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Olympia 2b 1/3 scale**

Let us all watch your new project progress.
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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 »

All of the main structures built put together now apart from the canopy frame which awaits the wing root ears to be added - so putting all together for an initial photo as this just has to be done :)

With the elevator pushrod M3 ball link now available, I see that the 4mm spacing on the elevator crank is insufficient to accept an M3 part (4-40 parts shown on the plan) Therefore if intending to use a M3 ball link as I have, it would be a good idea to increase the thickness of the L2 crank spacer to 5mm when this is built up. The brass lower pivot tube length will also need lengthening to match.

Whilst still awaiting delivery of some angle brass for the elevator horn & 0.6mm ply for the rear fuselage & wing skins (beefing these areas up from the 0.4mm ply shown on the plan to better cope with the expected heather populated landing areas) I will now get the fuselage back on the bench & sort the forward upper fuselage skinning with 0.8mm ply.

Note that I have left the wings off the fuselage until this has been skinned & removed from the building base board.
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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 »

Nice, Peter. 8-)
Max
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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 »

Work is progressing on the forward upper fuselage skinning, with the LH side now done back to the wing root (Photos to follow tomorrow).

Meanwhile, I’ve also been working on an alternative airbrake arrangement to replicate the full size which has shorter, deeper, but staggered ‘box type’ brake blades. The full size blades are much more heavily profiled than the fairly plain ones shown on Jilles’ plan.
The photos below show the scale RH wing blade profiles looking from the LE, plus a prototype blade arm yoke assembly made up from carbon tube & a few 3D printed parts.
(The lower blade is mounted behind the top blade & its arm has a crank to operate the blades. The crank is pulled towards the root to open the blades.)
More to follow ...
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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 couple of images of the initial fuselage upper nose skinning as promised.
I have fitted 1/8” balsa former edge doublers where I have skin joins.
The front 6 former skins (to rear of cockpit) are 0.8mm ply, changing to 0.6mm thereafter.
Most skin joints are scarfed to overlap the pieces.
I will see how far my (currently limited stock) 0.6mm ply goes along the upper half of the fuselage, but also don’t want to do too much aft of the wing until I can get the elevator linkage completed & functionality confirmed before boxing it in completely.

Note that I haven’t carried the fuselage skins up over the canopy sides as this is shown on the plan as being skinned in 0.4mm ply.
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Last edited by Peter Balcombe on 08 Jun 2021, 17:57, edited 1 time in total.
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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 »

Nice pristine canopy moulding just delivered from Barry & his team at Sarik :)
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Cliff Evans
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Location: Bristol
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Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Cliff Evans »

I am definitely getting better with the plugs!
https://lasercutsailplanes.co.uk
https://patteaklegliders.co.uk
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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 upper fuselage now skinned back to the wing root TE and my stock of 0.6mm ply temporarily exhausted, it’s time to get the canopy frame base skinned.
Closer inspection of the canopy frame built up for the Oly2b version (rather than Miese version) shows that there is absolutely zero support for the 0.4mm skin over the forward 1” or so. Thus, I have made a narrow (1/4” wide) version of Former 3A to act as a forward canopy frame hoop & linked this to the bottom of the plan-built frame using 1/4” wide liteply strips. (If necessary, most of these extra bits can be removed once the canopy skin has been glassed.)
The photo below shows the revised arrangement, complete with 6mm magnets previously fitted for canopy retention.

The canopy framework has already been sanded to a curved profile, noting that the edges on the doubled upper ply hoops will be sanded to virtually form a continuous curved edge. I did the skinning as 2 sides as there is a only a narrow join at the front centre.
The canopy skins are cut to cardboard (cereal packet) templates & then finally trimmed to fit at the front, rear & bottom canopy frame edges before being carefully glued in place with the frame held in situ to ensure it retains its proper shape as the skin is applied. (Apply a thin shiny tape to the fuselage coaming before glueing to act as a release layer for any wayward glue).
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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 »

Looking at Jilles’ canopy assembly drawing again, I see that he has based the 2b canopy on a design which has a curved & canted front as seen in side view, whereas the canopies I have seen have a flat canted forward front as in the pics below.
Also interesting (and fairly obvious when you think about it) is that the angled wing LE fairing is bolted to the rear of the canopy & therefore doesn’t have to be attached to the canopy glazing itself!

With the canopy frame sat in place & the 0.4mm ply half skins fettled to give a good fit on the front, rear & lower sedges, they can be glued to the frame. I used the white glue/iron technique but set the skins in place one by one once the glue had been applied to both parts & wiped smooth with a finger. Once the glue had been left for a while to dry, I then went over the joints with a hot iron to make sure they were all in good contact.
Once the front, rear & lower edges had been cleaned up, the excess material around the top could be removed with a sharp blade & sanded flush.
I subsequently note from Jilles’ drawing that the upper frame piece CP10 is intended to act as a canopy moulding rim & therefore should probably be left off until after the skins have been fitted & sanded flush to CP9. CP10 can then be fitted & the canopy placed over the edge of this, sitting on the top CP9.
I will carefully rebate the top of my skins to expose CP9 ;)

Note that the front of CP1 and the the associated vertical piece CP11 will be removed once the canopy skins have been glassed.
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Jolly Roger
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Joined: 30 May 2015, 20:35
Location: Sutton Bank, North Yorkshire

Re: Olympia 2b 1/3 scale

Post by Jolly Roger »

Wonderful build Peter. Thoroughly enjoying it.
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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 »

Thanks Roger, I’m enjoying this one.

Canopy frame skin now modified at the top to leave CP10 proud of the skin to provide a ledge/guide strip for the canopy moulding to sit onto. Much more like that shown on the plan & should give a good glueing land.
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