Broken nose, all fixed... Final Installment(s)

Bolt it on the front, slide the engine back as far as possible and run it. Check to see that vibrations are a non issue. If the engine has been pushed slightly forward due to the mount, it would be very slight. If the plane is nose heavy then add a bit more tail weight.

The wing is repaired. I filled the rest of the open crack with epoxy mixed with balsa dust packed in and smoothed with an AARP card. Sanded smooth after it set. Then I mixed more epoxy and used some 2" wide medium fiberglass to cover the cracks and also roll up the side of the fuse all the way to the LE. It sanded nicely and is not at all visible. My test puddles for both glue job indicate a perfect set, stronger than I am, as I can't even bend it in half, but it still has a springy quality to it. I considered wrapping it on past the LE to cover a few inches of the undamaged top sheeting. However it wrinkled when I trued to make the glass cloth fit around the sharp turn. I cut it off at the center of the LE and sanded smooth. I'll decide whether to add more to the undamaged top sheeting later. I may just harden it with thin CA and re-cover. Any thoughts on that idea; good or bad... more brittle, maybe soft and springy raw balsa is better? It already has a substantial microballoon/epoxy filet along its length.

Now I am working on the flaps. After cutting all of the hinges out, it no longer is "off" and shifted to one side. The flap coupler hinge lays in place just as I built it. That's a relief, no problem there as I had feared. I punched stitch holes on one side and will sew it tomorrow evening, and do the other side too. Then I can get to work on that mount.

I would show pictures, but the glass is almost invisible, so it looks a lot like it did in the previous pre-repair pic. Since I have no yellow Monokote, the front end of the Oriental is going to be aluminum colored, left over from my ex neighbor's P-51.

Will Davis sent me a whole brand new fuselage, wing, flap and tail assembly as spare parts for my Nobler. Hopefully I won't need them for repairs and can one day build a whole new plane from them.

I quit before I got sloppy today. I'm exhausted from a badass concert in Charlotte at the Time Warner Arena last night. Got home and hit the sack about 3:30am. Alice Cooper and Motley Crue. It's been a Looong time since I went to a full blown high end rock show. I'll post videos and pictures this week. My son shucked out $600 bucks for three tickets for Himself, Holley and me. Can't wait to make a thread about it. We have lots of pics and vids.
Rusty

Now is good time to use those CA hinges that come with the plane.

Ken Cook wrote:           Now is good time to use those CA hinges that come with the plane.

Don't think I haven't thought of it. But I'm hurrying, not rushing, and sewn will be better. I learned that Stunter's mantra from one of your club mates.
Rusty

I was double checking and of course found another hidden crack. It's on the top sheeting just at the very edge of the filet. So the filet had done its job of strengthening the wing at the root, but almost escaped notice until I was flexing the wing looking for just that. Damn, another fiberglass job. But a smaller, lighter one.

First I sprung it open slightly and trickled some CA into it, then let it go back to its resting position which is with the crack closed. That's why it was hidden, but one day the wing would have folded in an outside 90 degree corner. I saw one do that on the Expert circle over the pavement in May. Matt Colan's Vector exploded into a pile of garbage in a fraction of a second during a wingover. I heard it. I wish I'd seen it. I must still have a little NASCAR blood in me, Haha. Matt's an Aerospace student at Embry Riddle. I bet his buddies gave him hell over that one. Beware with ARFs, when you slice the monokote along the gluing surface and do Not score the wood... same with the stab. Anyway, I dremeled the filet off as much as I dared. It's a good gluing surface anyway, epoxy and microballoons. I love that stuff. Here's a pic with the filet removed. The crack is barely visible, an inch and half or so, near the LE, right against the edge of the ground-off filet.

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Hers's a pic of the fiberglass on the top sheeting and folded up the side of the fuselage a half inch. It overlaps the bottom glass right under the apex of the LE. It's not sanded yet.


The test puddle of epoxy hardened perfectly. Again I can barely bend it, but it doesn't snap. That's 30 min glue, after setting 2 hours. The last one set that fast and still has the same properties days later. It's Great Planes glue. I have always had excellent results with that brand. I know there is much more sophisticated epoxy available, but I don't need it for my small hobby. Some brands require slightly different amounts of each part, but the GP stuff is usually spot-on. I think I got a batch that was slightly off once, but just make a note of the proportions and it's fine. I miss my Loctite 60 in the bottles.

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Here's the wider bottom glass I did last week. It is sanded, and looks and feels much better than the picture suggests.


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Poor Girl  She'll be fine though. Lots of TLC going into this job.


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Straight as an arrow. The yellow monokote I tore up will be replaced with silvery aluminum covering. I think it'll look cool. This contest plane needs a name! please tell me what to write on her side.


Stay tuned for re-hinging the flaps and re-mounting the engine.
Rusty

Id' name It ......NUT-N-HONEY......I don't know why....Just thought it was funny....PS...I am on drugs from a knee operation today LOL

akjgardner wrote:I'd name It ......NUT-N-HONEY......I don't know why....Just thought it was funny....PS...I am on drugs from a knee operation today LOL

Ah!, so you're the kinda people I need, thanks, Gardener. I'm on long term C/P/M narcotics too.
Maybe that's why I fly so much better in my head than I do in the air  
I hope your knee works out great. They're pretty good at that these days. Do all of your PT homework!
Rusty

Okay, that's one, lessee what y'all got. I'll send the winner a prize.

"Tuff Enuff"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-XeHzCPaN-0

WOOD A SHOULD A COULD A.............OR...........GRAVITY WON (1).........I had a hydroplane one time with DELTA on the tail I named it ........MISS MANAGED......HA HA HA.....Guess who I used to work for ? LOL

Oriental Phoenix
Oriental As it's place of birth ( or construction )
Phoenix. As it's re-birth from the ashes ( balsa dust) from where it came!

