Ozelot

For an upcoming scale project I have been thinking for a while about using litho plate instead of epoxy/glassfibre. The method would be that the wing or fuselage is constructed as usual, I.E fully planked with balsa and then covered with litho plate glued to the wood with contact glue. Has anyone tried this or know a source of information?

Jens

Papa Tango

I too have kicked this idea around in my head. I'm sure you have given it much thought (e.g. weight and durability). I would think that from an ease of application standpoint, litho plate would be rather labor intensive. If you plan to scale model and replicate real panels and rivets, it would take very precise cuts. Compound curves as encountered in transitioning wing root to fuselage would involve a lot of trial and error, not to mention the patience of Job. I have not seen anything pertaining to this construction method anywhere else.

I'd like to hear your thoughts and if you have a model you'd like to try it on. I'm going to do a search on the scratch-built section of RCU, just for grins.

Good Luck

Papa Tango

Found this...

http://www.rcuniverse.com/showthread...minum+Sheeting]

mstroh3961

My Feedback: (4)

Hi do a google search for "FLIGHT METAL"

Ozelot

Thanks for the input guys. I will pick up some contact glue on my way home from work today. In my attic I have a wing from an old Q500 which has been worn out. (I know it sounds weird but the plane has many flights logged and the wing has turned soft after thousands of high-g turns...) That wing would be a great test object so what I will do is to weigh the wing section and then attach some litho to it. Afterwards I'll check the weight again to see how much it gained in the process. I'll get back when I am finished with it to share the results.

Regards, Jens

bobson

Jens
I've read about models using lithoplate in a number of English (U.K.) magazines - seems to be rather common. Some have been in 2 to 3 foot wingspan freeflight models. Seems to me that I heard that it does come in different thicknesses (different weights) so it could become heavy.
Flite-Metal looks like a very good and easier option, although I think lithoplate and contact cement will be much cheaper
Luck

Ozelot

I have now made a test piece of wing out of unused wing ribs and some scrap wood. The wing section was fully planked and then covered with 0.15mm litho plate, contactglued to the balsa. I weighed the section before and after fitting the litho. This is the moment when things turned sour... To give some comparison, a Quickie 500 40-size model would gain about 500g in weight when covered in aluminium. OK, part of this would be Monokote anyway but the weight gain is not acceptable. But, the look of it is absolutely stunning! I will use it to cover small areas in the future I think.

Jens

hoonnz

Ozelot:

Working litho plate into composite curves like wing fairings and the like is a nightmare unless you are an expert, I heat softened some and proceeded to waste time producing wrinkled or split bits of scrap. Some English scale modellers have it down to a fine art but you have to be keen.
It can be great though in simple applications. I built a Top flite Corsair and I replicated the panels covering the engine and nose area, and the panels over the guns/ammo bays on the wing. There are no complex curves, and it was easy to score panel lines with the back of a model-knife blade, press rivets with a nail that was ground flat, and create a few dents etc for wear and tear. I deliberately left some edges raised a little, and scratched away paint to expose the aluminium to represent wear and weathering. I thought it looked very real, and it certainly got a lot of favourable comment. It was easy, and added very little weight. I also cut out some of the small inspection hatches round the tail and glued them on.
I went to a scale meet, and I was flattered by a lot of interest and a lot of questions, even though my plane was one of the smaller and less impressive models, so it must have been good.
If you choose the few simple things that catch the eye rather than trying to cover the whole model, you can get brilliant results.

I would include some photo's but unfortunately my Corsair is MIA after trying to fly through a fence.

Happy landings
HoonNZ

CafeenMan

Fencing can be so damn inconsiderate sometimes. [:@]

That's too bad about your plane. I learned to always take photos before the first flight so even in the worst case of a maiden flight disaster at least I have something to show for my efforts.

So are you building another one?

patternwannabee

My Feedback: (1)

About 5-6 years ago I saw a DC3 modeled in lithoplate at the Giant Scale show in Pittsburgh.

The gentleman (whose name I didn't get) built the plane in 2 years. 2 zenoah gas engines about 8-10 ft wingspan.

The front section was hinged and could swing open so you could see the detailing of the cockpit:
fabric seats, pilots cap, assorted lights, headphones, and some dip switches which controlled lighting in the rest of the plane.

As the plane was displayed, the rear door had been swung open with a stewardess in the doorway, and each window had curtains.

Apparently, he finished the plane, flew it twice, with pictures to prove the event, then retired it.

I understand it now is in possession of someone in Japan who paid a lot of money for it.

The detailing in the cockpit and throughout the cabin was very impressive, of course, but it was the lithoplate which really grabbed me.

Unfortunately, I'm lacking other details, so I cannot offer anything else here, but if I hear any more, I will pipe up in this thread.