Willy Nillies Falcon 250 Twin!
- Thread starter rockyboy
- Start date
So you’re saying the next WN build from you will include retracts? 😁
Turbojoe
Elite member
LOL! While I do have some tiny retracts I think I've learned my lesson. I'll use the K.I.S.S. method from here on out on these little birds.
Joe
LOL! While I do have some tiny retracts I think I've learned my lesson. I'll use the K.I.S.S. method from here on out on these little birds.
Joe
I don't think I've learned it well enough yet - tiny retracts sound really neat!
To make sure the electronics and wiring won't interfere with the servos in the fuselage, I tucked the receiver and BEC up into the wing.
I'm a little concerned about the reduction in wing strength - any ideas that don't permanently close up those access holes? I'm thinking of gluing a couple lines of kevlar thread down the length of the bottom spar...
Wing covering starts with the nacelles first, and then the wing tips. I did the nacelles with one piece of covering from the top wrapped around to the bottom, and then folded in over the sides. Nice sharp angled that went easily. The wing tips I did with two pieces - first a piece on the bottom, trimmed off, and then a piece over the top. It didn't shrink up enough with the covering iron, but the and the wrinkles shrunk right out with a trim iron on high setting. That trim iron gets a good bit hotter, which was a problem working with other lightweight coverings, but ideal for doculam.
I'm a little concerned about the reduction in wing strength - any ideas that don't permanently close up those access holes? I'm thinking of gluing a couple lines of kevlar thread down the length of the bottom spar...
Wing covering starts with the nacelles first, and then the wing tips. I did the nacelles with one piece of covering from the top wrapped around to the bottom, and then folded in over the sides. Nice sharp angled that went easily. The wing tips I did with two pieces - first a piece on the bottom, trimmed off, and then a piece over the top. It didn't shrink up enough with the covering iron, but the and the wrinkles shrunk right out with a trim iron on high setting. That trim iron gets a good bit hotter, which was a problem working with other lightweight coverings, but ideal for doculam.
Love this doculam stuff!
Now if I can just figure out how to do paint masking with it.... I covered a piece of 1x6 with doculam tonight and plan to do some practice painting on it tomorrow to see if I can get a process working reliably for me.
Turbojoe
Elite member
I doubt the wing strength is compromised at all with those super lightweight motors out there on the wing. I have a Mountain Models EVA that I've converted to a twin/trike gear quite some time ago. On that bird I'm concerned about the extra weight out on the wings. If you have an EVA and understand the wing mount system you'll know why I'm concerned. That's why it sits unfinished. Now that I'm getting better at 3D design and printing I may be able to come up with a stronger fuselage mounted wing center structure.
Joe
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Turbojoe
Elite member
Love this doculam stuff!
Now if I can just figure out how to do paint masking with it.... I covered a piece of 1x6 with doculam tonight and plan to do some practice painting on it tomorrow to see if I can get a process working reliably for me.
Yep, that paint/tape/multi color situation is what has kept me waiting in the wings to see how others attack the situation.
Joe
bracesport
Legendary member
TooJung2Die
Master member
That has always been the downfall of doculam; poor paint adhesion. It is supposed to be better with matte finish doculam. I get best results with paint formulated to adhere to plastics and don't get fancy with intricate masking. Use decals for the graphics. Live with it's limitations and it is a great alternative covering film.Love this doculam stuff!
Now if I can just figure out how to do paint masking with it.... I covered a piece of 1x6 with doculam tonight and plan to do some practice painting on it tomorrow to see if I can get a process working reliably for me.
A lot of doculam experts use colored tissue on top. It's applied wet and doped. You get the classic look of tissue covering with the strength of doculam.
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Not at all - after shrinking a little bit it's tight and almost hard like a drum head with no loss of tension after two or three weeks on my first one.
bracesport
Legendary member
I will look out for the Doculam!
TooJung2Die
Master member
That's true. The "So-Long" I covered with doculam two years ago is still tight. No slackening whatsoever.
