2007 Club Build

Platteville Area Modelers has decided to do a club build to get 2007 off to a nice start.
We'll try to post a few pictures as we progress through the build, so you can watch things as they happen.

February 17, 2007

Doc and Kodak spent part of the day working on two prototypes of the plane we're building. (This is to work out the bugs so when the members show up to build the planes it will go smoothly.) The plane we're going to be building is the NJ One Design By Dick Sarpolus, featured in the Model Aviation magazine Feb. 2007.
With these first pictures, you can take a peek at Doc cutting out some of the pieces, and a couple of views of the area where all this will take place.

Work continues on the two prototypes of the club build. Doc, Kodak and Mark F. worked on more of the parts over the weekend (February 24-25 2007) and with some tweaking of the construction, things are going well. It is the plan to have the plane "bugs" worked out before the build begins later this Winter. We have not been able to capture each and every step with pictures, but may augment the array of pics at the time of the actual build. On to the pics, and a short description of what's going on in each of them. As usual, click on the small picture to view the larger version, then click 'back' on your browser to return to this page...

Update: We are adding pics here as the build progresses. So far, one prototype has the frame completed. Due to several scheduling conflicts, it appears to be working out better to have club members work on their planes at times other than scheduled "build days". So, you will see new faces from time to time in the pictures. We will add 'em as we take 'em, so newer ones may be among some of the older pics. Anyway, on with the build.



Thanks, Doc! All of us on the Platteville Area Modelers 2007 build team wish to thank Doc for all of the help he's given us. Taking a group of newbie, greenhorn plane builders under his wing for this project was no small task for sure. His decades of building experience, his attention to detail, and his patience made the experience one that all of us will always remember. Thanks Doc, for not only showing all of us how to build a plane, but for showing us the "how" and the "why" of building a BETTER plane. Because of your help, those of us who never thought we could, discovered that we really can! Thanks again, from each and every one of us.


Tom C cutting parts out for his rudder. This was Tom's first night working on his plane. He made nice progress.
Building the rudder on one of the first prototypes.
The rudder after unpinning it from the blueprint. It makes things much easier to pin the pieces to the blueprint. That way, it keeps things straighter and truer.
Andy cutting in the hinge slots on the rudder
Tom doing some practing on a scrap piece of wood with the slot cutting tool.
Andy cutting parts out for his elevators.
Andy and Mark F working on their elevators.
Reinforcing the elevator joints with round toothpick dowels. A little extra work, but much stronger all in all.


Cut elevators to epoxy a 1/4 inch dowel in.. this is to tie both halves togather.

Elevator after 1/4inch dowel is epoxyed in.

Tom just starting to lay his ailerons out on the plans.



And if your wondering, we all have a blast building.

Ailerons just unpinned from plans.

Andy marking the center of the ailerons so the hinges and dowels can be marked and cut.

Drilling holes for reinforcing dowels.

Prefitting dowels in ailerons.

Reinforcing the aileron joints with round toothpick dowels. A little extra work, but much stronger.

After cutting extra dowels off, touching aileron up with the sanding board.

Just a little touch up sanding.

Cutting hinge slots in aileron.

Instead of gluing two ½ x 3 x 34 inch pieces of balsa together for the fuse (1/2x6x34), four pieces of 1/4 x 3 were glued together to make two pieces ¼ x 6 x 34”. The two 6" x 34” pieces were then glued together to make one piece ½ x 6" x 34”. This was done to eliminate warps in the fuselage.

Showing the fuselage side glued and clamped together.

Showing the fuselage sides after they are removed from the clamps.



Andy marking a center line on the fuselage.

Andy gluing the two halves of the fuselage together with med CA glue.

Tom touching up a joint with some CA glue.
Two pieces of bass wood expoxyed and clamped in for motor mounts.
Andy remarking key points on the fuselage

Mark F applying epoxy to the fuselage before adding the plywood doublers.
Clamping in plywood doublers.
Mark F. trimming the doublers on the router table to even them out on the edges. This is easier than sanding the pieces. Some sanding is still required, but this step makes things easier.
A few more photos of some of the trimming of the doublers.


