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RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
stephanP, Perhaps it would be better if Duane commented here, but apparently at least one of the proto types had a different finishing scheme. I personally chose to follow the original scheme in the spirit of trying to recreate a Simla similar to Ed's. My second Simla will have a paint scheme considerably different from the original. As far as chosing paint over one of the popular plastic coverings, I just prefer the results I get from painting. It is a lot more work and I have alot more time invested, but it just produces a smoother, sleeker appearance on the finished product. Painted surfaces also do not wringle when exposed to the sun. But of course at altitude and speed no one can see the difference between a painted plane and one that has been covered with plastic . The down side of painting an airframe is of course the added weight; but with a little effort and practice the weight difference can be overcome to some extent. Bill
Posted on: 7/21/2012 12:29 AM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11163256
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Thom As requested, the unfinished wings weights were 28.4 oz for the right wing and 29.6 for the left wing (that includes all hardware). The glassed wings came to 30.4 oz for the right wing and 31.0 oz. for the left wing. More to come when I have finished the wings later this week Bill
Posted on: 7/9/2012 4:02 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11149180
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Thom, I was out at our flying field today, and the subject of projects came up. More specifically the number of projects that I am working on. It seems that I have seven major projects going right now, including the Simla, a Taurus,a Seagull Extra 260, a Great Planes 50cc Patty Wagstaff Extra 300, a Sig 104" Spacewalker, a Midwest Mach 1 blown up 15% to handle a 15 cc gasser and built from scratch, and finally a 40 cc size Biplane. Lot's of stuff to do, however, my focus is primarily on the Simla and Taurus at this time. Hopefully a week or two is all I'll need to finish them both. I will try to get those numbers on before and after weights as soon as possible.
Posted on: 7/8/2012 12:14 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11147664
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
High Guys, I finally glassed my wings yesterday. I am going to try to finish her up this week. The good news for me is that I am soloing and doing fairly well so far. I have been flying four different aircraft and they are all still in the number of pieces they started with. Bill
Posted on: 7/8/2012 2:30 AM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11147212
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Duane, Since my last post, I have been involved in so many other projects that i have gottened very little done on my Simla. When I redid the the paint scheme to more accurately represent Ed's Simla I managed to drop the fuselage off my painting stand immediately after I finished putting the last coat of clear on her. Of course there was some damage done as well as marks caused by handling wet clear coat, but I have managed to repair all the damage with no apparent ill effects. The only other thing that I have accomplished is to bend several 3/16 " nose gear and drill out the mount and steering arm to accomodate this new larger nose gear. At this point I am committing myself to glassing the wings this next week and painting them the following week. Wish me luck. Now, what about you other guys out there building Simlas. This build has been silent far too long. You guys need to jump in here and let all of us know how it's going and what building ideas and techniques you have come up with. And, Duane, thanks for your post. Your Simla is looking good as always. Bill PS- I did manage to talk to Don Lowe about the Simla. He has agreed to maiden it for me, and although I was only able to show him pictures of the Simla at the time of our discussion he said it looked familiar and referenced a time that would have been accurate to the time Ed was flying it. Bye for now
Posted on: 5/13/2012 12:16 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11079293
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Duane, In order to get the black bottom stripe to line up properly to the wing I had to raise it to a point that was beyond the fin. What I wound up doing was ending the bottom stripe where the stripe on the bottom of the stab ends. Photos to follow this evening as I am at work and do not have my camera with me. Bil PS- My dash does run into the wing at the very top of the wing and then continues toward the TE.l As promised
Posted on: 4/11/2012 2:44 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11037528
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
I'll be repainting tomorrow. I am giving up on the black bottom stripe configuration at the tail feathers and making the stripe fit the wing as nearly as possible. This situation makes me believe that the fuselage has too much depth from top to bottom. I will be making some adjustments on my second Simla giving it a sleaker, slimmer fuselage. Bill
Posted on: 4/10/2012 7:54 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11037013
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
My bad, I forgot to strip the fuselage and weigh it again. However, after assembling it with an OS 120 AX with a Mac muffler, Tru-Turn spinner, 14x8 Master Airscrew three blade prop, steerable nose gear, Futaba R617FS Rx, three 3152 servos, two 5 cell 6 volt 2000 Mah batteries, and a Miracle dual switch, the all up weight of the completed fuselage came to 8.2 lbs. At this point the wings unfinished, but with all hardware installed come to 1.825 lbs for the left one and 1.760 lbs for the right one. That comes to 11.785 lbs before I glass and paint the wings. An educated guess on the final weight will be about 12.5 lbs. That is considerably heavier than I wanted but from what Thom has said about the 120 AX power plant I should not have much trouble with flying my Simla. Cutting 30% of this weight should be quite a challenge for Simla number 2. A smaller power plant,one less battery pack,lighter construction techniques, and lighter finishing techniques should help quite a bit. Only time will tell. Bill PS- For what it's worth I could have reduced the weight on this first Simla, but I basically quit worrying about the weight in an effort to finish it more qiuckly. Bye now
Posted on: 4/8/2012 12:15 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11033306
