Scale Soaring UK

Well done Brian.
Looks very neat so far & you’ve even started the covering

Thanks for the nice comments Peter.
I have now started on the sheeting and planking of the fuselage. It is pretty straight forward at the back because the fuselage is a straight forward ovoid cone shape with no compound curves. I have been able to cut the 1/8 balsa sheet to a long triangles, moisten the outer surface and glue and pin it into place. I have resorted to traditional planking going towards the top of the fuselage where the curve tightens. The front of the fuselage will all be planked to cope with the compound curves there.
If I keep going at this pace I will be keeping up with Chris Williams! (in your dreams Brian!!!)
Brian.

This afternoon I have got the sheeting and planking to the point where the fuselage is rigid enough to allow me to remove it from the jig. Thanks Robbie, once again your jig design has left me with a perfectly straight and nicely aligned fuselage structure. The fuselage is now sitting upside-down in a couple of foam cradles on the workbench ready for me to start on the underside planking.
Brian.

Hi Paul...
Yes it's a great tool and easy to build and use. Designed by Robbie Bridson and details are available - this is where Cliff Evans can step in with the Info.
Brian

Damn you Brian!! There is basic info here: viewtopic.php?t=2486

Just to add to Cliff's post, my original was 50 x 50 ali angle and was spaced with M8 studding. Bear in mind you will need four nuts and washers per spacer. You could use bolts but studding is probably cheaper.

All the hardware for mine (minus the jig base) came from B&Q: the angle brackets were perfect for the job...

I have made a bit more progress in the last couple of days. The fuselage is now completely sheeted and planked except for the upper surface in front of the cockpit, This is being left open at the moment to get easy access to the whole of the cockpit area. The planking on the outside of the front of the fuselage was given a rough sand followed up by a thin layer of filler all over to close up any holes and gaps that there might be between planks. The filler I use is Ronseal multi-purpose wood filler (natural) as I find that it sets fairly hard but is easy to sand and gives a good surface finish.
I then cut out panels of 390gm/m2 glass cloth using card templates and glued them into the various bays using Bucks Composites finishing epoxy resin.
I have also added the balsa leading edge to the fin and have rough sanded it to section.
Brian.

Looking very nice Brian.
Nice even planking.
Are you preparing to fit a fixed mainwheel or retract?

Peter

Thanks Peter. The wheel will be retractable as in the photo of the full size on page 1. As I said at that point I made a retract mechanism a couple of years ago from plans on this forum and have been looking for an airframe to put it in. There is a photo also on page 1.
Brian.