New to modeling!

Well, I got the finish on the table this weekend, but since it's pretty cold here (20 deg F), it will take it a few days to cure/dry.
But, i was so anxious to get started, that I took the cork board into the house and started my FIRST PLANE!!!
I went to the hobby store and bought several sheets of balsa: 1/32, 1/16, 3/32, 1/8, and 1/4 all 3" wide. Some are A, B and C grain.
The store owner had no idea about the density, so when I got home, I measured them using a gram scale and each sheet's volume. Most were around 7-9 lb/cft, but I had t 1/32" sheets that were 5 and 5-1/2 lb/cft. I'll save the light ones for later!
It's the first little plane in Ron Williams' book. I think it's called a Dart or something. It's just a couple of triangles on a motor stick.
I got it glued up last nite and plan to set the dihedral tonight and cover it with our 'in-house' proprietary film we make.
Can't wait for that "first flight". Even my wife is amazed at the detail of the cuts and how it all fits together. I hope she gets as into it as me because I think it would be an even greater experience it we could do this toghether all the time . . . er, maybe not :lol: just kidding.
I'll post some pics of my table when I get it in the house abs some of my plane, if it looks like it's something I would want to show, of course.

Having a partner who's as into it as you is a huge plus Dickie, ask me how I know!

well done Dickie, you are now officially hooked.

stand by to have your house and all the spare space you have, filled with model aircraft.

I agree with the "partner principle".

My house is already taken over with my projects! One of my back bedrooms is filled with my Corvette parts while I finish restoring that car, and now my office is filled with the model stuff that I'm gathering. Thank goodness for an understanding wife . . .

You bthrough that in Dickie "Corvette Parts",I watch fast and loud as often as its on.

Me too! along with Wheeler Dealers, Graveyard Cars, Overhaulin' . . . the list goes on and on!

Yes Im watching wheeler dealers but although Mike annoys me,I enjoy the programme.We have 20% VAT tax on cars and he forgets that so often makes a loss .

I wondered about the VAT too. Hmmm.
I know about that because when I order parts for my Triumph Spitfire from Rimmer Bothers in the UK, I have to pay that annoying VAT!

Anyway. A couple of pics on where the table is and where my first model it . . .









I did the dihedral last nite. Tonite, I'll cover with my "homemade" 5 micron film I told you all about. I'll make the ailerons, rudder and elevators out of paper like he suggests so that I can experiment with what control surface does what.
I don't have the propeller he suggests to use in the book. I thought I mike try making one. Any advice would be appreciated!

By the way, I sent an e-mail to Carl yesterday at Andy Sephton's suggestion. I actually got an e-mail back !!!!!!!!!!!!
Can you believe it! Nobody e-mails me unless something is broken.
He gave me a couple of names that I'll be looking into.

Thanks again you guys (and Sara). Glad to be on board!

If your a US citizen, or even have dual citizenship, can you not claim the VAT back? i claimed back the US tax on a recent holiday

Yeah! I finished the Dart last nite.
I covered it with our 5 micron film that we make here at work. By the way, since the film is 30% porous, the weight is closer to that of a 3.5 micron solid film. The density of polyethylene is 0.92 g/ccm and the density of nitrocellulose acetate (NA) is 1.15 g/ccm (as near as I could determine. That would give the effective density of my film the same as a NA film of 2.8 microns. Plus, I think the porosity will either help (like dimples on a golfball help it fly farther and faster) or hurt it (won't resist vapor transmission, ie. buoyancy).
I tried gliding it without the prop, prop shaft and motor hooks and it "stalled" on me. So I added an equivalent weight of the aluminum foil crumpled into a ball on the nose. It seemed to glide pretty straight.
Anyway, I wanted the glue to completely dry before putting the rubber motor on. So I'll do that tonight for it's maiden "powered" flight and keep you posted on Monday!
Wish me luck!!! This is the first of what i hope are thousands of flights to come!!!!
Enjoy the pics. It's my first, so forgive the sloppiness! You will notice that the prop is out of balance just a bit. How do you normally balance that? I though I would smear some glue on the back face of the light prop??? is that normal to do?





Also, are my prop blades on in the correct orientation??? I guess I would just have to wind it the other way if it's backwards, but I'd like for all future planes to be correct.

Well I don't know much about prop balancing as am still new to this myself, but am sure the guys will help you on that.

What I do know is that is one gorgeous looking model, well done Dickie.

that looks just right, will fly a treat.
well done sir.

I hope you have fum with the Dart. Quite possible you will learn a little more from it as you find a little trimming may help you to get what you want from it. The Porosity of your covering will have, I believe, have no practical effect.

Well done Dickie, it looks just fine to me!

Prop balancing - for free flight models, think light rather than heavy. So if you can, sand a bit of weight off the heavy blade rather than adding weight to the lighter one. Either solution would work, however.

Prop Orientation - Your prop looks like it'll rotate in the normally accepted direction for free flight rubber models. Again, either direction of rotation is fine.

Covering porosity - It may effect a larger model as the covering should really be air tight, but I doubt that there will be any noticeable effect in the size of model you've built. And as you say, the slight roughness of the surface will 'energise' the boundary layer making the airflow stay "attached" for longer and therefore, provide a better lift/drag ratio than you would get from smooth covering.

I hope that helps.

Started on my first EZB last nite using my new drafting table. yeah!