West Wings Skylark build thread

[angry_muppet]

Latest update - right wing in progress.  



Using whatever is available as a weight to keep the whole thing flat.

Question:  Plan states to have the control horn on the underside of the wing and the servo arm also will protrude out of the underside; Little Keith suggested on a flying wing that this was a bad idea as it ask for trouble when landing.  Does the same hold true for a "proper" glider, or as it has a distinct fuselage, does that allow the control assembly to remain clear in a "good" landing, i.e. one in which the plane is immediately reusable!  :wink:

[jumbo]

Good progress so far, looking forward to seeing it in the air.

[Happy Days]

Yup. As the Skylark is a High Wing aeroplane when it lands the fuselage will make contact with the ground leaving the wings suspended. (Assuming that it makes a conventional landing that is :lol: )

Here’s a picture of two very similar models. The V tail is a Low Wing model, it lands on its wing, so the control arms and horns are on the top of the wing. The other model is a Mid Wing model, ( sometimes known as a ‘Shoulder Wing’) ie the wing joins the side of the fuse so, like a High Wing model, there is a gap between the underside of the wing and the ground allowing the control arms & horns the operate on the underside of the wing without snagging along the ground when the plane lands.



I hope you set wing rib  #1 at the correct angle to give the Skylark some dihedral :roll: .

It’s all looking good so far. :clap:  You might find the wing feels a bit flimsy while it’s “naked.” It will become much stronger when it has a tight covering around it. :wink:

L. Keith

[angry_muppet]

Yep, rib was set according to the template that was provided.  I'm just hoping that it was held in place sufficiently while the glue was drying.

I've also made sure that the wedge has been shaped correctly for the wing tip wash out.  I am correct in that?

I also assume the whole wingspan is covered as a single piece?

[Happy Days]

I also assume the whole wingspan is covered as a single piece?

Not sure if it’s a one piece wing  David, I thought it was a two piece, :?:  for ease of transport.
As far as covering built up wings ……..I’ve found that it’s best to use one piece to cover the lower half, and another piece to cover the top half, of each wing half. This way you can use different colours on top and bottom which will help you to comprehend the orientation of the model when it’s in flight.

There are dozens of video’s on You Tube showing various aspect of building model rc aircraft. Here’s one about covering a wing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G4Qfv_Zcl4

L. Keith

[angry_muppet]

The instructions don't tell you expressly whether it's a single or two piece wing... There's a gap ahead of the lower spar in the first 3 or 4 ribs and a small piece of ply at the correct dihedral which lead me to conclude "single piece".  Not that I'll have to worry about that for about another month.

[Happy Days]

Unless the instructions specifically tell you to glue the two wing halves together, you can reasonably assume that it is a two piece wing.
I’m pretty sure it is (a two piece wing) because I only have a small car and a single built up 72” wing would have had a high likelihood of getting damaged in transit to the slopes, :evil:  so I would not have bought it in the first place, David.

As I remember,…..the piece of ply that is set at the dihedral angle is actually the wing joiner. It slots into place when you assemble the wing halves so as to hold them at the correct angle.

(I’ve not been able to find a copy of the plans on line  so I’m only going by memory of when I looked at them, 12 months ago)

[angry_muppet]

The ply is the dihedral brace; you are correct Keith. The plans show it fitted to the port wing but as the starboard wing is built first and the fitment will be really tight,  I'll fit it there. I'll have to ensure to leave a little play when finishing the port wing for assembly on the slopes.

The progress so far is:

Tailplane and elevators complete
Stabiliser and rudder complete
Fuselage sides complete
Starboard wing about 85% complete
Port wing ribs sanded, trailing edge laid out and partially assembled.

Hopefully over this weekend and Monday I can make good progress on the port wing.  After that, I will start the sanding to firm the leading and trailing edges.

The colour scheme I have in mind is a red fuselage, white wings with red tips and the tail assembly also in red.  Reminiscent of the RAF Chipmunk scheme.

[jumbo]

Great progress so far muppet   will she be ready in time for the slope fest?

[angry_muppet]

Depends on when the slope fest is Jumbo!

April 18/19? I'd be delighted if I could have it done for then.  Somehow I don't think I would though. Watch this space!

I'll try and make it out on the Saturday anyway.

[angry_muppet]

I've started assembly of the fuselage this morning which has lead me to consider the next things I need to order so that I can have everything to maiden her when she's finally complete.

I already have the servos and a Spektrum 6100e receiver.  On the subject of the receiver, I have read that the reliable range of the 6100e (classified by Spektrum as "Parkflyer") is of the order of 700ft (or around 200m in these new fangled measurements :wink:).  I already have one in my wing and have had no issues.  As the Skylark is balsa and I've invested the time to build it, I don't want to risk a brown-out...  Would I be correct in saying that 700ft is about the normal distance on the slope and I'd be stupid to risk flying at the limit of the receiver?  Suggestions on a reasonable Spektrum receiver at a decent price are welcome.

With regard to the internal space for fly'y related stuff, the dimensions are approx 45 * 45 * 160mm, mostly in front of the CoG.  Turnigy have a nice light 300maH 2S LiPo (http://hobbyking.com/hobbyking/store/__36220__Turnigy_nano_tech_300mah_2S_35_70C_Lipo_Pack_EU_Warehouse_.html).  The question is, does this need a UBEC to connect to the receiver, and what's the best connectors for this?

After that, I think I have everything I need!

[angry_muppet]

Fuselage taking shape...



I'm hoping she's square!  :shock:  If not, she'll be a handful! :oops:

[EI1638]

Depends, up to 1.2 metres that I expect to be throwing about a bit - park flyer rx, any larger and it gets a full range RX. I've some bits for a 1.5 m span thermaller and it will be getting a full range RX.

I reckon that around 1.2 metres  for a glider (e.g. quark micro) is the limit as I'd not be able to see it if it went much more than 100 metres out, well, not enough to control with any precision (ahem).

I drop that further for power models as they tend to be bigger in cross section, and in general get flown further out (in my experience anyway)

[selleri]

4 ch for £20 > http://alshobbies.com/shop/lookupstock.php?pc=55210
6 ch for £30 > http://alshobbies.com/shop/lookupstock.php?pc=57008

[jumbo]

Hi muppet (this will never get old for me) a 2 cell lipo will put out 8.4 volts at a full charge which will likely fry.the rx and servos, most will only take up to 6 volts. also 200 mah is quite a low capacity and probably wouldnt last a whole day flying. my personal preference is to try and use as big a battery up front as it needs to balance and save putting useless lead in there. an 1100 two cell should fit in there (will post measurements of a pack later) and a small ubec or sbec to step down the voltage to 5 colts. alternatively you can use an nimh pack which outputs voltage at 4.8 volts and skip the ubec but i have never used one as they are imo fiddly to charge and useless for powered models.

pls excuse typos as on phone.

edit. also save your money and go for a low c rating pack unless you will be using it for powered flying.