RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
[quote]ORIGINAL: Wagon1 Is an OS 52 FS to big for this kit? [/quote] Wagon1, my cowl measures about 6-15/16 inches outside diameter. The Saito .40 has about 1/8 inch clearance inside the cowl. I think it will be OK. I've cut a rounded rectangular hole in the lower right side of the cowl as shown in photos of the Scout. This hole exposes part of the valve cover. The engine is mounted on about a 45-degree downward angle to point its exhaust pipe out the bottom of the cowl. I think the engine will be well ventilated. This web page [b]http://www.osengines.com/engines/dimension-std.html[/b] provides a dimension of 3.29 inches from the center of the crankshaft to the top of the valve cover. I think it will fit into the Scout cowl with breathing clearance. These photos show the engine mounted inside the cowl with the fuselage inverted. I'm trying to show the clearance between the valve cover and the cowl inside surface and the amount of openings near the engine.
Posted on: 9/14/2012 12:06 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11228030

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Here's the lower wing half covered. I'm laying the fabric onto the structure with slots cut for the strut lugs. Then I'm starting at the lugs, ironing the fabric down around them and moving away from them in all directions ironing down the loose fabric as I go. It seems to be working OK without stretching the fabric excessively. The elevators got warped, I think they are too soft torsionally to handle a lot of fabric tension.
Posted on: 8/26/2012 5:43 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11206950

RE: Making Parts From Kit Instructions?
1. If the Ebay seller has 99+% positive feedback and will accept returns you really can't lose. 2. Most of the kit PLANS (instead of the instructions) have section drawings etc. that show the shaped parts. 3. If Sig is still offering the kit on their website I'll bet they'll sell you the diecut sheet containing a missing part pretty reasonably. 4. There are so many guys on here with old plans stashed away if you need a plan copy you'll be likely to find some help.
Posted on: 8/20/2012 9:22 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11200470

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Covering has begun...I've never been able to completely finish a model and then apply the covering. Once again, I'm impatient to see it covered. I've started with the rudder. I'm using Sig Koverall polyester fabric and Coverite Balsarite adhesive. I had to wait a week. First, I tried it and the fabric wasn't sticking. Then I ordered the FABRIC formula of Balsarite, I'd started with the FILM formula. I've used Koverall with Balsarite before on a Sig Hog-Bipe so I was confident in getting good results here. The Fabric formula seemed too thick and gummy. I mixed the two and feel the mixture is a better consistency. The only trick in this covering job is dealing with the installed control horns. It turned out to be really easy. I cut a piece of Koverall a little bigger than one side of the rudder. Then I cut a slot to fit around the horn. Then with the fabric laying on the rudder a low setting was used on the iron and the fabric was ironed around the base of the horn using just the tip of the iron. The perimeter of the rudder was then ironed at the "corners" while pulling the fabric a bit taut. I'm saying "a bit taut" because unlike film the fabric easily warps to remove looseness. It also irons around the curved and rounded perimeter of the surface without folds or any problems. So the first side of the covering was ironed around the edges until it would start to adhere to the other face and then trimmed with a razor blade. Trimmed this way the fabric will overlap around the rounded edge without being overlapped on either face. After the first side of the rudder is covered and the covering trimmed more Balsarite needs to be painted onto the fabric where the other side's covering will overlap. This goes reasonably quickly, by time I'd cleaned the paintbrush the Balsarite was dry enough to cover the second side. Once both sides were covered and the outline fully attached on both sides the rest of the sides were ironed to attach the fabric to the ribs and to lightly shrink it. Before painting it will get ironed again at high temperature. The pictures will show the slotted fabric layed over the rudder, then the other side, then the trimmed and stretched result. I'm using a Raisin Bran box as a nice and recycleable cutting surface.
Posted on: 8/18/2012 5:53 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11197463

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
I've built a box of liteply to hold the battery above the engine and in front of the firewall. Been unsure how to seal it against oil and am thinking it will simply be glued closed.
Posted on: 8/11/2012 3:21 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11189658

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
It's a very good thing I took the construction photos! It's been so long since the model was assembled I needed to refer to them to see how I'd assembled the interplane struts. AND I put them outside the mounting lugs on the wings, not as per plans. Anyway, more photos.
Posted on: 8/11/2012 12:25 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11189454

