1/72 Spruce Goose Build Thread (More wing work)

Alright, a somewhat downturn update for all y'all today.  It can be split up into three categories:

The Good:  With my ANT-25 done, I PROMISE that I won't start any other projects until the wings of my Goose are attached to the fuselage.

The Bad:  Remember that pretty aileron I just finished up with?  Well, I'm gonna have to replace it.  It was noticeably thicker than the wing, and after trying many ways to fix it (and having all of them fail), I realized I needed to start over.

Story of the project.

and finally

The Ugly:

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Michigan State lost to Michigan.  AGAIN. 

  It's a tough time to be a Spartan....

Mike, I just watched that game. Being a student at The Ohio State University, I was pulling for the Spartans, but in the end the secondary just crumbled. Wisconsin looked pretty stout today against the Bucks, so maybe I've got some hope for next week for the Wolverines to bite it....

Good to hear you haven't forgotten about the goose. It sucks about the ailerons, but I don't think that will set you back too far... 

Yeah, MSU has a real knack for blowing it in the end.  Six years in a row, now!  What's worse is that it looked like they actually had a shot there for a while!  But then they just let it get out of hand.... grrr..

I root for OSU- when they're playing Michigan, of course.  Other than that- not so much.    Normally I'm not a huge football fan, but I still root for my dad's old alma mater (MSU).

Ah, well.  At least MSU will always have better ice cream that U of M...  The on-campus dairy store over there is simply heavenly....

...because this build is CURSED!!!!!

Case in point?  Every time I try to take one step forward, I slide back five or six.  Just today I decided to finish up my second all-wood aileron, the first being too thick.  Well, I go in to cut out the space for the aileron tab (in the piece of work I'd put hours into building)... and ended up destroying it.  Unintentionally.

It was enough.  I'm NOT building this thing a third time.  I can only run into the same wall so many times until I finally change my mind and walk through the door.  

Wood and tissue control surfaces?  Biggest mistake I EVER made.  Bar none.  They were the biggest money pit in the whole kit, and the finished result never made me happy.  So, I decided to build the new ailerons from plastic- much easier.  Seven or 8 parts as opposed to 30.

Unfortunately, this meant getting rid of the rudder and elevators, three things I though I was done with. 

Summary:  I try to add an aileron and end up getting rid of my rudder and elevators.

NOW you see why this build is cursed?!?! 

If it gets to be too horrible, just buy one of these and let it be used for a clay:

Lucien Harpress wrote:

Yeah, MSU has a real knack for blowing it in the end.  Six years in a row, now!  What's worse is that it looked like they actually had a shot there for a while!  But then they just let it get out of hand.... grrr.. I root for OSU- when they're playing Michigan, of course.  Other than that- not so much.    Normally I'm not a huge football fan, but I still root for my dad's old alma mater (MSU). Ah, well.  At least MSU will always have better ice cream that U of M...  The on-campus dairy store over there is simply heavenly....

As an Englishman, I have absolutely no idea what the Heck you guys are talking about LOL.

Oh yeah Liverpool won 5-0, Come on you super reds.

Great build so far BTW.

...Guy

Mike,

Think of all the problems Howard Hughes had building the original.  He kept at it and eventually finished.  I hope you do the same.  Good luck.

Darwin, O.F.   

Hey, Mike, if the *#@$%%#$ S.D. Chargers can make it to the playoffs, you can CERTAINLY overcome the adversity and finish this bird!  You have come a LONG ways already, and I tip my hat to you for the quality of work that you do.  Step back, take a deep breath and a favorite libation and plunge on ahead.  Most of us wish we had the intestinal fortitude to undertake that build (I certainly don't)! 

Brian 

Yeah, this build is shaping up to be a carbon copy of the original- late, over budget, and (when eventually finished) without a real purpose!

Ah, well.  What 'cha gonna do, right?  Hopefully I can get some sheet plastic really soon, maybe this weekend.  I can use the old rudder and elevators as templates, so no real worries there.  Control tabs are going to be scribed rather than seperate pieces, saving me one MORE headache.  The only problem I still have is figuring out how to get rounded leading edges on some of them using plastic.

I want to hammer at least one out by next week, just to see how long it's going to take.   

Well, at LOOOOOOOOOOOONG last, here we have another update.  I FINALLY got my hands on some sheet plastic to make the ailerons.  I had to settle for clear plastic because that's all my LHS had, but... what can you do?

Anyway, here it is- my last aileron took about five hours to make.  This one?  Ten minutes.

I haven't painted this side yet, so you can see the red-necked jerry-rigged interior supports that I needed to use to get around the fact that when I made the aileron box the FIRST time it was for my other, wooden (crappy) one.  But I digress.

With more time I should be able to get the other flap and aileron done by next week, then add the flap actuator housings.  THEN I can figure out how to do the rudder and elevators....

