Jilles Smits 1/3 scale SG38

[Peter Balcombe]

Lower fuselage box assembly now closed off using supplied side sheets and the upper outer side strips added.
Spruce strip to be steam bent for the lower strips.

[Peter Balcombe]

Remaining side strips added, including a couple of top/bottom ones which will fit under the forward mast structure & secure this to the bottom box assembly. (Jilles, I am pretty sure that these 2 top/bottom strip on each side are the SP1 items shown on one of the plan sections).

The lower rear of the pylon assembly fits into the rear of the fuselage bottom box assembly (between the rearmost part of the 0.8mm ply side pieces) & the final triangular pieces have been epoxied onto the rear fuselage boom & checked that they will be able to be slid into place in the bottom box assembly in due course.
I currently am leaving the fuselage bottom box assembly separate at the moment due to the thought of trying to handle the total assembly in the overcrowded workshop.
In the meantime, I have made & fitted the 2 skid spring tubes & also fitted the brass plates where the tubes enter the bottom box.
Lastly, lamination of the skid has started. The skid is made from 8 laminations of 0.8mm ply, bonded whilst held in place round a simple former.

[Peter Balcombe]

Skid now complete after taking out of the laminating jig, tidying up end and fitting the 3 brackets.
Test fitted to the fuselage bottom box assembly & now just needs the forward fuselage mounting bracket to complete the setup.

[Peter Balcombe]

Front skid bracket now made & in place (photo later), but latest activity has been on making up the rudder pedal assembly.
Photo of the partially assembled unit shown below.
The nearby plates need to be silver soldered onto the angled ends, followed by the pedal themselves in due course.
The pulley wheel is for the elevator cable turnaround from the joystick.

[StephenB]

Some excellent model engineering work there Peter, can I ask what you are using to silver solder - gas or electric?

[Peter Balcombe]

Stephen,
I will let you know once I have found someone to do it for me
(Probably gas though)

[Peter Balcombe]

Rudder pedal assembly now painted & assembled onto the forward fuselage assembly (bottom box assembly) although a touch-up of paint is needed to complete.
View of securing nuts & tow release pushrod also included.-
Note that the pre-bent tow release rod can be removed whilst the rudder assembly nuts are fitted if required.
The missing section of side skin also needs to be put in place before the two side fixings are put in place.

The 3mm ply rudder pedals and heel support strips are still to be fitted.

[Peter Balcombe]

Stephen,
The results of the silver soldering are shown in the previous post with the assembled rudder pedal assembly.
A gas set with soft flame was expertly used by WMSA clubmate Steve Vincent (many thanks Steve) and it all went very well until the last joint.
I was pleasantly surprised that the soft flame didn’t disturb the work whilst being heated & the liberal coat of borax around the joint kept everything clean until the solder flowed.

Murphy’s umpteenth law decreed that the small brass pieces for the last joint deformed when heated, so had to be remade

[StephenB]

Thanks for the update Peter, I must say it looks an exemplary job - in keeping with the rest of the build.

I think I will need to do some research on methodology prior to training myself up on the "blow torch".

[Peter Balcombe]

Fuselage parts now all joined to make a 6ft long item!
The seat has also been made and the Wilson pilot tried for size.
(Still need to fit rudder pedal plates & heel rests)

Control surface cable sheaves can now be fitted on the fuselage sides, together with battery box, switch and BEC within the wing root area.