Anybody curious about what a covering iron looks like on the inside?
Yeah, mine stopped working a couple days ago and I got tired of waiting for a replacement to arrive. So I pulled it open and started poking around with a multi-meter. Turns out the connection to the nichrome heating wire wrapped around the silver insulating board broke. After rewrapping the connection (can't solder nichrome - just wrap and crimp) and then wrapping the heating element up in kapton high-temp insulating tape I packed it all back together and hooray it works again!
I also tested out the motors and esc's to make sure everything is working before covering the wing - which is coming up next!
Yeah, mine stopped working a couple days ago and I got tired of waiting for a replacement to arrive. So I pulled it open and started poking around with a multi-meter. Turns out the connection to the nichrome heating wire wrapped around the silver insulating board broke. After rewrapping the connection (can't solder nichrome - just wrap and crimp) and then wrapping the heating element up in kapton high-temp insulating tape I packed it all back together and hooray it works again!
I also tested out the motors and esc's to make sure everything is working before covering the wing - which is coming up next!
Turbojoe
Elite member
LOL. I've BBQ'd a couple of cheap covering irons. Never even tried to repair them though. Great job on your repairs! I'm now a died in the wool Coverite 21st Century iron fan and keep a spare on hand "just in case". Only had one 21st Century iron failure in the last 8 years. Dang, after seeing your post I wonder if I could have saved that one.....
Joe
Joe
It's all covered! (Really - it's just hard to see ) And one other thing... the repaired covering iron lasted about 2 hours before more smoke came out. Need to open it up to see what happened and plan for a better repair.
I've got a test piece of doculam that I prepared with 600 grit sanding, alcohol, two coats of automotive plastic adhesion promoter, two days of curing, and then one coat of matte spray paint. Tomorrow will be the second day of curing on the paint coat, and I plan to try a couple different masking materials across it and another coat of matte paint. Depending on how that test goes, I'll make a final plan for the paint scheme.
) And one other thing... the repaired covering iron lasted about 2 hours before more smoke came out. Need to open it up to see what happened and plan for a better repair.
I've got a test piece of doculam that I prepared with 600 grit sanding, alcohol, two coats of automotive plastic adhesion promoter, two days of curing, and then one coat of matte spray paint. Tomorrow will be the second day of curing on the paint coat, and I plan to try a couple different masking materials across it and another coat of matte paint. Depending on how that test goes, I'll make a final plan for the paint scheme.
With everything covered I started installing control surfaces.
And the stabilizers
And the results of the paint testing. Low tack frisket paper on the left, and masking tape pressed onto a t-shirt first. Very different results.
So it's safe to say I'll be doing a paint job with straight lines and masking tape instead of fancy curves and computer cut patterns.
😁
And the stabilizers
And the results of the paint testing. Low tack frisket paper on the left, and masking tape pressed onto a t-shirt first. Very different results.
So it's safe to say I'll be doing a paint job with straight lines and masking tape instead of fancy curves and computer cut patterns.
😁
First attempt at pulling a canopy...
A little rough after trimming...
Second attempt with a different support base.
Trimmed up much nicer!
adding some shrink tubing combing.
Holding the vertical stabilizer nice and straight while the glue dries
*Insert airplane noises*
Not sure what I'm doing with this masking pattern...
Continued across. Thinking of doing a gradient paint job from one side to the other. Have a couple more cans of paint coming and will see which colors look best. Maybe a red-orange-yellow fade...
A little rough after trimming...
Second attempt with a different support base.
Trimmed up much nicer!
adding some shrink tubing combing.
Holding the vertical stabilizer nice and straight while the glue dries
*Insert airplane noises*
Not sure what I'm doing with this masking pattern...
Continued across. Thinking of doing a gradient paint job from one side to the other. Have a couple more cans of paint coming and will see which colors look best. Maybe a red-orange-yellow fade...
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