Skyshark Dauntless Build

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chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

Did a quick alignment of the ply wing saddle pieces and the formers. Cut out clearance for the flap linkage. Epoxied the F2A ply piece to the F13 ply firewall. Will epoxy the firewall in when it's dry. Instructions have you do it in reverse. I thought it would be easier to put it in as an assembly.
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Ted Brito
chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

Sheeted the stab and fin then started setting up the tail wheel linkage before I move any farther on the strips and planking of the fuse. I'm running the rudder like the elevator so all will be internal. I used a small tail wheel control horn I had and it was perfect for this application. Ran a piece of brass tubing inside the tail wheel wire block to make it a better bearing.
This kit builds with a fair amount of distance with the bottom of the TW wire unsupported outside and below the block. At the bottom of the block is where my control horn is mounted then I glued another small piece of hardwood along the bottom 1/4 stringer with another piece of brass tubing for a lower bearing support. With the block in place, there is a fair amount of fitting and cutting of the rear of the stab to get the stab to sit down on the saddle. The TW wheel wire also comes up through the bottom of the fin bottom post so it's all got to be set up so it will work and also so it can be assembled.
I offset the elevator horn somewhat which allowed me to have clearance for both pushrods to work (elevator/rudder) I used a long length of wire at the end of the elevator pushrod and a Z bend to connect it to the elevator horn.
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Ted Brito
chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

With all the tail appendages in clamped and place and all linkages installed I started to finish up the adding the strip wood to the formers.
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Last edited by chistech on Thu Jan 21, 2016 11:09 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Ted Brito
chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

Worked on the rudder hinges. Lined up the hinge line per the plans and all seems to work well with the slight deflection of the lower leading edge of the rudder. All starting to come together now. Need to start rounding edges of the appendages and sheet the lower fuse now.
Attachments
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Ted Brito
chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

Sheeted the bottom of the fuse per the instruction. Put in the saddle sheeting also. Installed my servo rails and servos. Hooked up the push rods and checked all. Put the wing and tail feathers on to have a look. Also stuck the cowl on. Thinking I might build the upper deck out of balsa rather than use the plastic. Haven't decided as of yet.
Attachments
Close up side shot.
Close up side shot.
Wing and tail feathers on for a "look"!
Wing and tail feathers on for a "look"!
Nice cowl but not a fan of the plastic upper deck.
Nice cowl but not a fan of the plastic upper deck.
I marked the cowl center line on the firewall before I installed it. Much easier to line up the engine.
I marked the cowl center line on the firewall before I installed it. Much easier to line up the engine.
Sheeted the wing saddle area.
Sheeted the wing saddle area.
This rear area is a PITA to do. LOL
This rear area is a PITA to do. LOL
IMG00220-20160122-2134.jpg
Ted Brito
chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

Did a little work today. I trimmed and fitted the front deck and now I've decided to go with it. I was able to get it fitted well and like the results. I found that the front lined up well, the back was not level with the cockpit bulkhead. I added a 5/32 piece of balsa to the plastic upper deck rear then sanded it down level with the cockpit bulkhead. Fitted the wing, checked alignment, and then drilled F22 for the mounting bolts. I used two nylon 1/4 x 20 socket head screws to mount the wing. Using these allows the heads of the bolts to be inside the holes of the middle flap so the flap closes with no issue.
Attachments
Here is the main middle flap closed with the bolt heads in the flap holes.
Here is the main middle flap closed with the bolt heads in the flap holes.
Socket head bolts in the hold down plate. This picture also shows the torque rods for the dive brakes.
Socket head bolts in the hold down plate. This picture also shows the torque rods for the dive brakes.
Balsa sanded down level with the bulkhead. You can see the corner in the left with the plastic just exposed while the right side has about 1/16 worth of thickness.
Balsa sanded down level with the bulkhead. You can see the corner in the left with the plastic just exposed while the right side has about 1/16 worth of thickness.
Piece of 3/32 balsa glued on the back of the deck. The rear of the deck was at an angle with the left side almost even with the bulkhead and the right side off about 1/16.
Piece of 3/32 balsa glued on the back of the deck. The rear of the deck was at an angle with the left side almost even with the bulkhead and the right side off about 1/16.
Side of deck trimmed and sanded thin on the edge for a closer fit to the fuse.
Side of deck trimmed and sanded thin on the edge for a closer fit to the fuse.
Front of deck fitted. Not much room for gaps underneath the plastic so I'm not worried about reinforcing it. Glassing it might actually take it out of the shape I need but I could put some glass then tape it down on the fuse over some wax paper.
Front of deck fitted. Not much room for gaps underneath the plastic so I'm not worried about reinforcing it. Glassing it might actually take it out of the shape I need but I could put some glass then tape it down on the fuse over some wax paper.
Ted Brito
chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

