Olympia 2b 1/3 scale**
Posted: 13 May 2021, 13:37
Whilst this may not be the 1st build of one of Jilles Smits’ Olympia kits from Laser Cut Sailplanes, I hope the 2b version will be of interest, particularly as I don’t think there has been a detailed build thread produced.
The kit provides build options for either the original Meise canopy shape or modern curved variety, plus full skid or wheel. This build will be the 2b version, with modern canopy & wheel.
There is also a 3D printed nose cone available.
Cliff delivered a set of plans & a big bag of nicely laser cut parts the other day, so the first job was to go through the labelled parts, Bill of Materials (BOM) & plans to check off all the bits & identify where they went/sort into wing, fuselage etc sets.
First up on the build schedule is the fuselage, which I will construct on a flat plank of wood claimped to my bench top.
The plank is a standard length of planned softwood obtained from the local wood shop & is about 150x25mm & 2.1m long, just long enough to accommodate the fuselage formers and act as a build surface.
After marking a lengthways centreline & marking a position for the front former, I glued Former 1A base onto the building surface with the former base centre marker on the base centreline, ensuring the former was vertical.
Once the front former was fixed, I could use this as a reference to add the other full length formers F4 & F8, tied together by the 2 front keel pieces. Note that I am glueing the bases of each full length former to the building surface.
Once these parts are fixed in place, F2 & F3 can be added (plus the tow release servo plate ST1) & then F5.
The upper nose longeron (S4) & 2 upper side nose longerons (S5) can now by fitted.
Note that F7 must be fitted before F6 and associated 2 servo plates are fitted, otherwise it cannot be fitted as the servo plates go above it’s base. The 2 wing joiner doubler plates DB1 fitted between F7 & F8 locate the top of F7.
The following shots show the above.
The kit provides build options for either the original Meise canopy shape or modern curved variety, plus full skid or wheel. This build will be the 2b version, with modern canopy & wheel.
There is also a 3D printed nose cone available.
Cliff delivered a set of plans & a big bag of nicely laser cut parts the other day, so the first job was to go through the labelled parts, Bill of Materials (BOM) & plans to check off all the bits & identify where they went/sort into wing, fuselage etc sets.
First up on the build schedule is the fuselage, which I will construct on a flat plank of wood claimped to my bench top.
The plank is a standard length of planned softwood obtained from the local wood shop & is about 150x25mm & 2.1m long, just long enough to accommodate the fuselage formers and act as a build surface.
After marking a lengthways centreline & marking a position for the front former, I glued Former 1A base onto the building surface with the former base centre marker on the base centreline, ensuring the former was vertical.
Once the front former was fixed, I could use this as a reference to add the other full length formers F4 & F8, tied together by the 2 front keel pieces. Note that I am glueing the bases of each full length former to the building surface.
Once these parts are fixed in place, F2 & F3 can be added (plus the tow release servo plate ST1) & then F5.
The upper nose longeron (S4) & 2 upper side nose longerons (S5) can now by fitted.
Note that F7 must be fitted before F6 and associated 2 servo plates are fitted, otherwise it cannot be fitted as the servo plates go above it’s base. The 2 wing joiner doubler plates DB1 fitted between F7 & F8 locate the top of F7.
The following shots show the above.