Getting the fuselage together.  

Nice to see some balsa bashing. I have just started a 1/3 .balsa usa pa18 super cub. Good luck with your project.

Theuns

Thanks!i

I decided to plate the fuselage with 1/32" balsa.    

Awesome! I build a dozen or so balsa and paper kits back in the '80s but never got one to fly very well. Guess I should have built them up as display models too!

Yes I plan to add an electric motor .

Continuing the balsa plate.I will sand it down to conform to the profile.   

Yep, looks like a balsa kit. I know them well. Some sandpaper, filler and you'll have yourself a nice looking bird there philo.

Thanks!i wonder if i should still cover it with tissue?

The wings? I was looking at some of my RC balsa built models, and what many companies do is sheet the leading edge (top and usually bottom) to the main spare and glue a strip of balsa on top and bottom of the ribs aft of the leading edge sheeting (caps). This allows you use monokote, in my case, and it looks more like the whole wing is sheeted without adding the weight of sheeting the entire wing.

Sorry, I got ahead of you. You could use paper to cover the fuse,  but sanding and filling the wood would smooth it out just as well.  If you use paper, then you will still need a layer of dope or something.  That would have to be sanded as well.

One of the neat things about card stock and thin sheet styrene is that you can emboss rivets from the reverse side of the surface, using a ball-point pen.  Only works for non-flush rivets, but not all planes are flush riveted, and even  flush riveted planes frequently have at least some non-flush rivets.  I sometimes do the flush rivets by mixing up slightly off-color mixes of the finish colors and make marks with the tip of a toothpick dipped in the off-color paint.  For aluminum natural metal finish I do the flush rivet spots with steel color.

Hey guys,how do you use a sealing iron?I have to buy one and do you touch the iron to the coating or just hold it close?

I use a sealing iron for tacking, then a heat gun for shrinking and stretching

For Monokote and other  plastic shrink wrap film, you can touch the iron to the film and adhere the edges to the balsa or itself, just make sure it doesn't touch the inside of the film or it will melt. After the area is tacked down the rest of the film can be shrunk, either a heat gun, of by the iron itself, by running the iron over it. Some builders will install a iron sock over the iron to prevent the iron from leaving marks on the film. It is just cotton and can be substituted with an old sock, although I don't use one myself.

As far as tissue, an iron is not used and the tissue is adhered using dope or white glue, and shrunk with water.

Steve

Yeah what temp should the iron be set for Monokote?

Start at 275 and go up from there, 350 is probably too hot.  Monokote is probably too heavy for that light structure, try Parklyte, or some film made for park flyers.  Takes less heat and is less likely to warp up the structure.

I have some Microlite Covering material.Better choice?

I don't think it's as light as Parklyte, but should be OK.

MAN, your making me want to scratch build another RC. Stop it! I have enough stuff to do.

Yeah!Thanks to the 40%off Coupon at Hobby Lobby i am planning on buying 2 Guillows Mustang kits and making them into a twin Mustang.How do you like them apples?

Sounds like fun!

Maybe I should break out my Spad plans. 

Yep!

philo426

Yeah!Thanks to the 40%off Coupon at Hobby Lobby i am planning on buying 2 Guillows Mustang kits and making them into a twin Mustang.How do you like them apples?

If you do it you must your photos here, that's friggin' awesome!!! 

I will!

There must be a local shortage of sealing irons as two places were out .One of my main Hobby dealers promised to order me one and it should be in Thursday....we shall see.In the mean time I had to cut out the bottom of the fuselage so that the wings would fit!It is not plain in the instructions that sections of the main bulkheads had to be cut to accommodate the wing structure.This means I have to restore the bottom .I checked Guillow's web site and a Avenger build thread clearly shows how the bulk heads were cut.No excuses though ,the mistakes are on me and i have to make it right!

It's starting to look like an Avenger.

Yep

oK!I got the iron and applied the Microlite.The covering went on well and you literally iron the wrinkles out!I even tried patch panels in case the wing gets a hole in it and it worked quite well.