Kit question...Dalton extra 260

[TonyThomasian]

I've never built a kit before so I have a question...... For foam sheeted wings on lets say a Dalton extra 260 does the foam for the wings and stabs already come cut? I have no idea about a kit so I'm just wondering.
Thanks

[iflyrc3Dstyle]

Hey bud,

I think if I am not mistaken you have to sheet it is all. The foam comes precut for you.

[DKnippen]

Tony,
Yes they do! But before you even start this project there is other preperations involved before you even think about sheeting anything for the plane.
Learn all you can about building a giant like before you start building and get the right supplies for building or you may have problems down the road. I don't have one of these great planes, but I know Tony would help you out anyway he could. You are flying his bread and butter.

[ben_beyer]

There are a couple build threads on this plane on this site. One by dave_anderson is going on right now and he's done some pretty good work. Like DKnippen said, do some research. Look at the Dalton build threads, the pictures that Tony has on the website, and look at Carden build threads. They take time to build, but they are not too hard if you do some research and see how other people do certain things. It's the tricks that make them work. I'm about to buy a 35% Dalton 260 kit myself.

[sweetpea]

Get a list of tools you'll need also.

RZR blades (a new box of them)
Long sanders
access to a bandsaw (makes cutting easier)
plane (large or small, I prefer the thumb ones)
glue(s)
large flat area, that you don't mind balsa dust getting all over
etc.

[CAPtain232]

Here is basically what it takes to build the wings

First thing I like to do is fit the foam panel to the fuse. To do this and achieve the best results, you do NOT want to glue the phenolic tube into the fuselage yet. Instead, slide a tube in the wing panel, then fit the aluminum tube in the phenolic, then slide the other phenolic wing tube on to the aluminum tube. Now slide this assembly into the location in the fuse. Try to get the incidence pretty close, the closer you are here, the better the results. Now, with the foam wing panel in the proper location against the side of the use, find the LARGEST gap between the wing and the fuse. Take a compass and set it's distance to equal the gap. Now CAREFULLY silde the compass along the side of the fuse in a perpendicular manner so that it is scribing a mark on the surface of the wing (top and bottom). This will be the line you need to cut/sand to so that the wing will fit nicely to the fuse. Repeat this for the other wing panel and the stabs.

Next step
Locate the servo bays. To do this, you need to know what the layout for the aileron is going to be. You should actually draw everything right on the foam panel so that you can see where things are going to be. Remember that you have to count for the thickness of the balsa stock for the hinge line. Now you have to layout the location for your servos.

To lay out the servo bays, I STRONGLY SUGGEST that you have all the hardware that you plan to use. This will allow you to preassemble it and use it for reference to set the servo bay in the wing panel to the proper distance from the hingline. You should layout the location of the hard point, aileron control horn and servo bay to verify that the selcted hardware will work. The servo bay will be located forward of the hingeline based on the length of control linkage available.

Two methods for servo layout

3 segment method
Measure the length of the aileron. Divide this length by 3. Take this number and use it as an inch measurement from each end of the aileron and make a mark. This will give you 2 marks that divide the aileron into 3 equal segments. You can place the servos in line with these marks.

TRUE EQUAL SEGMENT method
Length of aileron divide by 4. Take the number and use it as an inch measurement from each end of the aileron and make a mark. This will give you 2 marks that are 1/4 span from each end and 1/2 span from one servo to the other......THIS IS MY PREFERRED METHOD. With this method, each servo is set up so that it is 1/4 span from the end and 1/4 span to the center. Will attach picture at bottom of page

Cut out the servo bays. You can choose to either sheet the inside of the bay or not. If not, you shoule epoxy it. I typically do sheet the inside of the bay. With the bay cut and sheeted, I then place the servo rail mounts in the proper locations for the servo I am using. WAIT TO DO THIS SHEETING UNTIL THE SERVO WIRE TUNNEL IS DONE!!!!

