My Fancherized Twister build; 3 days til Huntersville

Looks NICE Rusty , she is a really sturdy looking bird / is this plane going into the contest in the fall ? and what was the power again ? Eric

Yes it will, hopefully the flagship of my stunt fleet. Probably powered with an OS .40fp or a .35fp.

Here's the movie I made of using the jig set for installing the stab.
https://youtu.be/x_2z1nsQo3w

Okay, it's decision time, plus I just want to post an update since it's been a while. You'd think I'd never built a plane before, wondering about what order to proceed with the next steps.
Here's where we are today.
Click the top bar, not the picture, and I think you'll get a full-sized pic. The first time, anyway.


So I'm just thinking out loud. I just glued the 1/32" ply doublers over the ends of the flaps(pictured under the weights) where the couplers will be reinforced, so they still need priming/sanding. They are slotted for hinges but not yet primed, which I will do before installing them. The elevator is not glued, just dry-fit, completely assembled to make sure it all lines up correctly. So no more need for the airframe to stay in the table jig. The CF control rods are all made. And I'll bolt it to the paint stand tomorrow.

I've been debating whether to paint the fuse & stab prior to installing the elevators, and painting them separately. The only issue is dings, fingerprints, and epoxy blobs on the new paint while installing them. But, still, I'm leaning toward painting them before installing them onto the coupler and hinges. If I paint tomorrow, it'll be 3 weeks for the paint to harden before I get back on the project, so that'll allow me to handle them without too much risk when I get back from vacation. Maybe if I was going to do it all in one week, I'd go ahead and glue up the elevator first and then paint. And I ramble.

But anyway, looks like she'll be flying in July, after I get my fill of R & R and fishing, relaxing and crabbing, watching bikini babes that I know would no longer cut an eye my way. Eating blue crab and fried flounder(I hope) and forgetting about bills and the things they pay for. And flying in my head where the lines are always tight and the wind is a constant Southerly 5 knots, and it matters not if I sleep through a reverse wingover, Lol.

I'll post again in a day or two when she's all in her white base coat.
Rusty

Rusty,

What paint are you using? I've been using duplicolor acrylic enamel and love it. The dark blue on my new carrier plane is standing up to 25%.

Jim

Duplicolor acrylic Lacquer, and DC-540 NAPA primer. I'm expecting nice results. Glad to hear yours is holding up. That's a nice looking Twister. Mine will look something like it, same colors plus some checkerboard, probably underneath.
Rusty

Thanks for the tip on duplicolor acrylic enamel, i been using the duplicolor acrylic lacquer on some restorations and don't think it fuel proof.
Rusty must be using a fuelproof clear over the lacquer? The enamel has less color choice but will try it on my next project.

crankbndr wrote:
Rusty must be using a foolproof clear over the lacquer?

I'd like some of that too

Boy, I didn't expect to wake up to such a hard question this morning Lol. Happy Friday everyone. Yeah, the Lacquer needs to be clear coated with fuelproof spray. I researched this stuff every day for a week. It's the lightest of the DC, but still not light like dope. It's very compatible with Lustrekote clear, and I even got on the phone and email with some respected modeling finishers on this, and now consider it to be reliable. Since Wayne and Will are going to Brodak, I'm going to have them bring some clear butyrate home for me. I'll read more specifically about it before I text them my order. I'm off to dialysis now and have more to say, so stand by till this afternoon
Rusty

Just got around to watching the vid , enjoyed . It will be interesting to see that the jig set up makes your airplanes fly better for you to move along in the intermediate class be looking forward to hearing the results . Eric

KariFS wrote:

crankbndr wrote:
Rusty must be using a foolproof clear over the lacquer?

I'd like some of that too

Insomnia I shouldn't type in the middle of the night!

crankbndr wrote:

KariFS wrote:

crankbndr wrote:
Rusty must be using a foolproof clear over the lacquer?

I'd like some of that too

Insomnia I shouldn't type in the middle of the night!

Must have been the ducking autocorrect again

KariFS wrote:

crankbndr wrote:

KariFS wrote:

crankbndr wrote:
Rusty must be using a foolproof clear over the lacquer?

I'd like some of that too

Insomnia I shouldn't type in the middle of the night!

Must have been the ducking autocorrect again

That's almost as funny as that I took it seriously.

I started out using a hollow core door then set up with 3/4" MDF/sheet steel/magnets or glass on top

Retired the door because the humidity swings were too much for my taste warping the door

we got a brief ray of sun today and I thought this funny...... no wonder I got warps in a wing

Yesterday afternoon a thunderstorm washed my painting plans, but I detoured and spackled the flaps where the doublers join the balsa, as well as a minor ding or two. Most dents can be completely removed with a drop of water on a fingertip. It's sunny today, so I'll get that paint going.