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Hi Mike, The interplane struts are two thin strips of basswood laminated together, then shaped rounded etc. I laminated them with epoxy and got some of it onto the surfaces as warned against in the instruction. So there are spots soaked with epoxy where the stain won't penetrate. I'm now feeling like simply getting the airplane finished and not sweating the small errors.
Posted on: 8/6/2012 6:42 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11183533

nylon bolt extraction / removal
Greetings! It's a good idea to mount landing gear with nylon bolts so the bolts break instead of having the airframe damaged. But now the broken bolts need to be removed, ideally at the flying field, quickly so you can continue crashing. The bolts are often broken flush with the airframe surface or even recessed a bit. I have had good luck removing #10 nylon bolts with an altered Xacto blade. I've ground the blade so it is in effect a sharp screwdriver blade. The sharpened blade is rocked from side to side with pressure and forces its way a bit into the nylon. Then torque is applied and the bolts actually come out easily. It helps if you have prepared the wood mounting block by first tapping the wood for the proper threading, then soak the threaded hole with thin CA, then tap again after the glue has set. If the bolts go in easily they should come out easily with the heads broken off so no load is on them.
Posted on: 8/6/2012 6:22 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11183492

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Here's the interplane struts and landing gear strapped with black Ultracote and pretty much finished. My interplanes got smeared with some of the epoxy so the stain is blemished. I've gone with the plans instead of trying to get better scale detailing. The plans, however, show the strapping a full 1/2-inch wide and mine are more like 3/16 to closer approximate the real thing as shown in a few photos. I'll probably spray on some more urethane to seal the strapping and give the wood another coat.
Posted on: 8/5/2012 4:39 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11182105

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
The cabane strut and landing gear fairings are shaped and stained. I've glued on the cabane fairings and sprayed the assembly with clear urethane. Hopefully it will seal the wood and metal and resist the fuel residue. I'll cut narrow strips of black Ultracote to strap around the fairings. I'm using a Minwax "Provincial" stain marker for color and five-minute epoxy. This stuff is going quickly.
Posted on: 8/3/2012 9:58 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11179687

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Life's been getting in the way...summertime! About the only modeling lately has been flying a Sig Astro Hog with Thunder Tiger .91 four-stroke power. I'm trying to revive some piloting skills...like landing! But dog walking, bicycling, swimming, this job I have, and my sweet wife all conspire to make modeling seem like a rainy day kind of thing.
Posted on: 7/18/2012 7:01 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11160568

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
A quick video of the elevator movement http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8POcNp-zZGQ&feature=youtu.be
Posted on: 5/27/2012 12:37 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11096402

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
cables need tightening and adjusting
Posted on: 5/27/2012 12:28 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11096397

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Sullivan brass threaded couplers are crimped onto the Spectra line and used with nylon clevises. The sharp angle from the cable to the elevator cables required another fitting between clevis and horn and the clip part of small fishing swivels were used. It seems like it's going to work. Comments/criticism welcomed.
Posted on: 5/27/2012 12:25 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11096369

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Yippee! I've got the tail surfaces operated by pull-pull cables. Two cables to the rudder and two to each elevator. Fuselage exits for the cables and the control horns are in scale locations. The lines will probably be Spectra kite line. The nylon-coated kevlar seems too sticky. Photos tomorrow. After being stuck all winter this is exciting.
Posted on: 5/26/2012 8:25 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11095782

RE: soldering a 4-stroke muffler?
Thanks, gentlemen!
Posted on: 5/16/2012 9:17 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11083046

soldering a 4-stroke muffler?
Hi! I'd like to build a muffler of sheet brass with silver solder. I'd like to know if it will take the heat of .91 four-stroke exhaust. Thanks a lot!
Posted on: 5/16/2012 6:10 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Questions and Answers"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082825

using fuel tubing as glow plug wrench
Hi! I like to start threading a glow plug into an engine by hand to prevent cross-threading damage. My four-stroke engines make it hard for my thick fingers to fit. I slip a short length of fuel tubing onto the glow plug center contact. There's enough friction to turn the plug and it goes in very easily.
Posted on: 5/16/2012 6:05 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Tips & Techniques"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11082818

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Hello again. The Scout sat all winter while I skied and made pizza. I was stuck on the elevator linkage. I wanted another tiller bar like for the rudder but just couldn't see how to do it. This one needs to be vertical and handle four pull-pull cables, two to each elevator. Finally it just came together. The upright heavy piece of basswood carries the tiller and is angled so the plywood brace doesn't interfere with the tiller.
Posted on: 5/12/2012 2:43 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=11078265

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Yes, BB, I think this cord is very abrasion resistant compared to bare fiber. It's slick and shiny, a lot like electrical wire insulation, actually.
Posted on: 12/12/2011 3:17 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10856301

