I have another large build planned for the near future, but for now, I wanted a build that I could have little fun with. Not too easy, but not as insane as a 210 hour Conestoga wagon build.
I started off with some maple and well.................here we go.
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And as far as I'm concerned, this looks like crap.
Okay, take 2!!! Changed some methods, changed the wood species...and here we go again. Decided to use up some of the poplar left over from the wagon build.
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Okay, well THAT looks better to me.
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And after 7 hours, this is what I have. I'm off work tomorrow for New Year's day so I'm going to start the year off right with a fire in the wood stove and sawdust in the collectors. More to come.
I spent a solid 7 hours on the project today. I cut and shaped the upper and lower wings and cut the rear wing and the tail. I also used my dowel cutting jig to make some 3/16" maple dowels for the wing support rods. The maple that I used was pretty much useless for anything else, so making dowels out of it saved it from the fire. The primitive plans for this plane do not allow for the flaps and the tail rudder to move. I decided that I want mine to move so, for now, everything except for the front lower wing is just a dry fit. If I screw up the flaps, I might have to make a new wing and burn the evidence. I also have to shape the rear wing and the rudder. This is where I'm at now, but I'm hoping for another good day tomorrow.
Here's a neat aileron hinge, just thin nylon strips. For a static model, I'd use metal. Then ailerons, and rudder, can be bent into position for display.
I had tons of fun building balsa wood gliders when I lived in Japan. I never had plans - I just tinkered with a design until I got one that flew really well using slight dihedral in the wings and anhedral in the horizontal stabs and a cluster of my mom's bobby pins to weight the nose just right. I was around 10 when I went through that phase. Some 25 years later when I had a son of my own and wanted to teach him how to do it, I never could achieve the same results. But he kept tinkering after I gave up and taught me how to do it. Again.
When I was 11-13 I liked to build free flight planes with a small engine. Balsa frame and pipe dope-cloth. 3'-4' wingspan. You would fly then chase then do it again. I liked building them and I liked flying them the first couple times but it was boring. To add excitement my cousin and I would hook a cherry bomb with a few minute fuse. so after the motor quit then plane blew up. pretty exciting stuff. I think back and man that was a lot of work to see it go up in one quick moment...............
I can't wait to see what the little Fokker looks like when you get finished.
(Sorry, but SOMEBODY had to)
On a more serious note; any chance you can show us what your dowel rig looks like?
For one reason or another, I was unable to get to the shop all weekend. Life happens. I brought a couple of pieces inside today to glue together. Nothing special, but at least I got this much done. It doesn't look like much now, but once the sizing of the side pipes is done, it will be better.
Well, after much deliberation, I decided that the flaps would not be functional. I just didn't give it enough thought and to make them function now would mean making all new wings. I'm really not in the mood for that, so I will give it more thought on the next one and possible make working flaps. For now though, I managed to get a full day in the shop which for me is a chore lately. Good day.
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I made 3 props in case I screwed one up. I made a simple little jig that held the prop at 22 degrees for shaping and was able to do it in one shot.
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