Lockheed "Tee-33-Dee" for CEF Speed Contest

getback wrote:Looks Good !! you go it going on up there .

Thank you buddy! It's mild again today.. but looks like rain may be comin'.. I've got some more Cox engine parts that are ready for the crockpot. The first batch cleaned-up really nice!

Beautiful early-Spring day in Northern Rhode Island! The temperature is 59 degrees F. and it's fairly calm. I sprayed my 1st base color coat on the Shooting-Star.  




This is planned to be a "Blue Angels" version. The yellow trim color will be brushed-on.




While this 1st coat is setting-up.. I'm prepping two other models for their 1st base color coats. The weather is forecast to be "paint-friendly" thru the Easter holiday.. so I'm trying to take advantage. This T33 is long-overdue for some attention.. so I gave it some. I'm not too concerned with "paint-weight".. as this model will be powered by a Cox Tee Dee .049 engine. I really like the Krylon #9144 "true-blue" color.




I plan to spray the T33's blue base-color "completely" today. Tomorrow will see the application of two different base-colors, to two different models; providing the weather holds! Happy Easter!!!

Successive paint-coats during the day.. gorgeous weather for outdoor painting!

You are getting closer ‘n closer to take off and flight! Good job my friend you are inspiring me to finish what I’ve started!   Happy Easter!

Marleysky wrote:You are getting closer ‘n closer to take off and flight! Good job my friend you are inspiring me to finish what I’ve started!   Happy Easter!

Thank You Rene.. geez.. I guess I didn't see your post.. or I would have thanked you back then..

I've been working a new job for the last two months. My modeling activity and forum-posts have been sporadic.. at best. The 2018 CEF speed-contest just wasn't happening for me. I still have airplanes in-process though.. and have been "chipping-away" on little details here and there.

How to configure the lead-outs on this T33 had been bugging me.. so I just decided to stop procrastinating and do it.

These 1/8" brass-tube "guides" are embedded-into the faux inboard wingtip-tank.




The bell-crank is a homemade unit; similar to the one used on my Rare Bear.. only a little larger. The lead-out cables were salvaged from some old/retired .018" stranded line-sets that I've had hanging around for decades.




This airplane is going to be a handful to fly.. if I can even get it in the air. The control-throws will be minimal to begin with.

Good to see your getting some time to get back to the hobby your new job as all can take that getting useto thing and new people to train takes time and energy Be glad when i just get some fun in LOL

getback wrote:Good to see your getting some time to get back to the hobby your new job as all can take that getting useto thing and new people to train takes time and energy Be glad when i just get some fun in LOL  

My whole mindset has shifted in the last few months Eric. I quit smoking cigarettes last December (cold turkey) when I fell sick with the flu. The butts were a coping-tool (for anxiety.. etc.) that I don't have anymore.. but I knew that I had to quit.

I'm working part-time (30 hours) running this Weeke (German) CNC router for a company that builds speakers (pro-audio grade). My work-hours have been M-F 11:30 a.m. until around 5-5:30 p.m. and some Saturday mornings. It's good to be back to work though. I had filed for disability back in January.. because of my back-pain issues and that process sucks. There's little to no heavy-lifting involved with this job. There's a TAWI Lyftman crane for moving the 4' x 8' and 5' x 10' sheets of material onto the router-table.

Congrats for the new job Roddie! I recall you have worked with CNC machines earlier, correct? And knowing your interest in audio/music, seems like a good match. I hope your back gets better, and good for you giving up the cigs

Oh and the plane looks good too

KariFS wrote:Congrats for the new job Roddie! I recall you have worked with CNC machines earlier, correct? And knowing your interest in audio/music, seems like a good match. I hope your back gets better, and good for you giving up the cigs  

Oh and the plane looks good too

Kari, Thanks so much for commenting. Yes; I had operated CNC routers in the past.. but this machine dwarfs them. It's BIG. The programs are written by any of three different engineers.. so the machine-operator is at the mercy of their common sense. The machine and its control-software are a technological marvel.

My younger (middle) brother is the Director of Manufacturing. He's been with the company since its inception ten years ago. He's been in the pro-audio/speaker business for almost 30 years.

This company has experienced exponential-growth.. and there had been the need to increase production to satisfy the increase in sales. It's been a "breath of fresh air" for me. Many of the employees are musicians.. but they're "all" friendly people.. who seem to be glad to come to work every day. I had become accustomed to "depressed-people" in the workplace over the last ten years. I'm just glad now; to be around people who have a positive attitude.

This company currently designs and builds the BEST loudspeakers in the world. I'm really proud to be a part of that.

