blw

My Feedback: (3)

Well, there are a lot of good tips on the Kavalier. I wish that I had known about a few before I built mine, but it turned out pretty good anyway. Yours is looking very good.

There is one more that you can see on the box photo, but not in the plans...I think. You can run the elevator control rod out the back of the plane directly into a good control horn point on the elevator. I missed that and cut a slot under the elevator.

I'm building a CA Models Widebody 40 now and most of it is foam and laser cut ply. The insttructions are bare bones, to say the least. Everything is new to me right now, but I'm enjoying it.

flmlm

Blwblw,

I liked the fact that the control rod runs out the back of the Kav for the elevator. I was wondering if you may have used a small piece of ply installed under the horizontal elevator control horn (to give the surface more bite) during your construction. I'm sure some rough handling is in store for my Kav do to my flight experience level so I though that this might be a good addition.

Over the past weekend I have cut in my cockpit area and was wondering if you may have some detail photos of the front of your cockpit up by the LE. I'm having a little difficulty getting the front of the cockpit tied back into the LE. I still have to carve a small block for the insturment panel. I'm hopeful that I'll be able to tie the cockpit deck back into and under the instrument panel.

In addition I've rough fit the canopy and have begun doing the preliminary trimming necessary to fit the canopy to the wing. The instructions seem to be a little vague with regards to fitting the canopy to the curvature of the wing. I really don't have a method to perform this step except to "eyeball" the canopy and the wing. The canopy trimming so far has been just a little at a time, if I go to far with the trimming I'm done, no second chance here. Thanks in advance for any help or comments.

Regards

chris_in_montreal

My Feedback: (1)

OK, so after not touching this build for a while i got back to it today and started to fit the servo trays to each wing half for the ailerons. First of all i added the rib caps to the ribs either side of the bay where the servo is going to go. Instead of aligning the middle of the strip with the middle of the wing rib i aligned these two so that one edge was flush with the edge of the wing rib so that the cap strip did not overhang into the compartment where i will mount the servo. I'm going to mount a hatch which runs up flush between two ribs here so by doing this the rib caps will not be in the way but still give a good surface when it comes to covering. I also sheeted the area between the rear spars i added in this area and the trailing edge sheeting. Next i laminated a piece of 1/8" ply i am using as the base of the hatch with 1/32" balsa. The idea here is that the hatch will be mounted in the bottom of the wing which has a slight curvature to it. The thick ply will be flat when mounted but the balsa laminate will be sanded back to match the wing contour. I also cut out four mounting blocks for the hatch which i will epoxy onto the wing ribs in each corner to provide the anchor posts when attaching the hatch and also two balsa rails to support the side edges of the hatch. Once the hatch is mounted in place i'll set about cutting the slot for the servo arm and mount the servo on the hatch........

blw

My Feedback: (3)

flmlm,

I had a lot of trouble getting the canopy to seat correctly too. It didn't work well the first few times. It is a struggle. I forget what happened where I got it right, but I remember the canopy glue not sticking well to the forward section of the canopy, and having to trim around the leading edges every time in hopes it would all fit right. You are right in that this is a weak point in the instructions. I have since found the ideal trim tape for going around the canopy to seal it and make it look good- 3M Scotch Cal. That is great trim tape that will handle curves perfectly and it really sticks down the first time. I bought the 1/4" roll but will go back and get the 1/2". I opted for the small width tape because the only stock of 1/2" was $22.00! I wasn't ready to spend that much while experimenting, but it is definately worth it. You can cover a lot of gaps with it.

I've also had problems with canopy glue not sticking on a Somethin Extra. One side just won't stay glued for whatever reasons. I've finally used the 3M tape around the canopy and deck and that holds it just fine. No more glue and the trim tape looks very good!

For the control horns I cut small sections of a credit card to put under the horns. It has worked well so far. If you can't find the color CC that you need, you can rough one up with sandpaper, and ink it or paint it. The control horns were mashing into the rudder and elevator balsa, so I used this method to spread out the stress of the screws. It doesn't look bad.

flmlm

blwblw,

Thanks for the suggestions. I worked on the canopy last night and it's coming along, I just have to take my time with this. The canopy fit has a few compound curves in it that are tricky and had me freaking out. I had to back off look at the canopy and it's orientation with the wing and proceed slowly.

I'm going to install some ply under both the rudder and elevator control horns. I just don't trust the balsa it appears to be a little too soft and I can see it possibly pulling out. Thanks a lot for your input on both these issues.

I looked at the Something Extra for a future project, nice looking airplane and there's a lot of construction suggestions for it on this forum. Good luck and thanks again.

