Sturdi Built?

There has been an orange JW handle on ebay for some time now for not crazy money but I have a couple in black (that are not so nice) so I pass.

I did however bid on that broken up Sturdi Built pictured mostly because of the rather nice Golden Bee. The plane does have a fatal flaw, the back of the plastic fuselage is broken off. Tough to repair that one but I like a challange. However I won't be disappointed if I'm over-bid.

I keep an eye out for the Bird, Brand and Bee but I have none of those.

But I do have a start on the Bonanza.

rdw777 wrote:I hope you win that one Bob…. Within your repairs scope easily….The condition of the plane may “shade” the winning price to get an excellent deal on the very nice Golden Bee…

Yes, Nice "early" Golden Bee like the pair I first mounted on my scratch built P-38 before I graduated to Black Widows.  I think that it's swinging a white Kasun prop.  




My P-38.  Never far away.  Fondest memories building it at the dining room table in Patuxent River Maryland some 57 years ago with a Mireille Mathieu album spinning on the stereo.  

I have to say roddie your building/design skills have evolved in a extraordinary positive direction since you built that model, the difference between that, the Rare Bear and your more recent projects - remarkable!!  Not that orange/yellow guy isn't beautiful.

I have gone in the other direction, the P-38 was my high point, since then everything down hill.  I can see you flying it.  Twin Golden Bees in sync zipping along.  Been there. Doesn't matter what it looks like.  I only regret that I did not build that B-24 I had planned.

I won that broken up Firebaby with the Cox Golden Bee engine at my low bid.  The GB is a bonus, what I'm looking forward to is rebuilding that JW Firebaby.




Matching the color on the elevator to the rest of the plane might be a problem.

rdw777 wrote:Congratulations on winning the Sturdi Built Firebaby Bob….. Looks like the missing piece of the wing is still in the fuse….. If all the pieces are there will be a good chance on putting it back together…. Will be curious as to your approach and what glue you use….. The Golden Bee is a very nice example…. Looks like its anodizing has survived well… Will be waiting for your assessment

I'm thinking very lighty brushed on each mating piece 5 or 30 minute epoxy so when joined there is little or no squeezed out epoxy.  I don't think wood glue would do the job as well bonding the pieces.  I have lost my faith in CA as it seems to crystalize as it wicks.  Also with CA I think staining of the joined painted pieces would be a problem.  Is that paint or some sort of dye?  

Concur, or something better?

I always go back to my first Firebaby.  Anything is possible.

rdw777 wrote:I agree epoxy would be best fix on the really bad break….My Firebaby wing just had a couple of splits and I fixed it with Duco but was minor compared to the one you have coming up….. Epoxy may add a little needed structural strength as well….. I use a little CA here and there but not for general building or repairs….. Sometimes it just won’t take and also can make the wood brittle around the joint ….

I changed my mind, the balsa is too brittle to brush epoxy on without damage. It would just flake off. Instead I used CA to capture the balsa and hold it in place. Later I will fill in the trenches with epoxy applyied with a toothpick. Strength is important, most if not all of the balsa will be enclosed inside the plastic triangle but the breaks are right at the edges. I may have to cut a new wing and go the decal route.

But the question is - was it crashed or stepped on. The wing shows previous repaired crush damage. The Golden Bee shows no sign of ever being ran after leaving the factory. No fuel residue anywhere including on the reed which has corrision but still moves freely. But, there is fuel reside on the mount/firewall. Curious. The GB goes back together untouched.






The only way I can think of to repair the broken off fuselage tail section is to build a new section sandwiched between two pieces of balsa well saturated with sanding sealer and painted probably fixed with a couple of 2/56's. Yeah......tail weight but what's the alternative. You have to have support for the horz stab and elevator.

That's just what I had in mind roddie, only using 2/56's but aluminum pop rivets would be lighter.




Notice the tail skid. I used my first Firebaby as a trace. It came to me pretty beat up without a tail wheel so I used a popsicle stick as a repair and I didn't notice it when I cut the replacement. My repair fooled me. I didn't notice it until I dug out an original for these pictures. I think the wheel would be more vunerable to breakage so I'm keeping the skid.

I used wood glue to glue the three pieces together. Some sanding sealer with a piece of 1/16" balsa inbetween to keep it from leaching and some red paint.

I was going to use epoxy, but what a mess. Catalyst thickened so I had to use a heat gun, spurted out in unknown equals but I got enough mixed to fill the voids in the wing.

rdw777 wrote:That wing was a tuffy Bob but looks like you have taken best route to salvage….. Yes, epoxy can get to be mess quickly, Especially if it is quick set….. I haven’t been able to find any 30 min locally in a while….. Interesting to try and understand what may have happened to the wing with that kind of a break …. Maybe a little kid playing with it and just got too rough…. The Golden Bee is a nice example and very clean!!….

I used a jewelers file to smooth out the epoxy high spots and slid the wing in a very tight opening which it survived without breaking.  Its moving from Oregon to Idaho.

rdw777 wrote:Great job on the wing repair Bob, Like to see these old, neglected antiques be restored….. A little different challenge in each one…. Interesting

Thanks Robert, Its what I do - take nothing and try to make something out out it.  My house is littered with examples.  

This one, about finished.  I still have to cement in the tail assembly.  The fuselage had a decided bend to it.  Some applied heat gun and some weight eliminated most of it.  The as new Golden Bee is not going back on.  I picked out a couple of period correct thin wall tapered Babe Bees for it instead.  Upright or horizontal, haven't made up my mind.  Hopefully it will not be too tail heavy, I might have to find a beat Golden Bee for it.  




Straighter now.

Not-so Sturdi Built is finished. Bent perhaps but no longer broken. Not pretty but definately flyable. CG falls within range.



Replacing all those little washers and nuts.......not fun. Top end snaps on, tabs and slots.




Family portrait. Flourescents not kind to photography.