Jim Walkers FireBee - This is going to be fun

Well, I got tired of guessing what goes where and finally printed out the FireBees plans or what passes for them.



I have scans of the individual pages if anyone wants them, PM me.

I have been trying to protect this mostly unmolested kit and that includes the plans so I did not fully unfold them.  I just scanned and taped them together missing a little information.  But I'm getting around to locating the landing gear and I did not have a clue.  JW saved a lot by having the customer put this thing together.  Lot's of individual parts involved.  Most pretty self-explainatory, but not the landing gear.  

A clone, but a darned near identical clone as I traced all the pieces directly on to balsa then cut and sanded to shape with the original part still clamped.  Did I mention ....carefully cut and sanded.

The wing is an exception.  SIG airfoil.  The wing is the thing so I made sure it was positioned as the original which only differs slightly in camber, but not by much.  

I like a clean organized workbench when I build but that isn't happening with this one, so I did not want to unfold and use the original plans.  I get glue, dust, and filler all over...............



Everything gets two coats of sanding sealer, unassembled.  Then an unsanded third coat assembled.  It's like sealing the whole thing in epoxy.  Weight?  Maybe, but little additional for the added benefit.  I Don't care, it gets painted like the box example.  Fly it?  Sure, but probably without the speed control.

Looking great, Bob!

Did the canopy doodle make sense?

The work bench full of tools, parts, and saw dust looks good…. Always fun to plan next steps …. Thoughtful preservation of the original kit down to not completely unfolding the original plans…. That kit is a little involved to make a clone compared to most 1/2A’s… Lots of parts and details… But what makes it unique too….

I got your sketch Jim, Noted!!…. Yours and Mauricio’s examples are a good tutorial for forming canopies and parts…

944_Jim wrote:Looking great, Bob!

Did the canopy doodle make sense?

Yes, thanks and I'm working on it. Bringing in my son next week to help. He actually knows what he's doing while I'm a lost puppy in the woods.

My colstered space..........



Scientific alignment......



The addition of canopies make a big difference.




First coat of sanding sealer. Everything rounded off.



Off the shelf Minwax.  Ken is a carpenter and never mentions it, so maybe it doesn't have much merit in this application.  He probably knows it well.  But I have used it ever since Aerogloss sanding sealer and filler went off the market.  It works for my backyard builds and makes a big difference in the finish.  I generally use three coats sanded inbetween.  

I just applied a second coat.



Robert may recoganize this:  Reminds me of the image on the FedEx box featured in the movie Cast Away.  Farm in the middle of nowhere..........



Made the seller (same one as the FireBaby) an offer.  Got to make a second edition, the one with the bubble canopy and I will need the hardware.

I think....

Gliders - Then
First edition - Firebaby plastic fuselage with the pilot molded in.
Second edition - Firebaby bubble canopy.
Third edition - Firebee
Fourth edition - Bonanza

etc. etc.

FireBee is looking good Bob, And coming along pretty quick!!…. Yes, The canopy adds lots of character….. Satisfying I’m sure to have a pristine original to get all the info to produce a copy that can be displayed or even flown….The original can remain preserved that way….Looking forward to your Firebaby clone as well…. You got the best part for a start with that wing-engine mount!!!…. Your gonna have to steam mould the wing on that one

This morning.

Found the work bench a jumble.  Robert can probably pick out what goes where.



Wheels and landing gear time.  I have some NOS Perfect 1" wheels coming but I have had good luck cutting out wheels from Luan and color matching to the model so I will probably use these.  Spray silver, attach the painters tape circles and over-spray matte black.  





Plans show the wheels positioned inwards, so that's the way I'm doing it.  Wing V brace is a complicated combination of slots and holes.  I'm simplifying.



Evidiently a production change.  Brace shows two holes for the mounting screws to the wing, plans show only one.  A single screw acts like a pivot allowing for small changes in alignment.  Other holes are for a securing screw and washer to retain the landing gear.  I'm thinking epoxy will be enough.  



Almost glue time..............

Busy work bench is a happy sight…I’ve got two, One just a little smaller than your photo and another smaller one made from 2 x 12’s for messy, oily stuff….Neat way to make wheels!… I like making my own wheels sometimes to fit a particular need

rsv1cox wrote:My colstered space..........

Roberto!..All of that looks great...your place and your work!...beautiful!

Thanks Mauricio, I have managed to stuff a lot in there.  Handy, I can just turn around and get what I need.  



Lot's of Nations are represented there, Argentina as well.  

Plans for the belly pan call for splitting it in half to accomodiate the landing gear, I just cut a slot.  Plans also call for a screw and washer to secure the mains.  I wasn't going to do it, but oh well.  They didn't break the surface of the wings top which I feared.





