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The LF 109 Pionyr, is a short kit, and plans from Jim Ealy, a prolific U.S. designer, and builder.The wing span is actually 138". The area is roughly 2,000 sq. in. Contact details for plans will appear shortly.
Please note that Gordon has provided some very detailed photo files, all of which can be greatly enlarged to show more information on the model construction.
Not much to say about the construction, it is pretty straight forward, not much different than any other model. To make the canopy frame, which probably is different than most; I cut templates of 1/4 inch plywood that are of the shape of inside of the canopy frames.
Then I cut 1/32 inch plywood 1/8 inch wide, and laminated three pieces and one piece of carbon filament together with slow dry epoxy. This was then taped around the curved templates, and left to dry. The results were strong and easy to fabricate into the finished canopy. The rudder and fin are 3/4 inch thick at the spar, and taper to the trailing, and leading edge. Rather than try to shim the leading and trailing edge, during construction, I made the entire tail surfaces 3/4 inches thick, and used my disc sander to get the leading and trailing edges the correct thickness. Working on the details of the cockpit and instrument panel, has been a labor of love. A good source of tiny screws to use on the instrument panel, is your local eye glass provider. They will have a good quantify of glasses screws, in most cases will be happy to give them to you, when you tell them what you are using them for. The instrument panel is a photo reproduction of the panel in Dr. Pisacek's Pionyr which I am modelling. "The wings are the next big project, and I am afraid the Holidays (Xmas) will get in the way of much building activity." |