Put the gear down and set it down on my cleaned bench (thank god, it needed a cleaning up!). Leveled the wing bottom and then started checking the fuse. Like Mike, I found I have a slight twist to the fuse but nothing that can't be overcome pretty easily. It is less than 3/32 over the entire length. I suspected this with the wing bolted snug, there is more space on the right side of the saddle up by the leading edge than the left. This really shouldn't post a problem with some sanding of the saddle. A little sanding on the stab saddle and all will be straight and level all the way through.
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It's got that short, stout, look doesn't it.
It's got that short, stout, look doesn't it.
The gear legs angle is greater than the prototype but at least the wheels are on the outside of the gear leg. I can live with it.
The gear legs angle is greater than the prototype but at least the wheels are on the outside of the gear leg. I can live with it.
Ted Brito
chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

Finished squaring off the wing and leveling all the flight surfaces. I had to sand some areas of the wing saddle some and realized the sheeting over the main spar was high leaving a hump and causing the wing not to sit down on the saddle correctly so the sheeting got sanded to an nice airfoil without the hump! LOL

Once the wing dowel plate was epoxied in place, I bolted the wing up and started checking the level of the wing bottom section, cockpit rails, and stab saddle. A little sanding was necessary on the stab saddle but all leveled out.

I mounted the engine and then moved the throttle servo from the back rails to the side of ply wing saddle in the first bay. A short 5" pushrod connects the servo to the throttle arm. Of course, when I went to remove the motor to start on the balsa cowl ring, I realized that I installed the motor mount centered on the horizontal when I needed to mount the engine rails on the center. So I had to redrill the holes by 2/10 of an inch.

Put the 1/2 balsa pieces all around the front of the fuse and sanded it down even with the sides then rounded the leading edge. Got out my 2" sanding drum on the drill and smoothed out the inside of all the balsa pieces. Once I was happy with the shape I cut with a razor saw the width of the maple blocks and epoxied them to the ply firewall. I will shape them and narrow them where they show but preferred having a wider mount than a narrow one.

Cut out the canopies and found that while the instructions have you sand the top sheeting flat with the rear bulkhead, they don't tell til later in the instructions that you need to put sheeting back in the rear corners for the rear canopy to fit with balsa underneath in. So I added those pieces and rounded them out.
Attachments
Maple blocks to mount cowl in place. They will be shaped and cleaned up to look much better. Inside of balsa cowl ring sanded out with a 2" drum. You can also see the four extra holes drilled just below the others to put the engine properly on center.
Maple blocks to mount cowl in place. They will be shaped and cleaned up to look much better. Inside of balsa cowl ring sanded out with a 2" drum. You can also see the four extra holes drilled just below the others to put the engine properly on center.
1/2" balsa glued on to front and rough shaped to fuse
1/2" balsa glued on to front and rough shaped to fuse
Canopies cut rough cut out and put on the fuse for the hell of it! You can see the rounded balsa at the back of the gunner's cockpit.
Canopies cut rough cut out and put on the fuse for the hell of it! You can see the rounded balsa at the back of the gunner's cockpit.
Balsa added to the rear of gunner's cockpit area.<br /><br />Balsa added to the rear of gunner's cockpit area.
Balsa added to the rear of gunner's cockpit area.

