[Tyler P]

Unfortunately, I accidentally deleted my pictures of the Durant install on my stabs, but at least I have the finished product! They just need some touch up filler and final sand and they're ready for covering!





Glad to be back in build mode! Things should roll along more smoothly now that I can't go flying! Oh yeah, for those who didn't know, I had a bad downwind dead-stick landing with my Sukhoi and did some somewhat bad damage to it. Basically, I punched the firewall and may need to rebuild the motor box (haven't really decided yet on that part), ripped out the LG plate, damaged the pipe tunnel and wrecked my canister. The damage isn't actually as bad as it sounds, but I don't have money for a new canister for it and would rather focus on the Yak right now anyway. It's going to be torture not being able to go flying in this beautiful weather, but at least the plane will get finished.

[Jack Marcotte]

Looking Awesome Tyler. Maybe one day I'll attempt a build too!!!

Sorry to read about the Sukhoi! I've done that several times with my 50cc Yak>

[FLYINCHASE]

Oh man sorry to here about your sukhoi! This build is looking great. I love the way the ddd's look. so clean with out all the hardware hanging out.

[Tyler P]

Originally Posted by FLYINCHASE

Oh man sorry to here about your sukhoi! This build is looking great. I love the way the ddd's look. so clean with out all the hardware hanging out.

Thanks! The Sukhoi isn't completely dead or anything. I might not fix it until the fall, though. I'll probably do it as a tear-down, repair, and recover project over the winter.

Yes, the DDD's look awesome, especially if you do a clean install. Mine aren't perfect by any means but they're getting much better. By the time I did the third one they were going much more smoothly. The ones in the wings should look perfect, or at least I'll try to make them look perfect!

[Tyler P]

Little bit more done yesterday and today. Got the horizontal stabs mounted on the tube and installed the fin on the fuse. I haven't set the incidence on the horizontal stabs yet. I'll wait until I get my wings done and do it all at once.





Next up, clean off the build table and start on sheeting the wings! I'll need to make sure I have the time to do this all at once, as I'll be sheeting using the 3M 30NF. You're supposed to install the components to each other within a specified period of time, so I'll have to put the coats of adhesive on the cores and sheeting and then do it all in the same day. I'll take some pics along the way and I'll try to take more pics of my Durant Direct Drive install on the foam cored wings so you can compare them to Dave Rees' built up wing install. Not a huge amount of difference, except I think putting them in foam cored wings is much easier because you can place them pretty much anywhere you want as opposed to having to try and put them near a rib on a built up wing.

[Tyler P]

Build table cleaned off, shop cleaned up, Red Green filtration system modified with duct tape and bungees, and now cores and sheeting laid out for motivation!

Because of all the talk on RC Canada about whether or not the trailing edge of the elevators and ailerons would remain straight while using the the 3M 30NF contact adhesive, I got to thinking about a way to ensure that the edge stays perfectly straight while rolling down the first side at the TE. What I came up with was a fairly simple idea of taping a 4' level to close to the TE of the wing so that the edge remained straight while applying a little pressure necessary to start the sheeting at that edge. You'll see that in the picture.

It actually works very well. You pretty much have to do each side one at a time anyway, so you tape the level to the bare side of the core first and then tape it to installed sheeting on the other side when you're ready to apply the sheeting on the bare side. This gives me a little more peace of mind that the wings will be straight when I'm done. Due to their sheer size I was a little worried about how I could make sure they're straight.

Anyhow, I just have to prep sand the side of the sheeting that faces out and I'll be able to get started on the wings! Yay, stuff that actually looks like progress!!!

Cores with sheeting resting on top:


Right core:


Right wing:


Experiment with level:



PS: I'll be checking the fitment of the wing tube and socket and the alignment of the wings with the fuse before I begin sheeting, just to make sure everything lines up before I get started.

[Tyler P]

So, now I have the good side of the sheeting all sanded and prepped for installation to the foam cores. First I checked to see if the cores lined up on the fuse properly, which they do. Trevor Brum is always praising Carden for this trait, and I have to say it's nice not to worry about making them line up with finagling!

I have the first coat of 3M 30NF on the sheeting for the right wing and a coat on the top side of the foam core. I've elected to do this in two stages because I need one side to remain clean and dry to attach my level/straight-edge while I do the other side.

I've also found a good way to attach the level firmly to the core. I just run a strip of painters tape the full length of the level on both sides and then roll it back to put the level on the core. Press firmly on the level while on your perfectly flat build surface and smooth the tape down onto the core snugly. Voila! Straight trailing edge to start with and little chance of warping the TE while putting pressure on it and rolling the core down on the sheeting! Makes me feel a little better, anyhow.

On with some pics.

Tiny shop pic with cores on the wing tube:


Coat one:


Attached level:


Blurry pic of straight TE pre-sheeting:


More will come later. I'll be attaching the sheeting on the core in about an hour or so.

[Tyler P]

On to side two of right wing!

Here's the TE after applying sheeting to side one. I think that's reasonably straight. Good enough for government work, as they say! lol. I've looked down the ailerons of my Wild Hare Sukhoi and they're as crooked as a dog's hind leg and it still flew decently enough. These are almost perfect, but we'll see once I put the sheeting on side two!


Here's my level trick on the sheeted side now. I've put it even closer to the edge this time to ensure that the pressure will be even and flat when I roll it down for side two. Having the level on there also makes it really easy to handle the core! It's like having a handle on the wing!


Finally, here's the second side with its fresh coat of 30NF. Should be dry in about 45 minutes and then I'll get to finishing the sheeting on the right wing!

[Tyler P]

Good news, the wings are both fully sheeted and the edges all sanded flush. Bad news, I forgot to install the socket support in the slot in the wing before I sheeted it! Dumbassss!

Well, the sheeting did look good! Now I have to perform some minor surgery and install a patch afterward. Good thing all this stuff will be covered up in the end.

Pics will follow later on, when I perform the surgery.

[Tyler P]

Here's my little surgery project. I did this part to the bottom of the wing, so it won't be very noticeable if I don't get the patch perfectly flush once I sand it.

Incision:


Splint holding socket support while healing (epoxy setting):


Skin grafted back on:


Bandaged up:


So I got the socket supports in the core and installed my wing tube sockets. Hopefully tomorrow I'll get to do the LE, TE and tip caps on both wings and on Saturday morning get to the control surface cutting. We'll see how it goes from there before I decide to move onto the hinge bevels and Durant install or not.