMechsRobot
Posted a thousand or more times
You'll find that a right pleasure to build.
Different companies have different quality and costs. HK kits are less expensive and the laser cutting isn't as good. Parts aren't typically too bad to remove, but it's an annoyance. A similarly sized plane from a company with higher quality cutting is normally more expensive. It's a trade-off. The HK kits are ok if you don't expect too quality cutting at the price level paid.
Rockyboy: While I would agree with you, the difference with this kit over the MAJORITY of laser cut kit providers is that most all other kits are from "boutique" cutters. HK is a giant company that provides such a mass array of products that oversight to this level, IN MY OPINION, is not something worth quibbling about. For sure, anything from Manzano, Laine's Planes, or even Aerodrome RC that I have built over the last several years is by far better in terms of cuts, these really are minor separations that just come apart with a slice of the blade.
edit: Well-said, Joker.
You can gripe and complain about it or see it for what it is.
Moving on, I first got the side plates on and found that it was easiest to push the parts on from the aft end moving forward. Then use a bit of CA to secure it all.
This was one of my question spots when I assembled the frame. The picture is not entirely clear in the plans but once the side pieces assemble you can see the bend in the bottom portion, and that the tail spine is the correct length. Fits perfect.
With the sides on, I relaized that I should have installed the 5mm stringers first. OOPS! No biggie. They keyed in just fine. What WAS odd was there are also 3mm stringers that are supposed to go along the aft end of the fuselage just behind the ply plates. The 3mm stringers were not included but the 5mm were. Given how much of this is PLY so far... the absence of the 3mm stringers is kind of moot. There is plenty of strength. Also, these stringers are not balsa... harder than balsa but not quite like bass. This airplane is a tank and will surely take a beating... but at a weight penalty.
Next up was some balsa sheeting. Now before some folks bash HK here for this I can tell you there are specific reasons for this technique. There were a few pieces that were cut where the bend had to be applied against the grain of the wood. This is easy to do... if you know what to do. Just soak the part in some windex (or any other ammonia-based cleaner) for a few minutes and work the balsa around the curve. Tape into submission and allow to dry for an hour or two. This will add a lot of strength to this location, structurally, even though it can be a pain. Given the arch location where these pieces are, it makes sense in the event of a nose over or even a rough landing to keep the upper portion of the fuselage from splitting.
The finished fuselage and hatch. So far things are going fine and I still have no hesitation recommending this kit to a beginner builder. Though, the ammonia trick is not in the instructions. Some use water but it takes longer to dry.
edit: Well-said, Joker.
You can gripe and complain about it or see it for what it is.
Moving on, I first got the side plates on and found that it was easiest to push the parts on from the aft end moving forward. Then use a bit of CA to secure it all.
This was one of my question spots when I assembled the frame. The picture is not entirely clear in the plans but once the side pieces assemble you can see the bend in the bottom portion, and that the tail spine is the correct length. Fits perfect.
With the sides on, I relaized that I should have installed the 5mm stringers first. OOPS! No biggie. They keyed in just fine. What WAS odd was there are also 3mm stringers that are supposed to go along the aft end of the fuselage just behind the ply plates. The 3mm stringers were not included but the 5mm were. Given how much of this is PLY so far... the absence of the 3mm stringers is kind of moot. There is plenty of strength. Also, these stringers are not balsa... harder than balsa but not quite like bass. This airplane is a tank and will surely take a beating... but at a weight penalty.
Next up was some balsa sheeting. Now before some folks bash HK here for this I can tell you there are specific reasons for this technique. There were a few pieces that were cut where the bend had to be applied against the grain of the wood. This is easy to do... if you know what to do. Just soak the part in some windex (or any other ammonia-based cleaner) for a few minutes and work the balsa around the curve. Tape into submission and allow to dry for an hour or two. This will add a lot of strength to this location, structurally, even though it can be a pain. Given the arch location where these pieces are, it makes sense in the event of a nose over or even a rough landing to keep the upper portion of the fuselage from splitting.
The finished fuselage and hatch. So far things are going fine and I still have no hesitation recommending this kit to a beginner builder. Though, the ammonia trick is not in the instructions. Some use water but it takes longer to dry.
