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Beejs Blog Update: Top Wing

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Beej

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<TD vAlign=top>I-struts with radiused internal corners...


I-struts
To complete the struts, I needed to add the little 'sweeps' where the braces met the streamline tubing, this is done with balsa as per plans, but I decided to just throw a blob of Superfil in there and shape.They turned out great. I then coated them with a dose of rust kill and added them to the ever growing pile of parts ready for priming.


Cabane Fairing
I wanted to mount a cabane fairing at the center section. I purchased one from Steen, but didn't want to risk messing it up, so I made a sacrificial female mould of it and used that for hacking and templating. I had trouble trying to visualize where the cuts should be, since the fairing has to be mounted in sections in order to fit around everything, and I had trouble trying to find a reference picture to see where the cut is typically done on the rear end of the fairing. I finally went with a 4 piece fairing, having given up trying to make it a 3 piece. Of course,a weekafter completing it, I saw a bunch of 3 piece examples at the Biplane Expo :0( Anyway, the end result is very tight and snug around all the tubing, so I am very pleased with the overall outcome. The fixing method is done with floating clip nuts.Fixing to the ply above the ancillary tankis by 3/16 self tapping screws, blunted ground-down just a tad (the easy way out).


Lady Luck
Occasionally during the build, lady luck smiles down upon me: I was looking at buying an intercom system ($200-300). Then while rummaging through the oil/sawdust coveredboxes that came with the salvaged plane, I found one just laying there. A local buddy then took it away, cleaned it up, and set it up to work with my Icom hand-held, which is what I have planned for comms. He also wired in a PTT switch ready to mount in the stick, and has designed an internal co-ax antenna, and wired the Icom to work off of 12v. He charged me a big mac.


End of a Saga
So,there's only one word for it: WOW. After 2.8 years of slaving away on my wings, there is nothing else to do until covering. I can nowstore them away and forget about them and start to focus on the fuselage. Thereare so many sub-projects ahead that I really don't know which one to tackle first......




Stepped layered tabs on cabane fairing...

Completed cabane fairing...
 

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