D.P.R Rare Bird Sailplane

Eric wrote: Sarah - added a p.s. - have a look.

Cheers Eric, have looked at theirs too- either too expensive at the moment or like I said, wont get here with xmas post
www.radiocontrolmodels.co.uk/Shops/salesmapnorthwest.htm

looked at most of them on there

A 9mm x3mm balsa for the trailing edge
B Wing ribs W1 and W10
C 3mm x 3mm lower wing spar
D 6mm x 3mm leading edge
E 3mm x 3mm top wing spar
F wing ribs 2-9
G short lengths of 3mmx3mm spacers
H gussets
I plywood wing braces
J wing tip
K 6mmx 3mm wing tip fairings
L doublers

Starting with the right wing first the lower rear wing spar (C) was pinned into place and W1 and W10 ( were glued to it. W1 was set at a 10 degrees from the vertical towards the wing tip. The rest of the ribs were set to 90 degrees.

After adding the trailing edge (A) and the leading edge (D) and gluing to W1 and W10 ( the rest of the ribs, 2-9 (F) were glued into place and the top wing spar (E) added.

Cutting short lengths of 3mmx3mm spacers (G) were made and glued in between each rib and to the trailing edge

Two extra short lengths were cut and added as doublers (L) to the lower and top spar between W1 and W2and 3 gussets added to strengthen the wing.
The wing tip (J) was added along with 2 wing ti fairings (K) cut to length

All pinned, glued and sanded to be smooth

The wing braces were added, after cutting notches one in the top of W1 to the depth of the top main spar and its doubler, the other was added into a notch made at the bottom of the wing rib behind the rear spar.

Left wing done, both now sanded and smoothed ready for joining with notches made for the wing braces in the left wing.
Baking soda is cool as a filler, few teeny tiny gaps filled in and sanded.

Ahhh site was having a blip and wouldn't load, so re did it lol - will ask Garry to remove one.

Oh gawd, I want the Sopwith Triplane but cant afford it yet that's just teasing!!!!!!!!!!!

Okaydokey, last bit now the tailplane

after marking the positions of the ribs on the trailing edge strip, the instructions said to cut out notches of 2mm deep- yeah right, more like 4mm as 2mm is way too small !

Sarah
I would have thought that any deeper than 2mm into the trailing edge strip will weaken it too much. It is after all a sort of 'spar' to keep the trailing edge flat.

if you dont go any deeper, the notches for the top spar put the top spar too high up on the plan as well as the leading edge and the ribs are not really held in at only 2mm, they wont stay in place at 2mm just pop out. its a sloped trailing edge, still gives it a good 5mm underneath each notch still. I think they misjudged a tad when cutting the dye pieces

Sarah-Jane Smith wrote: if you dont go any deeper, the notches for the top spar put the top spar too high up on the plan as well as the leading edge and the ribs are not really held in at only 2mm, they wont stay in place at 2mm just pop out. its a sloped trailing edge, still gives it a good 5mm underneath each notch still. I think they misjudged a tad when cutting the dye pieces

You've made the right decision on this Sarah, but what Q says is also correct. It's a moot point as to how much you can cut into the TE, but what you have done looks OK to me. Remember also that you can shave a bit off the ribs to make 'em fit, and if it moves the spar forward (or back) then so be it. Spar position is only critical on a scale model (for authenticity) and an out-and-out contest model (for performance).

I like Eric's expression of 'die-crunching', we used to call it 'die-crushed'!

Sarah-Jane Smith wrote: Oh gawd, I want the Sopwith Triplane but cant afford it yet that's just teasing!!!!!!!!!!!

Here's a free download of the plan and printwood to the Veron Sopwith Triplane in your post, Sarah. You can download the plans then buy the bits from your model shop at much less of the cost of the laser cut kit. www.outerzone.co.uk/plan_details.asp?ID=776

Outerzone has a fantastic selection of model plans for free download - www.outerzone.co.uk/index.asp

After Simon's comment I realised I could have sanded down the ribs a bit rather than cut more haha- you lot forget, I am strawberry BLONDE- the cue is in the word Blonde!

Thank you for the links

using a sloping 9mmx 3mm of balsa for the trailing edge this was pinned after making the notches for the tail ribs.
Tailribs T1 x 2 added and using a scrap piece of 3mm wide strip as a temp spacer



Leading edge added using two lengths of 3mmx3mm and the two tailplane tips

Tail ribs T2-T5 (two lots of) glued at 90 degrees between the leading edge and trailing edge, and 2 pieces of 3mmx3mm glued in place for the top spar. Four gussets added and voila, we have a tailplane

Neat build.
It looks a bit alarming with the spar cut like that at the centre.
I don't suppose the fin has a slot in it to allow the tailplane spar to be in one piece right across from tip to tip?
Much of the strength of the tailplane will now have to rely on the strength of the glue.
Perhaps I am just being a bit too geeky!