Scratch Built 1:5 ASW 17

Jolly Roger · Post by **Jolly Roger** » 10 Feb 2024, 18:14

Definitely looking like an ASW17 now

Have you a target flying weight? (…the model, not you)

Post by **Brian Sharp** » 11 Feb 2024, 10:16

Thanks Rog.
All I hope is that the right-hand fuselage side will actually mirror the left-hand side. As to the weight, its not something that I am too fixated on as far as scale models are concerned. Back in the days when I was a competitive thermal pilot every gram counted. Now that I fly scalies I find that it helps if they have a certain level of "gravitas". In other works, the finished weight will be what it is.
Brian S

Post by **Brian Sharp** » 27 Feb 2024, 19:21

Work on the ASW17 fuselage continues, albite very slowly. I now have the right hand fuselage side built, the wing joiner assembly temporarily installed, control runs added to each side and the servo mount ready to be slotted in. As I write this the two sides have been glued together and firmly clamped together. I have attached a photo prior to joining which shows the two sides looking like a pair of gutted fish.
Brian S,

Post by **Brian Sharp** » 29 Feb 2024, 19:09

The fuselage shells have now been glued together and the final shaping has begun. I have started at the nose and will gradually work my way aft. Already the front of the fuselage is starting to look like an aeroplane.
Brian S.

Post by **Mike F** » 01 Mar 2024, 11:05

Hi Brian

Looks as straight as a die; well done!

Mike F

Post by **Brian Sharp** » 03 Mar 2024, 09:20

Thanks Mike, I think a heavy application of "pure luck" was involved. However there is now a layer of shavings and sanding dust covering the whole interior of my workshop.

Brian S.

Post by **RobbieB** » 03 Mar 2024, 09:50

.............However there is now a layer of shavings and sanding dust covering the whole interior of my workshop.

Time to lie down in a darkened room Brian.

Post by **Brian Sharp** » 03 Mar 2024, 13:56

No problem Robbie, the dustpan and brush were in action this morning and the workshop returned to an operational statis of "TIDY" (relatively).

Post by **Brian Sharp** » 03 Mar 2024, 16:52

Another day spent with a razor plane, sandpaper and filler and the fuselage is starting to look a little shapelier.

Late this afternoon I did the first trial fit of the wings to the fuselage. There is a bit of play left in the wing joiner box and in the 3mm wing root ribs to allow for a bit of jiggling about when I come to do the final setting up of the angle of attack. That will probably be done tomorrow on the dining room table, so long as I have all the appropriate permissions in place.

Brian S.

Post by **Brian Sharp** » 11 Mar 2024, 17:22

Over the last week or so I have been working on the back end of the 17. Having got the wings roughly in place and the basic fin aligned the tailplane halves required to be set on the fin relative to the wings. After a bit of mucking about with clamps and multiple squares they were glued in position and, when dry, they looked quite square on all three axis.

The horn assemble that I used for the elevators is fiddly to set up but works very well. Mike Trew used it on most of his model and I have used it successfully on at least three of my models in the past (photos below)(the yellow tube is the lead-in conduit for the pull-pull wires). The fin has now been fully sheeted and the fuselage sanded to section and filled in numerous places to get a pleasing shape.

I am now ready to apply a layer of 80gm/m2 glass cloth over the fuselage and wings using epoxy resin as the adhesive.
Brian S.