Had to buy a new washing machine first. Just finished that chore and checked out my new Rapala filet knife imported from Finnland. The blade does not indicate the steel type, but it came with a nice little ceramic pocket sharpener.

Yo fisher man dude!

I have a need for laser sharp meat cutting devices...these are a tad pricey but will cut your ass from inside the sheath!....seriously SHARP

http://www.havalon.com/havalon-baracuta--quik-change--fillet-knives.html

I have many of these, also their surgical handles, and their 100 count #11/#12/ and other surgical blades for the balsa building....screw Exacto!

I give the skinning knifes and spare blades to my immediate family each year before hunting season...( we get MEAT in return...grin)

Beside these I tend to like the long flexible Fisker's Filleting knife...as cheap and hones fast when slicing the meat off 20Lb mud cats....

Rusty, just saw the video. Great job. Gives me a few ideas for future projects and on the next trip to Harbor Freight. Can't wait to see the finished product.

The Watcher Mark

batjac wrote:Rusty, just saw the video.  Great job.  Gives me a few ideas for future projects and on the next trip to Harbor Freight.  Can't wait to see the finished product.

The Watcher Mark

The Stab video I presume? Did you see the earlier Wing Jig video? That's a nice set. It comes with rib alignment tools too, but I don't have a full set, and didn't know what they were for until after I built the wing.

Rusty. I just watched the wing video. Nifty, but I don't know if I'm going to be building enough large models to justify buying his alignment kit. I still haven't bought a wing jig to build a wing on. I don't trust myself to drill straight holes in the ribs...

The Crooked Mark

I wanted a rod jig at one time and Mark B sent me one for Christmas. I played with it and drilled some ribs. You do it with sharpened brass tube, it cuts perfectly neat holes.

But I just cut square blocks and in my case use the TE blocks from the Bean kit, pin the LE and TE centerlines the same height off the glass. Make sure the bow in your spars opposes each other and start by installing them(lay the ribs on the bottom spar before pinning the jigs. I feel like it's easier this way to stagger your spar and TE butt joints while building a whole wing at once. And I think this is how to build a wing a straight as possible. Don't release it until the shear webs are in place, and the top sheeting if possible. Reference my Yak-9 build.
Rusty


I came in from the shop too late to post a report tonight. After bolting to the paint stand, I realized I'd forgot I have to add fillets first, so I did as much of that as possible. Stab got fillets and wing root is masked off. That means next is sanding the fillets, spot priming them, and sanding the primer.

Rusty, is your thoughts to fuel proof this with Brodak clear? Do you have spray capability?

Good morning Ken. I'm thinking of using Brodak butyrate clear and thinner because Will and Wayne will be up there while I'm at the beach. I already have 8' of fuel line and light fiberglass on my list for them to get. Only the $$ is in my way. I know that sounds silly, but I don't have much, and I do have Lustrekote in the shop now. I know that's horrifying to skilled finishers, but I have it on pretty good authority that it works without adverse reaction with DC acrylic lacquer. It's just so darn heavy. I guess I can spring for a pint. And I'd have to use a Preval sprayer. I got a used compressor without a tank, but never could get the reed valves to seal on the pitted head facing, so no air. I do have a large carry tank for air, but fill it at the tire store.
Rusty

If DC enamel is heavier than DC laquer I wonder how much weight is saved by not needing clear on the enamel? Are you monocoating the wing? I've not had good luck with DC over polyspan, it dries too hard and is prone to cracking.

Jim

JPvelo wrote:If DC enamel is heavier than DC laquer I wonder how much weight is saved by not needing clear on the enamel? Are you monocoating the wing? I've not had good luck with DC over polyspan, it dries too hard and is prone to cracking.

Jim

The wing is Monokoted. I plan to learn the art of traditional covering and already have a really nice I-Beam plane to do it with, but my contest ships will continue to be Monokoted. There's no sense in silkspanning my stunters until, if ever, crashes become a rare aberration. I suspect the DC enamel is similar to, or better than Rustoleum enamel in fuel resistance. Will Davis tells me it works well with 10% nitro, but he hasn't pushed it higher than that. I haven't sprayed a plane with Rusto since the Yak-9 in 2013, and it's the best paint job I've ever done, but I don't know if it has changed since then.

How did your Twister turn out weightwise? I think mine has some more wood on it than yours, mostly on the nose. It's said to build to 40-42 ounces, depending on the engine. Does yours have half ribs?
Rusty