[mwavesdave]

Elevators and trim tabs all framed up. Looking at doing the rudder tonight, then I'll get the elevator hinges done, installed, so I can proceed with sheeting the Horizontal Stab, and sanding the elevators to shape.

[CF105]

Looking good!

Yeah, I basically swiped that guy's shopping list. The FG sheets were for the elevator hinges I believe. However your solution works too! And probably a lot less hassle than cutting parts from those sheets.

Been doing more research... Apparently 881 Sqn. was commanded by a Canadian for a time: Lt. Cdr. Digby Cosh. However he operated from a different carrier (HMS Pursuer), and left about the same time the squadron traded in their Wildcat Vs for VIs. The det on Pursuer took part in Operation Tungsten, escorting raids against the Tirpitz.

[mwavesdave]

I'll still use some of the glass, laminating on either side of the ply hinges, then drilling out for the brass bushings, which will really beef it up, without changing the basic structure. It's amazing how the RCN has essentially ignored the early carrier history, presumably because of the RCN ship's crew, and RN aircrew/techs. When we finally did get an all-Canadian carrier, the aircrew, for the most part, were RCAF types, with no carrier experience. Must have been crazy times at the start.

[CF105]

Yeah it's all pretty confused. Even today! Are the Sea King crews RCN or RCAF? I know the airframes say "Navy"...

By the way, I stumbled upon a thread on Spark's Mohawk. Thought you & Leann would be interested. Be warned... It was started in 2005...

http://http://www.rcgroups.com/forum...d.php?t=401743

[mwavesdave]

We're RCAF, it's been a few decades since "Naval Air" was actually Navy. All our Sea Kings have other than the tail number and roundels is small lettering, "Canadian Forces"(we never put the "Armed" back in), we have a 100Th Anniversary "Navy" marked Sea King, but that's it. Thanks for the link, we'll take a look! Leeann's very detail oriented, and a perfectionist, so I'm sure her Mohawk will take some time!

[mwavesdave]

Rudder is all framed up, similar setup to the elevators, with a brass tube glued in place, for the steel hinge rod. Sanding will occur once the vertical stab is done.

[mwavesdave]

Fuse is pretty straight-forward, all the upper fuse is built first, starting with the ply crutch, to which the forward bulkheads are epoxied. Once that was done, a pair of 1/4 square balsa sticks are glued into notches at the front, and the rest of the bulkheads slid into place, aligned, squared, then glued one by one. Once that was done, the 1/4 X 1/8 stringers are run. I made sure to alternate sides as much as possible, to avoid any twist in the fuse. I then had to cut a couple of 1/4 ply pieces for the firewall box, that were missing from the kit, but having 1 ea present, it took no time to cut them from scrap 1/4 ply. The firewall is bolted to the first fuselage frame, so put the upper blind nuts in, much easier to get to now, vice later once it's sheeted. I've now started sheeting the aft fuselage, need to get a fair bit of that done, prior to flipping the fuse, and installing gear, and belly, to avoid any warping. I did not install the stock servo tray yet, the cutouts are for giant scale servos, and the location might interfere with the cockpit kit, so will sort that out once the top of the fuse is sheeted, and flipped over.

[mwavesdave]

Sheeting well underway, doing one panel at a time makes life easier in the long run with the compound curves, and it matches the panel lines on the real aircraft.

[CF105]

Holy cow! You're a machine, Dave.

[mwavesdave]

I try! Left side is all sheeted, soft weights on the fuse to keep it flat overnight. I'll get going on the right side tomorrow after work.