Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

Hi Guys,

I started this project before the year 2000, it's been laying on a shelf in my garage for about 10 years, at least. I've been yearning to get back at it, especially after I designed the smaller 90mm powered Arrow and the foam pusher powered Arrow.

So, tonight, with the help of my son, we dragged the plug out of the garage and into the workshop, so now that it is there and pretty well dominates the work area, I am now committed. After many years of designing models in fiberglass, I certainly have learned a few things about making moulds. One is, making huge models as a one piece fuselage is not all that good. Simply moving the darn thing around is a job that normally ends up with some damage to the surface of the plug.

After a beer and some thought processing and another beer, I decided to cut it up so the moulds will be the way I did for the smaller, all composite EDF version.

I got out the pencil and square, a new sharp hand saw and a oscillating saw and went to work. First the canopy section was carefully cut off and then 38" of the nose section. What a difference, had another beer.

Next, I'll clean up the open areas and seal them off with plywood. Originally, the model was going to have a one piece center section so the whole top of the fuselage was going to be open. Well, that's changing, I'm going to close up the fuselage top and make the wings out of foam cores that will plug into the sides like we do traditionally. I decided on the foam core construction for the wings and vertical fin as it is generally the lighter way to go, I have the aluminum templates already and making moulds for the wings is just too much work for the number of kits that might come from this venture.

I hope by Friday to have the modifications implemented and then start the finishing process and tuning up the various shapes and details which always takes the most time to do. I'll be doing all the scale panel lines of course.

The big question on my mind is, twin twenty pound turbines or one big one????? I could even design one for twin EDF as I just tested the new Mega 120 II motor for 120 mm EDF units, on 11 cells, it produced 15 lbs of thrust at almost 5000 watts, on 12 cells it produced 18.6 lbs of thrust at over 6000 watts but the amp draw was higher than I would like to see.

Oh, the other pictures, well, my other quirk, I love the inflatables.......Christmas is worst, I have more......drives the wife crazy when I bring a new one home, but I do get them on sale and that's my excuse and I'm sticking with it...........

Re: Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

Hey John glad to see you drag the old girl out, a few new changes, a two part fuse is a big plus. A removable fin would be on my list. Keep up the drinking , I mean keep the fuel going. 2nd pic looks like Ted A. after the fuel ran out. LOL. Good luck with this one. (sorry Ted, had too) Brad "Maddog" Metcalf

Re: Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

John one big one would be better.

Re: Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

Great to see the Arrow on the bench today
Thanks for the kind words Mad Dog !!!
Just remember John #2 is mine Ill bring the beer !


Ted

Re: Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

Great news to hear! Can't wait to see your progress and final result. IT should be great.

DW_Crash

Re: Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

This is like a de ja vu

Re: Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

Great to see you are finally back on big one once again, last time I saw it at ur place was in mid to late 90's....

Re: Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

And
I used to have hair

Re: Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

There are a lot of things to think about, power, scale wing airfoil or not, well, they can wait for the time being. Concentrating on the fuselage molds first, last night I got the forward fuselage section filled in where I cut it away from the main fuselage section. lots of little blocks of pine glued in place.
Tonight I sanded the blocks flush and use bondo as a filler to smooth and fill the area. Will now sand that sorta smooth.
Then it's onto the main fuselage section, got it partly filled last night, will finish that up tonight and then tomorrow night I'll fill in the whole top where the wing was going to sit. Getting that 4 degrees slope will be fun.

Re: Re-starting Avro Arrow build
 

Here's the weekly progress update, got all the open holes plugged up, including the whole top of the main fuselage. Not as difficult as I had anticipated really, everything lined up as it should have.
Right now the forward fuselage section has had the bondo applied and sanded.
The canopy section has a sheet of 1/16" plywood sealing the bottom but hasn't been fitted yet.
The main fuselage has the bondo applied on the top and in the notch forward section, but needs to be rough sanded which will happen this week. Also, I'll fit the forward section to the main fuselage and hopefully get the canopy section fitted properly.
Dug out the foam core vertical fin that was in the garage. Apparently the mice like to chew on balsa, there is some slight chewing damage on the top and on the leading edge. But other than that, it's in pretty good condition. I'll use it as the master pattern.
Well, that's about it for this week, I'll post again next weekend, hope to have the rear section of the main fuselage all sculpted in bondo.