Jim Walker Firebaby

The prop is 5 1/4 D (diameter ) the 3P is the pitch here is a FB with a Spitzy and a blue prop on it https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/jim-walker-fire-baby-control-airplane-190154346 You can read the article... You guys got it going on over here !

getback wrote:The prop is 5 1/4 D (diameter ) the 3P is the pitch here is a FB with a Spitzy and a blue prop on it https://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/jim-walker-fire-baby-control-airplane-190154346 You can read the article... You guys got it going on over here !  

Thanks for the link Eric, you have a knack for finding this stuff. Sometimes I can't grab a picture off Worthpoint. This time I could.

Thanks for photo and link Eric…. Added to my FB file

Remains of the 70 yo balloon tank…I’m guessing the black line was neoprene?…. Maybe before clear plastic line was common?



Canopy removed for a hot water soak…. The corner of that soap bottle doesn’t look too far off….hmmmm….



Gently disassembled for cleaning and repairs…. Doesn’t look too bad from the photo but there’s LOTS of little details to keep me busy for awhile… Good!!

Your living my dream Robert. Damaged wing that came with it or the wing from your first FB purchase? Looks to be in Ok shape.

Bob, The wing that came with the parts lot is near perfect….. The broken one came with the plane but that’s the one I would like to use because it has the graphic and the other is plain….The simple split will be easy to repair…. The warps a little more challenging …will try to steam them back to shape…. The right half has a droop in the dihedral and the left half has way too much camber from the pinch of the line guide all those years…. Best/plain wing behind for reference in the photo….

The broken one came with the plane but that’s the one I would like to use because it has the graphic and the other is plain

I saw that Robert.



Cheat, that's what I did on one of my clones.    Scan/photo/size/clear backed decal.  I'm sure you could do as much better job than I did on mine.



But, you might have a rare one, one that got past the inspectors..........

Bob, Your Firebaby threads were part of the inspiration… At first to maybe scratch one out… The rehab of an orphan looked fun too and luckily ended up with an original
I’ll keep wrestling the wing with the graphic to try and salvage…. Nice to have a backup though!!

Cleanup beginning to take shape with a good scrub of 50/50 water - alcohol ….. Canopy cleaned up nice and is still very pliable…. Too bad about that hole in it…. I might try and figure a way to patch it…

Crack in the wing was fixed but still have to deal with warps…. Got it a little better already from working it when it was damp from cleaning…. Stab/elevator  was put back together as well and missing pieces faired in…. I’m using Duco cement thinned with acetone for all cracks and wood additions…. Easy to control with a small brush and nearly invisible…. I have some red and blue India ink for touch ups when the time comes….The whole thing will get a thin application of Sig Lite Coat dope in the end….

Its coming together pretty good , is that 1/8" balsa ? Looks thin !

Robert, if you do find a fix for that broken canopy, I would be interested. This Airfield B-25 arrived with a broken canopy and they never responded to me for a replacement.

Eric, The wing and stabilizer is 1/16”…. Yes, very thin!!…..But AJ was able to steam shapes into it….. The fuse is 1/4”…. Is guess these would stand up OK to the lower powered 1/2A engines of the day….

Looks like that B-25 took some flak Bob!!…. You bet, I’ll experiment with some plastic bottles first and see what happens…. Me and plastic canopies in kits never got along too well…. Have some catch up to do!!

Perfect handle to compliment el Firebaby….These light weights needed a light weight handle…. Very appropriate….Still lots of little repairs and cleaning to do…. Enjoyable…… Much thanks Bob ….

Robert

rdw777 wrote:Perfect handle to compliment el Firebaby….These light weights needed a light weight handle…. Very appropriate….Still lots of little repairs and cleaning to do…. Enjoyable…… Much thanks Bob ….

Robert

Glad that you got it ok Robert. Funny, I have seen red and black Firebaby fuselages, but never orange. Yet they made orange and black handles but I have never seen one in red. Doesn't mean that there arn't some out there.