Now, with the servos laid out, you need to cut a servo wire tunnel from the inner servo bay to the root and from the outer servo bay to the inner servo bay. I use a template that I have made along with a soldering iron and a prebent piece of copper wire. The wire is bent in a circle just big enough for me to slide a 5/8" cardboard tube in. When I say this, I mean that the hole that the wire leaves in the foam is big enough for the tube. The template is nothing but a piece of 1/4 plywood long enough to do the job. It has a "SLIT" cut in it from one end to the other. The slit is just wide enough for the copper wire to fit in. With the wire in the soldering iron, You can drag the wire through the foam. You have to be careful not to get the wire too hot and not to go to fast or slow.......this takes some practice. You also have to set this up so that you maintain the same depth in the foam.

Ok, you have the aileron laid out, the servo bays laid out and cut, and now the cardboard tubes installed. The next step is to get the phenolic tube installed in the wing with it's endcap. This should be self explanitory. Dry fit the tube, locate and fit the end cap, glue end cap in place, once in place, glue in phenolic tube. Don't cut the phenolic tube for length yet.

Now, all of the pre fitting work is done (unless I am forgetting something) At this point, you should look the foam over and sand out any rough areas. Try to get the wing panel to feel somewhat smooth, but don't take off a lot of material. You don't want to change the shape of the airfoil.

Take the time now to go back over everything. Get out some paper and pencil and write things down like exact locations of the servo bays. I try to write down the CENTER location of the bay. Take good notes so you wi have something to reference later when the sheeting is on and you can't see the bays.

You are now reay to sheet the wings. Again, double check everything just prior to sheeting. Once the sheeting is on, LOCATE AND CUT OUT the skin over the servo bays. Secondly, draw lightly with pencil and locate the ailerons on TOP AND BOTTOM. Again, make sure you are measuring for the balsa stock LE and TE. With all pencil lines marked, checked, double checked and triple checked, you are ready to cut. I will start by cutting through the skins with an EXACT-O knife (top and bottom). I then CAREFULLY cut the ailerons all the way through. Once the aileron and wing are two separate pieces, I sand the LE and TE just enough to clean it up.

Now, glue on wing and aileron LEs and TEs. When I glue on the wing TE, I use a piece of 1/16 or 3/32 balsa sheeting at the aileron root to "step" the TE out enough so I can later slide the piece back in when I glue it in place.....This piece gets glued in after the TE hinge line is sanded to shape. Now, put the aileron and wing end caps in place. Now sand everything down except for the hingelines. With the balsa hinge stock still squared off to match the wing profile, find the centerline of the wing TE and the aileron LE....draw them in. Decide where you want hinges, and locate the appropriate holes for them. Now you can shape the hingelines. After the hingelines are shaped, glue in the piece of balsa that was used to "step" out the wing TE from the root end.

With the wing root cap in place, you should have a little of the phenoloic tube sticking out....cut and sand it flush with the surface. I like to install a dowel through the rear wing retention block so that it protrudes out of the wing by about an inch. Then the correct size hole has to be drilled in the fuse for the dowel to fit in. What this does is it lines up the bolt holes so you don't have to "FISH" to find them. Obviously this dowel has to be install precisely and PARRALLEL to the wing tube AFTER the incidence is set. The easiest way is to mount the wing to the fuse and CAREFULLY drill through the fuse and into the wing...again making sure you are parallel to the wing tube. The wing is done with the exception of final sanding and setting the hardpoints for wing retention.

This method can be used for the wings and stabs. WITH ONE EXCEPTION!!!....

On the stabs, you should set the incidence BEFORE you separate the stab and elevator.

I hope this helps

[TonyThomasian]

Thanks very much guys.
CAPtain - thank you for your very specific method!

[Bobdog]

Hi Tony. Just wanted to say hi. Miss flying with you. Hopefully see you At Cubnuts if not before.
Your freind Bob.