How To Build a Composite Warbird Mould Video Series

[Slow & Low]

now I'm havin' f-u-n heaven, I'm in heaven





ply insert is excessively strong...very nice for rigidity

[Slow & Low]

All ready to join firewall subassembly to main fuselage assembly.
Although this resin and hardener combination is taking up to 48hrs at 72 F to cure to a point where I would consider demoulding it, I'm in no rush, and it seems to be extremely stiff in the wing saddle cross section when it finally does harden right out to the surface.








I am considering turning this cavity into an integral fuel tank....

[Slow & Low]

3 layers 9 Oz Cloth - 1" wide strips



This will eventually become the inside of the fuel tank.

[Slow & Low]

Oh boy, so much to tell....
This new cheap epoxy is great. It produces a stiffer, stronger part.
Now don't let the ugly test fuselage scare you off, here's some things we learned...

- surface veil for camouflage works great!
- some black sharpie around the perimeter of dark brown camo patches adds a level of detail too
- it is possible to match camo across parting lines
- tempra powder works great and is inexpensive (10% by resin weight)
- 1/4" ply is too heavy for firewall
- 1/8" ply dowel bulkhead works great
- assembly method for inserting chin plate / firewall subassembly works great! (I've been waiting to see if this would work for a very long time now)
- pink P-40's are for girls next time green/blown blend will be substituted for the lighter brown

I've also started on the firewall for the next one.
It will now be 1/8" Ply laminated with aluminum skin.
This aluminum looks to be around 0.020" maybe 0.5mm - it used to be a window awning...
I've also calculated that I can squeeze in around 16 Oz of fuel in an integral tank behind the firewall and centered around the plug in the pictures.

All in all, I'm already started on the next one...

[hangingbach]

awesome. i was just wondering how did you get such sharp lines in the gel coat.

[Slow & Low]

	Quote: Originally Posted by hangingbach
	awesome. i was just wondering how did you get such sharp lines in the gel coat.

I'll tell you if you give me a job...lol

[Slow & Low]

...not a lot of free time today, but here's a pic to motivate some of you to get away from the PC and wander back in the direction of your own workbenches....



how do like my computer skills!?

[Slow & Low]

We need some internals and they need to be inexpensive, lightwight, and easy to install.
I submit exhibit "A" - Aluminum with basswood if you please...11 grams worth

[Slow & Low]

Firstly - we've exceeded our bandwidth allowance for the original photobucket account, so all picture links from here forward will point to a new account that can be found here... http://s1069.photobucket.com/albums/u475/Two_Bulldog/


This is the rear cockpit bulkhead. It provides a vertical mounting surface on the rear face for our rudder and elevator servo mounting brackets. It also provides a shear pocket in the forward face, into which the hardwood blocks that draw the fuselage to the wing saddle will seat.

Please remember that these are prototype parts and although they're not necessarily the prettiest, they are functional and more importantly have provided templates, and benchmarks for all future part revisions.

Making more is easy work...

[MrFollies]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Slow & Low
	Firstly - we've exceeded our bandwidth allowance for the original photobucket account, so all picture links from here forward will point to a new account that can be found here... http://s1069.photobucket.com/albums/u475/Two_Bulldog/

This is why I hate it when photobucket is used for forum posts.

Sometime, 2 or more years down the track, someone is going to find this thread, get all excited about learning something new, and then be bitterly dissapointed when they cannot see any images.

You have an awesome thread, here that will eventially become useless.

Can I ask why you don't just upload the images to FG?

[Slow & Low]

	Quote: Originally Posted by MrFollies
	This is why I hate it when photobucket is used for forum posts. Sometime, 2 or more years down the track, someone is going to find this thread, get all excited about learning something new, and then be bitterly dissapointed when they cannot see any images. You have an awesome thread, here that will eventially become useless. Can I ask why you don't just upload the images to FG?

@Mr.Follies - Is that a Dart Kitten in your profile pic?


Well, I caught heck in some other forums for using too much of their bandwidth when everyone jumped on them at once, and I was advised by various moderators that remotely hosted links on Photobucket was the way to go. This blackout was a monthly allowance thing....it's not permanent. Unless Photobucket removes them I don't know why they would go away permanently in the future - your lucky I was energetic enough to put them there in the first place let alone monkey with them again...lol

If refinement is a fool's recipe for success, then I think on the right path...

worn out old uniform pants - could I get any more ironic?? )








Post Script - the missing pics will be back 031012

[Slow & Low]

So our templates for cutting cloth are getting more and more refined, and in addition we now have a complete set including not only the brown areas but also the green. This will allow me to accurately pre-cut and lay down the continuous strand surface veil everywhere as an initial layer. This is what keeps the epoxy concentration and therefore opacity high at the part surface.

Alright, you may have noticed that I keep chopping things up into smaller and smaller operations. This is because I'm only one person. I will focus on producing one section at a time and joining them post-cure. There's been no issues with the strength of any seam thus far and this will allow me to take my time.

so first it's brown camouflage portside on cssv

[MrFollies]

	Quote: Originally Posted by Slow & Low
	@Mr.Follies - Is that a Dart Kitten in your profile pic?

Naa it's a sparrow hawk. Was a nice plane until it suffered from Rx battery failure :-(

	Quote:
	Well, I caught heck in some other forums for using too much of their bandwidth when everyone jumped on them at once, and I was advised by various moderators that remotely hosted links on Photobucket was the way to go. This blackout was a monthly allowance thing....it's not permanent. Unless Photobucket removes them I don't know why they would go away permanently in the future - your lucky I was energetic enough to put them there in the first place let alone monkey with them again...lol

Ok. I'm never read the photobucket TOS but there have been a few times when I've fouind old threads and they no longer have images because photobucket has removed them. I'd check with FG moderators but I'd be hopeful that they don't have any of the restrictions you mentioned that the other forum had. IMHO I think it's short sightedness of the moderator to tell you that.

Anyway, I've interrupted long enough.... Please go on...

[Slow & Low]

Well, there's another 8hrs....I love this! Cosmetically this part should be ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!! :P

[Slow & Low]

This is 6 Oz tape. You don't want to know how cheap I get this stuff surplus.
One man's trash....

Talk about saving time!