Orange is perfect…. Easy to find in the heat of the moment on the strip!!…. Might need a dot of red paint on the top though

Got Firebaby’s “H” Wasp up and running…..A three day WD-40 soak and heat to just starting to smoke allowed a little movement to get it free…. I noticed really good compression and elected not to fully disassemble …..Piston/ball joint fit is fine on this one…. Starts easy and holds steady…

. A few interesting differences between the Atwood and Holland Wasps….The H version I thought at first had two glow plug washers, Actually one is bigger and sets down in the head recess fairly tight and doesn’t come out easily….I wonder if this was to de-tune it a bit for use on the Firebaby?

Cox 6-3….10.5 K rpm
Tornado 5-3….12.5K rpm
15% nitro
These may come up a bit once it’s run in some….

Anyway, I left the spacer in cause that’s the way it came…



H version (left) has a duller finish on the case …..and shorter venturi… Also you see the difference in plug height

on

Doin’ it’s thing  

Steaming the wing back to shape…. The “new” parts wing was used as a model to help build a fixture to hold it as it cools….It will probably take a few applications and a bit of time in the fixture …. Will use the fixture for doping as well…. The airfoil is a simple arc…

A jig, only way to do it unless you have a lot of patience.

Tea Kettle whistling while you steam keeps you company.

Ok so I'm guessing. Less aggressive cambers go on each end and the more aggressive goes in the center? Rubber bands hold everything tight.

Thanks Bob, The center clamp is a little block of 1/4” ply the same shape as the metal mount on the plane…. Simply flat so it can slide in the mount….. I only made two forms for the camber and set them out about midway in the wing….. Toward the tip is naturally less pronounced….. Little strips of balsa under the rubber bands to keep them from digging into the wing….The elliptical wing shape automatically provides a little washout….Why am I enjoying this simple little plane so much? LOL!!!

So there are no formers/ribs under the wing, just rubber bands forming the camber?  I'm interested in stealing your secrets as I want to do the same to my clones wings.  

rsv1cox wrote: I want to do the same to my clones wings

Absolutely, I think a close replica could be made this way….. The two rib/formers are placed at mid point of the wing…. Not glued to the board or the wing, Just there temporarily…. The board has marks where they should be….. After I got the top of the temporary rib/formers to the arc shape needed I slid them to the mark on the board and checked dihedral ( The center is already held down with its block at this point)…. Started with the rib/formers a little tall so I could sand the flat bottoms to retry until dihedral was correct (19 mm each tip)…. One photo is from under the tip showing the temporary former….. The other a little closer look at the top….

One more detail on the formers, I beveled the tops slightly to fit the angle of the dihedral better…. Those I made are 1/8” thick…. 3/16 or even 1/4 would probably be better to lessen the chance of imprinting the wing on the bottom….

Before this project is finished I’ll do some tracings and such and post them….

Ah, now the world is right-side up again.  Just as I had envisioned it.  Thanks Robert.  But, I'm still not completely clear, is your method going to result in the correct dihederal?  Your picture shows that it should.  Waiting to see the result, two different bends.

But, my wings have been painted, I don't think that steaming would be as effective. It looks like the JW wings were color stained or some type of an over-lay not painted?   But the good part is, it's just sheets of 1/16" balsa.  Simple enough to make two more wings.

Roberto and Roberto, I have been following in your footsteps and enjoying your comments....so much history behind a model airplane....I really like all the reconditioning work...really beautiful.

These drawings are also period - epoch, so much visual language in an image, everyone happy there!, even doing acrobatics!...fantastic!

I think it will hold its dihedral OK Bob…. I took it off the jig this morning… A little spring back but not too bad….. I’ll steam it one more time and put it back on the jig and leave it for a couple of days….There’s still plenty to do on the rest of the plane while the wing is in rehab….After that a thin coat of dope and back on the jig again…. That should really lock it in….

I think the original Firebaby wings (and tail)  were colored with ink thru some kind of lithograph procedure….. Probably before steaming and press forming…. You could try steam on your already painted wings…..I think most important thing is heat, not necessarily moisture for the wood fibers inside although it probably helps…. Just watch that it doesn’t harm the paint…. But also as you say, It’s just 1/16 balsa, Easy to produce a new wing




Gracias Mauricio!!! Part of the fun has been finding the old advertisements, Magazine articles, Peoples experiences, and etc…Apparently Firebaby was very popular in the 1950’s as much was published on it …

The wing is looking good Robert I think you have it down and yes 1/16 " Is thin! I was thinking 1/8 "