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EON Olympia 419

B Sharp

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by B Sharp »

Last night I was contemplating how I was going to stabilise the tailplane system over a glass of Scottish amber thinking juice when I came up with an idea. I have initially stabilised the tubes running through the fuselage that carry the tailplane rotational rod and the crank. I did this by levering them into the desired position and carefully locking them in place with cyano. I then cut two small squares of sheet brass drilled with holes which would be an interference fit for the rotational rod. The rod was then given a coat of Vaseline, slid into place and the brass pivot plates slid into place and glued with epoxy.
When dry the rod was removed with a pair of pliers and cleaned up. The result is that the tailplane assembly is nice and solid with no slop or excess movement in any direction. Once again RESULT!
I have also filled in the hole in the fuselage which gave access to the crank. Finally the balsa patch and the tail skid area have been given a coat of filler ready for final sanding.
Brian. :)
Attachments
Brass bearing plate epoxied in place.
Brass bearing plate epoxied in place.
Tail end ready for sanding.
Tail end ready for sanding.
B Sharp

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by B Sharp »

Having tidied up all my kit after returning from the Leek and Moorland Scale Bash and since I have a few days before I disappear to polar bear land I have started work on the over-wing fairing. The existing fairing was made from ¼ ply crutch and 1/64 birch ply and it was showing signs of its age. I decided to reuse the timber crutch and form a new aluminium skin. I used the existing skin as a template and marked up a sheet of 1mm aluminium. This was cut to shape with a pair of tin-snips. I then spent a productive hour or so starting the bending process. The metal is starting to harden and be a little more uncooperative so I will anneal it by heating it up with a small blowtorch and that should make it a bit more malleable.
Brian. :)
Attachments
The existing fairing looking a bit tired.
The existing fairing looking a bit tired.
The underside.
The underside.
Modifying the timber crutch.
Modifying the timber crutch.
Cutting the aluminium for the skin with tin-snips.
Cutting the aluminium for the skin with tin-snips.
Aluminium skin and modified crutch.
Aluminium skin and modified crutch.
B Sharp

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by B Sharp »

I have been doing a bit of “blacksmithing” on the over-wing fairing and have now got a pretty good fit over the wings. It took a bit of bending and trimming to get the aluminium worked into the correct shape and it will still require a little fettling before it can be painted. It has been a long time since I did any metal bashing but it proved to be quite satisfying.
Brian. :)
Attachments
A little fettling still to do.
A little fettling still to do.
B Sharp

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by B Sharp »

I have now returned from polar bear land but have been too busy with harvest to do much on the Oly. I did however manage to fit in a couple of hours on the over-wing fairing. The bending and shaping is now complete and there is a good fit to the fuselage/wing/canopy areas. A couple of coats of filler primer and two coats of colour sees the fairing finished and good to go.
Brian. :)
Attachments
Completed new over-wing fairing.
Completed new over-wing fairing.
B Sharp

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by B Sharp »

I had an hour to spare this morning so I decided to get the “Goose” moving forward again. I cut the 49gm/m2 glass cloth to size and set it over the right side of the fuselage. Epoxy resin was applied with a mini gloss-paint roller which does a good job of getting the resin through the cloth and into the underlying structure without adding excessive weight. Hopefully tomorrow I will find a little more time to get the other side covered as well.
Brian. :)
Attachments
Right side of fuselage covered with glass cloth.
Right side of fuselage covered with glass cloth.
B Sharp

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by B Sharp »

I have now returned from a road trip round the southern extremities of England searching for my wife’s ancestors. None of them are still living so unfortunately tea and scones were not on the agenda. :cry:

During the time that I was away the glass and epoxy covering that I put on the fuselage had hardened up nicely. This afternoon I got cracking with the 180 grit wet and dry and a new tin of elbow grease. I was only aiming to remove the very top surface of the covering and get the surface nice and smooth. Once it is all rubbed back I will be adding a further coat of thinned epoxy followed by further rubbing back to get a finish suitable for primer.
Brian. :)
Attachments
Hitting the fuselage side with 180 grit.
Hitting the fuselage side with 180 grit.
B Sharp

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by B Sharp »

The rubbing back of the glass and epoxy fuselage surface is now complete and the tin of elbow grease is now pretty much empty.
I have applied the covering to the front under skid using Diacov and it looks fine. The next task is to get the fuselage into paint. I will have to wait for a dry and fairly calm day before I can hang it up outside and get a coat of primer applied.
Brian. :)
Attachments
The underskid now covered with Diacov.
The underskid now covered with Diacov.
B Sharp

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by B Sharp »

In this last week I have finally got the fuselage into paint, however it fought me every inch of the way.
I stared with the grey primer which went on quite easily. However when you apply a surface primer it tends to show all the bits that still need sanding and filling followed by a touch up of primer. :(

I found rattle-cans of gloss which looked to be very close to the colour which was on the fuselage when I got it. I hung it up outside and sprayed on a mist coat and then a flow coat of the gloss blue. When I returned an hour later I was dismayed to find that the gloss coats had reacted with the underlying paint leaving me with a crackle finish. Understandably I was not pleased. :evil: :evil: :evil:

When I got the fuselage sanded down again I sprayed some more gloss on the fin which promptly reacted once again. B****r!
24 Hours on I decided to go down the route that I used with my big Dart model – household gloss paint! When I was building the Dart I decided to use household gloss, against much advice, as I had become allergic to rattle-can spray. It turned out very well and I have received many compliments about the finish over the years. :shock:

I took a sample of the fuselage covering that I had kept for a reference to B&Q and asked them to scan it and mix me a litre of gloss. I hung up the fuselage in the garage and using a small gloss paint roller I covered the fuselage with a very thin coat of paint. I then immediately dry brushed it along its length with a very broad, fine Sable brush. 24 hours later I applied a second coat in the same manner. The result is very satisfactory. :)
Brian. :)
Attachments
The fuselage in primer.
The fuselage in primer.
The fuselage back in BLUE!
The fuselage back in BLUE!
Jolly Roger
Posts: 573
Joined: 30 May 2015, 20:35
Location: Sutton Bank, North Yorkshire

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by Jolly Roger »

Looks fantastic Brian, and I’m sure more realistic than a perfectly sprayed finish. Enjoying following this thread.
Rog
Mike F
Posts: 114
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 14:08
Location: Gloucestershire

Re: EON Olympia 419

Post by Mike F »

I think I will follow your lead and use gloss for the Slingsby Sky refurb. The blue finish that you have on the fuselage looks very good.

Mike
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