All done triming time for some touch up sanding
This is the reinforcing block for the tail wheel with blind nuts installed.

Test fitting tail gear.


The fuseage was squared and tacked to the glass table top with med ca glue and then two small blocks were cut to go under the horizontal stabilizer. Then it was epoxyed in place.


Mark F squaring and epoxying the vertical stabilizer in place and then applying blue 3M tape to keep it square until it is dry.

Three dowels were installed for reinforcing the landing gear. One 5/16" in the center and two 1/4" on the top and bottom.(prototype)
What was decided for the landing gear reinforcing ,two 1/2 in dowels with the mounting holes through them.


The fuselage mocked up with the landing gear.
Making four wing tips (enough for two planes) at one time from 1/8” light plywood. The four pieces were tack glued together and then the pattern was glued to the top piece with repositional spray glue.

Rough cutting the four wing tips.

Sanding the wing tips to exact size.

Final touch up sanding of the four wing tips.

The four completed wing tips.

Drilling holes in the wing tips to decrease the weight. The last step is to separate the tips using an Exacto knife.

Cutting the wing joiner space into the left wing panel.

Using epoxy glue to attach carbon fiber and wing spars into the foam core.

Using epoxy glue on the balsa leading edge.

Showing the spar glued in and ready for trimming. We are using foam wings for our build . If you need a set of great foam core wings check out the CORE HOUSE talk to Phil and he can set you up.


Cutting in slots for hinges.
Doc showing off the first prototype.
This is a shot of the servo, the battery and the receiver layout.
Showing the access hole from wing to wing. This is for all the servo wires and battery leads to run through.
The access holes to run from the receiver and battery back to the servos.
The next three photos are of Doc applying a small strip of covering along the seams. This step makes the covering finish smoother and much nicer looking. Plus, the plane is more fuel proof.


Explaining the next three pictures: Tacking down the edges of the covering, working around the edges of the wing, pulling the covering tight and tacking as he goes, making sure there are no wrinkles.


Laying three layers of blue 3-M tape along the leading edge of the wing. One edge of the covering was then placed over the tape.
The loose edge of the leading edge is taped down over the layers of tape.
A metal ruler is taped to create a straight edge. Then, taking an exacto knife cutting along the ruler.
Showing the covering after the straight edge is taken off. The blue tape is then pulled off carefully. Very carefully. :)
Taking the iron and ironing down the leading edge of the covering.
Voila! A nice straight edge on the covering!
Applying warm heat to the covering to shrink and tighten.... and remove all the wrinkles. (Make sure to use very low heat on the heat gun, OR an iron with very low heat to iron the covering so as to not melt the foam wing.)
Aha! One wing half finished!
Mark F NJ1 all covered and ready for the air (THE DEATH STAR)


Showing the gas tank mount


A GMS 47 with a mac pipe
Showing a different servo layout.
A shot of Mark showing his finished plane.
A shot of the underside of Mark's Death Star.
The Death Star ready to go.
Its hard to capture all the detail that Mark has put into this plane the photos don't do it justice.


Sometimes, you just have to appreciate a kind hearted wife... Doc's wife made a German Chocolate cake for the builders. Mark F. looks busy working on his plane after enjoying it, while Doc savors the moment as he enjoys the cake.


One cake, three guys, and that equals half of a cake missing. Good thing we didn't take the picture a few minutes later. Thanks, Barb. Deeeeelicious!

Aha! Chocolate! Treat time again, as Mark prepares to gobble down the last bite of a brownie. Barb was kind enough to make brownies for the builders.... and, as a testament to her outstanding baking abilities, the brownies were devoured in record speed. Way to go, Barb! We thank you for your kindness AND your baking.







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