Author Topic: 1/4 Scale Ka-1  (Read 57914 times)

Fred

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« Reply #30 on: February 09, 2009, 11:28:17 AM »
I'm not dead ! (yet!  :P )
Working really slowly on this one, not at my usual pace !  :roll:

Here is a quick update on the project...

VTails are ready for sheeting (in 0.4mm plywood), since the last time, I've glued the LE (10mm balsa) and the tubes for the joiners.



Now the stab is holding alone on the fuselage.. Small step, but getting there !

Now back to the fuselage sheeting...
Here is how I do it.

I put a light inside the fuselage (I use a flat one, with 3 LEDs, they are used to put light on a cabinet or something like that...)



Then, I use light cardboard and put it where I want to do the next panel...



You can't see it on the photo, but you can actually see where the panels already glued stops... Then, with a paper pen, you draw the contours and cut.
Apply on the fuselage to check that is ok...



Then, put all that on the piece of plywood and draw the contours with a paper pen (don't use anything else ! Or that will show when you apply the varnish!)
I cut the plywood (0.8mm here) with scissors...





And glue (white glue, and as usual, 1 or 2 drops of CA to hold it in place while drying...)



That's one more...387646809 more to go !  :!:  :lol:



I do 2 to 4 panels a night, not more... Note that the plan is for a 2mm balsa sheeting, that way, that will not take more than 2 evenings to complete, but you need a painted finish (like 99% of the Ka1...), doing the sheting in plywood for a varnish finish, is a bit of a challenge...
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

Fred

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« Reply #31 on: February 09, 2009, 11:31:15 AM »
The servos and the Sullivan snakes are now in place...




For the snakes, I have updated the plan to use built in supports on the formers  :D

Now that the servos are here, I can continue with the sheeting of the fuselage.
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

joe

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« Reply #32 on: February 09, 2009, 12:21:00 PM »
Bless your patience Fred. It will look great in the end and be worth all the extra time and effort!

Fred

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« Reply #33 on: February 09, 2009, 12:31:59 PM »
:D  That's what keeps me going !  :P
Just keep thinking of the varnish finish...=P~

Fuselage is the big pain, no mistakes can be made as they will show up big time  :!:  
Now I move to the tail of the fuselage, hopefully, that will be completed this week  :D  First flight for the end of the month if so  :D  (Well, and weather permitting, haven't flown for ages !  :!:  :!:
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

Alan_Perse

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« Reply #34 on: February 09, 2009, 13:27:44 PM »
That idea with the light is great, your a genius Fred  :D  :D . Looks like it's coming on well. Just a quick question, if you ever needed to take the servos out how will you do it. Is the servo tray removable.

Fred

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« Reply #35 on: February 09, 2009, 13:45:25 PM »
Thanks Alan  :D
For the servos, you will be able to access them by a hatch at the top (access to lock the wings...)

Fingers crossed anyway, I never had to change a servo on one of my machine. Here, they are standards servos.
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

Fred

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« Reply #36 on: February 18, 2009, 09:10:21 AM »
Alright, I stay quiet, but still moving on the fuselage sheeting !
Almost done, 12 panels left to do !  :D

So, since the last update, I have glued the struts supports on the fuselage, before sheeting this area



Also done the junction between the fuselage and the wing supports.



While I was at it, I have made a fuselage support... Handy to keep the fuselage straight, and also for transportation, and setup at the slope  :D



The support is made of 3mm plywood, with camping mat (the green thing...) to protect the fuselage, and the tubes are aluminium, for a kind of a retro/modern look  :D
I have integrated the support on the plan, takes 2 minutes to build, but worth it, as this is really helpfull...

And the sheeting is coming in nicely...

For the cockpit area, now, you have the choice.. There is at least 3 version of canopies on the Ka1 to choose from !
One is from the early days, with a wood frame at the base of the canopy, second one is the same as the early days of the Ka1, but without the wood planking at the base of the canopy, and finally, a Ka3 type canopy...

Here is the basic frame for the last 2 canopies type... The tubes for the canopy goes on the fuselage directly :



And here is the version with the wooden planking at the base, reproducing the early type of the Ka1 :



I think I will go with the last one ! The Ka3 type will be much more easier to make, but the early type will be.. let's say, much more interresting to make !  :P  Lots of soldering for the tubes there !
But I can always make 2 differente type of canopies, the Ka3 one would be the easiest one to do... We'll see !

And here is where I was yesterday evening  :D



Almost finished ! End of month for completion is still on sight !  :D
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

Fred

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« Reply #37 on: February 20, 2009, 08:44:54 AM »
Fuselage sheeting is 99% done ! :D
Well worth the effort, and I now can't wait to sand it and put my first layer of varnish !






Really pleased with that one !

And a really small part of the mess...



For the fuselage, so far, I have used 2 sheets of 0.8mm size 1200mm x 300 !! Looking at the plan, I was sure one would have been enough... But once sheeted, the fuselage looks bigger than the Ka3 one, same size...

This week end, wing sheeting and servos !
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

Alan_Perse

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« Reply #38 on: February 20, 2009, 13:16:42 PM »
=P~  =P~  =P~  =P~  =P~

joe

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« Reply #39 on: February 20, 2009, 16:51:34 PM »
congratulation! well done. bet your glad to have that finished. Looking great! :clap:  :clap:

Fred

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« Reply #40 on: February 20, 2009, 18:39:12 PM »
:D  Thanks guys !  :D
Yeah, glad to be at this stage now ! Everything else should be like a walk in the park !
Another big step this week end with the wing sheeting...  :D
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

Fred

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« Reply #41 on: February 22, 2009, 11:59:20 AM »
A good day yesterday !
Managed to have some free time in the garage !  :D

Elevator are now sheeted with 0.4mm plywood...
I'm in love with the impact glue (contact)... Make the job really easy, and the waiting time is really close to nothing ! (around 2 minutes, and it's not warm in the garage !)



And on the glider...



I've also glued the wing struts supports...



And made half of the balsa sheeting on the wings ! TE are cutted and ready to be glued once I finish the sheeting...
The balsa will then receive 0.4mm plywood, and job done !  :D

Really looking good so far !   :D





In the cockpit, you can see the final color that will be applied on all the plywood surface... After lots of thinking, I will go with the same color as the Opel, with Diacov... (Opel is in Solartex Antique...)
And several layers of varnish on top of that...
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

joe

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« Reply #42 on: February 22, 2009, 16:38:58 PM »
looking really good Fred. You are getting there!! Keep up the good work  :clap:  :clap:

Fred

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« Reply #43 on: February 22, 2009, 19:07:05 PM »
Thanks Joe, getting there ! Slowly, but surely !  :D
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!

Fred

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« Reply #44 on: March 09, 2009, 11:54:47 AM »
Great day yesterday !
I managed to have a bit of time on the Ka1 !
I have started the finishing process and put the teinted varnish on the fuselage !

Before :



The varnish used :



And the result with only 1 coat...







And I think I will stay with one coat ! I love the color as it is ! With several coats of clear varnish on top, the effect should be really good !

Well, happy Fred !  :D
Education is important, but flying RC planes and gliders is importanter!