Thursday, November 6, 2014

 

November 2014 Update

 

See short 10 minute video on Youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3uQs_lcKtY

 

 Last update covered the covering process of the fuselage and tail assembly, here now is the next logical step: painting, final assembly of the fuselage and ready for taxiing.  

 

 

Products for first two coats, hand rubbed with sponge to fill the weave. Top grade Latex exterior house paint. Yes, Latex exterior house paint. Did plenty of research, good UV protection. You put it on your house ? Right ? how long does it last ?

 Third coat gets rolled on.

 

First layer gets worked in from below, ready





View from below, first coat



View from above shows where rubbed paint comes up through weave. Light areas are saturated with adhesive.




Translucent shows paint penetration.



After second sponge-rubbed coat.

 

Tail getting finished

 
1

Tail painted, third coat rolled on, turtle deck in place, elevator wires

 

Final wire installation and rigging. Outriggers now in place, finalized. 




The Lohner emblem on the tail fin, after a bit of Photoshop clean-up


Green sides. Why green? Well, there are no color photographs and no text to indicate otherwise. Besides, Austria loved that color, it's used extensively by the military and the country is blessed with beautiful green pine forests.

 

Tail and rudders completed

 

New product, used by Boeing and Airlines to prep aluminum, no acids, works great. Costly, but easy to use, no environmental problems.  


 Panels prepped for painting



Side covers painted

Letters outlined


Masking





Removing Masking Tape

 

Finished

 

ASRA Painted

 Side covers painted and lettered


 Ready for wheels and axles

 Installing wheels


  Wheels are on


And we're off

 

And the tail is up.

Practice runs- see video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3uQs_lcKtY




1912






100+ Years Later, ready for taxi, 90% complete, just need wings

Stay tuned.

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Tail feathers and covering

 
 

A lot has happened since the last update in July. Mainly the tail feathers ( almost literally ) are done now and the fuselage and tail is covered, ready for painting. Aluminum fuselage side panels are ready for painting as well.

 
 

August- September 2014 

 
 
Had to purchase 250 pieces of bamboo from an importer and sort through them to find enough good ones. Requires 3/4 inch and 1 inch sizes, up to 10 foot long ones.  
 
 
 
The adapter to accept the center bamboo post
 
Joined the wood strips to the bamboo using T88 epoxy.
 

Getting ready to wrap the wood strips and bamboo poles where they meet.  Used the NEW Super Seam cement and ceconite tapes.

 

T88 epoxy


wood strips merged with the bamboo

Tail center bamboo adapter

gluing everything in place with T88

leveling

leveling

If you look closely you can see the nine elevator wires, top and bottom. This is in the most forward control position. Reason for all the tapes is to prevent the poles from splitting.
 
cable splitter from the two elevator cables to the nine wires going to the bamboo poles

getting ready to secure the wires
 

some show completed.

looking to the rear, underneath

top view, across

Nodes where the eyelets will get attached to. Lock nut is embedded in the epoxy.  

Tip node

Looking forward
 
from below, looking forward

from above, looking forward 


Upper elevator cable and splitter.
 

September-October 2014

Now comes the fun of covering.
 This is where I deviated from the original version, which used linen, coated with Cellon. I assume that was a version of cellulose at that time. Unfortunately it only had a two year life span.  After much thinking and research I decided on AC grade Ceconite SF102, 2.7 oz. , after all I want it to last a lot longer.

 
 
 
Starting with the upper fin
 
 
step 2
 
Rib stitching- back side
 
 
close up
 
All by the book,
 
By the bible
 
right side fuselage gets started
 
elevator already covered
 
starting on left side
 
more of left side
 
 
 
Tail from below, held on with 1/2 inch double sided  seamstick tape and then rib-stitched
 
More of the elevator
 
Inspection panel open, seen from front
 
 
 
Open seen from back
 
Closed
 
Quarter turn closure fastener
 
Tail from above, before tensioning
 
 
 
Tail from below, note the merge of double layer to single layer. Glued and rib-stitched
 
Outriggers in place and tail now stretched
 
Whole section with outriggers
 
 
Better view of tail with outriggers. Lots of rib stitching!
 
 

Coming up: Painting, rest of the rigging wires and final assembly, taxi under own power?

Now if I only had wings !