More Work on the Jr. Skylark-Still Clear Doping, But Getting Ready for Color

@dirk gently wrote:Wow, what a beauty! Timeless, classical construction method. Is it going to be RC? I assume so because of the dihedral. If my assumption is correct, how many channels will it have? Is simultaneous starting of two engines an issue?

"

Hey, THANK YOU!!!!

Yes, the Jr. Skylark will fly with a two-channel...elevator and rudder, and powered by two Tee Dee .020's. The Tee Dee's, with the new tank/mounts, will give the plane more power and a longer run. My friend Thomas, flew his with Pee Wee .020's at the 30th S.M.A.L.L. Fly-In a couple months ago (video below), and handled single engine flying with no problem.

Starting two (or more) engines CAN be an issue, but I've gotten a fair amount of experience with them...the key being to run them extensively on a stand before putting them on a plane.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lExfye1Hty0&t=3s

@getback wrote:Those TDs should carry it well after watching the Pee Wee s fly , very smooth , I use the glue/balsa mix for willing too old school and cheap . Look forward to the finished model

Thanks Eric !!!

Kim, the twin is cool. I wish I knew how to fly r/c. I built a beautiful model from the 80's that I purchased from Tower Hobbies. The kit was Italian made by Scorpio. My son flew it for the first time last year. I just need to be more persistent in going to the r/c field and just doing it more. They fly real big stuff and I don't know why they don't do smaller like you show. I think the cool factor alone makes it worthwhile. The Scout is a great little plane. My favorite from that series is the 1/2A Tom Tom. Just way cool planes and they do fly quite well. Ken

Very nice work Kim. Do you happen to have a guesstimate on final AUW of this little dual castor-slinger? Just curious as I have a JR Skylark that I do plan on flying next year and I believe I am up around 20 ounces without battery yet. Just curious. Thanks.

Hi Kim, here I am having a beer, I just arrived from my job and I am looking at your plane and progress! ... beautiful that model with the Tee Dee .020 !! I mean what color will you do ... congratulations friend!
Another question, I recently had problems with Rx Orange, tell me what RX do you use in your models with .010 / .020 / .049? Thank you

@NEW222 wrote:Very nice work Kim. Do you happen to have a guesstimate on final AUW of this little dual castor-slinger? Just curious as I have a JR Skylark that I do plan on flying next year and I believe I am up around 20 ounces without battery yet. Just curious. Thanks.

Hey, don't really have a clue at this point, but will throw it on the scales once most of it's guts are loaded!

@MauricioB wrote:Hi Kim, here I am having a beer, I just arrived from my job and I am looking at your plane and progress! ... beautiful that model with the Tee Dee .020 !! I mean what color will you do ... congratulations friend!
Another question, I recently had problems with Rx Orange, tell me what RX do you use in your models with .010 / .020 / .049? Thank you

Hey Mauricio!

I intend to duplicate the box-art of the original model (photo below), with some additional wording or trim.  It's wing and stab will be covered with Monokote, while it's fuselage and fin will be painted with Brodak dope.

I've never used the Rx Orange, but have a new Spektrum Rx that I'll probably use in the Skylark.  I still fly on 72 mhz radios in several of my planes, and have collected micro Rx's for use with those.

Have a good day, friend!!!





Here's Tony, flying my Minnie Mambo "Little Traveler" on 72 Mhz at the 30th S.M.A.L.L. Fly-In:

Another afternoon spent working on "piddly stuff" with the Skylark. The servos were dry-fitted (and may get shuffled around) inside the fuse.

The original Skylark was designed NOT to have an elevator, so one was installed. The nacelles are also shaped and finished. Everything got sanded and I'm done with that stuff!

I'm also down to my last precious tube of Ambroid Airplane Cement! The end of an era!

Ooooooohhh iIts a twin....COOL... that looking really good

This is looking good and there seems to be plenty of room in the fuselage to shuffle gear about to balance it.

I am told that Sig-ment is a near equivalent to Ambroid

https://sigmfg.com/products/sig-sig-ment

but the tubes look quite a bit smaller.

The nearest we have in the UK is Humbrol Balsa cement but only in 24ml tubes

https://www.humbrol.com/uk-en/balsa-cement-24ml-tube.html

Smells nice!

[quote="Kim"]Another afternoon spent working on "piddly stuff" with the Skylark. The servos were dry-fitted (and may get shuffled around) inside the fuse.

The only thing with the so called primitive gear is it was considerably larger than the current stuff. Adams Stomper Magnetic Actuator looks gargantuan compared to those micro servos. Plans (original) I have, shows provision for an optional roughly 1/2 inch wide fairly narrow kick up elevator by splitting the trailing edge, common on R/O compound escapement flying.

Nice build, looks like you have it constructed in decent wood, too.
Regarding the nice smell of cellulose glue, no wonder we were happy builders.

Almost there Kim. Looks really good, you are a lucky guy!

Thanks guys! I'm trying to keep the ball rolling, and want to start hitting this thing with some dope (Brodak on the fuse / Monokote for the wing and stab) before long.

Yeah, I use the term "primitive" fondly, with the knowledge that a little MORE knowledge (and maybe technical ability) would have helped me with my escapement gear back in the day!

The wood does seem to be good stuff. I got the kit from Fast Eddie at:

http://lazer-works.com/main.html

The REAL kick from the glue, for me, comes when I open the door of the shop the next day, and instantly see Uncle Wayne's "airplane room" from when I was a kid.

Toluene party at my place!!
Bob

@Kim wrote:

@dirk gently wrote:Wow, what a beauty! Timeless, classical construction method. Is it going to be RC? I assume so because of the dihedral. If my assumption is correct, how many channels will it have? Is simultaneous starting of two engines an issue?

"

Hey, THANK YOU!!!!

Yes, the Jr. Skylark will fly with a two-channel...elevator and rudder, and powered by two Tee Dee .020's.  The Tee Dee's, with the new tank/mounts, will give the plane more power and a longer run.  My friend Thomas, flew his with Pee Wee .020's at the 30th S.M.A.L.L. Fly-In a couple months ago (video below), and handled single engine flying with no problem.

Starting two (or more) engines CAN be an issue, but I've gotten a fair amount of experience with them...the key being to run them extensively on a stand before putting them on a plane.



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lExfye1Hty0&t=3s

So Much FUN!! I want a pet parakeet now! Nice launch Kim! Hope you can round-up the same folks, when it's time to fly yours.

[/quote]

Nice launch Kim! Hope you can round-up the same folks, when it's time to fly yours.  [/quote]

Wish I could take credit for the excellent launch, but that is our own Steve Staples...an original "S.M.A.L.L. Stepper"...who has chucked many-a-model into the blue !!!!

Beautiful twin! Yes... bench-testing is the key to running twins. Learn the idio"sync"rasies on a stand, not the plane (yeah, I had to use a word with synch in it).

I loved Ambroid, and use Sig-ment much the same way just fine...it just doesn't have as much "head-kick" as Ambroid.

The old stuff was called "Super Elastic Bubble Plastic," and I can still hear the ad play in my head. Just another benchmark calling me old.

I'd love to build this plane for CL. Maybe flatten the dihedral, and mount the bellcrank in the fuselage. Keep the wing removable for easier transport. Hmmmm, this sounds like a nice pattern plane.

I can't wait to see yours fly!