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Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4**

Let us all watch your new project progress.
User avatar
Bovin
Posts: 72
Joined: 30 Sep 2017, 12:43
Location: Hillegom

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4

Post by Bovin »

The instrument panel is, just like the pilot, well in sight. However, I had a problem, nowhere I could find information about it. On this photo I could see a tiny piece and there the panel seems to be white.
Schermopname (154).png
Schermopname (154).png (90.29 KiB) Viewed 2479 times
I also found a white panel on this photo of a Petrel, so it did occur.
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I decided to make just something out of it, looking at the other gliders of Slingsby. I had already ordered a set of instruments in 1:4 scale from Aero Cockpit, but I could not use the dials. I still had pictures of the dials from the previous plane, the Slingsby Gull. On the photo of the white instrument panel of the Petrel, the instruments were countersunk? and I decided to make it likewise. The instruments from Aerocockpit were delivered as a superstructure, but that can be sawn off. On the photo on the right the sawn off altimeter and on the left the clock that was not sawn off.
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Now I could make the panel proper.
It is made of two layers of 0.6 plywood, because that can still be cut. After having marked everything, I drilled all the holes with a 1mm drill, including the centre of the holes in the panels that were clamped together. After this, I cut the plywood on the front and back with a cutting compass, cut segments in it and could break out the plywood.
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I glued the two panels together with the help of a few dowel pins. Then it appeared that the holes were just a bit too small for the instruments and with the tapered handle of a screwdriver and some sandpaper I could make them fit exactly.
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Then I glued another layer of ply behind it, with 2 magnets to secure it in the plane. Now back to the instruments. I sawed off all the instruments that had been built up so that only the ring(bezel?) with the glass was left. But the compass should actually be a sphere. On Retroplane Eric spore had already done something like that, nice detail. I rounded off a handle of a file (I use everything within reach...), clamped a piece of PET on a board with a hole, heated the plastic, pushed the file up and a tube over and to my relief got a nice sphere.
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I glued a strip of a photo of the compass in it and painted the sphere black on the inside.
I made the screws from black pins, filed the heads flat and made a sawcut.
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Now I had all the parts.
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All was left was the fun part, gluing everything together with PVA .
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Vincent
===============================================
Alex Tankink
Posts: 37
Joined: 20 Jan 2021, 11:53
Location: Adelaide

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4

Post by Alex Tankink »

Hey Vincent,

Just wanted to drop a line and say thanks for the inspiration!

Am planning a nice 1/4 grunau or similar and always wanted a nice looking detailed pilot. No plastic fantastics for me.

During our recent lock down with parts to finish another glider delayed, I thought I would just have a try at making a pilot bust for my future project.

My wife is and the RAAF so a 1930’s aviatrix was the model for my first ever sculpt. The photos attached show progress to date with a barnstormer leather jacket, goggles and other details yet to be sculpted.

When finished it will be cast as in epoxy as a hollow and painted (hopefully) ah la aces of iron style

Has been a great project and learned some great modelling skills.

Next project will be a modern pilot for my first scale glider a 1/4 ASK 18 hopefully arriving soon 👍🏻

Cheers

Alex
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Cliff Evans
Posts: 1032
Joined: 29 Dec 2019, 15:13
Location: Bristol
Contact:

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4

Post by Cliff Evans »

Very nice Alex.
https://lasercutsailplanes.co.uk
https://patteaklegliders.co.uk
Alex Tankink
Posts: 37
Joined: 20 Jan 2021, 11:53
Location: Adelaide

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4

Post by Alex Tankink »

Cliff Evans wrote: 05 Aug 2021, 17:29 Very nice Alex.
Cheers Cliff,

Is a very interesting road this forum and scale sailplanes has led me down 😁. Never thought I’d sculpt anything let alone be able to sculpt.

It’s not a glider but hey it’s at least in the genre while I wait for my covering and parts to arrive.

We shall see how it finishes up.

Cheers
User avatar
Bovin
Posts: 72
Joined: 30 Sep 2017, 12:43
Location: Hillegom

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4

Post by Bovin »

Hey Alex,

Glad you got some inspiration from my efforts, your sculpture surely is looking nice!
Funny where hobby's can lead you in, surely it inspires the creative part of the brain.
I am interested how you make the impression and the casting, like to hear that.

