• Administrator
  •  
    Before your membership becomes valid, you will receive an email that must be answered.
    Please check your spam folder or this email.
     

Olympia 2b 1/3 scale**

Let us all watch your new project progress.
User avatar
Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Olympia 2b 1/3 scale**

Post by Peter Balcombe »

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.
First formers fitted
First formers fitted
Full formers centred
Full formers centred
Tow release servo plate
Tow release servo plate
F6-F8 area
F6-F8 area
Front assembly
Front assembly
Last edited by Peter Balcombe on 13 May 2021, 22:19, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale**

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Moving on to the wing root area, the doubler B1A can be glued to the top plate B1 & the 2 M4 captive nuts fitted, followed by former F9 glued at right angles to B1.
This assembly can then be slipped into place over the top of the F7/8 pylon & glued to the tops of each former.
Note that the root ribs cannot be added until this until in place, otherwise it cannot be fitted over the pylon.
Once F9 is in place, the two wheel side cheeks can be fitted to tie the bottom of the assembly to F8.

Once the glue has set, F10 & F11 can be fitted from under B1 and the bottoms of the formers secured in place by adding the 2 K1WR pieces.

Next up is the rear keel & remaining formers ....
F9 & wheel sides
F9 & wheel sides
F10 & F11 plus keel
F10 & F11 plus keel
User avatar
Max Wright
Posts: 198
Joined: 10 Mar 2020, 19:57
Location: Clayton Bay South Australia

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Max Wright »

That's going to be a biggie at 5 metres, Peter.

Thanks for posting. It will be an interesting read. 8-)

Cheers
Max
User avatar
Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Further progress today has taken me to the point where I need to await delivery of some M4 captive nuts to complete the tailplane seat, necessary before being able to attach the fuselage waist longerons.
Once the rear keel has been attached with the aid of the 2 rearmost full length formers (set vertical on the build board), the remaining formers can be added, remembering to inset the F20A & FR0 to set the finpost in place.
Thereafter, the fin can be built up, top rear longerons (S7 & S8) added & upper forward longerons (S1) added.
I will fit the outstanding front canopy former (F3A) tomorrow.
F4B78722-5CAF-4AE0-93FC-13A9BF643C36.jpeg
619AA4B9-058A-4CA3-8E56-45E563D636A6.jpeg
377C463C-7558-4D69-BC30-413EDC6C791E.jpeg
617349E2-D4B5-4CAD-9CBC-8419E497D1D0.jpeg
50660C7C-A47A-4B02-AE6E-ED038F35BBBA.jpeg
User avatar
Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

A bit of further progress today in that the lower forward longerons, plus the full length waist longerons (only secured as far back as F14 so far to allow the outstanding tailplane mount formers to be fitted) have been added. (The waist longerons are 2.1m long, so these were spliced up from standard lengths before fitting).
Also fitted were the G1 gussets at the top of F6 and the forward cockpit former F3A.

A check fit of the wheel supplied by Cliff showed that this was wider (at 40mm) than the 36mm gap between the wheel plates. A standard Dubro or similar wheel will fit, but these have a lot more ‘give’ & may not give a heavier 1/3 scale model much cushioning. The wheel mounting design relies on 3mm ply plates only & does not contain any internal aluminium doubler plates as usually found on larger models, so I have decided to beef this area up a little whilst also widening the gap to take the firmer tyred wheel.
With the standard wheel plates carefully removed, the locating slots in F8 & F9 have been widened to allow a 40mm gap and replace the 3mm ply wheel plates with 1/8” aluminium axle support plates and 0.8 or 1.6mm ply wheel plates.
(The original slots will be filled with 3mm ply offcuts when the new plates are fitted).
The lower part of F9 will also be fitted with a doubler to increase its thickness to at least that of the 4mm ply F8.