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Thom, At this point I am not quite finished with the fuselage painting, but before any finish work was started the fuse weight was 37.5 ozs. I just put the glassed and painted fuse on the scale and it came to 43.4 ozs. However, that included some servos that were not in the original bare weigh in. When I am finished with the paint work, I'll strip the fuse and weigh it again and get a more accurate number for you. Bill
Posted on: 4/7/2012 5:05 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11032270
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, What ever way works for you will be fine! I am also feeling the financial crunch to the point that I am not using what I would normally consider as top shelf materials. However, I am finding out that some quality paint work can be done with less expensive materials. It is true that I am still using urethanes, but not the most expensive ones. As a matter of fact I used Nason urethane clear instead of Dupont clear and the results that I posted were right from the spray gun ( a cheap $20 Harbor Freight spray gun at that). And for those in the know I also know that Nason was purchased by Dupont some years ago, but the formulas are different. Anyway, the straight lines are compliments of 1/4 inch 3M fine line masking tape of the blue variety. I am not sure about the bottom black positioning, but it was the only way I could keep it parallel to the upper red panel. I guess some input from Duane is needed here, as I can alter whatever I need to before I am finally finished with the fuselage. Bill
Posted on: 4/6/2012 3:28 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11031135
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Duane,Jeff, Richard, Thom, et al, Well I finally put some paint on my Simla fuselage this week. I guess it's about time since it sat in primer for over four months. Oh well, life somtimes gets in the way of the truely important stuff and many added unexpected projects did not help either. My sincerest congratulations to Thom on Simla #4! It will probably be a week or two before I am able to complete the wings. At which time I plan on asking one of our more prominent club members to maiden my Simla and even perhaps to maiden my Taurus at the same time. The gentleman I am referring to would be Mr Don Lowe of the Phoenix fame in the early 70's I believe. He is a club member who at the age of 85 still flies better than I could hope to. It should be great fun . Anyway, here's a few shots. The last one might be of particular interest to those who are considering a paint job as opposed to a film finish. Bill PS- Yes that's me taking the picture of the hatches.
Posted on: 4/5/2012 3:58 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11029883
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Duane, More time would be helpful to many of us I would guess. Bill
Posted on: 3/22/2012 1:25 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11010891
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, What Evan suggests is pretty much the way I like doing my hinging, except that I only recess the hinge into the trailing edge of whatever fixed surface I am hinging. That way I am less likely to mangel the leading edge of the controlled surface. I also cut all my hinge slots before I bevel any of the edges. It just makes it easier to control the hinge slots. I'll try to post some photos tomorrow. Bill
Posted on: 3/20/2012 6:15 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11008927
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, I am 64 years old and have been building models from kits and plans for over 50 years and for what it's worth, I learn something new with every build. I figure when I reach the point where i can't learn something new I will have checked out and I don't plan on doing that for a long, long, long time. So just keep plugging away and you will gain the skills and techniques that will one day turn you into a "master builder". Bill
Posted on: 3/19/2012 2:27 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11007318
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, In theory the filler on top of the glass would be easier to sand without damaging the existing balsa wood. In my case,however, I cover all the balsa with two coats of urethane clear, sand it with 180 grit sand paper, fill any imperfections, sand the filler smooth, and then glass over the filler. But that is just how I do it. If I am really concerned about weight I skip the glass all together. In fact, I plan on foregoing the glassing process on my second Simla build. As a side note, the Taurus I am building comes in under 5 lbs with full gear and no covering on the wing and no paint. That includes dual servos for the ailerons, an OS 55 AX, and all necessary hardware. No contest balsa was used either.Done, it should come in at about 5.5 lbs. I am using two coats of clear over the entire airframe followed by 180 grit sanding, then two coats of urethane primer sanded with 320 grit sand paper, and then color coats and two coats of urethane clear. After curing 1500 and 2000 grit wet sanding followed by buffing with 3M finessit compounds. Bill
Posted on: 3/9/2012 4:08 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10993421
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Ditto!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bill
Posted on: 3/8/2012 2:36 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10991907
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
thom25, Nicely done! Bill
Posted on: 3/6/2012 8:43 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10989483
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, Unfortunately, I failed to take any photos before I rounded the fuslage. However, I am sure that I followed Jeff's instruction where installing the fuse blocks is concerned. And yes, I also used a power sander to "rough out" the general shape and then finished with the shoe shine sanding technique. The only place that became too thin was the top block right at the fire wall, so I used a little filling glaze to cover the thin areas and then took great care not to sand through it a second time. After I glassed the fuse, the thin areas were plenty strong. One other thing, I glued the nose ring in place before I sanded the blocks. Just mount your engine with the spinner attached and use it as a guide to position the nose ring. I used epoxy for this step because it gave me plenty of time to get the nose ring positioned properly. As far as the bottom contours are concerned, just follow the bottom shape of the formers and nose ring and you will get the correct shapes. Remember, as Duane said sand to the shape of the formers not into the formers Bill PS- Starting on page two there are pictures of the finished shape throughout the thread. Bye-Bye PPS- I will post some photos of my hatch blocks soon. I used four hold down bolts on each hatch, however Duane pointed out that Jeff did it with one bolt for the entire hatch system. I thought about it for a minute and came up with a one bolt plan for Simla number two.
