Skyshark Dauntless Build
Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2016 5:14 pm
Anyone who's looked at my past threads they know my admiration of the smaller .50 size kits that are out there or were out there through the years. I like to take those smaller kits and make them as close to the prototype while still maintaining fly-ability and my own sanity! LOL
I've searched on many sites and while I've found some on the SS Dauntless, most of those threads drop off before the maiden and never come back to life. I hope to continue this thread all the way til the maiden and give it a total review. Like my other build, it will be doing some modifications to make it more prototypical. The SS kit is high quality as most know with a really nice scale outline. While it offers scale like hinging of the flight surfaces, the retracts are an area that aren't even close. On the prototype, the struts are at a slight angle with the axle at a corresponding angle to put the wheel at 90d to the wing. To accomplish this with working oleo struts, a strut will have to be made up on the lathe and vertical miller. I am using simple Hobby King electric retract units and old Kraft/Haynes scale 3" wheels. Instead of mounting the retracts level or close to level with the lower wing skin, I've mounted the retract at the greatest angle I could that would allow the retract to fit into the wing without the retract body from contacting the upper wing skin. Of course, mounting the retract unit this way, removes a lot of the reinforced rib that the retract mounting plate mounts to. Additional sheer web type reinforcing, with light ply, of the retract box will be added. Started the typical areas of the tail and also assembled the center section to the point of retract modifications.
The SS kit uses the same sheeting and leading edge technique that the Top Flite kits do with the sheeting butting up to the back of the leading edge. I personally do not prefer this method as it's not as strong as laying the sheeting over the leading edge. I take the leading edge material and cut the matching angles of the upper and lower ribs on my dremel table saw so that I can lay my preglued sheeting right over the ribs and over the leading edge. Then the sheeting and leading edge are rounded together. My Tettra kits from Japan are designed this way and I will be doing this type of change to any kit I have that's done with the "butt" technique.
The SS kit also uses a unique system for the drive brakes that's tied into the flap servo linkage. This system only allows 1/2 flap because full flap deploys the dive brakes also. I am thinking of using torque rods for the dive brakes with a separate servo located centrally behind the aileron servo. I have the room in the center section because I will not be using air retracts. I will most likely stay with the nyrod type aileron linkage vs dual servos as this type of plane doesn't require anything more than that. I am thinking of putting the aileron horn on the top of the aileron edge which is prototypical but not sure as of yet. Rudder and elevator linkage will also be internal vs the plan's external configuration. Sig elevator horn is a great item I used in this build.
Power will be one of my .72 or .82 Saitos and will most likely have a bomb drop. Finish will be glass and paint with painted graphic, no decals. Going with an ordinary type color scheme on this one with weathering. Will probably be building a pair of .30 cals and gun ring for the back too.
Well, that's the layout for this build so lets get it started. Here's some early shots of the fin with scale line hinging and the elevator with Sig elevator horn for internal linkage. Robart pin hinges will be used on most the hinged surfaces.
I've searched on many sites and while I've found some on the SS Dauntless, most of those threads drop off before the maiden and never come back to life. I hope to continue this thread all the way til the maiden and give it a total review. Like my other build, it will be doing some modifications to make it more prototypical. The SS kit is high quality as most know with a really nice scale outline. While it offers scale like hinging of the flight surfaces, the retracts are an area that aren't even close. On the prototype, the struts are at a slight angle with the axle at a corresponding angle to put the wheel at 90d to the wing. To accomplish this with working oleo struts, a strut will have to be made up on the lathe and vertical miller. I am using simple Hobby King electric retract units and old Kraft/Haynes scale 3" wheels. Instead of mounting the retracts level or close to level with the lower wing skin, I've mounted the retract at the greatest angle I could that would allow the retract to fit into the wing without the retract body from contacting the upper wing skin. Of course, mounting the retract unit this way, removes a lot of the reinforced rib that the retract mounting plate mounts to. Additional sheer web type reinforcing, with light ply, of the retract box will be added. Started the typical areas of the tail and also assembled the center section to the point of retract modifications.
The SS kit uses the same sheeting and leading edge technique that the Top Flite kits do with the sheeting butting up to the back of the leading edge. I personally do not prefer this method as it's not as strong as laying the sheeting over the leading edge. I take the leading edge material and cut the matching angles of the upper and lower ribs on my dremel table saw so that I can lay my preglued sheeting right over the ribs and over the leading edge. Then the sheeting and leading edge are rounded together. My Tettra kits from Japan are designed this way and I will be doing this type of change to any kit I have that's done with the "butt" technique.
The SS kit also uses a unique system for the drive brakes that's tied into the flap servo linkage. This system only allows 1/2 flap because full flap deploys the dive brakes also. I am thinking of using torque rods for the dive brakes with a separate servo located centrally behind the aileron servo. I have the room in the center section because I will not be using air retracts. I will most likely stay with the nyrod type aileron linkage vs dual servos as this type of plane doesn't require anything more than that. I am thinking of putting the aileron horn on the top of the aileron edge which is prototypical but not sure as of yet. Rudder and elevator linkage will also be internal vs the plan's external configuration. Sig elevator horn is a great item I used in this build.
Power will be one of my .72 or .82 Saitos and will most likely have a bomb drop. Finish will be glass and paint with painted graphic, no decals. Going with an ordinary type color scheme on this one with weathering. Will probably be building a pair of .30 cals and gun ring for the back too.
Well, that's the layout for this build so lets get it started. Here's some early shots of the fin with scale line hinging and the elevator with Sig elevator horn for internal linkage. Robart pin hinges will be used on most the hinged surfaces.