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Getting started in RC scale

Model Airplane News, Dec 2004 by van Mourik, Dick

When contemplating building a scale model for the first time, many modelers want to start with a fighter aircraft! Although Mustangs, Spitfires and P-40 Warhawks may seem to be exciting choices, they are hardly good starting points for new scale modelers or fliers. These aircraft have complex structures and less-than-forgiving flight characteristics. The best solution is to choose a warbird that's reasonably easy to build, fits in any midsize car and is not demanding to fly. Enter Brian Taylor's Vought OS2U Kingfisher-a perfect first-time scale project that happens to be a warbird. Let's take a closer look at what it takes to build one.

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Originally designed about 20 years ago, Brian's Kingfisher was intended for general use. It has a modestly tapered wing, non-retractable landing gear and a relatively low wing loading-all good points! To minimize the weight even more, flaps have been omitted from the design. With a wingspan of just 58 inches, this model can be powered by any .40-size engine.

AT THE WORKBENCH

Before you start construction, study the plans carefully, and check the fit of your major components. Will the engine fit within the cowl? Does the firewall need to be moved farther aft or forward? Will your engine's fuel tank fit? Check the placement and size of your RC equipment. Consider where you will put the batteries and the switch. Find the best possible place for the servos so the pushrods will be straight. Proper planning here will prevent the irritation (and expense!) of having to rebuild later on.

Note which building materials you will need, and then head to the hobby shop. When building from plans, it is best to cut out all the pieces before you begin to assemble the model; make a kit first and then build it.

I always start my building with the tail surfaces. This serves as a warmup for the other, larger pieces that need to be built. Built flat over the plans, the tail surfaces use a "half-rib" construction. This produces a perfectly straight structure without your having to make building jigs. Before you join the tail surfaces' upper and lower halves, be sure to install the hinge blocks. I usually use Robart Hinge Points along with Robart Hinge Point Pockets for the fin and stabilizer.

Wing. The Kingfisher features a built-up wing, and there are small building tabs underneath each rib to ensure accuracy. I changed Brian's approach slightly and replaced the 3/8-inch-thick balsa leading edge shown on the plans with an 1/8-inch-thick sub-leading edge glued to the front of the ribs, and after I had sheeted the wing, I added a ¼-inch-thick leading edge.

To produce a good, smooth wing surface, make the wing-sheeting skins in one piece. Tape the 1/16-inch balsa sheets together with masking tape and edge-glue them together with medium CA. Cut the large sheet slightly oversize, and then place it on a flat plywood surface and sand the seams flush using a sanding bar or a small electrical sander. I use Zap CA almost completely throughout the model and Sheet-Zap for ribs and wing sheeting.

Build the ailerons separately (flat on the building board) and fit them to the wing panels. To eliminate the weight and complexity added by bellcranks and linkages, actuate the ailerons with two miniservos built into the wing panels.

The wing's center section is built separately and houses the landing-gear attachment blocks. The two outer panels are added to it after it has been completed. Fit the "1A" ribs into place after you've attached the wing to the fuselage; this will allow some fine-tuning of the mating surfaces (in case the parts don't fit together perfectly).

The trailing edge is always fragile and, because of its thin crosssection, prone to warping during construction. I stiffen it by gluing a 3/16-inch-wide strip of 1/64-inch-thick plywood to the upper sheeting before I glue the lower sheeting into place. The trailing edge can then be sanded to a fine point without weakening it.

Fuselage. On his plans, Brian shows isometric views of the first three fuselage building stages; they will help you understand how the structures should go together. The main support structure is made of balsa and plywood and houses the engine and fuel tank. All the rest of the fuselage parts are built up around the main structure. Once the stabilizer has been glued into place, the fin can be added. For added strength, I extended the fin post down to the upper side of the stabilizer and glued it there as well. Also note that the fin is offset to compensate for engine torque.

The landing gear looks quite complicated, but it's made of bent piano wire, so it's simple enough to make. The belly pan is built in place and then removed. This allows you to build and finish the belly pan and then remove it to simplify the landing-gear installation. Temporarily install the gear and solder the pieces together. After you've soldered the gear, it can be removed and clad with balsa or a low-density polyurethane modeling foam to produce the scale struts. When the landing gear has been completed, the belly pan is then permanently glued to the wing.

Getting started in RC scale

Model Airplane News, Dec 2004 by van Mourik, Dick

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