Posted on: 3/6/2012 2:10 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10989010
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, I used the same method on the top blocks, and the bottom blocks front to rear, including the portion of the bottom aft of the wing which is planked. It's good to hear that you have members in your club who have been bitten by the Simla bug. Hopefully you will all share in the building and flying experience. As of yet I have found no one in either of the two clubs I am associated with who seems to share might interest and enthusiasm in the Simla. I guess I will just have to get her finished and take her to the flying fields. I would be willing to bet that some interest in the Simla would then be generated. And yes, I have heard it both ways with sheep and cows. Bill
Posted on: 3/4/2012 8:08 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10986739
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, That looks about right. Now all you have to do is sand until the sheep come home! Make sure you round the contour from side to side. I used an eighteen inch long piece of 80 grit sand paper that was about three inches wide in a "shoe shine" motion. The sand paper mentioned here should be available at any automotive paint supplier. Good luck and happy sanding! Bill
Posted on: 3/4/2012 2:00 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10986304
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Duane, I too used the dribble the CA method on the wing sheeting, but because I made my wing covers in four large sheets I was only able to CA the top half of the wing sheeting. It worked quite well. The bottom half of the sheeting I used white glue only. Bill
Posted on: 3/1/2012 1:21 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10983250
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, The mobile shop will be strictly for R/C hobbying. I hate going to the field and having some small problem shorten the day's flying. I also like to be able to help other R/Cer's if possible. It's my way of paying back all the help that I have received over the years . Bill
Posted on: 2/18/2012 1:48 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10964839
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, As I attempted to say earlier, I purchased a 1994 Dodge Maxi van today which will put a sever dent in my R/C budget for the next 6 to 8 weeks. So while I am getting the van paid for, I will spend all my free time finishing my Simla. BTW the van is for storing and transporting my gallery of aircraft as well as becoming a mobile shop. Bill
Posted on: 2/17/2012 9:27 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10964077
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Duane, This is my third attempt at trying to reply to your last post. The first two were both lengthy and informative as well as not sent to the forum !!!!!!!!!!!! Suffice it to say that circumstances will allow me to spend much time getting the Simla finished. Bill
Posted on: 2/17/2012 9:18 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10963592
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, Me too. Just enough room for the fuel lines to clear. Bill
Posted on: 2/15/2012 2:12 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10960540
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Hey Guys, Yes, I cowled in the engine while making sure I had plenty of room to install and remove the engine. The real key seems to be in how large you make the nose plate hole. On mine I made the hole as large as possible thus allowing the engine a greater angle to slip into the engine bay. Bill PS-I also considered engine cooling when I opened up the engine bay as much as I did. I suppose I could have tightened it up a bit, but this way I have ample room to access everything in the engine bay and still have an enclosed nose.
Posted on: 2/15/2012 1:18 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10960455
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, Check out pages 2,11,20, posts 40,44,265, and 495. That will you give some idea of where you are headed with the engine compartment. Bill
Posted on: 2/12/2012 3:29 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10955836
Choosing a 50cc Extra 300
Greetings to one and all, I have recently returned to R/C modeling and need help in making a decision on which to purchase. I have been considering an Aero Works Extra 300 at $699.95 nib or a pair of Great Planes Patty Wagstaff Extra 300's at $730.00 nib's. What I am looking for is some comparison opinions. Keep in mind that I do not intend to fly 3D, but rather sport/pattern flying. Also having the top of the line equipment is not necessarily at the top of my short list of priorities. I am also an accomplished builder so ease of assembly is in the same category. I just want to have a 300 that flies well and does not require a great amount of adjusting and maintaining over and above what would be considered normal. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, Bill
Posted on: 2/4/2012 8:11 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Giant Scale Aircraft - General"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10944327
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, Perhaps I was not completely clear in my description of the procedure that I used. First, when I had a panel glued and sanded, I fit it to the wing and trimmed it to shape so that there was very little "Wiggle Room", and then I used the windex and tape to fit the airfoil before I glued it to the wing. I used 1 3/4 inch tape applied every couple of inches on the leading edge running roughly parallel with the ribs before I sprayed the windex on the sheet. The trailing edge can either be taped or clamped to hold it secure. After I was satisfied with the fit, I sprayed the windex mostly on the leading edge half of the panel and then let it dry. When done it was nearly a perfect fit for each panel. I realize that this process is somewhat time consuming, however, I felt that the end result was well worth it. As far as the actual gluing process, I suspect that practice will improve your technique to the point that the last two panels will meet with greater success. Good luck Bill
Posted on: 2/2/2012 2:26 AM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10939789
RE: SIMLA BUILD THREAD
Richard, You might try The Balsa Store on a website of the same name. I haven't used them yet, but I am planning to on my next Simla build. They seem to have plenty of 4" sheeting which I would prefer over the 3" the National Balsa offers. Bill PS- Be sure to let us know how the wing sheeting is going Bye-Bye
Posted on: 2/1/2012 3:03 PM by Author "billberry189"
in the forum "Classic RC Pattern Flying"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10939039
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