"Fortune Cookie", now that you've cracked it open to see what's inside.

Jim

So far I have a favorite. Thanks, and keep them coming.
Rusty

Miss Hap  or Aerosplat sorry thats all I could do


Fortune Cookie is good

I don't know if you drilled the mount yet. As crude as it sounds, the best screws I found for the task were allen socket head sheet metal screws. Of course they do provide you with screws (Typically slotted) that work well. When I drill these, I use a pin vise I can accurately drill those holes better than a drill press can do. This is due to not having a fixture to hold it properly. I have a fixture for the .049-.061 mounts. What kind of tank was in there, plastic or metal? What is the condition of that as crashes like that can really fubar a metal tank internally. I thought you mentioned you were running plastic. I would really get that engine on there prior to doing a lot of work and see if vibrations are going to be an issue. Ken

It's been previously drilled and used with the supplied screws, of which the front two come out on the bottom through the angled tip end. Though they fit my engine, I want to relocate them farther back, so I was planning to use 4-40 machine screws, and maybe plug the existing holes.

I have an all tubes forward Brodak metal tank. The plastic one you're thinking of is in the Nobler. I haven't pressure checked it yet. I guess I should take a look inside first and see that everything is in place and secure.
Rusty

Rusty, I would use the holes you have. Those mounts tend to break directly on the hole just from vibes. If it doesn't work due to the engine too far fwd, I would buy a new one and start over, but at least you will have the firewall holes located. The fact that they broke out of the holes due to the angle isn't a problem, pretty typical. The tank should be air tested as if your trying to blow it up. My concerns would be the pipe broke away from where it was soldered in the rear. That you wouldn't know by air testing, only a visual inspection by opening it. My first step would certainly be the air test. If it passes, try and fly.

Thanks for the tips, Ken. I'll take your advice and mount it in the existing holes. I just came in from the shop after cutting the old beams almost flush with the firewall, just some cleaning up to do. The existing firewall is 1/8" and seems pretty sturdy, but I think I'll add another 16th of ply to its face before installing the mount. After test fitting the mount, the engine height will be no problem.

I'll get back to the flaps later. I'm happy with my other repairs, they'll be nearly invisible and plenty strong.
Rusty

And here's the aforementioned new face for the firewall.
I'll fit some balsa triangle stock in all four corners behind the firewall, being careful not to obstruct the tank. It's all tubes forward, but it'll sit a little farther back, since all but the engine feed line and hole is blocked by the engine mount. I'll make some external copper plumbing exiting from the tank compartment for uni and overflow vents.
Just doing a little something every day. It's never as simple as it looks at first.



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Maybe this is where I can wrap a strip of 1/2 oz fiberglass around the outside? Or should I use the heavier glass like on the wing?



Maybe this is where I can wrap a strip of 1/2 oz fiberglass around the outside? Or should I use the heavier glass like on the wing?

I was just looking at the mess I made of the yellow monokote. I have no idea how I'm going to make that look good again. I do have some silkspan and Aerogloss clear and black. And silver Monokote. Some combination of all that I suppose.
Rusty

I filled the old plumbing holes with Maple beam stock, shaped to fit and epoxied in place.


Then glued the new face plate in and discovered two bolt holes for the engine mount don't go through into the tank compartment. I had to open up the top sheeting of the fuselage to get the blind nuts in place. I was going to paint some epoxy in there but it looks to be already covered with something Chinese... hot glue, I guess. I was careful not to cut that stringer in the center.


Here's a view of the blind nuts in the top. I will coat all the screws with epoxy because they ain't coming back out. And the mount will be glued to the firewall too. If this plane ever crashes again, it's history. There is no telling what's still broken that I can't see.


I think I'll put an aluminum bearer across the screws and secure with nylock nuts and cut them to length.


I bought some CA hinges today for the flaps. Monokoting the rest will be a pain in the ass. All the new covering will be silver.
Rusty

Another name idea......Risky Business.....or.... Rusty's Bonsai

Rusty on September 5 said:

"You guys never cease to amaze me with the projects you are inspired to take on."

Right back at ya good friend.

Bob

Thanks Bob. Just a matter of perspective isn't it.
Okay, I'm at another tough place. The tank does not fit conveniently to say the least. I thought I was going to have more room than this. Obviously I can shorten the copper lines exiting the tank, to get some bend in the silicon lines. I could use 1/2A line for the vents, though I'd rather not. I could try bending the copper lines, but they're the hardest copper I ever met. I just turned out the lights for a while. All sorts of ideas seem simple until I go look at the actual situation. I sure don't want the plumbing to be any less than perfect. A shorter tank is not an option either, as it needs all of the gas I can get in it. Not so bad on warm days but certainly it will in October. Last year stunters were falling like flies when one of the first cool days coincided with the contest. It woulda been funny... if it wasn't, Lol.

I just don't know. While I think on it, I'll gladly take ideas. Just assume the pictures look better than real life. And the blocky mount on the front end is adding to the lack of room.
Rusty

Rusty, is the tank all the way to the back of the compartment ? Your pictures don't show it and I can only assume it is. 1/2A line is not a good option. Bending the pipes cold is also not an option. They will break and if they do bend your going to compromise the solder joint. If bending is the only solution the tank needs to come apart. Heat until cherry red and let air cool and it will be pliable like a rubber band. Clean off all scale and solder back in. Does the pickup run directly into your blind nuts? Personally I would put a 90 deg bend on the pickup and drill a hole through the firewall on the inside of the mount . If this is something your not comfortable doing I would be more than willing to do it for you. What size tank is that? Is that a 4.5 or a 5? Ken