Up on shakey legs,  Nothing is set in stone, nothing is glued down.  Still lot's of loose ends to tie up.  

Satisfying when the individual pieces and parts begin to take a 3-D shape for a mock up….Really nice work on FireBee…. A good part of the way there!!

My mistake.  "When all else fails, read the plans."  Just did.  

Me.......Evidiently a production change.  Brace shows two holes for the mounting screws to the wing, plans show only one. Actually, the second hole is for the bell crank!  

Crunch time.  No turning back now.  Glued the wing and belly pan.  More "scientific" alignment.  




It seems like excessive dihedral especially for a control line model. But, that is how the wings cross brace is configured, so that's the way I'm doing it.



Everything except the wing is laminated.  Had to, I ran out of 1/8" balsa.  Two 1/16" glued served on most but on the fuselage 1/16" added to the 1/4" of the original gave me JW's dimention.  Tomorrow, the tail assembly.  More filler, hopefully not too much then a final sanding and a last coat of sanding sealer.  Then paint.  Probably silver as on the box model, but I have options.

i wanna see the flying video!

oh, its tremendous beautiful work.

Nice and straight there , that fuse sure has a lot of different balsa parts (puzzle)

Yeah, laminations.  Me being to cheap/busy to drive two hours and back to Hobby Lobby for the correct balsa.  Poisoninly, I think laminations will make it stronger although perhaps with a little weight gain.  I'm not building a contest winner here.  

Finally made it around to this:



Hinge tape is in the sealed FireBees package and I'm not opening it.  So, I raided my Mothers sewing kit and found this.  I did a test strip and it worked out well although I have always used pinned hinges for this.  Red tape is not iron on so not an option.  White stuff sticks great, I might have found a new way to do hinges.  Plans show to split the tape. I just ironed it straight across using my Monokote iron.  Lay it on a flat edge and sand away the bevel.  







Fin/rudder a little fussy and not well illustrated on the plans.  Not a problem.  Baby steps.  



Personally, I'm beginning to like it.

Starting to look like a FireBee Bob …. The dihedral in the wing and the trike gear gives it a “can do” look…. Glad you’re enjoying the build, Very unique airplane!!

Tragedy.......final coat of sanding sealer loosened the iron-on elevator hinge.  I was afraid it might.  Enough stayed intact for me to clamp it and let it dry.  Four hours later it's fine.  Sanding sealer is sticky stuff and I have used it before to secure cloth hinges.  

Still a lot of detail sanding to do then a final coat of ss then paint.




Big mail day today, wheels, FBaby frame, Firebee tubing.  Perfect fit internally, but external diameter is four times the size of that supplied by JW.  No way this plane will haul it around a circle.....I think.

I’m gonna have to try the sanding sealer one of these days…. I’ve used varnish with OK results but the sanding sealer looks like it may leave a smoother finish…

It's what I use once I ran out of nitrate dope. It smells that same,.acts the same...and won't topcoat over butyrate. Treat sanding sealer like nitrate and it will treat you well.

Another good quality is it cleans up with cheap Walmart lacquer thinner. What's not to like?

I generally use three or four coats sanded between each.  It's not really a filler but acts as such.  But, this SIG airfoil wing was just so rutted nothing was going to help despite aggressive sanding.  This project was - lets just use what I have on hand and make-do and the poor results show it.  

I had no luck forming a canopy so I just cut thin plastic to shape and sandwiched built up balsa, pilot figure, and formula 560 into something acceptible once I fit to the fuselage and trim the plastic.  

More "Scientific" alignment



It's really just a T-28 knockoff



An adaptation of Kim's "paint stick."



Canopy time.......fitting required.  










When I'm finished the paint scheme should look like the box image.  I did win that second Bonanza complete with a new Jim Walker engine for $37.

Good work Bob

It is a bargain for 37 Dollars.

The silver (Aluminum!) looks good Bob…. I like the box art coloring of the FireBee…. Will be good to replicate that….Great deal on the second Bonanza with even the proper engine!!…. That kit will be to build?….. The second kit came with a Firebaby instruction sheet?….If you end up with an orphaned Firebaby instruction sheet and are willing to part with it I’ll buy it or trade you something for it…

Thanks Levent.

And Robert, I intend to build it. Looks like the fuselage is broken. If I can't repair it I wll cut a new one. The prop washer and nut have been removed from the JW engine but are floating around loose in the box. I will try to duplicate the paint scheme, but I don't have Duanes or Andrews skill. Wonder if I have those colors in monokote hanging around.




Plans will be on their way to you Robert as soon as I get it, but it's coming from deep in the West Coast and he ships USPS ground so it will be awhile.