My N-1R build log

Cool roddie you have taken on the project , best of skill/luck bee with you

That’s a good subject for a “model maker’s” build Roddie….. I bet you’ve put a lot of thought into it already…. I see some round things and some compound curves, A bit of a challenge!!…. Twin engine?… May be a space age P-38

1975 control line guy wrote: https://tenor.com/view/force-is-strong-this-one-driving-star-wars-gif-14554904

We'll see just how strong.... the more that I get into this thing...

getback wrote:Cool roddie you have taken on the project , best of skill/luck bee with you

I'll be "spittin' out splinters".. if I've bitten off more than I can Chewy....

rdw777 wrote:That’s a good subject for a “model maker’s” build Roddie….. I bet you’ve put a lot of thought into it already…. I see some round things and some compound curves, A bit of a challenge!!…. Twin engine?… May be a space age P-38

Hey Robert, This is right up there with my Rodd-O-Gyro as far as complexity is concerned.. but hopefully this model will see some air time.

Yea... I've had some insomniac episodes thinking about a "framework" for the design. I'm using 3mm lite-ply for just about all of that. I have plenty of balsa wood.. but I won't use it in the framework; if I even use it at all.

I had some delam. issues when cutting the nacelle-disc parts. Things that you don't plan for.. you know? ... I was originally going to use 7mm ply for the discs.. but that would have been overkill. As it is; I plan on lightening the main cross-member by coring a pattern using a small diameter hole-saw.

I especially enjoy reading comments.. because it really helps me think deeper into the design process when I reply to them.

Concave, convex, = complex............

My comment..............Don't do it..........don't do it......... don't do it................Do It!

............As usual, looking forward to seeing what you come up with.  

Love the hole saw, one of the most used tool in my tool inventory. Cheap in price for what they do.

Bob

rsv1cox wrote:Concave, convex, = complex............

My comment..............Don't do it..........don't do it......... don't do it................Do It!

............As usual, looking forward to seeing what you come up with.  

Love the hole saw, one of the most used tool in my tool inventory.  Cheap in price for what they do.  

Bob

Robert, "Concave , convex, = complex............"  you got that right... I've been mind-wrestling with contours since this model's inception. You know when we build a "profile" model airplane?... we suggest the shape of the subject's fuselage.... and sometimes (with 1/4 and 1/2A..) the wing too.. in 2D as opposed to true-scale. I'll be applying judicial use of 2D with this design... But seriously; I need to at least try to create a scale-likeness as much as I can.. while keeping the weight down.

Hole saws... I'm right there with ya'.. My "kit" didn't include a 3/4" saw.. so a few years ago, I bought a single Lenox saw/arbor.. and guess what for?

roddie wrote:.. My "kit" didn't include a 3/4" saw.. so a few years ago, I bought a single Lenox saw/arbor.. and guess what for?

Fab'ing a piece of PVC tubing for a Testors reed-valve product-engine mount..



Just to be clear.. I'm using a pair of COX engines in this model.. but I'd like to camouflage the lower-ends inside the faux J-style engine-tubes. Those tubes will have a finish-diameter of 38mm and I have a pair of 38mm plastic spinners coming in the mail. Regardless; the plan is to orient both engine-cylinders inboard.. but the jury's not out on that. I'm not sure how the engines will be configured yet. I have a pair of Golden-Bees.. but their use limits orienting the engine-cylinders "upright".. so as to protect the mixture needles in the event of an inverted ground-strike..

akjgardner wrote:

Joe.. Earlier this evening I drew a rough (really rough.....) sketch of my proposed design.. because I need to document stuff.. when it's on my mind.. or I might forget about it. My youngest brother calls me "Roddy Forgot-y" I don't love him any less for it though..

Here's that sketch... It was mostly about the elevator control-surface that I wanted to draw.. rather than think about. It would have had to be a split-elevator.. but I don't think it needs to be now.

The R-2 unit... My design will utilize the pill bottle as a "weight-box" to help trim the C of G. The neck of the bottle will fit "up" through a hole in the deck.. and be retained by the screw-on cap.

getting perspectives..

Thank you both; CLG and Levent for your contributions and interest!

Hey Roddie , I went back and re read this post . At first I was thinking you were going to mount the engines on the wingtip cylindrical thingies , which had me a little concerned due to th possibility of one engine quitting and turning it into a flying saucer . So have you planed where the engines are going to be mounted ?

I think roddie is using the 1.5" hole cutter cutouts to form each end of the engine nacellies and use one as an engine mount on a two engine model.  Something along the lines of his scratch built P-38.  My curisoity extends to the "floating tail", the "elevators" and CG.

rsv1cox wrote:I think roddie is using the 1.5" hole cutter cutouts to form each end of the engine nacellies and use one as an engine mount on a two engine model.  Something along the lines of his scratch built P-38.  My curisoity extends to the "floating tail", the "elevators" and CG.

