Salto

[catwok]

I don't normally do build threads, but due to the lack of activity on the hills and fields I will have plenty of time before it will be completed!

I bought a fuselage, canopy and frame from Bruckman Modellbau in Austria earlier this year. It is 45% scale that will have a wing span of just under 7m. This will be scale as the full size could be flown with tip extensions. A shorter tip will also be made to bring it to just over 6m span.

The wings are a home brew job as the cost of the factory items were quite expensive. So, Phil at Cloud Models has cut me a set of blue foam wings consisting of 10 separate panels. These are having a laminated main spar consisting of a full depth and span 3mm aluminium core, sandwiched by 3mm ply either side and bound with carbon. To this will be a top and bottom cap strip to create an "I" beam. This will be bonded in to the wing which will then glassed and veneered. Scale brakes will also be an interesting feature to recreate.

The V tail is already completed which is a foam core and ply spar and veneered with 1mm ply and glassed and sprayed.

Hopefully I will keep you updated as the months tick by.

[catwok]

Wilson from Tailored Pilots has supplied the driver and a guy called Brian Hoddy from the Netherlands has made the cockpit detail for a very affordable price.

[chris williams]

Paul, can you tell us how the V-tails are mounted and operated, please...?

[catwok]

Hi Chris, the tailplane has a 13mm carbon joiner which is staggered on each half, and the same diameter front incidence peg.

Inside the rear of the fuselage are 2 carbon tubes which are staggered to match each half of the tailplanes.

There is a 10 kilo servo in each half of the V tail with a short direct drive push rod. I'll be fitting a moulded servo cover when I get round to making them.

The fit of the tail is fairly tight, so I think wrapping the usual electrical tape top and bottom over the joint will be plenty strong enough.

[chris williams]

Thanks, Paul...I was under the mistaken impression that it was an AMT Engineering a set up for an AMVT is the only thing stopping me from making an MU22b

[catwok]

Scale airbrakes done on the first inner panel. They will be operated by 2 separate servos with an internal push rod.

[roo Hawkins]

Nice mate

[John Vella]

Hi Paul, nice work. May I make a suggestion ? In view that a Salto is going to get "hammered " in the air I wouldn't rely on tape to keep the tailplanes on. I would have a stub lug on the root with a grub screw through the fairing. This system works well on keeping the tailplane halves on the joiner of my ASW15 AMT. Again many thanks for the canopy and regards John.

[catwok]

The 2 halves of each wing are now joined together. The trailing edge brakes are all hinged on both wings and the ailerons have both been separated and capped with 6mm obechi.

The spar and wing joiner have been measured and marked ready to be cut.

[Peter Balcombe]

Looking very nice Paul