RE: Sheber Pitts S1S build
Rather than use block balsa in areas that require addidtional strength, I made 3-ply balsa pywood...
Posted on: 9/16/2012 6:10 AM by Author "SplinteredProp" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229876

RE: Sheber Pitts S1S build
I didn't like how little material there was for the hinges to grab onto in the elevator, so I added more balsa. (Pic 1) The almost finished stab/elev (pic 2)
Posted on: 9/16/2012 6:08 AM by Author "SplinteredProp" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229875

RE: Sheber Pitts S1S build
OK, back to the shop... The first thing I did was to cut the HStab TE & Elev LE to the correct size, mark the hinge locations, add 5/16x3/8 backing to the hinge locations, drill them both at the same time on the drill press. I then inserted dowels in 4 of the 8 hinge holes to keep everything aligned. (Pic 1) My shop helper (Pic 2)
Posted on: 9/15/2012 4:50 PM by Author "SplinteredProp" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11229610

RE: Sheber Pitts S1S build
I soaked the balsa strips for about an hour, then placed them, without glue, around the template. I wanted to pre-shape the laminate strips before gluing. I thought this would make the gluing process easier. That also explains the lack of wax paper under the template in the first pic. After the laminate pieces dried, I removed them from the template, placed wax paper under the template, and began gluing the layers together. I glued a single layer at a time, allowing approx 30 minutes between layers, for a total of 6 layers, and let dry overnight. The finished piece ended up being between 13/32 and 7/16 thick, allowing me enough material to sand to a finished 3/8 width. Overall, I'm pleased with the finished result, considering I have never attempted this construction method before. That's it for this weekend - Today is going to be spent watching football.
Posted on: 9/9/2012 7:38 AM by Author "SplinteredProp" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11222676

RE: Sheber Pitts S1S build
I needed a few balsa strips, so I fashioned a bench mounted balsa stripper. The plan calls for a final thickness of 5/16, but I cut these to 7/16 to allow me to sand out imperfections and uneven strips.
Posted on: 9/9/2012 7:28 AM by Author "SplinteredProp" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11222664

RE: Sheber Pitts S1S build
Pic 1: The pattern/template after being cut with a band saw and final shaped with a bench belt/disc sander. Pic 2: I drilled 1" dia holes through the template while they were still screwed together - these will provide places for clamping. I then seperated the 2 template halves, placed packaging tape around the perimeter and screwed then to my workbench.
Posted on: 9/9/2012 7:21 AM by Author "SplinteredProp" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11222659

RE: Sheber Pitts S1S build
This plan requires various elements to be laminated to curved shapes, the most complex being the horiz stab/elevator (hs/e). Since I've never attempted this method of construction before, this seemed like the logical place to start. Pic 1: The plan. Pic 2: I traced the inside line of the perimeter of the hs/e, cut out the pattern, and glued it to doubled up pieces of MDF, which I screwed together.
Posted on: 9/9/2012 7:19 AM by Author "SplinteredProp" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11222657

Sheber Pitts S1S build
Greetings, New to the board, and would like to document this build here. If anyone is interested, they are welcome to follow along. I just got my hands on a set of Andy Sheber 1/3 Pitts S1S plans, so the build is in it's infancy. So far, I've only made a copy of the plans, cut up the copy to useable sizes, and have made a material list. This will not be a fast build, since weekends are the only time I can dedicate to building. Since it is my intention to post a pic with every post (except if answering a question), I will start off with a pic of the plans.
Posted on: 9/6/2012 1:30 PM by Author "SplinteredProp" in the forum "Scratch Building, Aircraft Design, 3D/CAD"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11219854