Aero "Shrike" Commander PSS build

[rogallo]

Keep up the good work Fred,
  you can start on the Nimbus next!!

Only joking.

Chat tomorrow or sun morn??

R

[Kevin O'Donoghue]

Not a nimbus Ralph. How about a motor glider like the Grob???

[rogallo]

Oh touché

[billscottni]

What about a Carat or a Chevron for a change from the norm?

[Kevin O'Donoghue]

Carat is a really nice choice Bill.

[Fred]

Alrighty, today's work on the tail.
Simple in a way that they are cut in 5mm balsa.

The Shrike have angled elevator (about 7 degrees if I remember). So to reproduce that, I created a flat bit, that goes on the fuselage, and 2 "tail joiners" at the correct angle.
They are glued into notches cut in the balsa. Simple.

I used 2mm Robart hinges, installed with the nice Robart drilling jig that everyone should have!

You can make the back removable if you glue 5mm diametre tubes and use bent piano wires.
The elevator will be moved by a Y. Servo is located under the canopy

[Fred]

Alright, weekend, big push

Covering done.
Subject chosen

Now, time to piece everything together so we have what's look like a plane

First, the subject. It is an Aero Commander 500 from a company called "Pan Adrian" in Croatia. Now the national company I believe.
It was between this one, or one from the Argentinian Air Force.

Anyway, that one did fit the bill in simplicity for a quick job

So, all covered in white film. Rudder in Red vinyl. Once fuselage covered, the root ribs are glued and edges covered to hide the wood. At this stage, the wing joiner tube are glued also.

Then, vinyl is cut And applied following the photos.
I added my panel lines using my usual 1mm vinyl tape. Less is more, and it does enhance the plane big time. Small things...

[Fred]

Pilots are printed, painted and canopy finished.

For the transparent "glass", good tip is to use laminating film sheets. Comes in all sizes. A5 cost 1.99 for 10 at my local supply store. They also do them in A3 for 2 quids more...

So, templates cut, plastic cut then glued. A white vinyl trim finishes it off.

They look happy, so we call it job well done

[Fred]

Could not find spinners that would match the real thing, and the size I need.
Printer to the rescue

4 printed (2 spares) and glued straight away to achieve the look.

[Fred]

And we are almost done (in a cosmetic point of view )

Left to do:
Ailerons servos linkage
CofG
Trow it off a slope
Have a beer (to celebrate of forget )

All in all, very simple to build. Very quick (that thing can be done in less than a week I'd say) and plus, I like the look!
I thought I did the fuselage too fat, but, overall, does look right I think.
Only a couple of things to modify on the plan, so not a huge amount of work to finish it off completely.

Hopefully, first flights will tell if that was a good choice of plane... or not!

On a side note, I know nothing in electrics, but seeing it, that would be easy to put 2 electric motors in that thing for an unusual (rare) subject on the flying fields

[billscottni]

Looks great Fred

[Spanner]

God you sure build quick.
That looks really nice Fred.

Joe

[Fred]

AAwww, thanks, but definitively nothing compared to your F86 build! That one is just a box with wings, so quick and easy

[Fred]

Very successful first flight of the Shrike

Very happy, 2 clicks of up, and off it went. With very little wind, was only planning for a straight line and land to check the trims, but that thing went up without any fuss

Looks good! More of it later hopefully

[pascavion]

Beautiful ,amazing