A brief update..
Firstly I must confess that the 2mtr eRES that’s been waiting to be covered and finished is being neglected. I am sorry but Scale is ultimately where the heart is and this old glider just seems to suck me in.
Work got in the way these past weeks though so not much achieved.
I did manage to pluck the Albo of its old feathers err planking.
I found much of the glue holding the old planks down to the original fibreglass fuz had perished and rather than try and patch it I decided a good plucking was in order. Better to rebuild onto a known quantity.
I knew it would get a hell of a lot worse before I’d move forwards. Lucky I did!
I found a few cracks in the original fuselage and a few dents where the glass had cracked and was slightly spongy etc.
The answers on how to get this fuz into shape and stiffen up the structure are starting to form as I go. Trying to rebuild without original forms or drawings is a challenge that will no doubt add to the skills
My thoughts are I’ll inlay some spruce longerons, a keel and retrofit some ply formers into the fuselage in roughly the same locations as on the prototype.
I’ll then cut and box a new wheel well as the current one suffered damage and looks to be 15mm off centre.
That should stabilise what I have and provide a solid base for the wheel, wing and also tail boom assembly.
I’ll profile the top of the fuz (where the massive gap is) to get the lay of the cockpit, place some formers in, plank with balsa and shape.
I’ll inlay the new wing root using the Airfoil Chris recommended and reshape to this.
From here the plan is then to use an epoxy fibreglass auto body filler to skim coat the dents and cracks. This stuff dries B****y hard, is tough and resists shrinking and cracking and is relatively easy to sand and reshape.
From here the plan is to veneer the fuz with 1.6mm mahogany furniture veneer.
I have located an aluminium boom at a shade over 40mm OD and a wall of 1.6 mm. Looking at the original specs for the boom this is actually damn close to scale to get the tick.
I know it’s a hell of a lot of work and I could just wait to get a precision kit from Ol Mate Chris
. Lord knows it will go together a lot easier..
BUT this is about returning a glider with some significant sentimental roots behind it to the air and for me to be pushed out of my comfort zone to solve some problems, learn some skills and grow hair on the old chest
.
Well that is the plan… let’s see if the execution prevails.
Cheers