Regards

blw

My Feedback: (3)

The Somethin Extra is an excellent kit for a third plane, but if flies differently than the Kavalier. The Kavalier is more solid and tracks thru the air better. It is a stable plane for landings. The SE is a great plane when you keep the rates low. It flies well and isn't too much to handle. When you increase the rates, it is an exciting plane to roll and have a ball. It can get pretty wild if you build it light. The character changes a lot depending on where you have your rates. I was comfortable with it on my first flight with low rates. I now practice stuff on the SE first, and then go back to the Kavalier to do them better. The Kavalier makes everything look smooth.

chris_in_montreal

My Feedback: (1)

Well now that the christmas madness is out of the way i've finally spent some quality time with my Kavalier build . So today i completed the wing servo hatches. The pics below show the steps i took following where i was up to with this in my last post. The first one shows the anchor posts and rails glued in position, the second and third show the servo tray with servo mounted (Futaba S3004) and the last one shows the hatch in position in the wing. All that remains is to sand the outer surface of the tray flush with the underside of the wing and i'll have a look for a more suitable servo arm (the one in the pic is just one i had lying around and i probably need a slightly longer one. This mod was pretty straightforward in the end, just took a bit of planning to make sure the servo could be fitted comfortably within the space available.

chris_in_montreal

My Feedback: (1)

I also started building the fuselage today. So far pretty straightforward building one side up on top of a printed balsa sheet as the pics show.

[img][/img] [img][/img] [img][/img]


The instructions in this kit show how to mount the wing either with rubber bands or with wing bolts. I've chosen to go with the bolt option and will follow up with the steps from this soon:

flmlm

PilgrimChimp,

Looks good, your build is proceeding nicely! The holidays have got in the way on my Kav build as well. Hopefully, this week the progress can continue. Keep up the good work!

chris_in_montreal

My Feedback: (1)

Still progressing well on this build, i know updates are few and far between but i'm not in a hurry to finish this model. Don't think i mentioned before but i built my first R/C plane (kadet LT-40) at the end of last season and didn't have a chance to fly it apart from the test flight so come spring i'll be training with the kadet but will hopefully get to fly the Kav before the end of next season.

I have been debating heavily what powerplant to use for the Kavalier recently. I have the option to use an OS .46AX which is currently mounted on the Kadet but after suggestions have thought about a Saito .56 four stroke. This appeals as for my next build i want to do a Page Gee Bee Z which the Saito is a good match for. However the Webra 50GT has also caught my eye..... for the moment though i think i'll stick with the AX, i have a bisson pitts style muffler for it to fit under the Kavalier cowl which will look pretty neat.

Current status as of today then...... i have both fuselage sides built up and have joined them at formers F2 and F3. All straightforward stuff, used 30min epoxy here for strength instead of titebond which i've been using for general construction. Micro bar clamps and a 90 degree angle were invaluable to get the two sides set up square. I'm really liking using regular wood glue compared to CA, the Kavalier is already looking a lot neater than the Kadet. I've found myself having to think more about how i'm going to set up each joint in a way where it can be clamped or pinned effectively while the glue sets, hence more effort put into getting parts to mate up resulting in the neater looking build. Plus its easy to clean up any excess glue and make any minor adjustments while gluing in place and no nasty fumes . One thing i figured out today, i had bought a Sullivan 12oz RST tank thinking i could squeeze it into the available space. Having now got the fuse partly together its clear that this will not fit without obstructing the throttle and nosewheel control rod paths. Trouble is its about 1/4" too long so the rear end of the tank would have to sit in the middle of former F2 and the tank would sit at an angle (higher at fron than rear, although i don't know if this is a problem), anyway have ordered a 10oz as called for in the plans, i'm sure i'll find a good home for the 12oz eventually!!

For now though the fuse is going to have to wait, the instructions call for the firewall to be attached but i need to drill all the engine and nose gear mount holes first for which i'm waiting on some dubro vibro engine mounts. Will be going for a true side mounting position on the engine with the pitts muffler rather than the 45 degree angle shown on the plans. So will get back to the wing and sanding those leading edges!!!!

flmlm

PilgrimChimp,

Your build looks like it's coming along. I too have lagged behind in my build.I've still been plugging away with it as time allows but I'm not in a big hurry either. For my power plant I have a brand new in the box HB 40 PDP (was my fathers and he never used it). I've been told the this particular engine is somewhat old school and parts will be impossible to find for it however, my way of thinking is that's what I've got, so why not use it. Using the HB 40 on the front of the Kav makes more sense than turnning it into a paper weight. I'll be updating soon with some more progress photo's.

Regards

[

blw

My Feedback: (3)

Pilgrim Chimp,

Your aileron hatch covers look better than mine do on a kit that I'm building now.

I hope to fly the Kavalier tomorrow, if the winds aren't as high as forecast to be. The Kav is a great plane for landing in the wind, but a bit light for upper level winds. It gets tossed around some.

