SPALINGER S25 1:3.5

cw · Posté le: 13/02/2011 12:49 Sujet du message:

Unbelieveable...! It stopped raining yesterday, and on a weekend, too Very Happy

This gave me the chance to set up the Spalinger outside and start work on the wing root/fuselage bits & pieces...

cw · Posté le: 19/02/2011 20:41 Sujet du message:

Another dry saturday...! Today I continued with the wing-fuselage join...

cw · Posté le: 20/02/2011 19:05 Sujet du message:

I spent the whole day today making up temporary struts and finalising the centre section fairing. This body filler is excellent for our purposes, being easy to sand and therefore closer to the density of wood...

cw · Posté le: 28/02/2011 23:18 Sujet du message:

Moving on now to the cockpit canopies. It looks as though two of my Skylark 4 canopies will do the job Very Happy

cw · Posté le: 07/03/2011 22:40 Sujet du message:

Still working on the canopies... Zzz

VincentB · Posté le: 08/03/2011 08:12 Sujet du message:

Whaoo, I love this design, very original and funny this nose and canopy

Anonyme · Serial Posteur Inscrit le: 26 Jan 2006

Quite an original look this glider, with this canopy [clap]

patte de loup · Posté le: 08/03/2011 21:45 Sujet du message:

I 'm in hurry for seeing in flight Wink

KR
Pat'

cw · Posté le: 12/03/2011 19:18 Sujet du message:

Time to tidy up the rear end and start cutting out Solartex...

The rubber band system seems to work well: I have dropped her from about 40cms to the ground, and the wings jump out and spring back again... Very Happy

I'm in hurry for seeing in flight

Moi aussi, Pat... Very Happy

Anonyme · Serial Posteur Inscrit le: 26 Jan 2006

So am I !!!! Very Happy

Orionis · Posté le: 12/03/2011 21:44 Sujet du message:

For the next glider, I think you'll have to remain to this scale or buy your neighbor's garden! Wink

cw · Posté le: 19/03/2011 01:42 Sujet du message:

Now the 1st wing is covered in Solartex Natural...

Anonyme · Serial Posteur Inscrit le: 26 Jan 2006

Hi Chris, nice picture, I like the aspect of the solartex I have used for the first time on the Mü3, thanks Chris Wink

cw · Posté le: 20/03/2011 00:11 Sujet du message:

Yes Marc, Solartex is so easy to use Very Happy

But how to stick the 'Tex to the underside of the ribs? This is what I do:
1: Prick holes in the fabric with a blunt pin
2: Fill holes with ultra-thin CA (Wipe off excess with a cloth)
3: Finish off with 'Tex rib tapes

Anonyme · Serial Posteur Inscrit le: 26 Jan 2006

thanks for the trick, useful on very curved intrados ribs Wink

Eric Spore · Posté le: 20/03/2011 23:40 Sujet du message:

I'm using an other trick. When ironing the solartex/diacov on the rib, I'm using a piece of cloth to press the solartex/diacov on the rib (iron in one hand, piece of cloth in the other). The glue on the underside is cooling down very quickly and the covering sticks perfectly on the wood.

cw · Posté le: 21/03/2011 01:43 Sujet du message:

Ah, great minds think alike...! (I use my handkerchief) Very Happy

cw · Posté le: 24/03/2011 21:50 Sujet du message:

I do not like rigidly fixing wings to the fuselage because in a heavy landing something is going to break. here is a short video showing a test of my rubber band wing retaining system which aproximates a typical CW landing... Laughing

http://s17.photobucket.com/albums/b59/chriswilliams4/?action=view&current=Untitled.mp4

Orionis · Posté le: 25/03/2011 08:26 Sujet du message:

This is worst than NCAP crash-tests! [confus]

I wouldn't dare doing this!

cw · Posté le: 26/03/2011 22:16 Sujet du message:

Slowly, the pile of painted parts gets bigger... Wink

Anonyme · Serial Posteur Inscrit le: 26 Jan 2006

So wouldn't I ! Embarassed

cw · Posté le: 27/03/2011 23:05 Sujet du message:

Now all the flying surfaces have been Solartexed...

Walter L. · Posté le: 30/03/2011 22:52 Sujet du message:

Hi Chris,

I really regret that you are not able to show us this extraordinary glider in Normandie. But probably I will have the opportunity to see it on an meeting UK....

Anyway: all the best for you, your family and look forward to a lucky maiden flight.

Best regards
Walter

cw · Posté le: 31/03/2011 00:18 Sujet du message:

Thank you Walter...you can always see the UK events here:

http://www.scalesoaring.co.uk/Calendar/Calendar.html

cw · Posté le: 01/04/2011 22:27 Sujet du message:

Still painting, still painting... Zzz

patte de loup · Posté le: 02/04/2011 07:31 Sujet du message:

No far from the end of the building Wink

Too much speed as usual.... maybe only 6 monts for this big [humm]

isn't it

pat'

Frank Albrecht · Posté le: 03/04/2011 23:27 Sujet du message:

Hi Chris,

nice painting. Did you paint it 2K? And how did you prime the surface?
I'm just finishing my T21b, it's based on your plan, but a little bit smaller.
The fuselage now is covered with silk and I'm a but undecided how to go on. Can I put the filler directly onto the silk? I'm not sure...
I'm asking you this, because your fuselage is smoothed and you're probably doing the same job as me.

As walter said, it's a pity you won't participate at Vauville.

Regards,

Frank

cw · Posté le: 04/04/2011 00:30 Sujet du message:

Frank, all the material I use to paint models with is 2K. For a translucent finish, first I spray 2 coats of 2K lacquer. This is then wet-flatted with 600 paper and one more coat of semi-gloss lacquer applied. The fabric is now filled and sealed and can be masked out for the trim colors without the paint 'creeping' under the tape. I use 3mm 3M Fine Line tape for the masking.
On the fuselage I use 2K Hi-Build primer over the Solartex joins, which is then flatted until the joins have been smoothed out. Then two coats of color, which is similarly flatted before the final color and trim colors are applied...
It is a lot work [argh]

Frank Albrecht · Posté le: 04/04/2011 07:24 Sujet du message:

Hi Chris,

thanks for the quick answer!
Putting on so many coats really takes a lot of time. Wink

On the T21b. I don't want a perfect surface, it has do look somehow used and DIY.

Frank

cw · Posté le: 13/04/2011 22:11 Sujet du message:

Coming close to the end now...premiere vol maybe over Easter