The new plates should arrive tomorrow, so I will make up a pair of aluminium plates ready for a trial fit.
Watch this space ...
User avatar
Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

The FEMA wheel is now installed between 3mm aluminium plates, externally faced with 1/16” ply.
A ply cover will now be fitted to form a full wheel box.

Some M4 captive nuts have also been fitted to the tailplane bolting positions at F17 & F19 A/B pairs. With these assemblies in place, the rear part of the waist longerons have been secured.

I forgot to say before that the fuselage main joiner tube has also been fitted. The joiner is a 20mm dia. fibreglass rod & Cliff can supply this, together with a close fitting fibreglass tube with 22mm OD which slides nicely into the pre-cut holes in the fuselage root ribs/doublers.

The plans advise having a tailplane available to check for correct operation of the elevator pushrod setup & elevator movement before the rear fuselage is skinned. Thus, a attention will now turn to building up the Stabiliser & elevator framework & a start has been made with the centre stabiliser section.
(Note that the half rib SR2 should be fitted to the lower outside of SR1 in order to form a support for the lower skin edge - so not as shown in the photo!)
FEMA wheel in place
FEMA wheel in place
Wheel box
Wheel box
Tailplane seat fixings
Tailplane seat fixings
Stabiliser centre section
Stabiliser centre section
Last edited by Peter Balcombe on 19 May 2021, 11:19, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

With the main joiner tube fitted a couple of days ago, I completed the fuselage joiner installation by sliding some 9/32” brass tube into the rear incidence tube slot, then reinforced this with 1/4” Sq. spruce above & below.
03CFA92A-9D24-4D39-A573-BCF7A2F3C93C.jpeg
The tailplane structure was built up by adding the stabiliser rear spar to the rear of previously completed centre section & then adding the ribs between the rear spar & tabbed false LE pieces over the plan. Once the ribs are in place, the main & rear spars can be fitted in their slots.

The elevator was built using the False LE strip as a base. The elevator ribs can be slotted into the false LE & tied into position by the CNC cut TE piece which locates into the false LE and each rib.
The overall structures as built up so far are shown below.
EF803100-C9E8-416C-B334-EE0D0447E318.jpeg
761DBA8F-A18B-4D16-9DC2-904A6579D77A.jpeg
User avatar
Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Skinning now underway on the tailplane & the inner ends of the elevators added, plus TE infill being sanded to profile.
The balsa elevator LE yet to be added once I have the elevator horn available & fit checked.
The tailplane tips & LE will be fitted once the skinning is complete around the edges.

Meanwhile, the rudder rib structure has been assembled and the spliced 1/16” ply TE assembly fitted.
98BD9206-4B9B-4DD2-AD62-C521BDF3BE61.jpeg
068DC550-A37A-41BB-9079-0C047751ADAF.jpeg
User avatar
Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Tailplane structure now check fitted and a trim tab separated out from the elevator.
The canopy framework has also been assembled apart from the wing root ‘ears’ for which I need the wing structures to ensure everything mates up.

The plan shows a skinned area around the elevator trim tab area, rather than a separate tab. As the tab is a fairly prominent feature, I decided to add a balsa strip hinge spar & tab LE spar, plus end riblet which then enables the tab to be released from the elevator.

The Olympia trim tab is a fairly simple affair compared with the ASK13 as it is set in a fixed position on the full size using a closed loop bowden cable arrangement from the cockpit trim lever & the tab doesn’t move relative to the elevator. Thus I will keep things simple & just have the separate tab, complete with non-working C/L cable ends going to top & bottom horns, but the tab in a fixed position.
F33B06B3-B023-43F8-8C6B-833209129CF7.jpeg
C1BFFB37-3437-4CD8-A973-EA647DB175D5.jpeg
Canopy frame
Canopy frame
Trim tab released
Trim tab released
User avatar
Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Just realised that the elevator design is correct for the Meise version, but the Olympia 2b has an extra rib on the trim tab side. However, this is approximately halfway between the first 2, so easy enough to add an extra one :)
Post Reply