Can't say when the next update will be.  Let's hope it's during this century. 

All this extra time has proved beneficial to my Spruce Goose project.  I was finally able to replace those terrible molded-on flap actuator housings on the underside of one wing.  Doing so was a mulit-step process.

1.  I removed the molded on detail along with the flap- not too hard.

2.  I carved a balsa master out of some scrap that is a bit more accurate.

3.  In order to get a smooth surface for molding resin copies I vacuformed my first copy using the balsa master.

4.  Using this, I made the mold for the final resin copies.  I build up a box using lego blocks in order to contain the RTV rubber as it cured.  The result is shown at right.

5.  Mixing up some resin, I poured the first of many copies of the final flap actuator housing.

6.  Which results in this.

7.  Eventually, six copies later, you get a new improved wing (compared to what was given to me at the bottom.

So, all that's left for this wing is a few final details, but it's basically done.  Now, just to do it all again for the OTHER side.

As always, thanks for looking. 

Hey, Mike!  Lookin' good, my man!  Your work never ceases to impress and amaze me, you have the patience of a saint!  Also, thanks fir the step-by-step on the scratch building process, that is very informative!  Looking for more prog pics!

Brian 

Mike,

I don't know how Ive not seen this thread until this am, but..... WOW! Talk about an undertaking! . That is a very impressive project/labor of love/albotros (around the neck) you have perservered with.  It has got to be frustrating at times. That having been said I am very impressed with what you have accomplished.  It is most impressive sir.  Thank you for sharing this "Beast" with us.  I am looking forward to seeing more of your progress/trials & tribulations/victories.

 Cheers

Dave

Awesome Mike. Glad you hadnt given up on this beast. Love the way you have to hang the wing from the roof to store it LOL. Where the heck are you going to keep this monster?

I fly RC and this beast is bigger than a lot of my stuff. I reckon you could get a couple of servos in there. mmm...

...Guy

Ah, the spruce goose, the largest aircraft ever made, until the new giant of airbus.

Would it be great if that aircraft was on time before the war ended, that would be awsume.

Good work so far, but still a long way to go.

Actually (if you want to get technical) there is an aircraft larger than the Spruce Goose already, the Antonov An 225.  This is if we go by weight, however.  The Airbus A380 would be the second largest, at least before the ineveitable stretched versions.

Here's the rub- the Spruce Goose still has the largest wingspan ever, along with the tallest tail ever.

All this information (and more) can be found here:

http://www.aerospaceweb.org/question/design/q0188.shtml 

Lucien Harpress wrote:

Actually (if you want to get technical) there is an aircraft larger than the Spruce Goose already, the Antonov An 225.  This is if we go by weight, however.  The Airbus A380 would be the second largest, at least before the ineveitable stretched versions. Here's the rub- the Spruce Goose still has the largest wingspan ever, along with the tallest tail ever...

and not a rivit on her... smooth as a surfboard...

trexx wrote:

Lucien Harpress wrote: Actually (if you want to get technical) there is an aircraft larger than the Spruce Goose already, the Antonov An 225.  This is if we go by weight, however.  The Airbus A380 would be the second largest, at least before the ineveitable stretched versions. Here's the rub- the Spruce Goose still has the largest wingspan ever, along with the tallest tail ever...   and not a rivit on her... smooth as a surfboard...

Really.....  Hm... this calls for some investigation (I have the film).  The only thing I can think is that either he was working on some part which wasn't wooden (as not all of it was, of course), or it's a blatent mistake in the film. 

Intresting point..... 

...uhhh, a slight use of creative license with my statement of "not a rivit on her". The canopy frame and the engine nacelles sport bona-fide metal rivits. ...BUT THEY'RE FLUSH TO THE SURFACE, BY-GAWD!

 The "Hercules" is a sight to behold. I recommend a trip to Oregon for a look-see.

http://www.sprucegoose.org/aircraft_artifacts/exhibits.html

Truly, a kenetic sculpture of the highest order! A towering monument to a key person in the history of American aviation.

And did ya know... the H-4 hasn't one sliver of spruce in it! HAAA!

trexx wrote:

And did ya know... the H-4 hasn't one sliver of spruce in it! HAAA!

Yup.  Gotta love those politicians.... 

trexx wrote:

...uhhh, a slight use of creative license with my statement of "not a rivit on her". The canopy frame and the engine nacelles sport bona-fide metal rivits. ...BUT THEY'RE FLUSH TO THE SURFACE, BY-GAWD!  The "Hercules" is a sight to behold. I recommend a trip to Oregon for a look-see. http://www.sprucegoose.org/aircraft_artifacts/exhibits.html Truly, a kenetic sculpture of the highest order! A towering monument to a key person in the history of American aviation.   And did ya know... the H-4 hasn't one sliver of spruce in it! HAAA!