MIRO 2

[Rod]

Hi Alex these are really impressive models. I'm sure everyone is keen to see how you set up these monsters. How about some detail posts now you have sorted out pictures? I would love to see your molding techniques and flying surface construction.
Rod

[alec taylor]

hi rod. no fancy moulding techniques here. these are built out of sticks. havent got time to make moulds. no 2 planes are the same anyway. i can build a plane while barrie is still making his mould. sell some barrie and get some money back, but that would be like going back to work. but we have both been there done that. alex

[Rod]

Post cured the UC at 60 deg. C in this foam oven. They came out at 77gm a pair and 3.2mm thick.

[Rod]

Looking back at the Miro F3A thread I see the UC was 92 gms at his stage.

[brusty]

	Quote: Originally Posted by alec taylor
	hi rod. no fancy moulding techniques here. these are built out of sticks. havent got time to make moulds. no 2 planes are the same anyway. i can build a plane while barrie is still making his mould. sell some barrie and get some money back, but that would be like going back to work. but we have both been there done that. alex

Oh Alex, "Work" Thats a dirty word, not enough hours in the day for that sort of carry-on !!
Thought you might like to see a pic of my devoted helper "Sam", she is carrying out an internal inspection prior to my cutting the cowl and fitting the firwall in the 2M Sukhoi. Barrie.

[alec taylor]

edge build. longerons, balsa carbon laminate. sides 1.5mm balsa(quarter grain) turtle deck is balsa over foam. forward fuse is foam (shaped) and skinned to get shape leading into the cowlwhich is foam covered with glass then dig out foam.wings . foam core, carbon wing tube, carbon spars then sheeted. half oz glass laid on with 3 coats water based floor varnish. undercoat brushed on(to fill any pin holes) the sand it all off. the next bit is where peter salmond thinks i am mad.(maybe) as it is the finish that adds weight we must be carefull when painting or it will come out a porker. after under coat is all sanded off, 1 lite coat of overcoat grey goes on. just enough for an even colour. i now mask off and spray on the first colour, about 4 or 5 very light coats. shift the tapes into the colour that i have just painted, spray next colour. shift tapes again, do next colour. as you can see there is no steps with paint build up that you get by painting 1 layer on top of the other. it is important to do it this way if you want a finish that you get by spraying in the mould.. eg , comp arf. now we have each paint line butted up against the other. now we cut the paint with 1200 wet and dry to get a ripper finish( no raised paint lines) and a very thin and light paint job. now buff with cutter and polish. stand back and admire. right where did i put that half finished wilga. alex

[alec taylor]

hi barrie. yes i have some of those helpers. one of them killed my (hanger rat). another chewed a bloody great hole in the side of my stephens acro as i was building it. same sod climbed up the uncovered wing of the pawnee which was leaning against the wall. i will always remember the sounds of those ribs giving way, the thud of cat hitting floor and the high speed get out of here. i would have shot the bugger had it not been mine.. alex

[Rod]

I am painting the flying surfaces as well as the fuselage so I need to seal the root surfaces. Am using 1.5mm balsa double sided taped to the fuse and then gluing the surface on with micro balloons.

[Rod]

Alec I am going to use base coat clearcoat (DeBeers). The base coat can be applied very thinly due to high density pigment. Any ridges can be polised out of the clear. The base coat also comes in candys and metalics.

[Rod]

OK so I have been a bit distracted by the SU 29 lately but I have to get the new Miro done too. I need some carbon/balsa/carbon laminate for servo and tank mounts. Last time I tried this it all turned to custard because the end grain balsa sucked all the resin out of the carbon so it just fell of the balsahe end grain balsa is amost impossible to sand so you have to cut it as smoothly and accurately as possible. So got a new fine tooth blade for the band saw and cut this stuff out and made a bit of a fixture to hold it together while the Aliphatic resin glue dried. The balsa is 3.5mm thick. I put cling film underneath it all. This time I will roll resin onto the balsa and be damned with the weight build up. Hopefully it will still weigh less than equivalent thickness ply.

[Rod]

Here is the carbon laminate in the bag. Had to use a fair bit of resin on the end grain balsa so I am not sure that it will be that light.

[Rod]

Lined the wing root the same as the stabs.