Vincent
User avatar
Bovin
Posts: 72
Joined: 30 Sep 2017, 12:43
Location: Hillegom

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4

Post by Bovin »

The instruments also include the pitot tube, which I like to be demountable. I made it from solid 2 mm wire, which I had lying around, I don't know exactly what kind of stuff, but it was not magnetic. I took two pieces, bent it to look like the example and soldered them together with silver.
I left one piece of wire sticking out and put a triangular brass plate on it together with a square piece of brass. Finally a piece of iron nail and soldered it all together with silver. The brass profile fits into a somewhat larger profile, into which I glued a magnet
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IMG_2847.JPG (32.63 KiB) Viewed 1736 times
I glued the larger brass profile into the fuselage nose
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and glued it with 5 min epoxy from the inside. I had to hold the fuselage upside down and glue it in place, which keeps you flexible...
IMG_2853.JPG


I hestated with the skid, I decided to make the supporting structure massive. I glued 12 layers of 2mm balsa with PVA using the fuselage as mould, separating with cling foil.
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After curing, I took it off and planed it in the shape
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and covered it with Diacov, to imitate the sailcloth of the real glider. Then I painted it white and glued it all on the fuselage. On top of that I glued the skate itself made from 0.6mm plywood and two layers of 2mm pine. Then 2X2mm pine strips in the corners.
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Back to the interior. I covered the seat with leather from an old wallet
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and made a control stick from aluminium tube, which slides over a piece of installation wire
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So that I can bend the stick in the desired position.
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Some details still missing in the interior….

Vincent
Alex Tankink
Posts: 37
Joined: 20 Jan 2021, 11:53
Location: Adelaide

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4

Post by Alex Tankink »

Bovin wrote: 06 Aug 2021, 11:35 Hey Alex,

Glad you got some inspiration from my efforts, your sculpture surely is looking nice!
Funny where hobby's can lead you in, surely it inspires the creative part of the brain.
I am interested how you make the impression and the casting, like to hear that.

Vincent

Vincent,

I’ll keep you posted on the progress and results’

Am enjoying following you build thread and best of luck with it 👍🏻

Cheers

Alex
User avatar
Bovin
Posts: 72
Joined: 30 Sep 2017, 12:43
Location: Hillegom

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4**

Post by Bovin »

I'm a bit behind with my construction report, flying and working at the house...
The structural work progressed well and with some sunshine I took some pictures outside
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Here all parts ready for finishing
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I applied bister (an organic water-soluble dye, available at the art materials store) with a sponge. Then I applied two layers of porienfuller and finishing it with PU yacht paint. The shed was full of it and it smelled quite bad
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The horizontal stabiliser, rudder and ailerons were sheeted with Diacov.
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Vincent
User avatar
Bovin
Posts: 72
Joined: 30 Sep 2017, 12:43
Location: Hillegom

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4**

Post by Bovin »

The cockpit canopy in the original was made of bent (perspex?) sheets over a wooden frame
Schermopname (156).png
Schermopname (156).png (77.21 KiB) Viewed 1386 times
King-Kite-3.jpg
I glued 0.5mm transparent plastic panels with canopy glue on the frame, two panels at the same time,
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finishing with the big front panel. And also cover strips over the fore aft seams
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Not to forget very small "screws", pins with a sawcut I the heads
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(just as I made for the instrument panel)

Vincent
User avatar
Bovin
Posts: 72
Joined: 30 Sep 2017, 12:43
Location: Hillegom

Re: Scratch built Slingsby King Kite 1/4**

Post by Bovin »

Except for some finishing of the interior, it was ready now. I had calculated the centre of gravity with Ecalc and it had to be 79 to 90 mm from the LE. As the fuselage is too wide for my new digital CG scale, I got my old contraption from the attic, 3 sheets of plastic coated chipboard screwed together in a sort of U
IMG_2907.JPG
The wings rests on slats with a 2X2 mm rounded slat (see arrow)
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where the plane balances on.
I had to use 450 gr lead, of which 130 gr can be removed. I put that in the white jar
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In this way I can adjust the CG between the two values without chopping or breaking. I poured epoxy resin over the loose lead pieces (although I deducted the weight of the epoxy).
Some more data of the model, span 3875mm, weight 4800 gr, wing area 85dm2 and that gives a wing loading of 56.4gr/dm2
I made some pictures in the sun.
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It is now almost ready to fly, just some painting of the pilot, some details of the interior and the lettering.
Question; I can't find any documentation how the flaps are actuated, I mean what kind of handle the pilot had in the cockpit, can anyone help me with that?

Vincent
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