Thomas-Morse S4C Scout: Flite Fest 2022 Dawn Patrol Build

Tench745

Master member
Just a quick update. I put the upper fuselage skin and headrest fairing in place and it just makes me so happy.
C26220E6-D6B8-4D75-B983-4E352F6D834F.jpeg
 

Tench745

Master member
Well, as usual the picture taking trailed off as deadlines loomed. Here is what I do have.
The upper wings had 1/8" ply plates installed between ribs as hardpoints for attaching struts. Wing joiners were made to mate the two upper wing halves and epoxied in place over the ply plates for the cabanes.
IMG_2207.JPG IMG_2208.JPG
The ailerons were blocked out with green insulation foam to be cut free later. I then sheeted the wingtips.
IMG_2209.JPG
As much as I wanted to add functional and scale torque-tube aileron linkages, I just didn't have confidence that they would be strong enough or done in time for Flite Fest. Instead, I found and printed some flush-mount servo holders on thingiverse. These were epoxied in place and servo wires were run through holes cut in the ribs by a sharpened brass tube. Once all the internal work was done on the upper wing the top sheeting could go on.

Because the sheeting tapers so significantly at the trailing edge, they were were difficult to get glued flat. After the gorilla glue cured, the right wing had a slight reflex which I was mostly able to remove with the help of a heat gun. I then cut the ailerons free and began covering the bare foam of both wings with silkspan and WBPU. They got a coat of white primer where the insignia would be. I then masked off the white stars and sprayed the blue. My masks were just cardstock lightly misted with Super 77 and left to tack-up. Unfortunately, this was still a bit too sticky and raised some of the grain of the silkspan when removed. I elected to hand-paint the red dots and the green around the roundels. For the aileron hinges I used CA hinge material cut into 1/4" wide strips and held in with Foam Cure glue.
IMG_2227.JPG

Struts took a bit of time; heavy duty electrical lugs were brazed onto 1/8" piano wire and foam was gorilla-glued onto the wire to give it shape. The foam was then wrapped with silkspan to unify everything and give a good paint surface. The struts got a base layer of yellow paint and when that was dry a thin layer of burnt sienna was brushed on to give a woodgrain appearance.
IMG_2228.JPG IMG_2284.JPG
I also printed and painted a pilot. He was prepped heavily by thinning spot-filler with acetone and then brushing it over the whole figure until all layer lines were filled. After a light sanding and some cleanup with a file the base colors could go on. Consecutive layers of dry-brushing and some strategic application of washes got things looking pretty good.
IMG_2223.JPG IMG_E2224.JPG
The goggles looked a bit empty so I elected to paint some eyes in. They are too far apart for the size of the head, but I was limited by how wide-spaced the goggles are on this figure. He only looks creepy when you look at him head-on...
Once the eyes were painted I applied some gloss medium and then future floor wax to give some depth and gloss to the lenses.
IMG_2225.JPG

I really didn't want to hand paint the serial number on the tail and fuselage, so I tried cutting some black vinyl on my laser engraver. It worked a treat and saved me a bunch of time. The numbers got sealed in with a coat of WBPU to unify the finish and keep them from peeling over time. Fun fact, most S4C scouts were assigned the serial numbers from 38633 to 39032. I chose 38745 as a nod to my screen name.
IMG_2229.JPG
Odd jobs like mounting the rotary engine and painting the pull-pull lines and control horns followed before everything was loaded into the car for Flite Fest
IMG_2232.JPG
I forgot to take any pictures before the maiden but shot a couple after photos. @willsonman was my spotter for a successful early-morning maiden. Unfortunately I ignored his advice to go-around and put wheel down into the soybeans trying to save a bad landing. It's hard to tell in these "after" pictures, but the wheel caught and spun the plane into the ground, breaking the wire-spoke wheel, snapping the o-rings in my suspension, crunching a wingtip, and dislodging the plywood firewall. @wilmracer has some video of the flight I hope to be posting here soon.
IMG_2242.JPG IMG_2243.JPG
By mid afternoon I had everything patched back up except the suspension.
IMG_2277.JPG IMG_2278.JPG IMG_2276.JPG
My dad joined me that evening and brought me the o-rings I needed to re-install my landing gear. The wire spoke wheels were out with some fatter, heavier, and less scale FT wheels taking their place for the Dawn Patrol flight the following morning.

The official Dawn Patrol flight went well for most, but I had a bad takeoff and planted the Tommy nose-first into the beans, scattering bits across the runway. This was a much higher energy crash so the damage was much more severe this time. Bits of the printed engine littered the runway. The 1/8" landing gear wire was pushed up into the fuselage and bent. The entire forward section of the fuse broke free, taking the wings with it. The cowling was in at least 4 pieces and the left wingtip was crunched worse than before. It looked bad. I debated just pulling my electronics out and bringing them home for some other build, but I hate seeing such a beautiful machine put down without a fair chance and so I was once again managed to get almost everything rebuilt by mid afternoon.
The crushed portion of the wingtip was cut free and replaced with blocks of foam I still have to carve to shape; the rotary will need some superglue and two new intake tubes; and there are a few new scars across the fuselage, gear strut fairings, and cowling.

That all said, she's home now and still airworthy. I need some more time-in-type before I try flying this one again. I would like to buld my skill as a stick-and-rudder pilot before next Flite Fest. Anyone have recommendations of a smaller/simpler plane to help build those skills? Maybe some flying exercises to feel out a plane's abilities and expand my own?
In the meantime I'm going to take a break from building foam for a while and jump back in on my full scale Jr Ace build while the weather is good.
 