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
I've been busy since Thanksgiving. I make and serve pizza at 9100 feet elevation at Steamboat ski area. Warmest job in town! Good food, great people. Here's the rudder control setup. A metal threaded rod from the servo operates a tiller for the pull-pull cords. The cord is nylon coated kevlar. The tiller is 1/16" birch plywood. The cords cross and pass through a former for the straightest lines possible through the near-to-scale openings through the fuselage surface. There is an upward angle created as the cord goes through the fuselage surface and up to the scale horn location. Therefore the cord also puts a bending force on the rudder clevises and horn. I'm hoping that gentle flying will keep things together. Hmm...the horn could be angled downward to put it it the plane of the pull cord. All three tail horns could be adjusted this way. It wouldn't be perfect but maybe better. Those ball-in-socket horns Sullivan makes would be perfect.
Posted on: 12/12/2011 3:15 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10855857

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
I've made horns of 1/16" birch plywood and stained them with a Minwax Stain Marker. They space the connector holes 2" apart. Additional bracing was installed.
Posted on: 11/28/2011 10:16 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10832882

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Thanks, BB, I've been thinking of that one for the glow driver. I want to put in the air inlets also.
Posted on: 11/18/2011 3:14 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10818552

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
Here's the cowl mounted with the cooling hole made. BUSA provides a half-round 4" diameter template for this. I scaled from some drawings and think I got a more scale look. The valve covers on the Saito are 1/8" from the ABS. I'm thinking about some of that thin aluminum sheet from the cowl cheek sheet spaced 1/16" off the cowl as a heat shield. The engine is completely within the cowl. I could remount it more vertically to solve the clearance issue. Because of the engine-to-cowl lack of clearance I may leave the cowl at its full diameter size. Cutting it to fit the fuselage better would have the engine touching it. There is still a 1/8" gap between the cowl and the bottom two mounting blocks which are located at the fuselage box bottom corners.
Posted on: 11/18/2011 11:03 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10818251

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
ARUP, your cowl suggestion is sounding very good, not only resizing but getting the better 'glass unit to boot. I've got the ABS cowl drilled and screwed to the top 5 mounting blocks. It's gapped at the other two about 1/8". I don't know anything about wax or PVA release. Car wax? I've got automotive repair glass cloth in coarse and fine weaves, polyester resin, and 30 minute epoxy.
Posted on: 11/16/2011 4:28 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10815472

Jungmeister!
"When you've got something as good as a Bucker Jungmeister, there just isn't a heck of a lot that you can improve on." Bud Davisson http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepJungmiester220.html
Posted on: 11/16/2011 8:57 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "The Clubhouse"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10814788

RE: Scratch building Astro Hog ( help with tail)
The .91 4stroke would be more than adequate. Mine flies at around 6700 feet elevation with Thunder Tiger .91 4stroke. I rarely use more than 1/2 throttle. It has 3 inch wheels on a Dubro composite landing gear mounted in front of the wing on the fuselage so there's a little more nose weight. It balanced fine with servos, battery, and receiver located near the rear of the wing bay and propeller close to where the plans would have it. Either engine sounds fine to me but of course different.
Posted on: 11/15/2011 9:34 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10814278

RE: Balsa USA 1/6 Scale Thomas-Morse S-4C Scout Build Thread
The fuselage servo installation is made of liteply and popsicle sticks. A servo tray was cut from the kit's die cut sheets. Popsicle sticks are glued onto the tray for servo rails. They run across the fuselage to provide stiffness and good screw anchors. Small liteply pieces are glued to the fuselage sides. They locate the tray at the proper height and are keyed for it to lock onto. After the tray is glued into these pieces some balsa will be glued to both the top of the tray and the fuselage sides to lock everything together. This should be fairly lightweight and locate the servos at the very front of the area above the bottom wing. There will be just enough clearance for a Sullivan 8 ounce tank to slide in past the servos. The tank will be at the bottom of the fuselage while the servos are located at its top and mounted upside down. Balsa USA sent the replacement cowl. It's the same size as the original. Therefore I'll try cutting it down. Some fiberglass and epoxy can strengthen the joint.
Posted on: 11/15/2011 7:39 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10814121

RE: my 20 year old 4 star/ME 109 kit bash !
I like it! What do the round things represent? Did you form the canopy from plastic sheet? I'll be putting a model covered in Ultracote back in the air after a 6-year storage. I hope the covering hasn't deteriorated.
Posted on: 11/15/2011 9:07 AM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10813206

RE: How much warp is acceptable in flight?
I recently built a wing with sheeting to the spar, a "D tube" wing design, and after sheeting the top the wing had about 1/4" bow from tip to root. After simply going ahead and sheeting the bottom it was perfectly straight. So maybe any correction done early in the process would be premature.
Posted on: 11/13/2011 7:39 PM by Author "debspersonaldogwalker" in the forum "Kit Building"
http://www.rcuniverse.com/forum/fb.asp?m=10810843