Cliff Charlesworth Olympia build in Bishop, CA.

[Greg Smith]

Thank you, Peter.
I've been struggling a bit with the elevator actuator: it just hasn't wanted to work smoothly, but I'm getting there...

[Greg Smith]

I've built the fin, using the laser-cut fin post provided, but having to increase the depth of the ribs because I intend to reduce the thickness of the rudder LE a little and have it fit inside a shroud produced by skinning the whole fin (i.e. completely covering the fin with 1/16" balsa) and extending the skinning/ covering to make little 'wings' which will cover the LE of the rudder. One concern would be having sufficient rear fuselage width to accommodate this: I have enough: it's wider than shown on the plan, as it turns out. If you see what I mean, Peter, can you see any other drawbacks to this idea? At the LE of the fin, I'll just sand/fair the sheeting so that the LE will be standard thickness.This means the fin will be a little thicker than indicated, and the rudder a little narrower. Does one fibreglass the fin?

[Peter Balcombe]

Hi Greg,
That is a different approach - but if it works for you then go with it.
As far as fibre-glassing the fin is concerned, it depends what you are doing for finishing.
If finish is as per the fuselage then I advise doing the same on the fin.
I only applied Solartex on the wings and tailplane, painting a couple of coats of resin on the balsa upper tailplane fin fairing in order to seal and get a smooth finish to paint on.

[Greg Smith]

Thanks, Peter!
I'm engaged today in making sure the fin/fuselage/elevator are all square and 'flat', then on to finishing the rudder and hinging it. Then, tailplane/fin fairing and finish sheeting the fuse.

[Greg Smith]

Am making slow progress, due to scratching my head over the canopy: whether I'll have to make one, or whether it can be ordered. I also am not clear about where to cut for the canopy, so initially I'mm checking my ability to post pictures within the site limits. Not being a PC user, it's trial and lots of error, using a programme called 'Pix Resizer'. So I'll try to post something now, and if successful will post relevant pics. later.

[Greg Smith]

Yes! It has worked: I'll attempt more tomorrow.

[Peter Balcombe]

Greg,
Note that there are now two variants of the Oympia canopy:
1: The original Meise type with a more upright front;
2: The more modern sloping front canopy as I used.

However, as Cliff says, Barry can provide either of these.
When you say you are not sure where to cut, do you mean to get the upper part of the cockpit coaming on which the canopy itself sits?
If this is the case then I will look up the fuselage part references.

Build looks good from the photo posted earlier Greg. Keep up the good work.
Peter

[Greg Smith]

Thanks for the replies, you two!
I think I'm committed to the sloping front, like yours, Peter, which is fine: what I'm really concerned about is exact dimensions from, say, Sarik: that I have built accurately enough for an 'existing' canopy to fit... I'll get the pics up soon and, yes, Peter, the uncertainty is about the 'cut' lines for the canopy base/framing. I have not yet attached the front, half round, coaming or the rear canopy former (8C and 'canopy base front') thinking it might be best to get the canopy here and allow myself a bit of furtling space, um, 'making up' ? What do you call it when you fiddle about to make things work?
No hurry: in the meantime, I can finish the ply covering - almost done - and get started on a wing. The puzzle with the wings I can see already will be joiners. I'll need to decide on the system early on and can't find the box/tube system which Cliff suggests anywhere. I'm thinking of carbon tubes and rods (both 'tube', though: one inside the other, but it would be good to make the box style work...

I wrote (handwritten letter!) to the Ulster Gliding Club to try and contact the owner/restorer of their Olympia, but so far without result... A letter sent to my grand-nephew a while ago never arrived, so I wonder if the GPO/USPS can read handwriting still?

[Peter Balcombe]

Greg,
Don't worry too much about having to be accurate to ensure the canopy fits as this is quite flexible and can be trimmed from the oversized vacuum pulled moulding to fit. It is 'pulled' from acetate sheet approx 0.5mm thick, so is quite flexible once cut from the moulding base. These characteristics allow the same canopy moulding to be used on a number of different models as it is cut as necessary to fit each one. Have you used a vacuum pulled canopy moulding before?

To release the cockpit coaming, you will need to slit through the skins/fuselage structure on each side as follows:
1. Cut between formers 8A & 8C down towards the two parallel 1/8x1/8" spruce stringers, cutting through the upper of these stringers only.
2. Cut down between the two formers marked 6A at the front, towards the two parallel 1/8x1/8" stringers, again cutting through the upper stringer only.
3. Cut along each side between the two parallel stringers (severing F6-F8 in the process) to release the cockpit coaming section.
(I find a fine razor saw good for these cuts, but be careful that you find the correct gaps).

Note that the hoop of former 8C forms the rear of the canopy frame.
You will see from my build thread that I made up a laminated 'U' shaped stringer which I glued to the top of the coaming, thus giving a lip against which I could glue the canopy itself.

Fitting the canopy itself involves carefully marking & cutting down the supplied moulding in several stages to make sure you get a good fit, but without cutting off too much. I advise gluing the canopy with Canopy/Modellers glue as Cyano fumes will cause a bloom on the clear acetate. Canopy glue is a white liquid, but dries clear, so isn't that noticeable when dried.
By the way, one word used in this part of the world for making adjustments as you go is 'fettling', another is 'bodging'.

Once you have the canopy fitted and the wings able to be fitted, you will be able to sort out making the rear canopy fairing to fill the gaps between the canopy glazing and the angled section at the wing roots. However, one thing at a time!!
Peter

[RobbieB]

Peter,

Are you sure Barry is using acetate now?

The vac forming plastic of choice was predominately PETG, a polyethylene - so easy to handle and thermo form but is notoriously difficult to glue as are many polyethylenes, welding usually being the choice here for joining. This was always the material Roly used at Sarik and I found Canopy glue really didn't give a good bond if any at all. Cyno does but you may have clouding problems and a brittle plastic at the end. I believe there are cynos available that are formulated to reduce or stop this clouding.

I found the best solution is to carefully rough up the glued area on the canopy to give a good key and use a good quality, slow setting epoxy, applying it sparingly and do a section at a time.