Balsa added to the rear of gunner's cockpit area.
Stab also level on it's saddle.
Stab also level on it's saddle.
Close up shot of the level on the cockpit rails.
Close up shot of the level on the cockpit rails.
After the bottom of the wing center section was checked for level, the cockpit area also showed level.
After the bottom of the wing center section was checked for level, the cockpit area also showed level.
I had to put in these two rounded areas to clear the torque rods for the dive brakes.
I had to put in these two rounded areas to clear the torque rods for the dive brakes.
Push rod coming through the firewall.
Push rod coming through the firewall.
Mini JR servo for throttle mounted up in the front bay of fuse.
Mini JR servo for throttle mounted up in the front bay of fuse.
Engine mounted on the firewall. Saito .72
Engine mounted on the firewall. Saito .72
Ted Brito
chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

Got more done today on the cowl. I drew lines where the back of the cowl should be on the blocks and using the Dremel router, cut down the thickness of the cowl on each block. I lined the cowl up at the top and drilled/screwed one screw in to hold cowl. I then checked the roundness of the cowl to the fuse and drilled the remaining holes so all around the cowl lines up with the fuse side profile.
Put the engine back and cut the hole for the engine head. I'll be using a remote glow for this as the glow plug ends up real close to the bottom cowl mount. Cut out the plastic belly pan and started trimming a little at a time. I ended up adding 3/16 of balsa to the front of the wings leading edge to get the plastic back enough where it belonged. With everything in place there will be a need for a very little amount of body filler to make all fit correctly. Actually pretty impressed with the fit of the plastic.
Attachments
Just starting on the wing fairings now.
Just starting on the wing fairings now.
The classic dauntless lines starting to show, especially in this angle.
The classic dauntless lines starting to show, especially in this angle.
Cowl on, motor in, canopies and tail on. I like to assemble my builds from time to time as I build for inspiration.
Cowl on, motor in, canopies and tail on. I like to assemble my builds from time to time as I build for inspiration.
With the engine moved over 1/10&quot; from center for the right thrust, the prop hub is pretty much dead center.
With the engine moved over 1/10" from center for the right thrust, the prop hub is pretty much dead center.
Not a lot of the head sticks out but enough to keep it cooler.
Not a lot of the head sticks out but enough to keep it cooler.
This is a picture inside the cowl showing the bottom block and the spacing all around the balsa ring.
This is a picture inside the cowl showing the bottom block and the spacing all around the balsa ring.
Top of cowl with gun recesses sanded out with the dremel. I will be using low profile screws on the finished plane.
Top of cowl with gun recesses sanded out with the dremel. I will be using low profile screws on the finished plane.
Cowl blocks after they were dadoed. Cowl lies flush with blocks and fuse.
Cowl blocks after they were dadoed. Cowl lies flush with blocks and fuse.
plastic belly pan trimmed and in place
plastic belly pan trimmed and in place
This shows just how little body filler will be needed to match the wheel well.
This shows just how little body filler will be needed to match the wheel well.
Ted Brito
chistech
Posts: 102
Joined: Sun Nov 06, 2011 10:20 pm
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Re: Skyshark Dauntless Build

Post by chistech »

Got all the tail surfaces rounded off and hinged. I put together the plastic tail cone and did not like it one bit. It doesn't fit anything like the upper deck or belly pan so I decided to got the wood route. Glued up some pieces to make it hollow and made up some wood fillets from the cone to the elevators. Shaped the fill in pieces that go on the the top of the stab and fin area. Tail area just about done now until assembly. Going to glass the stab and fin separately before assembly also.
Attachments
Rear of the tail cone with both fillets done.
Rear of the tail cone with both fillets done.
Left fillet being shaped.
Left fillet being shaped.
Right fillet being shaped to size.
Right fillet being shaped to size.
Block to make up a fillet.
Block to make up a fillet.
Tail cone shaped up.
Tail cone shaped up.
Shape of the fuse traced on the cone.
Shape of the fuse traced on the cone.
Pieces on the tail. It got a piece of 3/8 balsa on the top.
Pieces on the tail. It got a piece of 3/8 balsa on the top.
Used two pieces of 3/8 to make up the tail cone.
Used two pieces of 3/8 to make up the tail cone.
Fin rounded and tapered at the top.
Fin rounded and tapered at the top.
All surfaces rounded.
All surfaces rounded.
Elevators all hinged up with Robart points.
Elevators all hinged up with Robart points.
Ted Brito
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