I'm seriously considering putting a Saito .72 that I have on the Kavalier, but I wonder how long the 8 oz of fuel would last. I get 11 minutes max with the .56.

chris_in_montreal

My Feedback: (1)

Hi guys, i'm still here, just received the engine mounts i needed and the pitts muffler yesterday. Decided to just go with the .46AX, from the feedback i've had it's more than enough for the Kavalier so will save my pennies for that four stroke on my next build.

A Saito .72? [X(] that will be interesting

flmlm

blwblw,

Keep us in mind for a flight report and good luck.

Regards

blw

My Feedback: (3)

flmlm,

I flew the Kavalier today and the winds were pretty strong at first. It was a handful on final until the winds died down some. I still had a great time with it. That plane tracks very straight and I was noticing how fast it picks up speed. I let a friend fly it for a while and he made the plane do things I sure can't do yet. He won Jr. Nationals years ago, had 2 Kavaliers growing up, so you can imagine how well he flies it.

flmlm

Blwblw,

Thanks for the flight report. I can relate to winds. My brother and I have been grounded for the past three weekend do to extreme winds. I continue to make progress with my Kavalier build, the wing is just about complete. This being my first build of a .40 size airplane it's been alot of fun. I hope to have my Kavalier completed soon. I'll update with some photo's soon.

Regards

chris_in_montreal

My Feedback: (1)

Oh well, best laid plans and all......

After sitting and looking at my .46 with the pitts muffler attached and the kavalier cowl for a few hours yesterday I have convinced myself that this arrangement is just not going to work. The problem is that the cowl narrows quite rapidly from back to front and so for the chamber of the pitts to fit i would have to cut out the cowl defeating the object of using the pitts in the first place. Its really close though, if the muffler chamber had only 1/8" less width it would have worked. Oh well, so back to square one.... think i may go for the Webra 50 after all.

Have been thinking about covering lately too and had previously considered using Coverite 21st century fabric. Have been following the tripacer build thread here and the koverite covering being used. I like the idea of having a blank canvas to paint on rather than have to try and piece together a desing from pre-painted coverings.

flmlm

PilgrimChimp,

I know what your saying about the room restrictions inside the cowl. I'm afraid I butchered mine up significantly but I don't really think that it will matter to me in the long run. I'm at a cross roads on covering for the fuselage right now so your comment concerning Coverite fabric is interesting. I've never covered solid balsa wood areas before and I'm a little spooked by bubbles and wrinkles. I haven't made up my mind what to do, I've even considering a wood grain filling mixture of dope and talcum powder followed by paint. Just not sure what to do.....

Regards

ZeppelinIII

flmlm and PilgrimChimp,

Have you tried a woodpecker? They help get rid of bubbles. Or, since it's a solid surface you can glass it and paint it. That's what I did with my fuse and I really liked the results.

chris_in_montreal

My Feedback: (1)

Hi ZeppelinIII, you're covering job looks really good from the pics you posted at the start of this thread and you got me tempted to try glassing the fuselage. Trouble here is that you can't glass the wings so you're forced to cover in a different material. So wanting to stay away from the plastic type coverings though i'd try fabric. I've seen the woodpecker and read a few mixed comments here on RCU, personally i didn't have any trouble covering my first kit, an LT-40, which has a similar but larger fuse to the Kavalier, and the fabric coverings don't tend to bubble like the plastic coverings so i'm not too concerned.

flmlm, covering solid balsa areas really isn't difficult with the right technique. I found that working slowly from one edge of the surface to the other, moving the iron in small circular movements to gradually work into the 'unstuck' area of the covering worked best for me and left no bubbles or wrinkles.

ZeppelinIII

I think using a woodpecker helped me, but maybe it's all in my head. If you are comfortable and accomplished without it then just keep going

You're right of course, I glassed the fuse and painted it with lusterkote to match the monokote I used on the wings. One of my "someday" planes is a hog bipe which I think would look nice done with a fabric finish (and a few paint trimmings).

Prawnik

Thanks for the information, folks. I am strongly considering a Kavalier as my second airplane.

flmlm

thanks for the advice on the woodpecker. I expect to continue with the fuselage covering this week. Pictures soon to follow.

ELTIGRE

just followed your Kavalier build . had 3 of these ol' birds over the years. IMHO THE best #2 plane you could ask for.
I might suggest next time your carving the wing tip blocks , saw them to the basic shape & follow up witha sears rasp/file combo. makes very short work of it (if messy) & all thats needed is final sanding.

flmlm

ELTIGRE,

Thanks for the hint on the wing tip all suggestions are welcome. I'll keep that method in mind for the next wing build.

Regards