Sig Kavalier
12-21-2017, 10:19 AM
#26
Here is a pretty good article building balsa cowlings if you have never done it before. The site belongs to a laser cutting service for shortkits.
How to build a cowl from balsa blocks The Balsa Workbench
How to build a cowl from balsa blocks The Balsa Workbench
Thanks, that is a nice article.
I built a Sig Wonder last year and the manual cracked me up for the step to sand the cowl. It said to carve and sand the balsa blocks to a "pleasing shape". That took a lot of "eyeballing".
12-21-2017, 10:21 AM
#27
I have a Kavalier kit I plan on building this winter. I have a couple of questions:
1. How hard is it to build it as a taildragger? It has a one-piece elevator with the control horn in the center with the fuselage open to pass the pushrod out. I will keep it stock if it is too much trouble to convert, however. I fly off a grass field.
2. Has anybody built up the nose/cowl with balsa block instead of the included cowl? I like the continuous, uninterrupted lines of the old-style balsa block cowls.
Thanks.
1. How hard is it to build it as a taildragger? It has a one-piece elevator with the control horn in the center with the fuselage open to pass the pushrod out. I will keep it stock if it is too much trouble to convert, however. I fly off a grass field.
2. Has anybody built up the nose/cowl with balsa block instead of the included cowl? I like the continuous, uninterrupted lines of the old-style balsa block cowls.
Thanks.
12-22-2017, 10:54 AM
#28
I like balsa cowls too. The link is good, and pretty much what I did on my Four Star 60, except that I made a plywood ring and lined up the engine to that before drilling the mounting holes. I didn't photograph a sequence, but maybe this will give an idea...
12-22-2017, 11:50 AM
#29
I wonder which is lighter, a carved out balsa block or built-up balsa like I did with the Stratus?
12-22-2017, 11:51 AM
#30
That is what I was hoping to do. The Kavalier will be at 45 degrees, but still the same principle. Your plane looks real nice with that IMHO.
12-22-2017, 11:53 AM
#31
12-27-2017, 12:12 PM
#32
Nice build!
Here is a picture of my K, it has a new owner ( owner #4 ) and he likes it very much, it became his go to fly airplane.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...-in-the-making
Here is a picture of my K, it has a new owner ( owner #4 ) and he likes it very much, it became his go to fly airplane.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...-in-the-making
12-28-2017, 04:41 PM
#33
Nice build!
Here is a picture of my K, it has a new owner ( owner #4 ) and he likes it very much, it became his go to fly airplane.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...-in-the-making
Here is a picture of my K, it has a new owner ( owner #4 ) and he likes it very much, it became his go to fly airplane.
https://www.rcgroups.com/forums/show...-in-the-making
12-30-2017, 08:25 PM
#35
Michael, the short story of the K goes like this, the Kavalier was given to me by a friend nearly 20 years ago, he build it and then he stopped and gave it to me some twenty years ago, later I give it to a friend a year later, that friend kept it for 19 years didn't do anything with it and give it back to me about a year ago so, it makes it a new 30 years old airplane that flys great, then I decided to build it during spring, I got to fly it a few times, it's a great flyer but it needed a new home, someone that will enjoy it more than me since I have other projects I need to finish and I'm also flying bigger airplanes, gas airplanes with 35cc engines and bigger.
The new owner ( owner #4, club member ) is having tons of fun flying the K, the K has a new 40 FP and it looks like it is the perfect engine for it.
That K needed to be build and flown after been framed up so many years ago and it did, proudly
Here is a picture of the project I'm working on, a Nick Ziroli Turbinator, I started this build in 2008 and planning to complete it by Feb 2018, nearly 10 years since I glue the crouch together, aI basically build 90% of it in Jan/Feb and now I'm getting all together, getting ready to monokote by the end of Jan 2018.
I'm also picking up my next project from BTE near Medford, OR by next week, Reaction 54 ( 4 hours away from Sac ) next project's picture.
The new owner ( owner #4, club member ) is having tons of fun flying the K, the K has a new 40 FP and it looks like it is the perfect engine for it.
That K needed to be build and flown after been framed up so many years ago and it did, proudly
Here is a picture of the project I'm working on, a Nick Ziroli Turbinator, I started this build in 2008 and planning to complete it by Feb 2018, nearly 10 years since I glue the crouch together, aI basically build 90% of it in Jan/Feb and now I'm getting all together, getting ready to monokote by the end of Jan 2018.
I'm also picking up my next project from BTE near Medford, OR by next week, Reaction 54 ( 4 hours away from Sac ) next project's picture.
Last edited by CARS II; 12-31-2017 at 07:44 AM.
01-16-2018, 06:53 AM
#37
Hi Dave Sorry for the lack of updates as I have been trying to finish the wing on my A-ray which is almost done. I also have been working a lot of hours for the last three weeks. Life gets in the way you as probably know.