Joe and Robert The Engine nacelle tubes will be rigidly-mounted to the central-section. I'll be working on those tonight.. and YES; not unlike the P38's twin-engine layout.

Each side will include a mains/gear-leg strut of .062" music-wire which I will fabricate with a single "coil" wound mid-strut for suspension/damping. Mounts/keys-into forward-nacelle in-between the ply-firewall discs; a sandwich-joint, epoxy glued for high-strength.

The nacelles tie into the main central structure via hardwood blocks that get glued and screwed.. including gussets in key stress-areas. A main-spar is also planned. This spar-stock is the same as the gusset-stock. The tri-angular birch-ply "sticks" are cut-offs saved from the trash by me.. from my last job.





Raw right?................ My "FlexEl" concept is raw too.. Robert, I plan to "bend" the flexible elevator stock via a conventional control-horn mounted slightly aft the anchor-point of the flexi-sheet.. to the rigid central section/fuse. This differs from a conventional hinged panel.. in the way of smoother transitions from neutral. The "floating tail" is an extension of the elevator. A "tapered-tail" so to speak. It may flap in the breeze... but this induced turbulence could serve to balance opposing control-inputs.

Your thinking is way outside my box roddie.

I'm rigid and safe and this build structure is adventurous but somehow Cox made it fly. It's the CG that concerns me. Cox played it safe and used a single engine in the nose with the long "tail" countering. Your using two engines, one on each wing tip much closer to that golden CG area of about 3/4 inch behind the leading edge of the very swept back wing. It will be interesting to see where the CG winds up. The position of the engine pods is adjustible within limits. soooo..... That said, if anyone can pull it off it's you.

I would love to build one, but I am clumsy and impatient neither attributes friendly to scratch model building. Wishing you luck, but if your anything like me you may never actually fly it. Sometimes, it's the build adventure that's filling and fun.

I hole-saw cut X2 7mm birch-ply 1.5" dia. discs tonight.. which will serve as firewalls for the engines.. and will accept #3 wood/SM screws to mount them. All of the plywood discs cut thus far, have .250" dia. holes in their centers.. and will utilize 1/4" dia. dowel-rod for alignment to form the faux J-engine-tubes. The forward tube-section will encompass a fuel-cell in between the 1st and 2nd bulkheads.

The music-wire main-gear struts have been cut and fabricated with a single coil to help absorb some shock. The top of the struts will key-into the backside of the firewall.. and sandwich in between the 1st nacelle bulkhead.







My wife Lynne has actually taken an interest in this build..

How does that six sided hexagon make a Z bend? I have been looking for a compendent Z bender for years. 90 degree no problem, but a Z........... Maybe the two pins in the middle and vice it?

You mention reed valve Cox engines, but which? Babe Bees, horseshoe, postage stamp? I only use 2/56's to mount those, anything larger and I'm looking for my drill bit index.

I love what your doing with it, the landing gear struts and engine mounts are works of art!

rsv1cox wrote:How does that six sided hexagon make a Z bend?  I have been looking for a compendent Z bender for years.  90 degree no problem, but a Z...........  Maybe the two pins in the middle and vice it?  

You mention reed valve Cox engines, but which?  Babe Bees, horseshoe, postage stamp?  I only use 2/56's to mount those, anything larger and I'm looking for my drill bit index.  

I love what your doing with it, the landing gear struts and engine mounts are works of art!

Here's how the Harry Higley Z-bender works Robert.. (back of package has instructions)



It's one of the first tools that I sourced when I started building model airplanes back in the early 1990's. It's gotten a LOT of use over the years.

I'm glad you ask about the engines. It's made me think a little deeper into it. I want at least 8cc's of fuel-capacity per engine and have a pair of Golden Bee's sitting idle.



I mentioned earlier in the thread that both engine-cylinders needed to be oriented "upright" (vertically) in order to protect the needles. This would be true for a Babe Bee, because of its vents being in the backplate. Since the Golden Bee's vents are in the "tank-bowl".. it allows for rotation of the backplate and a horizontal needle-position. I could orient both engine cylinders inboard and the needles outboard. Going with integrally-tanked engines is also a LOT less complicated.. when compared to plumbing/mounting external tanks inside the nacelles.

I don't usually use machine-screws/nuts on my rotary-mounts. I probably should......... but I don't. I overbuild the firewalls on my models.. with hardwood/plywood; thick enough to accept the length of the sheet-metal screws that I'm using.

I screwed-up here though... Do you know why?