Just a little information about myself, I soloed in the aircraft I built. nobody trusted a 25 year old to land their airplane in one piece. so I had to build my own and fly it! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vFfyprQIvDU
Building the motor mount base, Station four bulkhead and a shot of a "bargain bag of spruce" from aircraft spruce. Should be enough wood here to finish the fuselage and possibly the wing.
Bringing the fuselage halves together for a trial fit. I think I will leave off the plywood sides until after the nose has been pulled together, which I think has been suggested on here before. Is this ok or am I missing something?
I know what you mean about wanting to put the plywood on after bending the sides. It would make sense but there is one problem to watch out for: At the moment all of the joints for the members holding the longerons in the correct relation to each other, that is the vertical pieces and diagonals, etc. are being held in place only by glue on the ends of the pieces. These are the weakest possible glued joints until you add something which provides the effect of gussets. The gussets are where the strength is in holding pieces together. With the plywood in place it may be harder to bend but it shouldn't break the joints.
The reason to do all this this way is to avoid having to do a complicated jig which allows you to build the fuselage as a 3D structure all at once, bending the longitudinals into place and then adding vertical and diagonal members and gusseting.
I agree with tom. Also it did not take much force to bend the sides of the ultra piet with the plywood on it. And it will be easier to glue the sides to the frame with it flat. You can use bricks and in my case old batteries for preasure
one fuselage panel cured the other is curing. I forgot to cut the notches in the first panel for the wing support uprights luckily the glue didn't fully cure and I was able to cut it out with a razor blade. For such a detailed blueprint I think a detailed building guide should be included so someone doesn't have some expensive firewood on their hands.
If there is interist, I could build team aircraft a supplememtal build guide with pictures and step by step building guide in a PDF format. It would have to be approved by team Here is my resume http://hillbillymodels.weebly.com/chippy-autogyro.html
I brought the sides together to add the engine base. Talk about nerve racking ultimately some glue joints came loose. one of the rs8 members the control stick bolts to popped loose, turns out I had it in the wrong spot, I measured from the front of the fuselage instead of from the reference line.
The plans have been modified but the building guide not so much, without the rs9 corner gussets and rs670 plywood, the nose wouldn't normally come together at such a big angle. there would be alot more snap crackle and pop.
got the tail joined together, adding the cross members, cabane blocks installed and trial fitting the five gallon nose tank, I won't be adding any turtle decks this will be a flat top himax.
Installing more crossmembers in the tail. Doing something everyday will get you a airplane in a very short time. You have to love it though, If you loved building model airplanes from sticks as a kid, this might work for you.
Eating an elephant, one bite at a time Fledgling Member
Posts: 23
Time Online: 13 hours 49 minutes
Hope it's alright to interrupt the flow the thread and say I'm glad you're posting. It's inspirational as I make small progress Looks like it's coming together quite nicely! Keep up the posting.
Hope it's alright to interrupt the flow the thread and say I'm glad you're posting. It's inspirational as I make small progress Looks like it's coming together quite nicely! Keep up the posting.
I hope you post a build of what your doing cause that his how I roll and flow my friend. this is the get err dune build log, you can post your build log here lol
Eating an elephant, one bite at a time Fledgling Member
Posts: 23
Time Online: 13 hours 49 minutes
Quoted from 509
I hope you post a build of what your doing cause that his how I roll and flow my friend. this is the get err dune build log, you can post your build log here lol
Sounds awesome and thanks. I've got a few limited months before my next exam so hope to get the empennage completed during that time then will have to take a few months off to study for a June exam. Just started using KitLog and loaded the progress there but regardless, I'll keep following you here.
The inside door frame members are installed. Fitting and cutting the plywood behind the seatback. All rs 651 members installed on the tail. It looks like the panel below the engine is one of the dirtiest parts of the airplane, that will be my first drag reduction mod.
Eating an elephant, one bite at a time Fledgling Member
Posts: 23
Time Online: 13 hours 49 minutes
Quoted from 509
I hope you post a build of what your doing cause that his how I roll and flow my friend. this is the get err dune build log, you can post your build log here lol
Thanks. And you're moving along quite quickly too so it's great to see the progress. I've got it up over a Kit Log so check it out there http://www.mykitlog.com/tmnolte/ Needed something structured to keep me in line. I had a paper copy I kept in the shop with photos stored on OneDrive and only recently migrated it to KitLog. That being said, I'm making small progress but mostly daily progress on the tail feathers.
Thanks. And you're moving along quite quickly too so it's great to see the progress. I've got it up over a Kit Log so check it out there http://www.mykitlog.com/tmnolte/ Needed something structured to keep me in line. I had a paper copy I kept in the shop with photos stored on OneDrive and only recently migrated it to KitLog. That being said, I'm making small progress but mostly daily progress on the tail feathers.
Its motivational to see a young person get involved in building his own airplane. I assume your young cause I think you said you were in college. I guess I am young, I am 36, I never went to college cause I think they are just indoctrinating young people now on what to think. Looking forward to your build.
Eating an elephant, one bite at a time Fledgling Member
Posts: 23
Time Online: 13 hours 49 minutes
Quoted from 509
Its motivational to see a young person get involved in building his own airplane. I assume your young cause I think you said you were in college. I guess I am young, I am 36, I never went to college cause I think they are just indoctrinating young people now on what to think. Looking forward to your build.
LOL! You flatter me! I wish I had started that young!
I'm 49 with 2 grown kids (24 and 20), one still at home and have been married for 26 years this August. Showed my wife the images of your build to give her a sense of the space needed for the fuselage and she even commented on how great the max looks. Really looking tidy to my newbie eyes.
I'm a portfolio manager for a fixed income firm and am studying for the CFA designation (doing this instead of getting an MBA). 3 grueling annual exams, pass ratios ~40%. Sat for level 1 on June 23 and will receive results end of August. If I pass, I'll sit for the level 2 exam next June but will have to start studying in October and will be doing nothing else other than studying for that 8 months stretch. However, if I failed the exam in June then I'll level 1 exam again in December and start studying in November 1.
One way or another, I AT LEAST have the next 3 months to focus on the aircraft.
Logged
ultimately some glue joints came loose. one of the rs8 members the control stick bolts to popped loose, turns out I had it in the wrong spot, I measured from the front of the fuselage instead of from the reference line. 
Looks like it's coming together quite nicely! Keep up the posting.
