BMFA Gyminnie Cricket

Ok, so plans covered in cling flim and taped to the board in preperation




First bit of construction is the tail. Cutting the leading and trailing edge strips slightly over length as the instructions erm...instruct ha! I pinned these to the board using the Andy/Eric cross pin method (thank ye chaps!)
Being OCD was trying to get the edges to meet perfectly haha

Next the exciting bit, me first set of ribs!! wooooooot!!!!

Again cutting them slightly over length I then used my new sanding block to file them down to a perfect fit. Note to self- balsa wood is very flimsy, do not need to be so heavy handed with the sanding block haha- one piece snapped and one piece over sanded, have now learnt it only needs smally light strokes

All ribs were then glued using PVC and pinned with smally blocks of spare wood around the sides to keep it in place, snug and secure. Hmmmmm now I have to wait 2 hours!!!!!!!!!!! Pah!!!! Off to have a cup of tea and a home made mince pie.





Must admit, really really enjoying doing this

well done young lady.

now i have a nice kit for a ff ford trimotor you can tackle next. he he he

What a nice well ordered tool box!
I work on the principle I remember (some of the time) where I put every down last time I used it!

OCD comes in handy sometimes- can always find something easypeasy hehe
Cheers guys, must admit am really enjoying doing this and cant wait for the next one where I get to cut the design from the wood itself

Prolly a bit boring for you experienced builders but started on the wing next whilst waiting for the tail to dry,

After pinning edges of the strip I fitted and glued the ribs as with the tail right down to the wing tips,




Wing tips were then glued and pinned as well bar the areas marked X on the picture. The joints of the leading edges where "chamfered" so at an angle so that when the whole wing has dried I can set the dihedral angle at 5cms at the wing tips, they can then be glued into place and left to dry too.




Now I have to wait another 2 hours Need another drawing board so can start something else whilst I wait haha!!!

Just taken the pins out and as Andy suggested, holding the wood down with my finger and I have a tail!!!
So happy, it feels so delicate but so pretty!!
Am easily pleased haha

well done that girl.
whats next then.
a 1/4 scale se5a maybe.

Very nice Sarah, it's great you're enjoying it too. Your tool box is sooooo tidy and organised, you should see my hovel I can never find my pencil.
What with all these free flight models being built I'm getting more and more tempted!

Blimey, i havnt had a chance to talk to you since we got back off hols, but seeing this lot, youve got the bit tween your teeth !! with PVA, it tends to be rubbery when sanding, a better glue is aliphatic, comes in the same sort of tube, it dries quicker, and can be sanded, for your build, balsa cement is quite adequate, it can be applied , left to dry, then applied again, this gives a double cement bond, its no substitue for gaps, but can help in a high strength needed application, for middle joints, such as wings, a small piece of tissue can be wrapped round to make the join bullet proof, this can be applied with any cement, nice tools set up by the way, if you saw my gaff, you would die, get some practise in, quite a bit of kit coming your way soon as i sort it,

Doh! I meant PVA haha.

Mr Cantwell nice to see you back, hope you and Mrs Cantwell had a good holiday? Where's the piccies Mister

Does balsa cement work on kids hehe, am babysitting and have been battered in a pillow fght and told I am 1 million gazzilion years old, apparently could try gluing em to their beds ha!

Waiting to go home to finish next bit but to be honest this cold I've had the last fewdays is making me shiver with a temp so might leave this till tomorrow however I did lift the two wing tips before I left, leaving them proped up at 5 cms high to create dihedral angle. Picture when I get home.

Oooo are you gonna dress as santa and deliver them hehe am practising I promise will even save you a home made mince pie if my dad doesn't eat them all ha!

Oh we are a clever clogs Sarah arent we and so neat and tidy as well ,and you have a tail lovely congratulations

Have coughed and spluttered me way through the night and dragged myself out of my man flu sick bed to finish this



Books to set dihedral angle

and Voila!!




All tips are 5cms perfect, am well chuffed- any of you lot having bets it would fall apart ha.....suckers!!!! (That would include me though too hehe!)

Yes the glue is a tad rubber to sand, so will try the balsa cement on the next one, used the knife to cut away any teeny tiny over spills instead but there weren't that many as was being really careful. Have discovered emery nail files are good though for getting into places the sanding block is too big to get into.

Next covering it with tissue, of which am a tad nervous of cocking up but fingers crossed!