That is really Great Roddie !! If you have to go to work nothing better than enjoying where you're at , that is a big CNC mach. and you should be proud to bee a part of the operation !

I had initially installed a "metal" elevator-horn to this model.. with its link on the "upper-side" of the elevator. This proved to be a BAD arrangement. The control-throws couldn't be equalized. I had to "cut" the metal horn out.. and install a small Dubro horn assy. #107 with its link on the "underside" of the elevator. This helped to equalize the control-throws.




This was a MAJOR PIA.... but I'm really glad that I did it..

Next..... I chose to apply the exact-same method of adding outboard wingtip-weight to this model as I did for my P-38..

I cored the outboard wingtip with a 3/4" dia. (.750") hole-saw.. to install x2 "pennies".. which weigh 4gr./ or .15oz.







I glued the two pennies into my sheet-wing with thin-CA glue.. and applied some spackling-compound.







Tomorrow.... (July 4th..) I hope to prime/re-paint the tip-weight areas.. but the weather might not permit that.

I didn't realize that I let this thread go stale while attempting to paint the model's yellow-trim color.. but it's just as well. Paint is not my forte'... and I messed-up here. I chose  to "brush-on" a nice yellow... that I thought would look scale with the "blue" that I'd "sprayed" for the "Blue Angels" theme that I was after. The yellow I used is latex.. which may have been ok.. (?) but I didn't prep/prime the areas where I brushed it.

Here are the two "Krylon" products that I used.



I should have known after brushing the 1st coat; that this was not going to work..



Subsequent yellow-trim coats would not "hide" the blue-base color. This had disgusted me... because "masking" certain areas for that yellow trim was a PIA.. so tonight I decided to do some sanding..  





Paint wasn't supposed to be the issue with this model. The fact that it's a "JET-design" being powered by a propeller in the nose is. Who knows if I've got the CG close-enough to provide some flight-stability.

I don't have a definite idea for a fuel-cell for the Tee Dee .049 power-plant. I do have concerns about the amount of fuel required to complete a given # of laps for a given line-length (35' or 42').

This model was originally designed for the "2nd" (2015) CEF Speed-Contest, which allowed the Cox "rotary-valve" induction Tee Dee engine.. and will be expected to lift off its gear.. and fly-level for as many laps as necessary to qualify.

In light of recent developments with the forum's contest; I'd actually be happy if this model will R.O.G. and be controllable for the # of laps that "would have" been required of it.

If your ever going to paint yellow, it's best to provide a white base under it. This is still a option here if you choose to use that paint. Zinser 123 latex primer would adhere to the Krylon blue and it would be a good blocker coat for the yellow. However, Latex paint is not fuel proof by itself. Oil based polyurethane can be put over latex paints. Go over it with 400 grit to give it a bit of tooth and you can brush it on which would be my recommendation on the nose.

Many use Rustoleum or rattle can finishes. I have several planes that were not built by me but by a friend of mine who had to leave the hobby due to shoulder and neck issues. He painted all his planes with Rustoleum. I have yet to see them hold up as claimed. I also fly a lot more than most. What I have noticed is not krinkling but rather spots that are softened by handling. These areas generally start to look dirty in appearance and sticky to the touch. These are generally exposed to 10% nitro. I will admit though the finish is hard when fully cured.

Sometimes a high hide paint like metallic silver works. Best to experiment on a scrap piece before trying on the article.

Thanks Ken and George. I do have some of that white pigmented shellac somewhere (the Zinser 123 I think..) and I still have a bit of TF Lustre-Kote clear.

Lustrekote is a lacquer base which could attack the latex not to mention the enamel blue, I would do a test before you try it as it could easily eat it. Shellac based Zinser is also thinned with denatured alcohol which can also attack latex so once again, approach with a test. You want the blue and white can not the red and white Zinser.

Ken Cook wrote:Lustrekote is a lacquer base which could attack the latex not to mention the enamel blue, I would do a test before you try it as it could easily eat it. Shellac based Zinser is also thinned with denatured alcohol which can also attack latex so once again, approach with a test. You want the blue and white can not the red and white Zinser.

It's been a while.. but I finally decided to re-mask the T33 for the application of "KILZ-2" latex primer.. similar to the Zinser Bullseye 1-2-3 product that Ken mentioned. I had bought the KILZ-2 some time ago.. and finally unburied it.

1st coat.. applied with a 1" foam brush..



I'll head the advice concerning applying clear oil-based polyurethane to seal the latex yellow trim.

The model now hangs from the shop ceiling after applying a 2nd coat of the primer. The yellow trim is going to look a lot better.