Ligbaer

50 Percenter
Well, as usual the picture taking trailed off as deadlines loomed. Here is what I do have.
The upper wings had 1/8" ply plates installed between ribs as hardpoints for attaching struts. Wing joiners were made to mate the two upper wing halves and epoxied in place over the ply plates for the cabanes.
View attachment 227799 View attachment 227800
The ailerons were blocked out with green insulation foam to be cut free later. I then sheeted the wingtips.
View attachment 227801
As much as I wanted to add functional and scale torque-tube aileron linkages, I just didn't have confidence that they would be strong enough or done in time for Flite Fest. Instead, I found and printed some flush-mount servo holders on thingiverse. These were epoxied in place and servo wires were run through holes cut in the ribs by a sharpened brass tube. Once all the internal work was done on the upper wing the top sheeting could go on.

Because the sheeting tapers so significantly at the trailing edge, they were were difficult to get glued flat. After the gorilla glue cured, the right wing had a slight reflex which I was mostly able to remove with the help of a heat gun. I then cut the ailerons free and began covering the bare foam of both wings with silkspan and WBPU. They got a coat of white primer where the insignia would be. I then masked off the white stars and sprayed the blue. My masks were just cardstock lightly misted with Super 77 and left to tack-up. Unfortunately, this was still a bit too sticky and raised some of the grain of the silkspan when removed. I elected to hand-paint the red dots and the green around the roundels. For the aileron hinges I used CA hinge material cut into 1/4" wide strips and held in with Foam Cure glue.
View attachment 227804

Struts took a bit of time; heavy duty electrical lugs were brazed onto 1/8" piano wire and foam was gorilla-glued onto the wire to give it shape. The foam was then wrapped with silkspan to unify everything and give a good paint surface. The struts got a base layer of yellow paint and when that was dry a thin layer of burnt sienna was brushed on to give a woodgrain appearance.
View attachment 227805 View attachment 227814
I also printed and painted a pilot. He was prepped heavily by thinning spot-filler with acetone and then brushing it over the whole figure until all layer lines were filled. After a light sanding and some cleanup with a file the base colors could go on. Consecutive layers of dry-brushing and some strategic application of washes got things looking pretty good.
View attachment 227802 View attachment 227813
The goggles looked a bit empty so I elected to paint some eyes in. They are too far apart for the size of the head, but I was limited by how wide-spaced the goggles are on this figure. He only looks creepy when you look at him head-on...
Once the eyes were painted I applied some gloss medium and then future floor wax to give some depth and gloss to the lenses.
View attachment 227803

I really didn't want to hand paint the serial number on the tail and fuselage, so I tried cutting some black vinyl on my laser engraver. It worked a treat and saved me a bunch of time. The numbers got sealed in with a coat of WBPU to unify the finish and keep them from peeling over time. Fun fact, most S4C scouts were assigned the serial numbers from 38633 to 39032. I chose 38745 as a nod to my screen name.
View attachment 227806
Odd jobs like mounting the rotary engine and painting the pull-pull lines and control horns followed before everything was loaded into the car for Flite Fest
View attachment 227807
I forgot to take any pictures before the maiden but shot a couple after photos. @willsonman was my spotter for a successful early-morning maiden. Unfortunately I ignored his advice to go-around and put wheel down into the soybeans trying to save a bad landing. It's hard to tell in these "after" pictures, but the wheel caught and spun the plane into the ground, breaking the wire-spoke wheel, snapping the o-rings in my suspension, crunching a wingtip, and dislodging the plywood firewall. @wilmracer has some video of the flight I hope to be posting here soon.
View attachment 227808 View attachment 227809
By mid afternoon I had everything patched back up except the suspension.
View attachment 227811 View attachment 227812 View attachment 227810
My dad joined me that evening and brought me the o-rings I needed to re-install my landing gear. The wire spoke wheels were out with some fatter, heavier, and less scale FT wheels taking their place for the Dawn Patrol flight the following morning.

The official Dawn Patrol flight went well for most, but I had a bad takeoff and planted the Tommy nose-first into the beans, scattering bits across the runway. This was a much higher energy crash so the damage was much more severe this time. Bits of the printed engine littered the runway. The 1/8" landing gear wire was pushed up into the fuselage and bent. The entire forward section of the fuse broke free, taking the wings with it. The cowling was in at least 4 pieces and the left wingtip was crunched worse than before. It looked bad. I debated just pulling my electronics out and bringing them home for some other build, but I hate seeing such a beautiful machine put down without a fair chance and so I was once again managed to get almost everything rebuilt by mid afternoon.
The crushed portion of the wingtip was cut free and replaced with blocks of foam I still have to carve to shape; the rotary will need some superglue and two new intake tubes; and there are a few new scars across the fuselage, gear strut fairings, and cowling.

That all said, she's home now and still airworthy. I need some more time-in-type before I try flying this one again. I would like to buld my skill as a stick-and-rudder pilot before next Flite Fest. Anyone have recommendations of a smaller/simpler plane to help build those skills? Maybe some flying exercises to feel out a plane's abilities and expand my own?
In the meantime I'm going to take a break from building foam for a while and jump back in on my full scale Jr Ace build while the weather is good.
If you want something to just fly and build some skills i would say get an ultrix, rather aerobatic but in the 2months after i got it i went from barely being able to fly “well” to being a decent pilot.
 

SlingShot

Maneuvering With Purpose
I would like to buld my skill as a stick-and-rudder pilot before next Flite Fest. Anyone have recommendations of a smaller/simpler plane to help build those skills? Maybe some flying exercises to feel out a plane's abilities and expand my own?

It was good meeting you Tench, and thanks for the landing gear wire! I took it with me when I stripped the Scout XL.

The Scout XL is a great plane and it lands and ground handles well. Based on the videos, I can tell that the "C" size Scout has similar characteristics. I think you should try one of those two.