I had a little trouble figuring out how to cut the taper edge on the leading edges and consulted my local Hobby shop owner Eddie Taylor here in Wichita Falls TX (Action Hobbies/Lazerworks). Eddie has been real helpful with my build he also makes Lazer parts packs for sale online. He told me to take a piece of glass and lay it on top of my bench and then lay the leading edge on top and use a steel straight edge and lay it on top and start at the 3/16 inch end all the way down to 1/2 end. you also need to support the whole straight edge by placing another stick of the same thickness under the side you are not cutting. Now carefully clamp it to the bench and start cutting with a sharp Xacto Knife along the edge. he also told me to cut it in spurts and not to try to cut it in one continuous cut as you will you will find it is easy to destroy these Balsa Sticks After having to replace 1 of them I used this method and it works pretty good. I have two complete and very light wing panels!!! so thats it for this week I hope to have this glued together with 5 minute expoy and the end of the week. I will post some more pics later on in the week
Thank You
Michael Johnston
I had a little trouble figuring out how to cut the taper edge on the leading edges and consulted my local Hobby shop owner Eddie Taylor here in Wichita Falls TX (Action Hobbies/Lazerworks). Eddie has been real helpful with my build he also makes Lazer parts packs for sale online. He told me to take a piece of glass and lay it on top of my bench and then lay the leading edge on top and use a steel straight edge and lay it on top and start at the 3/16 inch end all the way down to 1/2 end. you also need to support the whole straight edge by placing another stick of the same thickness under the side you are not cutting. Now carefully clamp it to the bench and start cutting with a sharp Xacto Knife along the edge. he also told me to cut it in spurts and not to try to cut it in one continuous cut as you will you will find it is easy to destroy these Balsa Sticks After having to replace 1 of them I used this method and it works pretty good. I have two complete and very light wing panels!!! so thats it for this week I hope to have this glued together with 5 minute expoy and the end of the week. I will post some more pics later on in the week
Thank You
Michael Johnston
01-16-2018, 06:56 AM
#38
Michael, the short story of the K goes like this, the Kavalier was given to me by a friend nearly 20 years ago, he build it and then he stopped and gave it to me some twenty years ago, later I give it to a friend a year later, that friend kept it for 19 years didn't do anything with it and give it back to me about a year ago so, it makes it a new 30 years old airplane that flys great, then I decided to build it during spring, I got to fly it a few times, it's a great flyer but it needed a new home, someone that will enjoy it more than me since I have other projects I need to finish and I'm also flying bigger airplanes, gas airplanes with 35cc engines and bigger.
The new owner ( owner #4, club member ) is having tons of fun flying the K, the K has a new 40 FP and it looks like it is the perfect engine for it.
That K needed to be build and flown after been framed up so many years ago and it did, proudly
Here is a picture of the project I'm working on, a Nick Ziroli Turbinator, I started this build in 2008 and planning to complete it by Feb 2018, nearly 10 years since I glue the crouch together, aI basically build 90% of it in Jan/Feb and now I'm getting all together, getting ready to monokote by the end of Jan 2018.
I'm also picking up my next project from BTE near Medford, OR by next week, Reaction 54 ( 4 hours away from Sac ) next project's picture.
The new owner ( owner #4, club member ) is having tons of fun flying the K, the K has a new 40 FP and it looks like it is the perfect engine for it.
That K needed to be build and flown after been framed up so many years ago and it did, proudly
Here is a picture of the project I'm working on, a Nick Ziroli Turbinator, I started this build in 2008 and planning to complete it by Feb 2018, nearly 10 years since I glue the crouch together, aI basically build 90% of it in Jan/Feb and now I'm getting all together, getting ready to monokote by the end of Jan 2018.
I'm also picking up my next project from BTE near Medford, OR by next week, Reaction 54 ( 4 hours away from Sac ) next project's picture.
Take Care
Michael Johnston
Thank You
01-17-2018, 11:38 AM
#40
He told me to take a piece of glass and lay it on top of my bench and then lay the leading edge on top and use a steel straight edge and lay it on top and start at the 3/16 inch end all the way down to 1/2 end. you also need to support the whole straight edge by placing another stick of the same thickness under the side you are not cutting. Now carefully clamp it to the bench and start cutting with a sharp Xacto Knife along the edge. he also told me to cut it in spurts and not to try to cut it in one continuous cut as you will you will find it is easy to destroy these Balsa Sticks After having to replace 1 of them I used this method and it works pretty good.
Thank You
Michael Johnston
Thank You
Michael Johnston
Last edited by FlyerInOKC; 01-17-2018 at 11:45 AM.
01-20-2018, 06:22 AM
#42
Good morning well I messed it up yesterday as I put to much on the seams to hide them and I was using a mouse sander to Knock it down. The sheeting got to thin and I and stuck my finger through so today I will be fixing that and getting it down today. I will also get sometime tonight to trim up the left panel and hopeful I can set it up to glue it together! It is so fun to be doing this again. Thanks Michael
01-20-2018, 11:41 AM
#43
I'd bet that nearly everyone here has done that same thing at least once. I know that I did - in 2 different places on the fuse - on my Stratus. Embarrassing to do it once - how do you explain TWICE?
01-21-2018, 07:03 AM
#44
Great
I will post some pictures later today
Thanks
Michael
Ps My build is not Abandoned its just on hold for a bit
C-YA
01-25-2018, 07:07 PM
#46
so here is my results of using this idea from my friend Eddie over at Action Hobbies here in Wichita Falls TX. I made two patches out of the 3/4 oz fiber glass cloth.I then sprayed 3M 77 spray adhesive on them and laid them out one at a time.I then saturated it with thin CA and let it dry then I lightly sanded the area then I put the other patch which is a little big bigger over the first one. I saturated it again with CA then I sanded it again now I can start applying the wood filler tomorrow. This was not very hard to do and it beats tearing the balsa sheeting off and starting over again!
Thank You
Michael Johnston
Thank You
Michael Johnston
01-25-2018, 07:57 PM
#47
Y'learn something every day - that looks GOOD!!!