Scale Soaring UK

I'll follow I'm looking to build a scale ship for next year not sure which to go for.
Can I ask what flying experience you have? I've only flown small flat field stuff and going to learn to slope fly this year and got 3 models to go through. Then maybe a scale build next winter.

Dave

Thanks for your comments! Yes, I'll do my best to keep the aft as light as possible (scraping of glue residue, but doubt that will make the difference ).

My flying experience is 3 years with motorized gliders (up to 4meters span) and planes up to 3meters. Too I did some slope soaring.
I'll be building tow hook into this one so I can use it both on the field and slope. I haven't figured out where to put the tow hook yet. Looking at reference pictures it seems that the T21 had this installed on different locations (or the pics are misleading me).
I think I'll end up installing it next to the skid, on the belly of the glider.



Starting with the tail section, here ribs 2 and 4 seem somewhat short:



And while stuff is drying I started on the rudder too:





Next time I think I will as a small ramp (is that correct English?) instead of building these curved parts on the plan. Haven't always figured out what the best technique for building straight..

Daniel

I usually do rudders like this...

Preparations for the skid are underway;



I'm not too sure yet on how to tackle this; The four layers of ply (drying here, but not glued yet) are okay and still give some flexibility. Though gluing them with epoxy and adding carbon strips seems a bit rude, as all the epoxy I'm used to gets rock hard. The way I understand skids is that they are supposed to have some flex, or is this only for full size gliders? Any thoughts are welcome!

Backspine preps:



And the whole serie done:



These will be glued to the inner sides of the frame, instead to on top of it.

Eventhough trying to keep the aft as light as possible, I felt the need for some extra meet on the rudder as the balsa base seems to be to soft for holding hinges. So, on the critical spots I added a small layer of ply:



And the whole rudder done:



I must say though looking at some other builds here, I do feel like a slowmover
But, the more I get done, the more fun it gets!

Cheers

On my laminated skids, I always use PVA glue as it remains flexible. I have never had one fail by delamination so can commend the option as being well tried and tested.

AEB

Re Tow Hook, if this is for aerotowing it wants to be in the nose, our Mike Trew 1/5th scale T-21 aerotows lovely.

Friend has also just picked up a 2nd hand T-21 (1/5th scale) and it has a tow hook along side the skid, obviously for winch/bungee launch, but we haven't tried this yet.............

Thanks AEB and Frank!
I'd love to hear how that tow hook alongside the skid works out eventually!

The rudder is nearing completion:



The whole nose part is not as easy as I though it would be. Seems my method of working and pinning down things deviates from what I see on the forums.
For my next built I for sure will try to find a way to keep the whole model in position during the main part of the build.
For now it didn't work out for me since I had a hard time bending the longerons. I might see into a magnetic surface to build on, looks like a more easy way to keep the whole build straight







Simple side question; did someone ever made successful use of one of these?:



For some reason it seems impossible to cut longer straight strips with this simple tool..

Seb,
I expect that Chris Williams would have used “Bridson Jig” when he built his T21.
See https://scalesoaring.co.uk/phpBB3/view ... 826#p26826

I find that the balsa stripper seems to work better if you use a new blade and angle the blade as much as possible so that the tip end cuts much later than the top part
Peter

You shouldn't need a jig, really, for a slab-sided fuselage...These days I use horizontal liteply alignment plates to keep things straight

Thanks again for the directions!

Here some more progress:



Sorry, I did not setup a boot for taking pics ..



Now with the sidepannels mounted it somewhat starts to feel like something more solid!



I found this the easiest way the get the ribs glued in straight. It must be said that the trailing edge is of very soft balsa. I might reenforce, but will have to seen what the whole structure will feel like once completed.