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Bowlus Super Albatross

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: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Cliff Evans wrote: 20 Apr 2022, 22:47 Very nice Peter, can you draw the template out in cad, I will supply it with the kit and plans.
Already done Cliff.
I will send you a file tomorrow to convert to a pdf. Easily printed onto an A4 sheet.
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Whilst waiting for some supplies to arrive, I’ve started construction of the 1st (LH) wing.

The first jobs are to splice up the main spars (tapering the outboard 400mm from 1/4” to 1/8” thickness on inside surfaces only), plus joining the main spar web, LE spar & aileron hinge spar web sections.
With the lower main spar pre-glued to the bottom edge of the spar web (Note that the main spar web assembly goes from the tip rib to R5 only, with a separate section going from the inboard side of R5 to the root), the ribs can be inserted into the spar web & registered using LE web & aileron hinge spar.
Note that some ribs need the lower part of the aileron hinge spar tab slot to be removed before they can be fitted.
(I initially fitted the aileron hinge spar in place using just the ribs at each end to hold it in place, then was able to fit the remaining ribs over all 3 spars).
The building tabs on both the webs & a number of the ribs do a good job at making sure everything lines up & a spare bit of strip wood temporarily clipped across the lower surface of the tabbed ribs ensures that the non-tabbed ribs align at the TE.
I’ve initially fitted about half the ribs outboard of R5, plus the aileron servo plate.

Initial wing build
Initial wing build
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Peter Balcombe »

All ribs now fitted, plus TE and main wing joiner, followed by the upper main spar.
Photo shows progress so far, with wing temporarily inverted to fit the lower angled root spar in order that the rear spar webs can be fitted once the wing is turned back onto its building tabs.

Underside of wing structure
Underside of wing structure
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Peter Balcombe »

Final spar web items now fitted, so only the rear incidence tube & airbrake assembly to fit now before starting preparation for skinning the D box structure with 0.6mm ply.
Only 2 servos fitted in each wing, one near the root for airbrake & one for aileron.
The aileron is separated from the wing after skinning & hinged using flat hinges with cotter pins.

Port wing structure
Port wing structure
Wing root
Wing root
Aileron root & servo
Aileron root & servo
Barry_Cole

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Barry_Cole »

Do you ever sleep?????

8-) 8-) 8-) 8-)

BC
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Peter Balcombe »

This is the very quick part as the laser parts just slot together.
Progress is much slower from here. 😎
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Peter Balcombe »

1st airbrake assembled & moving ok now - although not yet connected to the servo.
I first assembled each brake vane by glueing a 0.8mm cover to each side of the core, then fitted the 1/8” pins, ensuring each was square & central.
Jilles suggests assembling the brake assemblies, then dropping them into the wing, but I fixed my unglued assembly into the wing & them fixed the pivot tubes in place whilst the vanes were held central in the slot with temporary parking pieces.
Jilles has thoughtfully provided apertures in the spar web at each vane so that the ball-link bolts can be slid through from the front after the brake assembly in in place.
Pics below show the vanes in position & and link pushrod in place, but additional servo pushrod ball-link not yet attached at the inboard end.
Brake vanes extended
Brake vanes extended
Vane linkage
Vane linkage
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Peter Balcombe »

1st wing check fitted to fuselage pod to ensure the rear incidence peg lines up ok.
7E5C3577-2601-4A6F-8AED-E48810806161.jpeg
C284F370-76EF-487B-849E-70AAB0651C17.jpeg
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Peter Balcombe
Posts: 1399
Joined: 18 Mar 2015, 10:13
Location: Clevedon, North Somerset, U.K.

Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Peter Balcombe »

The boom has now been drilled to take the carbon stabiliser joiner tube, so it’s time for a trial rig of the tail feathers to the fuselage pod.
Note that the stabiliser roots have yet to be fitted with curved facings to match the boom curvature.
The boom has to be drilled through for the fuselage pin, but this will be done after the boom/tail attachment has been completed & equipped with rudder CL tubes & elevator servo cabling.
Tail feathers check fitted
Tail feathers check fitted
159F3F44-5619-4DB4-AE04-A0DDC4929A80.jpeg
Dry fitted tail feathers
Dry fitted tail feathers
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Trevor
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Joined: 19 Jul 2016, 16:29
Location: Hampshire
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Re: Bowlus Super Albatross

Post by Trevor »

Looking really good Peter.
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